Chapter 28

"Well." I was still a little excited even after Keith and Keira had left, my muscles still tense, my pulse still going just a little faster than normal. "That was... productive." It wasn't as though the meeting itself had been particularly dramatic - indeed, it was mostly just logistic wrangling - but the sight of Kathryn getting angry and just putting her foot down - on my behalf at that - had left my heart fluttering in the manner of a Victorian attack of the vapours.

"Mm." Kathryn was still shuffling through various papers and notes, clipping them together, pausing to re-read a notation and scribble something down beside it. Eventually she looked up. "Yes, I feel we accomplished most of what was on the agenda."

"I, um. I know it wasn't the reason you did it but I really appreciate that you kept me on the Summit project," I said then, though I was starting to get the feeling that now was perhaps not the best time for an outpouring of gratitude.

"You know what wasn't the reason?" she asked, frowning slightly. Her hands stilled on the papers.

"Oh. Sorry, yes, I mean that I know it wasn't just for my benefit - I mean, there were plenty of other reasons to-"

"I kept you on the project because you're the best person for it," Kathryn said, her tone still stretched somewhat thinner than normal. "You put in the time to get it where it is, and it would be idiotic to change organizers now. That's why I kept you on."

"I..." knew that? Stop digging. "Right. Yes. Thank you." I almost stumbled getting to my feet, feeling myself begin to flush in my embarrassment and still trying to shake the weird idea that I had somehow done something in the last twenty four hours to annoy Kathryn, despite the patently obvious fact that her mood was almost certainly entirely down to other factors. "Well, I should probably get back to work..."

Not hearing agreement from my companion I glanced down at her, only to find her staring up at me with a strange expression on her face. She blinked, then swallowed, nodding eventually. "Yes. I suppose we both better had." There was another long pause. Then, "Alex?"

Why was my pulse skipping again? This crush was becoming less fun by the minute. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry about all of this. The back-and-forth. It'll settle down soon, I promise."

"Oh." Well, what had I been expecting? "It's really okay," I said. "'Honestly. Um. I don't know if it's the best time, but I wanted to check. This weekend - are we still..."

"Yes." Kathryn nodded again. "Absolutely."

I was under absolutely no control of the smile that spread across my face in response to this. "Great. I wasn't sure if you... well, that's great. Okay. Anyway, I'd better..." I gestured vaguely toward the door.

"Mmhmm. I'll see you later, Alex."

"See you."

 

"So did you and Lynn make plans in the end?" I asked as I pulled on my usual combats in the dim light of Debbie's bedroom.

"Mm... I think we might be getting a cuppa later," she replied, her face still half-buried in her pillow. "Though she might flake on me."

"Always a possibility with Lynn," I said with a grin, pulling my top over my head before leaning to give Debbie a quick kiss goodbye. "See you later, gorgeous."

"B'bye... Have fun.. Don't drown."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

 

As was usual with our sailing days, Kathryn and I didn't speak much about anything of import on our way to the marina or on the boat itself, but today Kathryn was, perhaps not unexpectedly, a little quieter than usual (ever before, actually), and we weren't even having our usual chats about the weather and so on. Self-centeredly I still worried that I'd done something to annoy her, but I tried to shake the sensation, again reminding myself that she had plenty of other things to worry about.

Still, the weather was lovely and the sailing good, and we passed the morning congenially enough. For lunch we pulled into a small protected harbor, eating our packed lunches (ham sandwich for me, a falafel pita for Kathryn) on our knees.

"So we didn't really get a chance to chat again during the week," I began hesitantly. "How're you getting on?" I had been a little surprised, actually, possibly even slightly hurt, that Kathryn hadn't even wanted to grab a quick drink after work one evening to bend my ear about the no doubt numerous things on her mind. I wondered whether perhaps she'd been having a lot of quality time with her son.

"Oh, you know... Fine, really. It seems like there's more work right now instead of less, but I'm sure that will settle down soon," she replied pragmatically.

I tipped my head to the side, raising my eyebrows a little. "I more meant how you are. Not how work is."

Looking surprised, Kathryn hesitated before responding. "I'm fine. Really," she added before I could protest. "Things are odd but I'm managing just fine. It's not like I didn't have time to prepare for this."

"All right," I said. Then, "Good. I... was surprised that Keira rejoined the department," I tried. That was after all the surprise that Kathryn had no time to prepare for.

"Yes. Well. Some people have more than their fair share of cheek," came the wry response accompanied with a smirk.

"I guess I'm in no position to criticise that," I said, remembering with a smile of my own our first drink together, where I'd challenged Kathryn's lack of involvement in my appoinment.

This drew a laugh out of Kathryn, something I was relieved to hear, especially as I was the cause of it. "I suppose not. To be honest, I can't really blame him - she's a very good analyst."

"Better than me?" I teased with a raise of my eyebrows.

"You know, now that you mention it..."

Relief flooding through me that our mood seemed to be returning to normal somewhat, I put on my very best 'indignant' face. "Oh yes? Well, maybe we should swap - I could work for Keith, and-"

"Hah, and tempt him with another cute young thing? I dont think so!" she declared. "You're mine."

I fought against the flutter in my stomach at these words, and managed to return the requisite amused grin. "He's not really my type anyway," I quipped.

"Too much stubble?"

"Something like that."

"I thought so." Kathryn smiled and crumpled up the hemp bag she had brought her lunch in, stuffing it into one of the small cubbies under the side bench. "Ready to head back out?"

"Whenever you are."

 

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