where I am, thanks Guy. I like being out near the hills and
wildlife. I’m not one for massive crowds or excessive socialising, no offence
to anyone here. I happen to like my own company.” Guy snorted into his drink.
“That’s
not what I’ve heard,” and he winked at her. He was expecting some kind of
reaction from Catlin but none came and Guy guessed she had no idea what it was
he was hinting at. “Come on. Did you think no-one would find out? There is no
such thing as a secret out here.” Still Catlin gave no sign of understanding
him. “Blimey, you’re in the wrong trade. This is an award winning performance
and no mistake. I’m talking about your out of hours activities. You know, that
man you’ve been spotted hanging around with here and there.”
Wishing
she had caught on sooner Catlin was unable to stop her cheeks going red as
beetroot.
“See?
Ha ha, I knew it was true. If the rumours about how hot he is are true it’s no
wonder you’ve been reluctant to leave your apartment. Better things to do of an
evening, eh?” Now Catlin was sharing her embarrassment with Maria and William.
“I
apologise,” she stuttered to them, then added for Guy’s benefit, “I didn’t
realise anyone had seen us.”
“Been
trying to keep it quiet, have we? You did better than most. Only one or two
people have remarked on it. I don’t understand why you didn’t invite him along
tonight.” Catlin did not want to say she it was because she had stuffed the
whole relationship up, and did her best to hurry the subject on.
“He’s
like me. These dos are not his scene. Drop him in the middle of the wilderness
with a tent and a pen knife and he’d be in bliss.”
Maria
smiled softly at Catlin’s description, and muttered to herself more than those
she was with,
“I
used to know someone like that, a long time ago.” Catlin heard her and detected
the tone of sorrowful regret that tinged the words. To confirm there was more
to Maria’s musing, Catlin noticed William too had grown quiet and he placed a
comforting hand on his wife’s arm. Maria tried to shake off her melancholy but
it was with glazed eyes she focused on Catlin.
“Take
my advice sweetie – hang onto him by any means necessary. Men like that are a
rare find and worth making sacrifices for.” Their roles were reversed in an
instant and the older woman was quick to see that she had hit a sore spot with
the younger, but before she could enquire further or apologise, Catlin, who did
want a topic which was raw to the touch to be made the stuff of party gossip,
excused herself from the group. Guy thought she was merely going off to
circulate but the Goldburghs were wiser than he was.
Catlin
weaved her way through the throng saying ‘Hi’ and ‘How are you?’ or calling
back ‘I’m great’ along the way until she reached to doors of the balcony which
over looked the gardens. She went through them and out into the refreshing
evening air. There were a number of people out in the grounds, but they were
mainly on the other side of the house where the pool was, and once she shut the
doors behind her Catlin was engulfed by a near perfect silence as she sought
out the solitude she desperately craved and yearned for, and thought of the one
person she longed to share both with. Standing there and thinking on the advice
Maria had given, Catlin saw how much her meeting Ben had altered her life.
Before she’d have bolted from a function such as the one she was stuck in, that
or been unable to string together one single coherent sentence all night, but
she had not only managed to make it in the door without someone to accompany
her she had been able to hold a conversation and sell herself as Guy wanted her
to do without sounding like an intellectually challenged cucumber.
Gone
were the days when she focused on the things she thought were weak, poor or
plain wrong with her. She was a brighter, happier more complete person and he
had given that to her and
wildlife. I’m not one for massive crowds or excessive socialising, no offence
to anyone here. I happen to like my own company.” Guy snorted into his drink.
“That’s
not what I’ve heard,” and he winked at her. He was expecting some kind of
reaction from Catlin but none came and Guy guessed she had no idea what it was
he was hinting at. “Come on. Did you think no-one would find out? There is no
such thing as a secret out here.” Still Catlin gave no sign of understanding
him. “Blimey, you’re in the wrong trade. This is an award winning performance
and no mistake. I’m talking about your out of hours activities. You know, that
man you’ve been spotted hanging around with here and there.”
Wishing
she had caught on sooner Catlin was unable to stop her cheeks going red as
beetroot.
“See?
Ha ha, I knew it was true. If the rumours about how hot he is are true it’s no
wonder you’ve been reluctant to leave your apartment. Better things to do of an
evening, eh?” Now Catlin was sharing her embarrassment with Maria and William.
“I
apologise,” she stuttered to them, then added for Guy’s benefit, “I didn’t
realise anyone had seen us.”
“Been
trying to keep it quiet, have we? You did better than most. Only one or two
people have remarked on it. I don’t understand why you didn’t invite him along
tonight.” Catlin did not want to say she it was because she had stuffed the
whole relationship up, and did her best to hurry the subject on.
“He’s
like me. These dos are not his scene. Drop him in the middle of the wilderness
with a tent and a pen knife and he’d be in bliss.”
Maria
smiled softly at Catlin’s description, and muttered to herself more than those
she was with,
“I
used to know someone like that, a long time ago.” Catlin heard her and detected
the tone of sorrowful regret that tinged the words. To confirm there was more
to Maria’s musing, Catlin noticed William too had grown quiet and he placed a
comforting hand on his wife’s arm. Maria tried to shake off her melancholy but
it was with glazed eyes she focused on Catlin.
“Take
my advice sweetie – hang onto him by any means necessary. Men like that are a
rare find and worth making sacrifices for.” Their roles were reversed in an
instant and the older woman was quick to see that she had hit a sore spot with
the younger, but before she could enquire further or apologise, Catlin, who did
want a topic which was raw to the touch to be made the stuff of party gossip,
excused herself from the group. Guy thought she was merely going off to
circulate but the Goldburghs were wiser than he was.
Catlin
weaved her way through the throng saying ‘Hi’ and ‘How are you?’ or calling
back ‘I’m great’ along the way until she reached to doors of the balcony which
over looked the gardens. She went through them and out into the refreshing
evening air. There were a number of people out in the grounds, but they were
mainly on the other side of the house where the pool was, and once she shut the
doors behind her Catlin was engulfed by a near perfect silence as she sought
out the solitude she desperately craved and yearned for, and thought of the one
person she longed to share both with. Standing there and thinking on the advice
Maria had given, Catlin saw how much her meeting Ben had altered her life.
Before she’d have bolted from a function such as the one she was stuck in, that
or been unable to string together one single coherent sentence all night, but
she had not only managed to make it in the door without someone to accompany
her she had been able to hold a conversation and sell herself as Guy wanted her
to do without sounding like an intellectually challenged cucumber.
Gone
were the days when she focused on the things she thought were weak, poor or
plain wrong with her. She was a brighter, happier more complete person and he
had given that to her and
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