Knowing Me Knowing You (27 page)

‘
Do you know anything about burlesque?
’
Kate asked Hermione as her friend put a cup of green tea down on the table in front of her.

‘
Ooo
la
la
!
Burlesque! Why do you ask Sweetie?
’

‘
Oh I have to have a stupid talent to show off at the show and I had no idea what to do. I didn’t even know about it until Joel told me it was on the show information sheet, which I didn’t read properly. So then Lynn suggests burlesque and gets all excited and phones her mental friend Melanie who turns up with this, this and this and I haven’t a clue what to do with any of it,
’
Kate explained, pulling a corset, a fan and a feather boa out of her bag.

‘
Ooo
I say!
Va
va
voom
!
’
Hermione spoke excitedly.

‘
Am I totally mad? What am I doing? It was bad enough standing on stage just answering questions, now I am going to have to prance around like some sort of
nineteenth
century hooker,
’
Kate exclaimed, drinking some tea.

‘
What does Joel say?
’

‘
I can’t tell him, he would be so embarrassed he would probably pull out of the show.
’

‘
What’s his talent?
Apart from obviously being a perfect gentleman and the most gorgeous guy on the planet.
’

‘
Apparently he plays the guitar. He’s probably had lessons from James Blunt. He’s going to be great and I’m going to be terrible.
’

‘
Well, my suggestion to you would be to think
“
role play
”
. When you dress up in costume give yourself a whole new identity. I don’t know; make yourself Maria De Cruz, the Spanish countess, not Kate Baxter the legal executive. You are mysterious, exciting, sultry and alluring, lose yourself in your music, be at one with the fan, use your props like they are part of you,
’
Hermione spoke and she picked up the fan, flicked it out with force and hid her face so only her eyes were showing, attempting to bat her eyelashes seductively.

‘
Have you heard yourself?
’

‘
You want to win the show don’t you?
’

‘
Well yes, but I also don’t want to make an idiot of myself in front of the Lady Dragon and the partners of
Randall’s
.
’

‘
It will look worse if you don’t commit to the performance. Don’t you watch
X Factor
? How many contestants get accused of lacking emotion and not committing? Simon
Cowell
practically says it every week.
’

‘
How many of them attempt burlesque?
’
Kate queried.

‘
That would be novel wouldn’t it? But more
Britain’s Got Talent
I’d say.
’

‘
I’ve got to look on You Tube later, see exactly how much dancing and seductiveness is required. Are you still OK to have
Bethan
overnight that night?
’

‘
Of course, I’m looking forward to it
.
W
e’re going to go swimming and make apple tarts.
’

‘
Want to swap? You do the burlesque routine and I’ll bake and swim?
’

‘
You know I would in a flash but it isn’t
my
name on the entry form,
more’s
the pity. And besides that
,
I’m not sure I would let you use my oven unsupervised.
’

‘
Mummy, Mummy!
’
Bethan
called as she toddled into the kitchen and held her arms out to Kate.

‘
Hello darling! Come and give Mummy a cuddle,
’
Kate spoke, scooping
Bethan
up in her arms and savouring the feeling of the daughter.

‘
She’s looking more like you every day. And when I say something she doesn’t like the sound of, like
“
come and have your face wiped
”
she wrinkles her nose up just like you do,
’
Hermione said.

‘
You’ve never offered to wipe my face and I don’t wrinkle my nose,
’
Kate answered
immediately wrinkling her nose.

‘
Oh
Bethan
, Mummy is funny isn’t she?
’
Hermione said with a laugh.

When Kate got home there was a pile of post waiting on the doormat. There was a new menu from a Chinese takeaway with an offer on sweet and sour chicken and prawn crackers, another leaflet about losing half your body weight at Joel’s gym and the rest were bills. She picked them up and deposited them on the table. She couldn’t face looking at them just yet.

She bathed
Bethan
, put her to bed and spent the next hour looking at burlesque dancers on the internet. It made her shudder. The women all looked so confident in themselves and their bodies. They looked submissive, yet powerful, prim, yet flirtatious, playful, yet controlled. She had no idea where to begin. In the end watching the dancers being everything she wasn’t was getting her down so she turned the computer off and set her Fisherman’s pie to cook. She had a litre of German Hock to wash it down with and she had started that already.

There was a council tax bill, a credit card statement and a car insurance renewal. When she opened the fourth envelope her heart almost stopped. It was from the Child Support Agency. She read the words, trying to take them in but as she read a chill crept over her. Matthew was questioning
Bethan’s
paternity, he wanted a DNA test.

