A Sense of Guilt ✔

Chapter 51

Katherine made her way towards the living room door, a bottle of wine in one hand, and a beer and two glasses precariously balanced in the other. She was just about to nudge the door open with her elbow when the sound of Danielle's voice stopped her.

'I guess I thought Joe was one of the good guys,' Danielle was saying and Katherine could imagine Donnie's bored expression. 'And even if he wasn't, stuff like this doesn't happen to girls like Kat, it happens to girls like me.' Donnie murmured something inaudible and Katherine took that as her cue to sharply elbow the door.

'Not interrupting anything am I?' she asked giving Danielle a warning look. She'd already told her that she wanted the subject of Joe to be strictly off limits tonight.

'How can you be interrupting when you're the host?' Danielle asked jovially. 'Let me help you with that wine.' She grabbed the bottle as Katherine set the glasses down on the coffee table.

'This is where a hostess trolley would come in handy,' Katherine said as she handed Donnie the beer. 'It's a shame they went out of fashion.'

Danielle laughed. 'I'll tell you who'd look good with a hostess trolley though.' Katherine looked at her blankly. 'Shannon! Isn't pushing trolleys what she does for a living? Joe has really dumbed down there.' Kat saw Donnie's mouth turn down, his eyes narrowing but he stayed silent.

'I'm hardly an intellectual heavyweight myself,' she said breezily. 'Donnie is that beer okay? Joe left it, and I'm not a beer drinker so I don't know if it's the good stuff or shit.' Stop babbling!

Donnie smiled. 'Katie, it's fine. And if it's Joe's, well I might just finish it all.'

'Why do you call her Katie?' Danielle asked her brows furrowing. 'No one else does.'

Donnie shrugged. 'I don't think Kat suits her, it's too feline. It makes me think of the Bride of Wildenstein.' Katherine spluttered. 'Sorry, Katie.'

'No it's fine,' she said stifling a laugh. 'I think there might have even been a compliment in there.'

'You know me, backhanded compliments come naturally.'

'So it was a compliment?' Danielle asked smirking and Katherine was beginning to wish she'd thought of an excuse not to invite her to have dinner with them. She guessed if Dani kept acting up she could try sending her to her room.

'Sure it's a compliment,' Donnie said picking his drink up. 'In the sense that she doesn't look botoxed to the eyeballs.'

Kat let out a laugh. 'Quit while you're ahead. Although I take your point, one time when we were at Kelly's salon this woman walked in and...' She paused remembering the woman with a frozen forehand and cat-like eyes, and then she remembered that she was having a makeup trial for her wedding. 'It doesn't matter, but she was a literal crazy cat lady.' Donnie laughed but Danielle caught her eye, clearly picking up on where her thoughts had drifted.

'So Donnie, I'm curious,' Danielle said picking up her glass and taking a slow sip from it before her eyes fell on him. 'How do you square up being friends with Joe and being friends with Kat? You can't ride two horses.' Katherine held in a sigh although she was curious as to Donnie's reply.

He picked his beer up, his actions mimicking Danielle's. 'I don't think it's my place to judge,' he said slowly, holding Danielle's gaze. 'I don't condone what Joe did, but I'd be lying if I said I thought he should have gone through with the wedding.' His eyes briefly flitted to Katherine, and he gave her what she thought was a sympathetic look. 'I'm not gonna make any excuses for him though.'

'But you'll make excuses for Shannon?' Kat asked unable to stop herself.

'I have a degree of sympathy for Shannon, that I don't have for Joe,' Donnie said his eyes now on Katherine. 'And if Joe doesn't get his act together, he'll probably lose her as well.'