Chapter 17

The next afternoon, Kathy stormed down the hall, her cell phone held hard against her ear. “Hi, it’s me,” Kathy spoke into the phone as she stormed down the hallway towards her office. Determination echoed with each step of her high heels as they clad hard against the floor, sounding like a whip as it cracked on the tiles. Her usual routine disregarded, she stormed into her office and threw her coat over her arm and snatched her briefcase. “I’m going home and I’m packing enough clothes to last me for the next couple of weeks and I’m getting the next fucking train out of the city.”

“Sweetheart, what’s happened?” Helen urged as she paced the kitchen floor and scratched the back of her neck. She’d only just returned home herself.

“I’ll explain it all when I get there but I’m not driving. I’m taking a moonlight flight far away from the disaster that is my fucking life right now!” She stabbed at the button to call the lift, her anger rising in her throat as she fought the urge to punch the nearest object. “I’ll let you know when I’m on my way and you can pick me up from the station.”

Kathy executed the plan like a noir movie. She parked her car in the apartment carpark and checked it twice to make sure it was locked. She threw her keys into her handbag and pulled out her phone, swiping the screen to access her contacts as she shouldered the door into the building. Shit, she spat as she lost signal in the lift. Kathy tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for it to make its slow ascent. She redialled Michael as soon as she stepped into her apartment. Just as she was about to hang up, his chirpy greeting assaulted her. Luckily for her, he hadn’t left for one of his many glamourous Christmas soiree events. Half an hour later, he arrived at her door, dressed in a midnight blue tuxedo with a matching bow tie.

“Because you aren’t going to stand out in a crowd as my getaway driver!” Kathy smirked as she threw underwear and items of clothing into a purple suitcase that lay splayed open on her bed.

Michael idled against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets, he shrugged deeply, “What can I say, princess? I have a champagne reception at seven for yet another high-end boutique looking for magazine space, and it’s now six-fifteen and you need my help to escape. So, get your mighty fine, tight little arse into gear and let’s get going!” He snapped his fingers in the air, just above her head.

Kathy made a final visual sweep of her wardrobe and drawers and nodded in approval. The place looked as though a hurricane had blown through with work suits now hanging in disarray and empty coat hangers on the wardrobe floor. She had everything she needed, and if she didn’t, she could sure as hell buy it.

“Remind me again why you’re paying exorbitant train fayres instead of driving?” Michael asked, tapping his fingertips in time to the rhythm of the song playing on the radio.

“Because, I have a crazy fuck-nut stalking me the length and breadth of the fucking country, my boss has put me on garden leave because some utter nut job thinks it’s fun to try and trash my career and all I want, for four fucking hours of my life is a little bit of god damned peace!” she yelled.

Michael gave her a sideways glance as he approached yet another red light. “Better?” he asked timidly after her outburst.

Kathy sighed heavily. “Much,” she murmured.

Michael reached over and patted her thigh, “It’ll all be okay, Kath. You’ll see. We’re going to have an amazing Northern Christmas together and forget about all of this crap.”

Kathy adjusted her position in the passenger seat so she could see her best friend clearly, her dark curls draped over the collar of her woollen coat. “I wouldn’t miss that for the world, Mikey,” she replied gently.

Kathy’s face brightened into a genuine smile. No matter what she faced in her life, she felt like the luckiest woman in the world to have the love of the people around her. She took a deep breath and dispelled the anger that’d burned away at her insides for the past couple of hours. What she needed was a cheap trashy book to read on the train and a couple of gin and tonics to calm her nerves. Just the thought of it made her feel a little bit better.

Before she could open the car door, Michael reached over and kissed her cheek. “Say the word and I’m there.”

“I know, and I love you.” As she opened the door, the uneasy feeling she’d had returned. She looked around the parking lot, several cars were parking and a few driving through the gate. “Watch my back while I make in through the doors. I have a feeling we were followed.”

***

Helen gripped the steering wheel tightly with her slender fingers as she navigated the myriad one way streets out of Newcastle city centre. It was nearing midnight and the streets were packed full of revellers intent on kicking off their weekend in style. She crawled past the throngs of drinkers who waited to get into the Riverside nightclub, most of whom had consumed their bodyweight in alcohol. She stole a glance at Kathy who’d finally relaxed in the passenger seat beside her; still dressed in her work suit and cream woollen coat. Her lover looked exhausted as she rested her elbow on the window sill, propping her temple in her palm.

“Are you going to tell me what this is all about, now that you’re here?” Helen probed.

