Just Good Friends (10 page)

He laughed. “You could say, thanks for the lift. On your way
home?”

“I was contemplating taking in a gallery opening, seeing as
I’m looking so lovely. Maybe the ballet later.”

“You are a mess,” he agreed. “How about going down to Quay
Street with me first, though? We could have a beer.”

“I don’t know,” she hesitated. “I’m pretty wet, and it’s
been a long day.”

“All the more reason,” he told her firmly. “You could have
another go at me. You’d enjoy that, I know. To tell the truth, I could use the
company myself tonight. You’re always a good distraction.”

“Well, if it’s charity work,” she conceded, “I suppose I
could let you buy me a beer.”

 The drive on the motorway into Auckland’s central business
district was slow and congested in the driving rain, and Kate was thankful not
to be shivering on the bus. Finally, though, Koti pulled into a carpark across
from a historic building on the waterfront.

“This is a pretty good brewpub,” he explained as he held the
huge entry door open for her. “Comfortable on a rainy night. We could have tea
as well. I’m hungry. And since I’ve seen you eat, I’ll bet you are too.”

“Nice to know my reputation as a delicate flower is safe
with you,” she told him when he came back from the bar with two beers in hand,
their orders for cheeseburgers and chips placed. “I suppose I should have
ordered a salad.”

“No, why? I hate it when I take a girl out and she won’t
eat. Like I’ll appreciate how feminine she is, with her tiny appetite. More
likely to think she’s anorexic, aren’t I.”

“It might be different if you dated normal women. And all
right,” she conceded as he looked at her with an inquiring grin, “maybe I have
Googled you by now. A bunch of tall, skinny, interchangeable blondes, from what
I saw.”

“In a bit of a rut, you think? You may be right about that.
Time for me to broaden my horizons, eh.”

“Yeah, I can see that happening. But if I’m not going to
ruin your reputation completely, I’m going to have to make myself look a little
more presentable.” She felt her damp hair, which she could tell was clinging
unattractively to her scalp. “Be right back.”

Coming out of the stall in the ladies’ room, Kate was forced
to detour around a stunning woman with the tall, lean proportions of a model. Leaning
against the counter, her endless legs in tight dark jeans and high heels
stretched out in front of her, she was taking up far too much space in the
cramped quarters. The top of her spectacular cleavage escaped a purple chiffon
top, while long, curling red hair framed strong cheekbones and a pair of green
eyes that were looking at Kate with barely concealed hostility.

“Hello.” Kate nodded and washed her hands. She turned for a
paper towel and found her way blocked once again. What was this woman’s
problem? “Excuse me, please,” she said, trying to contain her exasperation.

“Who are you?” the redhead challenged. “And what are you
doing out with Koti?”

“Having dinner,” Kate answered shortly. She didn’t feel like
getting involved in a confrontation, but she wasn’t about to back down from
some Amazon with an attitude problem either.  

“Did he tell you he already has a girlfriend? Forgot to
mention me, did he?”

Kate sighed. “We’re just friends. Nothing for you to worry
about.”   

The redhead swept Kate with a contemptuous gaze from head to
toe. With anger and jealousy twisting her face, she didn’t look quite so
lovely. “Yeh, right. Don’t have much to offer anyway, do you? Can’t imagine you’ll
last more than a night.”

Kate’s hackles rose. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and she
wasn’t going to cower in the face of hostility she didn’t deserve, even if this
woman had a good eight inches on her. “If he’s really attached to you, his
being friends with me can’t be anything for you to worry about. And if he
isn’t, that doesn’t have anything to do with me, I assure you. I’m afraid I’ll
have to let you two work that out. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back
to my dinner.”

Kate could see the wheels turning as the redhead tried to puzzle
out what she had said. And the moment when she finally gave it up and focused
on her mission, announcing, “I think you should leave. Now.”

Kate stared at her. “Are you crazy? I just told you, I’m
having dinner with a friend. What are you going to do, scratch my eyes out? Are
we going to have a fight in the bathroom over a guy? Are we in the eighth grade
here?”