Kate’s heart began to pound as she re-read the letter, trying to take it all in. Why would he do this?
How
could he do this? She wanted to cry but the tears wouldn’t come, a ball of emotion was lodged in her chest, unmoving.

She picked up the phone and dialled in Hermione’s number. It rang and rang and no one picked it up. The microwave beeped and Kate’s breathing quickened as she ended the call and dialled a different number
. Her mind was working overtime.
H
ow dare he? How did they take DNA tests these days? Was it a blood test or a mouth swab? She should ask
Lynn
, she was up to speed with detective shows.

‘
Hello.
’

‘
Oh,
er
hello Joel, it’s Kate
.
I,
erm
, I’m sorry to call, Hermione isn’t in and I just need
…
’
Kate began, trying hard to swallow the tears that were beginning to leak out.

Why had she phoned him?

‘
Is everything OK?
’
Joel asked.

‘
No, I
-
I’m sorry, I’ll call someone else
.
I shouldn’t have called you, I’ll try
Lynn
,
’
Kate spoke as she began to cry out loud, the thought of subjecting
Bethan
to any procedure making her feel sick.

‘
Don’t do that. I’m coming over; I’ll be there as soon as I can,
’
Joel replied and he ended the call.

Kate slumped down onto the sofa, the letter in her hand, the words swimming in front of her eyes. He was getting back at her; he was using his own daughter to get back at her for involving the CSA, for making him pay
what he should towards her care. She was only two; she was just a little girl.

When she opened the door to Joel her face was awash with tears and her eyes were red and sore.

‘
Sorry I called you, I’m fine now
.
I just couldn’t get hold of Hermione and
…
’
Kate began, feeling embarrassed.

‘
It’s OK, are you alright? What happened?
’

‘
Matthew’s told the CSA there’s doubt over
Bethan’s
paternity, he wants a DNA test,
’
Kate blurted out and then burst into tears all over again.

Just saying the words brought the raw emotion back. It didn’t seem real or fair, it was like someone was punishing her. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse Matthew trumped his last action all over again.

Joel put his arms around her and drew her towards him, holding her tightly. Kate began to cry loudly and Joel hugged her to him consolingly. She felt so hurt and betrayed by the man she had loved and she couldn’t believe he was willing to put a little girl through an unnecessary ordeal because he didn’t want to acknowledge her or pay to support her.

‘
She’s just a little girl, she’s his daughter,
’
Kate spoke.

‘
I know,
’
Joel replied.

‘
Why would he do this? It’s so horrible, he’s so cold.
’

‘
He’s doing it because he doesn’t want to pay; it’s as simple as that. It’s a delaying tactic that’s all and that’s how you should look at it,
’
Joel answered.

‘
Do I have to do it? I don’t want her to have a blood test or whatever for no reason.
’

‘
I think it’s a mouth swab now.
’

‘
Do you watch
Waking the Dead
?
’
Kate queried.

‘
No. Why?
’

‘
It doesn’t matter. Whatever it
is
I don’t want to do it, I shouldn’t have to
-
it’s wrong.
’

‘
I know,
’
Joel agreed.

‘
Sorry, I shouldn’t be burdening you with this, it just got to me and I didn’t know who to call.
’

‘
It’s OK.
’

‘
I don’t know
,
the minute I think I’m on top of things and I’m doing OK, something else happens. Would you like a drink? Sorry, I should have offered, come through. There’s wine, oh well there was,
’
Kate spoke, picking up the large bottle of wine and finding it was empty.

‘
I’ll just have a coffee or something, I’ve got the car. What can I smell?
’
Joel suddenly
asked
.

‘
Probably Fisherman’s pie.
’

‘
It smells disgusting, were you going to eat it?
’

‘
Yes, of course.
’

‘
Did you know that they make those meals out of the crappiest off-cuts they can find?
’

‘
No, perhaps I suspected, but I never dwelt on it.
’

‘
Do you want me to make you something?
’
Joel offered.

‘
No! I’m fine, honestly.
’

‘
Do you have eggs?
’

‘
Maybe.
’

‘
Cheese?
’

‘
Possibly.
’

‘
Onion?
’

‘
It’s probably past its best.
’

‘
Introduce me to your frying pan,
’
Joel instructed.

‘
You don’t have to cook for me, I’m really not the helpless damsel in distress,
I
just had a weak moment that’s all. Everyone has weak moments; even
you
must have weak moments,
’
Kate insisted, feeling foolish.

‘
I’m not cooking for you, I’m cooking for me
.
I
stayed late at work and haven’t eaten yet. And as for weak moments, yes a car back firing usually does it for me.
Frying pan?
’