Kathy stared straight ahead. “Take me somewhere calm and quiet and I’ll tell you.”

Helen drove the gauntlet that was the A189 with its endless numbers of traffic lights. A taxi pulled out in front of her, causing her to slam the brakes. She honked the horn aggressively and shouted abuse as the taxi driver gave her the finger. Fucking ignorant taxi drivers. They both relaxed as the traffic calmed as the city centre appeared in the rear-view mirror and the concrete and glass gave way to dark open fields. Signs of life re-emerged as they drove into Jesmond and the orange street lights lit their way. Helen pulled the car into the car park at Jesmond Dene and the two women exited the car in silence. Helen grabbed a torch and blanket from the boot and locked the car.

Silently, they walked the wooded trail, their boots crunching on the frosty ground and led by nothing but the dim beam of light that the torch gave them. The woodland was alive with the sound of nocturnal wildlife as an owl screeched in a tree ahead of them and a fox barked somewhere behind them, the sounds seemed to echo. Yet, at the same time, the area stayed grounded by the swoosh of traffic in the distance as it ran the gauntlet of the coast road.

Helen pulled the collar of her waxed jacket more closely around her neck, trying to keep out the winter chill. The sky was crystal clear, so much so that even the biggest constellations could be seen for miles. The freezing fog burned her lungs, but if this was what Kathy needed, she didn’t care how cold it got.

They followed the path until they came to the waterfall that ran under the footbridge. There was no noise, except for the rushing sound it made onto the rocks. “Stop here,” Kathy instructed. “This place is perfect.”

They found a spot on a boulder at the side of the river and nestled into one another. Kathy closed her eyes for a few moments and allowed the sounds of the water to drown out the thoughts that threatened to swamp her mind. She took deep cleansing breaths before speaking, “I’ve been suspended from work.”

Helen frowned deeply and looked down at the silhouette of her lover. “What on earth do you mean, suspended? What did they say you’ve done?”

She wrapped her arms tightly around her body and bit back a sob. “The allegation is that I sexually harassed a woman who worked in a client’s office I visited between March and April! It’s a total fabrication. I’ve never even heard of this woman, and the only secretary in that office was an older woman who would let the client know I was there and walk me to the office!” She looked up at Helen’s face, trying to judge her reaction as her eyes filled with tears, then swiped them away roughly with her coat sleeve and sniffed loudly.

“Why would someone even think of doing something like that?” she demanded. “That’s just craziness. What did your boss say? And why in hell did he suspended you?”

Kathy took another deep, calming breath. “He has to follow protocol whether there’s any truth to an allegation or not. I don’t blame him for that but I want him to get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later. I spent the whole journey up here racking my brain why someone would make up such blatant lies. Am I a magnet for complete psychopaths or what?”

Helen held out her hands for Kathy to take and then pulled her up into a tight hug, placing a soft kiss to her forehead. “We’ll get to the bottom of it and it’ll all disappear once she’s found out to be a lying bitch.” She pulled back so she could see Kathy’s face properly. “Come on, let’s get you home before you catch hypothermia out here.”

Kathy gladly let Helen take her by the hand and lead her back onto the trail. The irrational side of her had been terrified that Helen would believe the allegation and ask her to leave. That seemed to be her latest affliction, the insecurities that now found ways of torturing her.

•••

The aroma of the essential oils relaxed Kathy as she leaned back in the oversized tub. Helen insisted that she soak when they got back to the house. Kathy loved the bathroom. It was as big as the master bedroom but looked even bigger due to the all-white design: white ‘subway tiles’ half that ran way up the walls, white appliances and the enormous bath built into the alcove below three small narrow windows. She felt cocooned as hot water lapped over her naked flesh, plumes of steam rose into swirls like ghosts above her.

Helen came through the bathroom door, a glass of wine in each hand and a kiss for Kathy. She made herself comfortable on the curved teak shower seat and leaned back against the wall. “Is the bath relaxing you?”

Kathy gratefully sipped her wine and nodded, gingerly placing her glass on the side of the tub before sinking back into the foamy bubbles “Definitely.” Her eyes roamed over Helen’s lithe body, her gaze lingered longer than she planned on the tanned cleavage just visible above the V of her heavy denim shirt. “Why don’t you get undressed and join me in here?” she blinked with feigned innocence.

A languid smile curved Helen’s lips as she got up slowly, and stood at the side of the bath. She gazed down at the reclining body below her: light freckles scattered across delicate collar bones, tapered in different directions as they reached full, firm breasts. Kathy’s stomach was taught and flat, her legs long and lean. Helen felt a tug of desire deep within her.

