Chapter 43

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Joe grimaced as his eyes fell on Katherine, and the smile on her face faltered. He forced his face into a neutral expression and made his way over to the table where she was sat with Donnie. He wondered what she was playing at, it was pointless her trying to win his friends over now.

'So you are alive?' Katherine said smiling again. 'I was beginning to worry.'

Joe's brow furrowed. He'd almost expected her to greet him with angry accusations or something but she appeared to be perfectly composed. He let out the breath he'd been holding. Thank god she was holding it together, there was only room for one overwrought female in his life.

'I've been busy with work,' he said trying to keep his tone light. He glanced at Donnie feeling a flash of irritation. First Shannon, now Kat? Couldn't he broaden his horizons a little?

'I've been pretty busy with work myself,' Katherine said pointedly, and Joe could tell she was trying to sound upbeat. 'I got a promotion, well kinda. It's more responsibility but the pay is the same.'

'Yeah, you said.' He recalled her mentioning something in one of the many texts she'd sent him. 'Congratulations.'

'Thanks, I wasn't sure if you got my message.'

'I did,' he said thinking rapidly. 'I thought I'd replied. I guess I must have read it when I was busy. Sorry.' Katherine's lips puckered into an expression Joe was all too familiar with, and Donnie stood up.

'I'll leave you guys to it,' he said pushing his chair back. 'Catch you later.' Joe did not miss that Donnie's eyes flittered towards Kat as he said the words. Much as Joe would like Katherine to move on, it would be a bit close to home if she got together with one of his friends.

'I guess Donnie felt awkward,' Katherine said as she watched his retreating form.

Joe eyed her curiously. 'I never knew you guys were so friendly, he was always on your shit list.'

Katherine flushed. 'He wasn't, we just got off on the wrong foot.'

'I did try telling you that at the time.' Mentally he slapped himself, he didn't want a trip down memory lane, and he suspected Katherine was more than willing to sit and dissect their past relationship.

'To be fair you did,' Katherine conceded, pushing her hair behind her ear. 'I guess I got him wrong, I got a lot of things wrong.'

Here we go, Joe thought. 'I got a lot of things wrong Kat, and if I could go back and do things differently I would.'

She bobbed her head slightly. 'So you've moved in with Shannon? Donnie told me.'

Joe groaned, what was it with Donnie blabbing his private affairs? 'I haven't moved in. I'm just staying with her while I find an apartment.'

'Is it really that hard?'

'Kinda.' It was now he was questioning whether it was wise for Shannon to be living by herself.

Katherine's brows knotted together. 'I heard Shannon was ill?'

Jeez, Donnie had turned into the worst girlie gossip. 'She doesn't look after herself, that's all,' he muttered.

'Oh?' 

'Kat?'

She turned innocent eyes on him. 'What? We're friends, aren't we? We can talk about this stuff.'

He regarded her suspiciously, she was goading him, she had to be. 'I've already said, she doesn't look after herself.'

Katherine frowned deeply as if pondering his words. 'Maybe you should get her to join the gym. She doesn't come here, does she? Kelly does, and so you do, I'm sure she'll enjoy it.'

Joe shook his head, she was definitely taunting him. 'Okay, I'll sign her up. Let's just hope you two don't run into each other.'

Katherine rolled her eyes. 'I'm not renewing my membership at the end of the month. I wouldn't have suggested she join if I was.'

Joe paused, feeling wrongfooted. So Katherine was being serious?  'Maybe I'll look into it.'

'Yeah, you should. Reading between the lines, I'd say you think she needs some healthier habits.'

Joe remained silent, this was the last thing he should be discussing with Kat, it was Shannon he needed to talk to. But how could he? He'd discovered her anti-depressants by accident, and having checked the packet every day, he could see she wasn't taking them. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not?

'So,' Katherine said clasping her hands together. 'How are your family?'

Inwardly Joe groaned. 'They're fine, Katherine.' 

'It's just I messaged your mom,' she said looking down. 'I was a little rude.'

Joe nodded, he'd read the texts but he had to admit they were argumentative rather than abusive. 'It's all forgotten, don't worry about it,' he said waving his hand.

'Danielle sent the bridesmaids' dresses back to your mom.'

'Yeah, my mom told me.' He couldn't help smirking. 'One of the dresses was ripped. Did the girls have a fight or something?'

