Page 40 of On The Edge

“Ouch!” she moved her knees a little at the biting medicine he dabbed. She looked down at his curly head of hair, as he examined her cuts like an attentive nurse. More antiseptic lotion went on, and then he lightly placed a bandage round each knee. He looked up at her with an uncertain smile.

“Done.” He held out his hand to help her down from the washing machine.

“Thanks. Look, I’m sorry I snapped at you, Patrick, I- ”

“I’m sorry I almost killed you!”

“I was in the middle of the road, and that was nothing to do with the van.”

“But I wasn’t looking where I was going!”

“We could be here all day trying to apologise to each other,” Cat interrupted, and let him lead her gingerly back through the hallway.

“You’re still shaken Cat, sit here and I’ll get you a cup of tea.” Cat let him make her a drink, and wondered to herself if her trembling really was from shock, or as a result of being touched by this heartbreaker-come-musician?

They both sat at the kitchen table with their tea. The window beside them looked right out onto the water, over the harbour.

“Wow, you must see all the boats go past from this window?” She looked out at seabirds swimming on the water.

“Yeah, it’s pretty close to things, it can be quite wild though being this nearby on a stormy night!”

Cat gulped her sweet tea and felt it heat her all the way to her toes. She looked around the room and saw a simple, tidy kitchen, with nothing much on display apart from an abstract photo of Jimmy Hendrix on the wall.

“I love Hendrix.”

Patrick followed her gaze. “Aw, he’s a legend! I saw a cover band recently. They’re from London and they actually played in Orkney. It was incredible.”

“I’m sorry I missed it.” She sipped her tea, feeling better with each mouthful.

He scratched a clean-shaven chin. “Well, maybe next time I’ll take you?”

“I’d like that.” The words came out of Cat’s mouth without a second thought. But what’s the point if he’s with someone else?Do I really want a best friend I’m insanely attracted to?

Patrick's phone abruptly buzzed making them both jump. He pulled it from his inner jacket pocket, glanced at it, then placed the still-vibrating device back in his pocket.

“You can answer that, I don't mind,” Cat said quickly, in her most convincing encouraging tones.

Patrick shook his head. “Nah, it's... not important.”

She watched him, unable to work him out, and a different kind of silence fell between them. Cat handed back the cup and got up to leave. Still feeling a little woozy, she took her time as Patrick led her down the hallway to the door. Only then did she catch sight of a few telltale items: ladies hairbrush lay on the hall table, with some bright hair-clips, and a beautiful red coat was draped on a hook by the door. Yes, a woman lives here all right. Cat smiled at Patrick briefly and walked out into the pale daylight.