A Sense of Guilt ✔

Chapter 5

'So what's Katherine like?' Shannon asked Donnie as he steered her into a quiet corner of the party. He frowned slightly as his eyes fell on Kat.

'She's nice, she doesn't like me too much,' he said, and Shannon raised her eyebrows eager for him to continue.

'I guess I rub her up the wrong way, she's sorta prim and proper and I'm more rough around the edges,' he admitted and Shannon laughed.

'You do put your foot in it,' she said taking a sip of what passed for champagne. 'And you are kinda direct.'

'Yeah, take earlier. I was complimenting her mom on her old movies since she used to be an actress, and Kat was getting all worked up.' He looked over at her again, she'd had Joe's hand in a vice-like grip since Shannon had arrived.

'Oh that's why she looks familiar,' Shannon said with a fleeting sense of recognition.

'Yeah she was in quite a few flop movies.'

'Well I hope you didn't point that out,' Shannon said knowing tact wasn't his strong point.

'No some of them were pretty good. I used to watch them on cable when I skipped school but I guess Kat wouldn't approve of that either,' he said shaking his head.

'Neither would Joey, he never skipped school,' Shannon said. 'Oh apart from this one time...'

'Yeah?' Donnie asked wiggling his eyebrows.

'It doesn't matter,' she said blushing.

'That sounds like a story I want to hear,' he teased as she put her hands up to her cheeks.

'No, it's certainly not a story that would be appropriate to tell at Joey's engagement party.'

'Sounds like something for the best man's speech,' Donnie said watching her squirm.

She cleared her throat. 'So what are you doing these days?' she asked wanting to change the subject.

'I set up a company doing landscape gardening,' he said letting her off the hook. 'It keeps me out of trouble, and at least I get out and about.'

'I couldn't imagine you stuck in an office for ten hours a day,' Shannon said and he shook his head.

'Nah, that's my idea of hell. I guess you think the same?'

'Sort of, I mean after I finished college I didn't have a clue what to do. Then I went to this careers event with a friend and before I knew it she'd signed us up for this taster session with Qatar airlines and the rest's history,' she said wishing she'd had more ambition or direction.

'So what's your uniform like?' Donnie asked and Shannon rolled her eyes.

'Red skirt, red jacket, red heels, red lipstick,' she said wryly.

'I bet you look sexy in it,' he said grinning.

'Donnie! How much have you been drinking?' She tried to act outraged.

'Not a lot, I've been too busy keeping you company, and I bet you're glad that I have.'

'You have a high opinion of yourself,' she retorted.

'No I don't, but I can see you'd rather be anywhere but here,' he said more seriously.

'It's that obvious?' She'd thought she'd been putting on the perfect act.

'Only cos I know you,' he said, and she guessed he still remembered eighteen-year-old Shannon who masked her insecurities by being over exuberant.

'It's not easy being here,' she admitted sipping her wine and hoping a waiter would soon be over with a refill. 'I finished with Joey but it wasn't because I didn't care, I honestly thought we were too young to settle down.'