Katherine's face turned scarlet. 'They did, things got a bit tense at one of the fittings.'

'Right,' Joe said letting her off the hook. 'Look, I've gotta get going.'

'Wait!' Katherine grabbed his arm as he stood up. 'We need to discuss my living situation. I want to stay on at the house, I'm hoping Dani will move in with me.' 

'Go on,' he said not seeing what it had to do with him.

'I'm not sure how to approach our landlord. He knows I want to stay but I guess he'd have to draw up a new tenancy for anyone who moves in?'

'Yeah, he would,' Joe said. 'But I'd imagine he'd rather have you and a friend of yours move in than find new tenants.'

'That was my thinking,' Katherine said as her fingers played with her empty coffee cup. 'Could you have a word with him? I mean you know this stuff, and you're used to dealing with him. I always get flustered talking on the phone to people I don't know.'

Joe looked at her warily, suspecting she was simply trying to keep him involved in her life. 'I could, but Kat, I think it would sound better coming from you. You're the one who wants to stay in the house.'

'Please Joe.'

He held in a sigh, knowing he was going to give in to her pleading. 'I guess I could, but find out if Dani is even willing to move in. That's the first step.'

'Thanks,' she said sitting back smiling. 'I'll do that.'

~~~

'Do you need me to zip the back of your dress up?' Joe asked Shannon, appearing behind her and doing it anyway.

'Thanks.' She smoothed her dress down. 'I guess you have your uses!'

'You look really nice,' he said thinking the knee-length grey dress was a pleasant change from the little black dresses and short skirts she usually wore. 'You should dress like this more often.'

She turned around frowning. 'You don't like my clothes?'

'I didn't say that, I...' He shut up before he put his foot any further into his mouth but frankly, he wasn't keen on some of the skimpier outfits she wore. He didn't want other men looking at her body.

'Don't try and change me,' she warned. 'I'll wear what I want, and I am not joining the gym.' She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him, daring him to disagree.

Joe nodded. 'Okay, that was a bad idea.' The absolute worst. He almost suspected Kat had set him up, except there was no way she could know how adverse Shannon was to exercise.

'I don't even have a pair of sneakers,' Shannon huffed. 'And I certainly don't need to lose weight.'

'Are you sure about that?' Joe asked pinching her waist and she squealed.

'If you are going to be totally annoying, I'll call my dad and get him to give me a lift to Amber's baby shower instead of you.'

'Sorry, sorry,' Joe said holding his hands up. 'I said I'll take you, and Kelly, and Beth.' He let his shoulders sag as if it was a big imposition running her and her friends around.

'You don't have to,' Shannon said and he realised she couldn't tell he was joking. Probably she was on edge about going to the baby shower and his teasing wasn't helping.

'It's fine honestly,' he said. 'You can't ask your dad.'

'Oh he wouldn't mind,' Shannon said grabbing her purse. 'He likes to keep busy since he took early retirement. I'd be doing him a favour.'

Joe laughed. 'You are spoilt.'

Shannon shrugged. 'He likes to spoil me.'

Joe's smile faded, she wasn't wrong there. Her dad was a hard act to follow. 'So,' he said, considering his next words carefully. 'This baby shower...are you sure you want to go?'

'I can't not, Amber's my friend,' Shannon said tightly. 'I can't ignore other people's pregnancies just cos of what happened to me.'

'Yeah I know, but you could have said you were working or something.' He couldn't help but think she was punishing herself in a way, Amber wasn't that close a friend.

'I guess I could have made an excuse,' she admitted turning around to apply a fresh coat of lipstick. 'But I can't hide from these things. Do you think Mark ever gives it a second thought?'

He winced at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. 'I have no idea what he was thinking in the first place.' Although if Mark had thought differently, he wouldn't be with Shannon now.

'Well, I do,' she said her face flushing with anger. 'He was thinking that his life would be over if he had a baby with me.'

Joe placed a hand gently on her shoulder. 'For your own sake, you should try and let it go.'

'It's not that easy,' she said turning her eyes back on him. 'I'm still furious that Mark gets to walk away while I'm left with all this angst. But then I made the final decision, so the guilt is all mine.'

'Shannon, I-' He halted, at a loss as to what to say.

'Look, I really don't want to talk about it.' She turned her face back to the mirror, smoothing her hair down. 'Are you ready? Kelly was expecting us about ten minutes ago.'

~~~

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