She knelt at the side of the bath, her sleeves rolled up past her elbows and let her fingers trace lazily over the slick flesh of Kathy’s abdomen. “Are you wanting me to scrub your back?” she teased, her eyebrow raising in curiosity.

“Not quite what I had in mind,” Kathy drawled as the exploring fingers made her abdomen tense.

Helen teased lower, fingers lightly brushing over Kathy’s smooth skin. She listened to her sighing deeply with pleasure as her eyes concentrated on her fingers and the area they were exploring. She moved them lower, stroking upwards over Kathy’s clit, eliciting a gasp from her arousal.

“You’re such a fucking tease,” Kathy moaned, her own fingers moving down her body to encourage Helen to keep going.

“Tell me what you want,” Helen asked quietly.

Their eyes locked, Kathy’s pupils dilated with hunger and need. “You know what I want.” Her arm snaked up around Helen’s neck and she pulled her down for a deep lingering kiss.

Helen stood and quickly stripped out of her clothes, throwing them carelessly out of the way. She stepped into the steaming water and lowered herself gently before pulling Kathy into her arms. Kathy slid onto Helen’s lap and kissed her hard, moaning as Helen’s fingers found her aching centre. She rocked her hips against Helen’s hand, urging the probing fingers deeper inside her. Kathy tossed her head back, inviting Helen to suck on the pale flesh of her exposed throat. Helen’s fingers matched Kathy’s urgent rhythm as she took her harder, her thumb pressed against Kathy’s swollen clit.

She roared as the orgasm crashed over her, rendering her completely speechless. Helen wrapped her arms around her shaking body and kissed Kathy’s chest, her own heart thundering inside her. Neither woman moved as they revelled in the moment, glad to be back in each other’s embrace.

•••

Helen strode around the kitchen, pulling ingredients from the fridge for a simple salad for work, taking gulps of coffee as she went. She’d never been particularly good at getting out of bed on time in the morning and always ended up rushing around to get things done.

Kathy shook her head, unable to stop herself laughing at the scene before her. “I’ll make sure you come home to a nice dinner tonight,” she reassured her.

Helen kissed her on the lips, coffee in one hand and a carton of tomatoes in the other. “That would be nice.”

Her low heels echoed on the tile floor as she marched back to the kitchen counter. “Will you be okay on your own all day?” she threw back over her shoulder.

“Of course, I will, I’m a big girl and I can take good care of myself. I might catch the Metro into city centre and finish my Christmas shopping. I usually finish it on my way home from the office on Christmas Eve!” she admitted. “I need to ring work this morning, too. I need to find out what’s happening with everything. I know it sounds stupid seeing as I’m a solicitor, but would you help me write my statement tonight? You’re more objective than I can be.”

Helen clicked the lid onto her Tupperware box, her eyes scanned the kitchen for her navy-blue suit jacket. “Of course, I will, honey.” She stuffed the box into her briefcase and grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair, finally pausing for to give Kathy her full attention. “I hate leaving you alone all day. I feel like I’m abandoning you.”

Kathy sighed. The last thing she wanted was to complicate Helen’s life. “Helen, I’m fine, I promise. That’s why I did a moonlight flight this way. It wouldn’t have been easy to follow me here so I think I’m safe. She has before, though but I don’t think even Petra would drive all the way up here on the off-chance that she’d find me.”

Helen frowned. “Don’t underestimate her, Kathy. She’s mentally unwell, clearly going through a psychotic break and is very dangerous. She’s not going to get bored and move on.”

“I’m aware of that after all these years, thank you!” She rolled her shoulders in the thick, white towelling dressing gown and sipped coffee from the mug she cradled in both hands. “I’m sorry, I know you’re just worried about me. I shouldn’t have snapped.”

Helen stepped closer and draped her arms around Kathy’s shoulders. She planted a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. “It’s okay, I’m sorry, too. I slip into doctor-mode a bit too easily at times. Go out and have a nice day. Worry as little as possible about work and just have a nice, relaxing time. Treat yourself.”

Kathy patted her gently on the chest, “Go and save lives, Doc. Call or message me when you can if it’ll put your mind at ease. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She kissed her lips, savouring the taste of coffee and happiness.

Kathy watched Helen do a U-turn in the circular drive, and the tail lights disappear behind the hedge. She took a moment to readjust to the silence, before draining her coffee mug and making her way to the shower.