‘Yes.’ Kate smiled at him cheerfully. ‘I knew I’d upset you and wanted to show I was sorry.’
‘In that case, let’s see if we can manage the rest of the evening without coming to blows.’ He gave her a sharp look. ‘Not that I would ever, in any circumstances, raise a hand to you, Kate.’
‘I know that,’ she said impatiently. ‘You can’t have changed that much.’
His eyes held hers. ‘I haven’t changed at all when it comes to the important things in life.’
‘Neither have I.’ She grinned. ‘As usual, I fancy some Chinese.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘Let me guess—same old sweet and sour pork, spare ribs and spring rolls.’
‘You remember!’ She nodded with enthusiasm. ‘With crispy seaweed on the side and masses of fried rice. I’ve got a menu in the kitchen. Shall I order now? I’m hungry.’
They sat at the kitchen table later, facing each other across a sea of foil dishes. Jack had discarded his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves when Kate provided large tea towels in lieu of napkins.
‘Can’t get grease on your bespoke suiting,’ she said briskly.
‘Amen to that. Next time I wear jeans. Because,’ Jack added deliberately, ‘there will be a next time, Kate.’
She shrugged. ‘Why not? No harm in a takeaway now and then.’
They shunted dishes back and forth, emptying them with hunger as Jack told her he’d called in to make sure she hadn’t backed out of the dinner party. Assured that she was looking forward to it with bated breath, he grinned and began to talk about his latest restoration venture. Kate listened with keen interest as he described the transformation of a disused factory into affordable flats.
‘No pricey loft apartments like the one you shared with fiancé mark two,’ he told her, and nodded wryly at her startled look. ‘Oh yes, news filtered through to me eventually. Unlike your banker a lot of people can’t afford that kind of thing, but they still want comfort and style. This project will provide both. The building’s user-friendly, and will include smaller apartments for first time buyers and a children’s nursery school.’
‘Convenient for shopping and schools for older children?’ Kate asked, breaking open a fortune cookie.
‘Only ten minutes from both. The wasteland around it will be landscaped into gardens to provide as green an environment as possible.’
‘It sounds wonderful, Jack.’
‘When it’s nearer completion I’ll take you over it.’ He leaned over to read her fortune. ‘New horizons are opening for you,’ he intoned solemnly.
‘Pretty general sort of forecast,’ said Kate, and handed him a cookie.
Jack broke it open. ‘You are about to receive your heart’s desire!’ he read.
‘You’re kidding!’
‘Alas, yes,’ he said, grinning. ‘Mine’s the same as yours.’
Kate bundled the debris into a waste sack and ran hot wa
ter and detergent into the kitchen sink. ‘You go up to the bathroom and wash—last door on the landing at the back,’ she told Jack. ‘I’ll scrub my grease off down here.’
He returned a few minutes later. ‘I resisted the temptation to explore,’ he said self-righteously.
‘You can take a look if you like.’
‘I’d rather you showed me round.’
Kate felt like a proud parent showing off its child as she led the way upstairs.
‘This is where I work,’ she said, at the threshold of her study. ‘ Jo is next door, in the blue and yellow room. And I’m through here.’ She led him across the landing to her newly painted bedroom, then opened the door on the bathroom with the tub Ben had found for her in a reclamation yard.‘ That’s the lot. If you were a prospective buyer, how would it strike you?’
‘Any smart young couple would go mad for it,’ Jack assured her. ‘But you don’t intend to sell, surely?’
‘No. I just wanted an objective opinion. I’ve never done any decorating before.’ She pulled a face. ‘The preparation is the hardest part. Once I get to the actual painting, it’s easy.’ She held out her hands ruefully. ‘They’ll never be the same again.’