put the chilled bottle of Pinot Chardonnay into the ice cooler, and wondered, not for the first time, where men got their monster egos from – maybe it was something mothers instilled into them at nursery age. She'd known John from school and hanging about with Michael, and although he was an average looking guy he was hardly Brad Pitt, she thought looking in the fridge at the delicacies she'd made the day before.
She’d baked small, roasted white onion tarts, and had bought chicken liver & brandy parfait, venison & wild mushroom terrine, smoked oat cakes, buffalo mozzarella, and the piece de resistance - Strawberries Grand Marnier. Remembering at the last minute she took some of the saffron bread from the freezer and was stifling down the memories of kneading the dough with Tim when she heard a knock at the door. It couldn’t be John this early, could it, she thought hurrying along the hall to open the door.
Lisa stood on the step looking forlorn. "The showers at the gym aren’t working and it’ll take me ages to go over to Pimlico and back..."
Katie squeezed her arm pulling her through the doorway. “No problem, go and use my shower - you know where everything is."
Lisa hugged her. "That’s what I was hoping you'd say."
Katie ticked off her checklist for the hamper and because she'd made extra tarts she threw a quick salad together and defrosted more of the bread whilst quickly laying the table ready for their lunch.
Suddenly, three things all happened together. John turned up outside and tooted his horn, Lisa came into the hall with a towel wrapped around her head looking for a hair drier, and when she walked out towards John’s car carrying the hamper, Sarah pulled up in her car.
John took the hamper from Katie and introduced her to his ex-wife who shook her hand. They chatted briefly about Michael and claims were made about how alike they looked while John appeared flustered and obviously agitated about the date. Julie however, looked relaxed and happy in a beautiful green dress with a plunging V neck that showed off visible mounds of her voluptuous chest. Katie stifled a giggle at the look on John’s face when he consciously made an effort to wrench his eyes from her cleavage. Thanking her for the hamper she climbed back into the car and John wedged the cool box and hamper between folding chairs and a travel rug in the boot just as Sarah walked up to her.
He got into the driving seat and waving to Katie he sped off down the road while she turned to look at Sarah whose face was very pale.
"Are you OK?" Katie asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Katie, I...I can't believe it!" she cried.
Lisa appeared at the doorway with one side of her hair dry and the other half still wet. Katie took Sarah by the arm and ushered them both back through the front door and into the hall.
"Christ, you look terrible. What’s the matter, Sarah?" Lisa asked when they went into the lounge.
Sarah plonked down on the edge of the settee. "It was her!" she exclaimed shaking her head. "What was she doing here? And who’s he?"
"OK. Let’s back up a little here," Lisa said calmly.
Sarah looked at Lisa. "What’s with the hair?"
Katie was exasperated. "Forget the hair. She's had to use my shower," she snapped, and went on to explain about John and his ex-wife, and how he was trying to win her back with a romantic picnic.
Sarah shook her head. "Unbelievable!" she gasped. “Did he tell you her name?”
Katie looked puzzled. “Er, I think he said she’s called, Julie, why?”
Sarah sighed, “Well, this Julie is the same blonde I saw Tim kissing that night outside the restaurant."
"Chuffing Norah!" Lisa exclaimed loudly. "Are you sure, Sarah?"
Katie's mind was spinning and her insides were churning while she tried to grasp what Sarah had told them.
She stared hard at Sarah. "Are you sure?" she demanded. "You have to be dead certain about this, Sarah. Because this is mega important to me."
Sarah looked hurt. "I do know that, Katie," she pouted.
Lisa smoothed things over. "Of course you do, hon," and glared at Katie as if to say lighten up or we're not going to get anywhere. "Now just tell us slowly what you saw and we’ll try and piece things together.”
Sarah sat back on the settee, folded her arms defensively across her chest and bristled. "When I pulled up in the