“He can make a choice, then,” the redhead decided. “Right
now.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Kate sighed. “This is ridiculous.
I’m not interested in being part of your little story, whatever it is. Look.
I’ll hang out here for five minutes. You go right ahead. Go on out there and
have your say, if that’s what you want. Take him home and make wild love to
him, make sure he never goes anywhere without you again. If he’s gone when I
come out, I’ll take the bus home.”

“Go on,” she urged as the woman hesitated. “Go for it. No
skin off my nose.”

Precisely five minutes later, she made her way back to the
table. Koti was standing with the redhead at his side, her hand on his arm.
Kate’s heart sank. He was leaving with her. She’d have given him credit for
better taste, anyway. Surely that was why she felt so dismayed at the prospect.

“Kate.” Koti looked relieved. “I was ready to send in the
search dogs. Dena says you’ve met.”

“Yes, I’ve had the pleasure of Dena’s acquaintance, though I
didn’t catch her name.”

Koti turned back to Dena with a barely polite smile. “Thanks
for stopping by to say hello. See you, then.”

Dena scowled. Opened her mouth to say something, thought
better of it, shut it again. She glared at Koti in mute fury, then stalked away
on her high heels, male heads turning to watch her exit. Even angry, she was a
magnificent sight, Kate had to admit.

“Where were you?” Koti demanded. “How could you leave me
defenseless like that?”

“What?” Kate stared at him. “That woman practically accused
me of being a homewrecker. I thought I was breaking up the romance of the
century, coming between the two of you.”

“In her dreams,” Koti said shortly.

“Oh, boy. Now I have entertainment.” Kate sat down and looked
at him expectantly, picking up her cheeseburger from the plate that had arrived
in her absence.  It was a bit cold, but she found she didn’t care. “And there I
was, waiting in the ladies’ room all this time for her to have her big love
scene,” she complained. “What did I miss?”

“You didn’t miss anything,” he grumbled, sitting down across
from her at last and picking up his own burger. He watched as she took an
enthusiastic bite. “Except her trying to make out I’d promised her something,
and having a hissy fit.”

“Who is she?” Kate pressed when she’d finished chewing. “If
she isn’t your girlfriend, she’s delusional. And I find that hard to believe.”

He shrugged. “I’ve taken her out from time to time. Which
means her photo’s turned up in the paper. Reckon that’s what she doesn’t want
to lose. She’s a model. The publicity’s been good for her career.”

“Clearly she thought there was something more to it than
that. She wasn’t happy at all about my being here. In fact, she was ready to
fight me for you. I half expected her to jump me.”

He started to laugh. “A catfight in the ladies’ toilet. Sweet
as. Wish I could’ve seen that. I’d have put my money on you, every time.”

“Yeah, well, you know what they say. It’s not the size of
the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. She might have a
few inches on me, but I’m tougher.”

“I know you are,” he grinned. “Soon as she broke a nail, that’d
be the end of it. Whilst you’d be hanging on like a pit bull till the bitter
end, teeth stuck in her arm.”

“Huh. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not ready to do
battle over you yet. I told her to come on out here and give it her best shot,
if she was so sure you two were an item. I half expected you to have left with
her.”

“No worries. Not happening. And that’s quite an opinion you
have of me, that I’d leave you stranded here to go off with another woman.”

 She frowned. “I’m not sure you understand this, Koti. But
you and I are not dating. Those rules don’t apply.”

“You’re not some mate that I can leave because I pulled in
the pub. Still a woman, aren’t you. I wouldn’t do that.”

“That’s not necessary, but I appreciate the concern. I have
to tell you, though, I don’t think she’s going to be available next time you
call. That is one seriously pissed-off model.”

“That’s good, because I’m not going to be calling,” he said
firmly. “It’s over.”

It was true, he thought with some surprise. He’d enjoyed
going out with Dena, had appreciated the picture they made together, her
striking looks setting off his own. The sex hadn’t been bad either, though it
hadn’t been anything earthshaking. But he’d never wanted to take it any further
than that. Not that she’d ever evidenced much desire to get to know him better
either. It was no loss to see the back of her, beautiful as she was. And the
scene she’d made had been truly embarrassing. He’d never been so glad to see
Kate. Although he still wished he could have seen the fight. He had a feeling
it would have been spectacular.

