Page 55 of The Twelve Dates of Christmas
Kate swirled the cream in the pan and set it back down on the heat.
“Like?” she asked.
She didn’t like where this was going. She had a sudden feeling of nausea in the bottom of her stomach.
“I wondered if you might have said anything that might have put her off me,” he said.
“Matt!” Kate was aghast. “As if I would.”
“No, no,” Matt broke in. “I don’t mean it like that. I meant. Well. I didn’t know if maybe, while you were bonding and being all girly-talky, you might have told her about the way I was with you, you know, at university and then how we didn’t speak for... ten years.”
Kate was silent.
The cream rose to a boil. Kate took it off the heat. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat. Her hand shook slightly as she mechanically poured the hot cream over the second bowl of chocolate.
“Kate?” he said.
“No, Matt,” she said witheringly. “I didn’t. But thank you for having such a low opinion of me, or such a high opinion of yourself, that you assume I would still be feeling wounded about a bust-up that happened thirteen years ago!”
“Kate,” he said.
“Oh, it’s all right.” She took a breath. Her reaction had taken her by surprise. “I’m just being craggy. Sarah wanted my advice. She felt you might be holding something back.”
“Holding something back?” Matt was incredulous. “Like what?”
“I don’t know,” said Kate truthfully. “She didn’t know either, she just had a feeling.”
Matt was quiet for a moment.
“I don’t really know what to say to that,” he said eventually. “I wasn’t aware I was holding anything back.”
“She suggested you havelayers,” said Kate.
“Crikey!” said Matt.
“Don’t worry,” said Kate. “I assured her you are far too shallow to have layers.”
Matt laughed.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Kate,” said Matt. “I feel like a shit now. So essentially each of us has bleated to you that the other is distant and/or holding back.”
“Essentially, yes,” said Kate.
“Right,” said Matt. “It looks like Sarah and I need to work on our communication skills. I’m sorry about what I said earlier; I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Yeah, well,” said Kate. “I’m always telling you, you shouldn’t do thinking. Your tiny brain can’t handle it.”
Matt laughed.
“I’ll see you in the morning?” he asked.
“Of course you will,” said Kate.
“Night,” said Matt.
“Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” said Kate.
The call ended. The same strange unease prickled her insides. It was the same sensation she’d felt the other night with Sarah. Like coiling nettles.
