Page 42 of On The Edge

Billy sighed, and rolled his eyes. “I didn’t do a thing! I just knew a fella who had a shop he wasn’t using, that's all!” Billy went pink as Jess described how he had gone out of his way to get the flat and shop fixed up for her.

“Billy helped me too - when I hurt my ankle on the hill over in Hoy!” Cat was delighted that she had become a part of the unexplained system whereby everyone knew everyone else on the island.

“Oh yes, you said you stayed with someone that night. Now that I think of it, of course it would’ve been uncle Billy that helped you!”

Billy waved his hand, dismissing the praise. “Come on now lass, you’re embarrassing me!”

Jess laughed at his objections. “Fair enough, well I’m glad you already know each other. Right - I better go talk to some more attendees!” She squeezed his shoulder gently and wandered off.

Billy and Cat walked around the exhibition together and to Cat’s surprise Billy gave each painting his full attention. “What’s this one?” He pointed to a modest watercolour of a copse of trees.

Cat followed his gaze. “This is about life’s voices. How, well - you think you are on the right path, sometimes, but you can still get caught up in thinking, am I doing this right? Should I be making different choices? It’s about the whispers in your ear that make you doubt yourself. Self-doubt, in other words!” She chuckled at her ramblings.

“I love the different faces you see in the trees,” commented Billy. “More and more keep appearing the longer you look.”

“Yes, you’re right.” Cat replied, encouraged. “And they all seem to be looking in the same direction, to the tree over here.” She pointed to a smaller tree from left-of-centre.

“And this tree, is it you?” Billy asked, earnestly.

“Yes.” Cat gave a small smile, at the same time feeling very exposed, showing her self, and her inner workings to the world.

Cat left Billy to walk around while she went back to the entrance again to welcome people. Jess was there, grinning widely and talking to a few others, she had gathered a small crowd around her, and looked very much in her element. The small crowd was listening to her artistic process, and theories on method, smiling and nodding in agreement at what she thought of Cat's half of the exhibition. Cat moved closer to listen, but she was stopped in her tracks by Patrick, who emerged through the door and smiled at her. Her heart fluttered like a small bird waiting for release. She took in his appearance shyly; he was wearing a suit jacket, blue scarf and jeans; certainly more of an effort than his usual performance gear. His hair looked a little wild, with his curls standing up from the wind outside. She couldn’t help but giggle.

“What?” he asked, patting down his hair. “Have you not been out there, it’s gale-force winds!” He smiled again, and Cat melted a little more.

“Fancy seeing you here!”

“Yeah, I thought it would be a good idea to make sure I don’t have a court case ahead of me!”

“What? By coming and drinking all our wine?”

“That, I will be yes, and obviously checking up on the invalid!” He put his hands in his pockets, and nodded at her knees.

“Well, thanks to your administering, I’m fine.” She glanced down at the bandages just peeping out from underneath the hem of her dress. “You took good care of me!”

He looked away for a few moments and sighed. “I just feel so bad about it, and, well... you must think I’m like that.”

Cat wasn’t really sure what he meant; to her, Patrick was many things, and she couldn’t work any of them out. Which, unfortunately, both attracted her and warned her to back away. She smiled reassuringly at him. “Look, you may as well know: I’m a bit of a clumsy person. I’m always hurting myself, so this was just another weekly occurrence for me. So far this month I’ve already burnt myself, scalded my arm, scratched my back picking brambles, oh and catching my heel on the road and falling over – I mean who catches their shoe in the middle of the road?” She laughed.

“You’re accident prone? Well, I'd better watch out in case something like that happens again!”

“I mean, hopefully it wont, but you were going pretty fast out there!” Cat giggled.

“So coming tonight and making sure there’s no court case might have been a good idea?”

“Perhaps, maybe buying a painting might help too?”

Patrick laughed, and his green eyes glowed, then looked quickly at her mouth – she was sure he just looked at her mouth?

“Can you show me around?” he asked hastily. “It’s not everyday you know the artist of such a high-flying exhibition!”

“Sure!” Cat downed the last dregs of her glass of red, and filled another for her and Patrick, then escorted him around the room. “How is your music going? Played any more gigs since I last saw you?”

“Yeah, a few.” Patrick ruffled his hair, and Cat couldn’t help but feel drawn to him. His face was open, and his green eyes looked directly into her own every time he spoke, making her melt with delicious ease. “Oh hey - I forgot to say, thanks for what you did on the radio!”

“Oh it was nothing.” She shook her head.

“No, it helped. That Darren has never played anything of mine before. And the next show has sold out in tickets advance – that's never happened before!”

“That’s great news!”

“Yeah, I couldn't believe it! I’ve never played to a sell-out gig!” Patrick laughed. She listened to him speak with that lovely, twisting Irish lilt, which had the slightest Scottish undertone, his lips soft as he spoke slowly, explaining some of the new songs he had written. Cat remembered kissing those lips that stormy evening in the dingy quayside nightclub; now all she wanted to do was reach for his hand and kiss those lips again. She was so overcome with sensations running up and down her body that she felt sure if she didn’t get away that minute, she would kiss him there and then in front of everyone. Did he feel this chemistry?Maybe it was all completely one sided on her part? Where was his girlfriend anyway?Remember he has a girlfriend! After a few moments, Cat excused herself and went through the back door to cool off in the workshop. She stood still on the spot taking deep breaths. Why must she feel this way? If only she could completely shut herself off from men and just focus on her life. Why couldn’t she be attracted to a normal guy who didn’t have girls drooling over him?This was really her big night, and all she could think of was Patrick! Cat peered out of the workshop door to see even more people admiring the artwork. Get a grip Catherine, be proud of what you've achieved; don't wait for his approval to enjoy the moment! Patrick came into view and stood in front of Jess’s painting of Cat. She felt her face heat up all over again. I am a strong independent woman, and I don't need anyone but myself to be seen; to be wanted ! With a sigh she gave herself a few more minutes in the welcome, anonymous cool air, before stepping out into the gallery once more with a smile on her face.