The amusement Kate had provided, though, was short-lived. By
the next day, Koti had worked himself into a thoroughly bad mood again. Going to
practice felt pointless with the next Blues game almost three weeks away. He
had the uncomfortable feeling that he was training with the second string, with
the All Blacks on the squad practicing at other facilities.

He needed some diversion, he decided. He’d go talk to Kate.
With any luck, she’d get into a slanging match with him again, take his mind
off things. He wasn’t pleased, entering the back office, to see Kevin McNicholl
standing by her desk. Practice was over. The young wing should have been out of
the building by now, not here wasting Kate’s time.

“How ya goin’, Kate.” Koti stopped in front of her desk. “Kevvie,”
he nodded. “What are you doing here?”

“Having a chat,” the other man told him, his open,
good-humored face hardening in unmistakable challenge.

“Can I do something for you, Koti?” Kate asked him.

Koti scowled at both of them. “I was just going to talk to
you about Saturday.”

“Koti’s giving me surfing lessons,” Kate explained to Kevin.
“I’ll meet you at the café, same as last time, OK?” she told Koti. “What time
did you want to start?”

“Uh . . .” He stopped, at a loss. Looked at the two of them.
Kevin folded his arms across his chest and stared back. He clearly wasn’t going
anywhere.

“I’ll text you, let you know,” Koti finally managed.

“All right,” Kate answered cheerfully. “See you later,
then.”

As Koti turned and left, Kate couldn’t help laughing a
little to herself. Who would have thought she’d have two rugby players vying
for her company? Koti was so obviously disgruntled and put out. It was good for
him not to be the center of attention all the time, she decided as she turned
back to Kevin. She was sure it was a novel experience for him.

But when Koti started in on the subject almost as soon as
she’d hopped into his car on Saturday morning, she quickly found herself
becoming less amused by his attitude.

“Why was Kevvie there, Thursday?” he asked her abruptly as
he pulled out of the carpark onto the main road, in the middle of her question
about surfing in today’s windy conditions.

“Why do you think? He was asking me out. Apparently not
every man in Auckland thinks I’m carrying hoof and mouth disease. I suppose I’d
better take you up on that offer.” She couldn’t resist needling him a little.
“To give me the lowdown on the players. Anything I should know about? Does he
have any bombshell girlfriends who are going to confront me in the ladies’ room?
Should I watch out for a surprise attack from his wife and three children?”   

“You shouldn’t go out with him at all,” he said with a scowl.
“He’s not right for you.”

“Got a bad temper, huh,” she mused. “Hmmm, maybe he’ll
insult me. That
would
hurt my feelings. But you know, I think I’ll risk
it. He seemed pretty nice.”

“Damn it, Kate. I don’t think you should be dating any of
those boys. You don’t know what they’re like.”

“I’ll know better if I date them, won’t I?” she answered
reasonably. “Face it, Koti. You’re just a dog in the manger. You don’t want me
for yourself, but the idea of my being seen with somebody else hurts your male
pride. Let me remind you once again. I’m not your girlfriend. You don’t have
any say over who I date.”

“Who said I didn’t want you?” he objected.

“And, um, that would be . . . you,” she reminded him. “Too nasty,
too small, too dark, too aggressive . . .” she counted off on her fingers.
“What did I miss?”

“I pointed a few things out, eh. A few personality flaws. That
doesn’t mean I don’t like you. So are you seeing him, or not?” he demanded.    

Suddenly, she was done with this. It had been funny at
first, but he was starting to annoy her. “I’m not your property, Koti, and I
don’t owe you any explanations. Drop it, OK?”

“I told you about Dena. I explained that situation. Friends
tell each other things.”

“Not this. Not if you’re going to be such a jerk about it.”

 “I need to know, though. To . . . to make sure you’re
safe.”

“I’ve had enough male possessiveness for two lifetimes. We
don’t have a relationship, and your jealousy is totally out of line. Drop it.”

“That’s a bit harsh,” he protested. “I’m not jealous. Concerned
for you, that’s all.”

“Well, you can stop being concerned. We’re done with this
discussion. In fact, I’m done, period,” she decided. “Take me back to my car,
please.”