Knowing Me Knowing You (32 page)

‘
We’re second, we only need to come second to be in the final. We just need to do our best in the last round,
’
Joel encouraged.

‘
Yes, I know,
’
Kate replied, looking out into the audience.

Lynn
was waving wildly and whistling, Colin was necking Dawn and Miranda was laughing ridiculously loudly and touching Andrew Kent’s knee. All looked the worse for booze.

The next half an hour didn’t really matter to them, but it was absolutely crucial to Kate. She had to make the final, she needed that prize money. She wanted to get her life back on
track,
she wanted to give
Bethan
everything she needed without having to struggle
.
B
ut most of all she needed to shake
herself
free of Matthew. If she could do that financially
,
then her emotions should surely follow suit.

‘
You’re doing so well! The Lady Dragon hates it! And have you seen Colin and Dawn? They’ve hardly come up for air!
’
Lynn
exclaimed, pouncing on Kate as she waited with Joel.

‘
You shouldn’t be in h
ere, you’ll get us disqualified.
P
lus I want to know all about the other couples. You can’t report back if you’re in here with me and missing the action,
’
Kate spoke.

‘
Darren’s keeping an eye on things while downing all the wine. Still, whatever keeps him in a good mood,
’
Lynn
replied.

‘
My dancing was terrible, I was so embarrassed,
’
Kate remarked.

‘
It was great! And isn’t Joel a terrific singer? There’s no way that wrinkly Sylvia doing star jumps and all that thrusting was better,
’
Lynn
said with a nod.

‘
Joel’s getting some drinks, do you want one?
’
Kate offered.

‘
No thanks, just popping in to give moral support.
’

‘
Well just hang there a second, I’m desperate for the loo but I’ll be back
.
I want to know all the gossip from the table. Joel, give
Lynn
my drink,
’
Kate spoke as Joel returned and she made a mad dash towards the exit.

‘
Hello again,
’
Joel greeted, passing Lynn Kate’s drink.

‘
Hello. I was just saying to Kate, I thought your song was really good,
’
Lynn
told him.

‘
Thanks
-
listen
Lynn
, don’t say anything to Kate will you? I want to tell her myself,
’
Joel spoke a serious expression on his face.

‘
OK, am I supposed to know what you’re talking about? Don’t tell Kate what?
’
Lynn
asked
, confused.

‘
Darren didn’t tell you?
’

‘
Darren didn’t tell me what?
’

‘
It doesn’t matter. I just thought
-
it doesn’t matter
-
it’s nothing, honestly,
’
Joel answered with a smile.

‘
Hmm, now you’re worrying me. Is he keeping secrets from me? Have you two met before or something?
’
Lynn
questioned, staring at Joel suspiciously.

Kate washed her hands and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was glowing and for the first time in ages she felt like her. This was how she used to feel when things had been uncomplicated with no pressure at work, marital strife or single motherhood. She smiled at her reflection and was just about to walk towards the door when someone walked through it, tossing their blonde hair back.

‘
Oh Kate, hello,
’
Miranda greeted.

‘
Hello.
’

‘
Aren’t you and Joel doing well? Who would have thought it? I expe
ct you’re glad you selected him -
handsome, intelligent, such a fabulous singer.
’

‘
Yes,
’
Kate replied not really knowing what to say.

‘
But the
n he is the best choice on the
Elite Escorts website isn’t he? I didn’t think much of any of the others,
’
Miranda remarked.

Kate froze, Miranda’s words hitting her like a bulldozer. Her heart leapt up into her throat.

‘
I admire you really, an escort agency isn’t something I would ever consider using. But I know it must be hard being divorced and being a single mother. All those lonely nights in front of the television wondering how your life came to this,
’
Miranda continued.

‘
I don’t know what you’re talking about,
’
Kate muttered stupidly, knowing her shocked expression had all but given her away.

‘
No, of course not
.
Y
ou met Joel at the swimming pool didn’t you?
’
Miranda spoke smugly.

‘
Yes,
’
Kate replied
unconvincingly.

‘
I doubt the organisers of this competition would be very pleased to hear that one of the current leading couples were nothing more than fakes. And I just can’t imagine what it would do to Frank Peterson
-
his solicitor cheating, his integrity questionable,
’
Miranda continued.

Kate couldn’t say anything; tears were welling up in her eyes already.

‘
But then no one need find out. If you, say turned down Colin’s offer, told him you didn’t wa
nt to take the solicitor’s exam.
I’m sure your little secret could stay a secret,
’
Miranda spoke a smile crossing her face.

