There was nothing too fancy about the meal that Caroline had planned. It was a traditional roast dinner with beef and all the trimmings. But she really knew how to cook, it was one of her favourite pastimes, and she could turn a simple meal into a gastronomic delight. The kitchen was the most used room in the house and Caroline had redesigned it shortly after she and John had moved in together.
At 6.30pm, Caroline gave the Yorkshire pudding batter one final stir so it was ready to pop into the tin and into the oven when she had finished getting ready. She then headed off upstairs to get changed. She had butterflies in her stomach and her hands were shaking as she rifled through her wardrobe looking for something appropriate to wear. She wanted something casual yet sexy, sophisticated but not over the top for a dinner with her boys. Settling for a pair of black tapered trousers and a pale blue blouse, she pulled her hair up into a chignon and started to undress. She had time for a quick shower before Kate arrived.
At exactly 6.50pm, she was just walking back down the stairs when she heard the doorbell.
"I'll get it."
Checking herself in the hall mirror, she took a deep breath and unlocked the door, opening it wide.
"Caroline."
Her face dropped.
"John! What the hell are you doing here? This is not your night to see the boys."
"Oh, do I have to make an appointment now." He stepped up onto the top step.
"Did you want something John, only I am sort of busy."
He stopped and looked at her.
"Gosh, well yes actually, I did. I wanted to see Lawrence. Is he about?"
"Yes he is but I am about to put dinner on the table. Would you like to come back tomorrow?"
John lurched forward and Caroline put out her hands to stop him falling. He stumbled onto her and she fell backwards into the house, hitting the wall with a thud.
"What the … John, can you please just leave."
John righted himself and pulled his jacket back onto his shoulders. He was totally oblivious to the look on Caroline's face and the body language which was screaming "Go away".
"Dinner? Good, I'm starving. Is that beef I can smell?" and he pushed past Caroline. She darted after him.
"What part of "come back tomorrow" do you not understand? John, I do not want you here."
But it was too late and John had already reached the kitchen. He looked down into the dining room and saw that the table was set for 4 and Caroline had lit two candles.
"Oh, gosh, were you expecting someone? My, you haven't let the grass grow under your feet have you?"
Caroline placed her hands on her hips and stared at him. She was getting angry at John and was anxious to get him out of the house before Kate arrived. This was the last thing she wanted this evening.
"For your information, yes I do have a dinner guest. A colleague from work who will be here in 5 minutes. And as for letting the grass grow, I am not sure I know what you mean. It's been 6 months John. 6 months since you walked out on me and the boys and shacked up with that, with that whore. And if I choose to find someone else, it is none of your damn business."
John stared at her and started to take his coat off.
"Is there any wine with this beef? A nice bottle of red perhaps?"
"John, don't bother taking your coat off because you are not staying. Now, you know where the door is. Please find it, open it and leave."
She was just starting to herd him back down the hallway when Lawrence bounded down the stairs and the doorbell rang.
"Popsicle! What are you doing here?"
Caroline grimaced and held her hands at the side of her head. She was almost ready to explode.
"I'll get the door shall I? Lawrence, please tell your father that he needs to leave. He needs to leave now and you will see him tomorrow."
She closed the kitchen door behind her and walked down the hall. Breathing deeply she stopped once more to check herself in the mirror and pulled the door open. Her mood softened when she saw Kate standing there. They smiled at each other and Caroline stood to one side to let Kate into the house.
"Hello. Please, come in. May I take your coat?"
Kate juggled a bottle of wine and a bunch of flowers with her handbag and Caroline slipped her coat off her shoulders and hung it up on the coat rack.
"I am afraid that there is a, well, there is a little bit of a hiccup that I am trying to sort. John has, erm, John is here. He is in the kitchen with Lawrence. I have asked him to leave and specifically told Lawrence to make sure he doesn't get comfy so hopefully he will just be having a quick chat with him and he will be on his way in no time."
Kate didn't say anything and followed Caroline through the house. She briefly stopped before going through into the kitchen.
"You look beautiful Kate." And she leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss.
Kate bit her bottom lip and looked at Caroline.
"Thank you. And so do you. The food smells delicious Caroline." She briefly held Caroline's hand and stroked the back of it with her thumb. Caroline blushed a little and then took a deep breath, placing her hand on the door knob.
When she opened the door, she wasn't expecting to see the scene in front of her. John was sat in one of the arm chairs at the side of the window, his jacket on the floor beside him and his shoes on the top of it. He had helped himself to a glass of wine and was sipping that while Lawrence was setting another place at the table.
"I told dad he could stay for dinner. That's alright isn't it mum?"
Caroline rolled her eyes and placed both her hands on the kitchen counter, leaning towards John.
"No, no it is not alright Lawrence. I told your father that he needs to leave. I told him that I had a dinner guest and he should make arrangements to see you tomorrow. And I told you the same thing too. Lawrence, why do you never listen to me?"
"But it's only Miss McKenzie from school. And you always cook a mountain of food that you either throw away or regurgitate the next day."
"Reuse Lawrence. Reheat. Recycle. Any one of those words will do. But I do not regurgitate our food for the next day."
Kate put her hand to her mouth to hide her smile and looked over at John.
"Kate, would you like a drink? A glass of wine if there is any left or an orange juice?"
"A glass of wine would be lovely, thank you. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Caroline turned and looked at her.
"No, no thank you. Everything is under control. Dinner will be about half an hour. I just need to put the Yorkshires in and make the gravy. You just sit down over err, over"
She looked towards the empty arm chair opposite John.
"You can sit down there if you like while I finish things. Or you can take your drink into the living room. William is probably in there watching University Challenge or something."
Kate quickly weighed up her options. While she wanted to be away from the melee that was brewing in the kitchen, she was curious to know more about John so she walked over the chair and sat down.
"John, this is Kate from school. Kate is a language teacher and also a very talented music teacher."
John looked over at her and squinted. He had obviously had a drink before he arrived at the house and had topped up his alcohol level with his second very large glass of wine that he had almost finished. He nodded at her. Out of sight of him, Caroline shook her head and mouthed "Sorry". Kate just smiled.
"So John. What is it you do for a living?"
"I am an author. I write things. Books mainly."
"Thank you for that little enlightenment John. I am sure that Kate knows what an author does."
Caroline went back to finishing off dinner and John dismissed her with her hand.
"Are you married Kate?"
"Divorced."
"Children?"
"No. We couldn't have any."
"Shame."
The questions stopped and John looked at the bottom of his empty glass and glanced over at the wine bottle on the kitchen counter.
"I'll just help err get another glass." He clumsily stood up from the chair and reached out for the bottle, almost missing it and knocking it slightly.
"Oh gosh, it's almost empty. Shall I open another one?"
Caroline turned around, a spoon in her hand and a look of anger on her face.
"No John. No, you will not open another bottle of wine." She suddenly remembered that she had company. "Well, not on my account anyway. And I am sure that Kate won't want another glass if she is driving."
"Oh, so the toy car outside belongs to you does it Kate?"
Kate glared at him.
"Yes. And I happen to like my little Fiat. What car do you drive?"
John sat forward, ready to share his knowledge of cars with Kate.
"I drive a BMW. It's a classic one, the one I have. Bought it with the first ever advance on my first book. 1989 E30 Touring. Manual transmission. 2494 CC engine. But then you won't know about any of that will you because you are a woman and, well, women don't know much about cars do they. Caroline doesn't even know how to change a wheel."
"I probably could change one if I ever had to but that situation has never arisen for me. Lawrence, would you like to tell William that dinner is ready."
Lawrence rolled his eyes at her and cupped his hands around his mouth.
"William, dinner."
Caroline stood and looked at him.
"Well, I could have done that, shouted at the top of my lungs. But I chose not to. Couldn't you have at least walked the 20 feet or so to the living room and told him in a quieter voice?"
Lawrence shrugged and walked straight past the 4 or so serving dishes that needed to be taken to the table and sat down. As William entered the room and saw them, he predictably picked up two and set them in front of Lawrence. Not waiting for anyone else, he helped himself to the potatoes and vegetables and started eating.
"I'm so sorry Kate. My children do know how to behave properly at the table but it is just that sometimes they let the caveman instinct take over and they, well, they do what comes naturally to most men. They help themselves to things when perhaps they shouldn't do."
She shot John a look that told Kate exactly what she was referring to and then she turned back to Kate and smiled.
"You can sit wherever you like Kate."
William stood up and pulled out the chair at the side of him. As Kate sat down, he placed a napkin on her knee. She smiled at him and Caroline smiled over at both of them. William was the complete opposite of Lawrence and Caroline could only think that John had been more of a role model to him when he was growing up.
"I would ask you to carve the beef John but I am not sure I trust you with the knife. William, would you like to do the honours please."
William smiled at his mother and stood up to start slicing the beef.
"Are you interested in auditioning for the choir William? Is that your sort of thing?"
William looked up, his eyes moving from Lawrence to Caroline.
"Yes I am thinking of coming along tomorrow evening and seeing what it is all about. I was in the old choir for a short time before it was disbanded."
Lawrence pulled a face.
"That's because you are a pouf."
William ignored him and carried on carving the meat.
"Have you any idea of how big you want the choir to be?"
Kate put her glass down and placed her hands on her lap, smiling broadly at Caroline.
"Not really. Your mum tells me that there is real talent in the school so I think that I will just hold the auditions and see how many children I can use. It doesn't matter to me whether the choir is 12 or 24 to be honest. It all depends on how well the voices harmonize with each other. Will you be coming along tomorrow night Lawrence?"
He pulled another face and, through a mouthful of beef, he muttered his discontent.
"Lawrence is more of a rugby player, isn't that right Lawrence? He doesn't know his allegro from his adagio."
Kate smiled.
"But he does know a good Yorkshire pudding maker. Caroline, these are wonderful. You really must show me how you make them, how you get them to rise as much as they do."
Caroline gave her a bashful look and John tutted.
"It's all in the mixing Kate. You have to beat the air into them. Then they rise, they rise like a phoenix out of the flames."
"You can stop waxing lyrical now John. There is no real secret Kate. You just need to use good flour. Those home brand supermarket bags will never do." And she wrinkled her nose.
During dinner, Kate decided that although John went from being slightly annoying to very annoying at the speed of light, he was quite an intelligent man who knew a little bit about a lot of things. But she also decided that he was very chauvinistic and that was confirmed when he pushed his plate away after he had finished eating and got up from the table.
"Well, I must be off now. I will leave you women folk to do the washing up and whatever it is that you do when us men have left the room. Lawrence, William." He looked over at his boys and smiled. "I will see you as planned tomorrow evening. Pictures, bowling, McDonalds. You choose."
William looked over at Caroline.
"Do I have to mum?"
"Yes William you do. I am sorry but that is what I agreed with your father. Now, please see him out and I will sort out some dessert if anyone wants any."
Kate put her napkin on the table and stood up.
"I have dessert in the car. Sorry, I left it in the boot. I will just go and fetch it."
John hesitated and looked as though he was about to change his mind about leaving.
"William, please see your father out."
And Caroline expertly ushered him towards the door.
"Bye John. Bye bye."
Kate passed John on the doorstep and smiled at him before taking the cake into the kitchen.
"It was lovely to meet you John."
John looked Kate up and down and grunted.
"Charmed I'm sure." And he faltered down the steps towards his car.
"John, do you think it is a good idea to get in the car? You have had rather a lot to drink?"
"I'll do what I bloody well like. And if I want to bloody drive home, then I bloody well will drive home." And he unlocked the car and climbed in.
Caroline slammed the door shut with her backside and leaned against the frame. Closing her eyes, she let out a big sigh. It had been quite an eventful evening and nothing had gone to plan. But at least Kate hadn't left.
When Caroline walked back into the kitchen, both boys had disappeared. The plates were in the dishwasher and Kate was standing at the sink with her sleeves rolled up washing the saucepans.
"Kate! What are you doing? You don't have to do that, you are a guest. And we haven't even finished dinner."
"I don't mind, honestly. No one wanted dessert and I don't know where the coffee is so I couldn't even make you a drink. I'll finish these off."
Caroline smiled and lightly touched her arm as she passed her.
"At least let me cut you a piece of this delicious looking cake and make you a coffee or a tea or something."
And while Kate finished washing up, Caroline make drinks and then stood chatting to her, apologising profusely for John's unannounced presence.
"It wasn't a bad evening Caroline, stop fretting. At least I now know why you and John went your separate ways though. He is a bit pompous and full of himself."
Caroline laughed in agreement.
"Exactly. Now, do you want to take this into the living room? It's cosier in there and, well, we might be more comfortable on the sofa. I mean, you know, relaxing and the likes."
"I know exactly what you mean Caroline." And Kate picked up her cake and cup and followed Caroline through to the other room. They settled down on the big 3 seater sofa and sipped their coffee.
"I really did have a nice evening. And Lawrence is right about one thing. You are a great cook. I like to dabble but I don't have the culinary skills that my mother has. She certainly didn't pass her cooking genes onto me."
"I love to cook although the boys aren't very adventurous when it comes to trying new things. I tend to have to be my own critic. It would err it would be nice to have someone else to sample my food and tell me what they thought."
"If that is an invitation to dinner sometime soon, then I accept."
Caroline leaned forward and put her coffee on the table before turning to Kate. She took her hands in hers and looked at her.
"Kate, I err, I'm sorry for everything that has gone wrong in the last week. I am sorry that I was so jealous of you and Sophie. And I am sorry that I acted so stupid in the car park. I really do want to be with you. I want us to work."
And she gently pulled Kate towards her and wrapped her arms around her, kissing her softly. Kate responded and moved her body closer, her hands around Caroline's waist. Their kisses became more urgent and Kate slid her hands under Caroline's blouse and over her lacy bra. She felt her breasts and rubbed her erect nipples with the palm of her hands. Caroline groaned and pulled back.
"Do do do you err do you want to, erm shall we go upstairs?" She blushed but maintained eye contact.
Kate said nothing. She stood up and held out her hand to Caroline who took it in hers and they walked towards the doorway. Caroline pulled Kate back.
"We have to be quiet. The boys are on the first floor so we need to pass their rooms. I am up on the second floor. They hardly ever come up there. We won't be disturbed."
And the two women tiptoed up the stairs, hand in hand and side by side, smiling at each other.