small glass of brandy. “And I’ll join you. I think we could both do with it.”
Katie did as she was told and felt the warmth from the brandy flooding through her veins making the feeling of safety blend with a calm soothing sensation.
Sarah threw back her short bob of glossy black hair and drank the brandy in one go. “Oh, that feels better,” she said and took the empty glass from Katie replacing it with a mug of hot tea which she immediately wrapped her fingers around. “You’re freezing cold and you’ve had a nasty shock, that’s all it is, love. Don’t worry, you’ll soon be feeling better.”
Katie managed a weak smile. “Thanks, