Playing by the Rules Read Free Page A

bringing . . .’
    ‘Who? Alain? If anybody asks, just tell them he couldn’t come. I doubt anyone will remember, much less care.’
    ‘No, you don’t understand. I didn’t give his name. I said I was bringing my fiancé.’
    Jo stopped fiddling with the hairdryer and stared at her.
    ‘Why on earth would you say that?’
    Kate felt a tear form in the corner of her eye and blinked furiously.
    ‘Because I thought by now I’d have one.’
    ‘What?’ For a moment, Jo looked bemused, then understanding dawned on her face. ‘Oh, no, hon, you didn’t! You thought he was going to ask you to marry him? And then he dumped you? Oh, poor baby. But what made you think he was going to propose?’
    Kate wrenched a tissue from the box on Jo’s bedside table and blew her nose.
    ‘He made a reservation at my favourite restaurant. The expensive one that he normally says we can’t afford. He
never
makes reservations. Especially not there. What was I supposed to think?’
    Jo perched on the bed, carefully avoiding the pointier bits of earring. ‘Oh dear. Although . . .’ She leaned over and patted Kate’s knee. ‘You know, hon, looking on the bright side, if he’s that cheap, maybe it’s just as well he didn’t ask.’
    ‘Jo!’
    Jo shrugged. ‘I call’em as I see’em, hon. And if he won’t go to a restaurant that’s your favourite just because it’s a bit expensive, he’s not worthy of you.’
    Kate heard a thin wailing noise and was horrified to realise it had come from her.
    ‘But it was
time
!’
    Jo raised her eyebrows.
    ‘Time?’
    ‘Well, we’d been going out for a year and everything was going well and I just thought . . .’
    The words petered out as Jo’s eyebrows threatened to disappear into her hairline.
    ‘Kate Adams, are you telling me you had this relationship on a
schedule
?’
    ‘No! Not exactly. But you know how I like to plan! I like to know what’s going on. To have a timeline and a plan and . . .’ She stopped again, aware she was repeating herself. And sounding ever so slightly like a crazy person.
    Kate grabbed another tissue, ostensibly to blow again, but really to avoid Jo’s scrutiny.
    Jo leaned forward and pulled Kate’s hand away from her face.
    ‘So tell me, my mental little plan-freak, did you buy the ring?’
    ‘No! Of course not!’
    ‘Did you have it picked out?’
    Kate paused a fraction too long and Jo clapped triumphantly.
    ‘Ha! I knew it!’
    Kate gave up any hope of plausible denial.
    ‘Well, what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with wanting to get married? What’s wrong with wanting to be loved?’
    ‘Oh, hon, nothing. But . . .’ She squeezed Kate’s hand. ‘Do you not think maybe you’re taking this whole quest-for-love thing a touch too seriously? Love is supposed to be fun! It’s supposed to be spontaneous and to make you smile. It’s not supposed to leave you like . . . well, like this,’ she finished, gesturing to Kate’s tear-damp face.
    Kate scrubbed her face with her hands and managed a watery facsimile of a smile.
    ‘You know me, Jo. I’ve never been much good at spontaneous.’
    Jo smiled back and squeezed her hands again.
    ‘Never mind. You can learn. You’re good at learning – or so all those degrees would suggest. Now, let me see . . .’ She jumped up and began pacing the room, hands clasped and forefingers tapping together as she thought out loud. ‘Clearly, this is more than an outfit can handle. It’s a good start, but if you’re going to get your mojo back we need something more.’
    Kate wasn’t sure that she’d ever had any mojo. Not if mojo meant the kind of sexual confidence that seemed to hover around Jo like a halo. Even in high school she’d had it. Of course, in those days, it had frightened off as many boys as it attracted. But it had to be better than feeling like a mousy little nobody, as Kate had.
    Much as Jo loved her, Kate was pretty sure Jo hadn’t really understood how she’d