‘
I don’t know what you’re talking about. Joel and I
are
a couple.
’

‘
Oh Kate, in your dreams!
L
ook at him! Look at
you
!
’
Miranda exclaimed, laughing out loud.

‘
Not everyone judges everything on face value,
’
Kate replied
as
hurt buil
t
up in her chest.

‘
I would think very carefully about what your next move is going to be. I mean all you have to do is turn down the offer of the exam and then you can carry on with the contest and carry on as a legal executive, nothing has to change.
’

Kate just looked at Miranda. The Lady Dragon was sneering at her, smiling smugly, pulling at a tendril of blonde hair.

‘
You’re in shock; you didn’t think I’d find out. Well, why don’t you have a little think about it over the weekend and let me know on Monday how you wish to proceed,
’
Miranda suggested, speaking to Kate as if she were a client she was going to report for money laundering.

‘
Joel and I are a couple,
’
Kate stated again as if saying it a dozen times was going to make it real.

Miranda laughed out loud and then turned on her heel and left the toilets like a pantomime bad fairy.

Kate put a hand to her chest the second Miranda had closed the door in an attempt to quell the panic. The Lady Dragon knew and now she was going to try and blackmail her. She couldn’t let her jeopardise the contest,
she
and Joel had worked too hard to let that happen.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror again
. T
he smile had gone and the worry lines had reappeared. It was back to normality.

‘
The final round, the round that will decide which
two couples go through to the g
rand
f
inals, to be held in London, is called
“
Bitter or Sweet
”
. This will be a quick-fire round where the couples will be given two words and they will have to pick the word they think best reflects their part
ner’s preference.
For example, “
savoury
”
or
“
sweet
”
.
Is everyone clear?
’
Larry Rawlins asked the contestants and the audience.

All Kate could do was
stare
into the audience at Miranda. She was perched on Andrew Kent’s knee, sipping champagne and licking her lips. Kate had never wished death on anyone before but she wished it now. She looked at the sparkling chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and wondered how she could arrange for the one over the
Randall’s
table to be loosened. A loosened screw and it could fall, land on Miranda’s head. Shards of glass would scratch into her face, one large sharp piece would pierce her heart and she would lay, across Andrew Kent’s leather trousers, bloodstained and lifeless.

‘
Are you OK?
’
Joel asked, taking hold of her hand.

‘
Yes,
y
es, I’m fine,
’
Kate insisted, hurriedly putting a smile on her face.

‘
I’m a savoury by the way, not a sweet, just in case they do ask that one,
’
Joel spoke quietly.

‘
Oh,
’
Kate replied.

‘
Are you sure you’re OK?
’
Joel asked again.

‘
Yes, fine, nothing another drink won’t cure,
’
Kate said as she prepared to leave the stage.

‘
Listen, when we get back to the lodge, there’s something I have to tell you,
’
Joel spoke seriously.

‘
Oh, you know! Did she speak to you too?
’
Kate exclaimed half horrified but half delighted that she didn’t have to keep Miranda’s knowledge to herself.

‘
What?
’

‘
Miranda.
’

‘
Kate, what are you talking about?
’

‘
She knows you’re an escort,
’
Kate said nervously.

‘
What?!
’

‘
You didn’t know.
’

‘
No, when did this happen?
’

‘
She confronted me, in the toilets. She knows and she’s going to tell everyone we’re frauds if I don’t turn down the solicitor’s exam,
’
Kate informed as they followed Becky down the corridor towards the green
room.

‘
She can’t do that,
’
Joel replied, opening the door for her.

‘
She can and she will. I’ve told you, she’s evil, she hates me and for some reason she feels threatened by me and
-
what are we going to do? I don’t want to lose our chance,
’
Kate said, looking at Joel wide-eyed.

‘
I’m not going to let her do this,
’
Joel spoke.

‘
I don’t think I have a choice, she’s given me the weekend to think about it but I’m going to have to turn down the offer of the exam. I’m not sure I wanted to do it anyway.
’

‘
No.
’

‘
What else can we do? We could pull out of the competition or deliberately lose but I don’t want to do that, Hermione and Lynn and you have put so much into
this it isn’t just about the money
any
more
,
’
Kate spoke, picking up a stray drink from the bar and swallowing it.

‘
We’re not pulling out or throwing the competition, leave it with me,
’
Joel said confidently.