A Sense of Guilt ✔

Chapter 40

Katherine sank down into the sofa at Danielle's apartment relieved to have some company on Saturday night. She strongly suspected Danielle had cancelled other plans, knowing she neither wanted to go out or be alone. For all she was happy to be back home, the house felt strange without Joe, too big for her to be rattling about on her own.

'So how have you been coping?' Danielle asked as she thrust a glass of wine into her hand. 'The first week is always the worst, letting everyone know and stuff.'

Katherine sighed taking a sip of wine. 'Yeah, it sucks. I am so sick of sympathetic words and mindless platitudes.' Her jaw positively ached from smiling through her misery.

'People mean well Kat,' Eva piped up as she joined them. 'It's like when someone dies, there are no right words.'

'I guess,' Kat said while Danielle looked more sceptical. 'Actually, my manager called me in for a meeting, she made out that it was just a routine performance review but it was a bit of a coincidence.'

'What did she have to say?' Eva asked as she poured herself a drink from the bottle Danielle had left on the coffee table.

'She asked me to consider putting myself forward for a training position. They're upgrading all the IT equipment and they need people to roll it out to the staff.' On the face of it, she felt quite flattered, but she couldn't help thinking she was being pushed forward as an act of pity.

'Go for it, it'll do you good to get your teeth into something new.'

Katherine nodded. 'That's kind of how she sold it to me. Career-wise it would probably be a good move to take on more responsibility.'

'Okay, so that's sorted,' Danielle said grabbing the bottle and topping up Katherine's barely touched glass. 'Now what about on the man front, what are we going to do there?'

Katherine rolled her eyes. 'No way am I going to put myself through this shit again.'

'Oh come on, one bad experience. You can't let it put you off.'

'One bad experience,' Katherine huffed. 'I don't think I'd call a broken engagement that.'

Eva nodded. 'Yeah, Kat needs time to get over this. Stop pushing her.'

'I'm not,' Danielle said testily. 'But Joe's moved onto that skinny rat. Kat needs to give him a taste of his own medicine.'

'He wouldn't care,' Katherine said forcefully. 'If anything it'd let him off the hook. If I got together with someone else then he wouldn't have to feel guilty.'

If he ever did?

'I bet he'd get jealous though,' Danielle insisted. 'You need to get with someone he knows, that'll show him.'

Katherine shook her head. 'I hate his friends and they hate me. It's not gonna happen.' She took a large swig of her drink, willing the alcohol to take effect.

'What about that guy who left the club with the skanky slut?' Danielle mused. 'He seemed alright. Well apart from the skanky slut part.'

'Donnie? I guess he's okay.' Katherine paused. 'But he doesn't like me like that.'

'Do you like him?'

'Not really,' Katherine said. 'He used to get on my nerves. And it doesn't change the fact that he's friends with Joe. I'd never get together with one of his friends.'

Danielle sighed. 'I suppose you know best.'

'And she did only split up with Joe a few days ago,' Eva said. 'Give the girl a break.'