Strictly Love

‘Oh God, that didn't come out right,’ said Mark. ‘It's not all.’

‘It's not all what?’ Emily teased.

‘Excruciating,’ said Mark. ‘I mean, you're not.’

‘Glad to hear it,’ said Emily. She felt secretly flattered. She hadn't come here on the pull, but as they continued their awkward trotting around the room, she reflected that it was nice that someone other than Callum had showed an interest in her. However vague, it was a very welcome boost to her ego. Even if he did keep treading on her toes.

Chapter Five (#ulink_40ea859b-e3f6-5aed-9a09-6701651e21f4)

‘The name's Rob Dylan, by the way,’ Rob said as he expertly led Katie round the room. Irritatingly he seemed to be rather a good dancer, ‘as in Bob's younger, more good-looking brother.’

‘Of course,’ said Katie. ‘I spotted the resemblance instantly.’

Rob was a bit of a revelation actually. Katie's previous experience of dancing lessons had been fun, but had not exactly filled her with confidence about the dancing abilities of the majority of the male of the species. Charlie wasn't bad, but their wedding day was probably the last time they'd danced together. Not only could Rob dance, but he knew how to lead her properly too. Which meant that, rusty as she was, she felt she was actually dancing the foxtrot the way it was meant to be danced. With Rob, she was gliding round the room with perfect confidence. For a few fleeting moments she felt graceful again. She was grateful to him for that at least, even if he was a bit of a twat.

‘I'm Katie Caldwell,’ she said. ‘And I bet your brother doesn't dance as well as you do.’

‘Nah,’ said Rob. ‘But he sings a bit better.’

Katie laughed. Dancing with Rob was turning out to be a lot more fun than she'd expected. Actually, she hadn't laughed so much in ages, she suddenly thought ruefully. When had she and Charlie stopped laughing together?

‘Has anyone told you, you have a lovely smile,’ said Rob, pulling her slightly closer than was strictly necessary.

‘Yes,’ said Katie firmly. ‘You did.’ She had been going to say, ‘my husband’, but then a mischievous desire stopped her. Rob clearly couldn't help himself. He was a serial flirt who thought he was God's gift to women. He really needed nipping in the bud instantly, but it wouldn't hurt to string him along a little bit. Just for fun.

‘So I did,’ said Rob. ‘And did I mention your gorgeous eyes?’

‘Hmm, I seem to remember you mentioning my thighs,’ said Katie. What was this guy like? He couldn't seriously be thinking she'd have forgotten his earlier comments.

For a minute, Rob looked slightly nonplussed, but he recovered himself well.

‘That was before I had stared into your gorgeous eyes,’ he said, kissing her hand gallantly as the dance came to an end.

‘Yes, that'll be it,’ Katie said, with only the barest hint of sarcasm.

People were milling about chatting together, or heading for the pub next door. It was really time she got going. Katie wasn't used to staying out late midweek, and with Charlie away it was harder than normal to get herself out of bed in the morning and organise the kids. She needed an early night.

‘You're coming next door for a drink.’ It was a statement, not a question. Rob was steering Katie towards the door in a rather well-practised fashion. Despite herself, she couldn't help admiring his ridiculous self-confidence.

‘I don't think so,’ said Katie. ‘I really have to get on.’

‘Oh yes you are,’ said Rob, ‘you just don't know it yet. Expect the unexpected. That's my motto.’

‘Well, how's this for unexpected?’ said Katie. ‘A woman saying no to you.’

‘I wasn't chatting you up,’ said Rob.

‘You so were,’ said Katie. ‘And I'm not the slightest bit interested.’

‘Don't flatter yourself, darling,’ Rob replied. ‘You're not my type.’

‘And what's your type then?’ Katie was furious. Which was ridiculous. Why should she care what he thought of her?

‘Thin,’ was the hurtful rejoinder.

Katie stood with her mouth open. The cheek of him.

‘Well, you're hardly likely to win Mr Universe, are you?’

They glared at each other for a second.

‘Are you coming next door for a drink?’ Mark and Emily came up. Emily looked flushed and pretty. Her slimness accentuated Katie's curves. Katie wasn't normally the jealous type, but suddenly, next to Emily, she felt like a walrus.

‘No, I don't think I am,’ said Katie. ‘It's time I was off.’

‘Me too,’ said Emily. ‘I've got an early start in the morning.’

‘Will we see you ladies here again next week?’ Rob asked.

It was all Katie and Emily could do to keep straight faces. He was so ridiculously pompous. Despite her irritation, Katie realised it was hard to stay cross with someone who was clearly so deluded about his charms.

‘Maybe,’ said Katie. ‘We'll have to see.’

‘So you're not dancing again?’ It was clear from the look on his face that this was not the answer Rob was expecting. He looked like a disappointed spaniel.

‘Depends who's asking,’ said Katie in an outrageously flirty, mischievous manner, before she and Emily made a bolt for it, laughing like demons.

‘I think that went well,’ said Rob, watching them go.

‘And you've worked that out how?’ said Mark. ‘They‘ve both just left. And they were laughing at us.’

‘Sure sign they fancy us. Besides, you know my motto,’ said Rob, touching his nose with a conspiratorial grin. ‘Expect the unexpected. Don't you worry, they'll be back. Like I said, they're gagging for it. I can tell.’

* * *

‘How dare he!’ Katie was still apparently brooding on Rob's words about her weight the next day when Emily rang her to see if she'd calmed down yet. ‘I mean, obviously I don't care what that idiot Rob thinks, but – first Charlie told me I'd put on weight and now that prat says I've got fat thighs. I must be enormous.’

Emily made soothing noises down the phone while glancing anxiously at her watch. She had a mountain of stuff to shift before the end of the day, and having rung her soap star and discovered what she'd actually said about the black girl she was meant to be sharing a room with on Love Shack was somewhat worse than even the papers had inferred, Emily had a feeling she might be up all night sorting out the mess. She really didn't have time for a long chat. But Katie always listened to her troubles, so it seemed mean not to do the same. The problem was, Katie had spent so long at home, she'd forgotten what it was like to be in a busy workplace and not have time to make personal calls. Emily looked across the corridor at her boss's office. In a moment, she felt sure that Mel would be on her like a ton of bricks for chatting during office time.

‘Liar,’ said Katie. ‘Thanks for humouring your best friend. I do know I have to lose some weight. But it's not as if he's God's gift, is it?’

‘Hardly,’ said Emily.

‘Mind you, his friend was nice,’ said Katie. ‘You looked very cosy together.’

‘We were not, as you put it, cosy,’ said Emily. ‘Besides, I've got Callum. Why would I look elsewhere?’

‘Why indeed?’ said Katie with just the barest hint of irony.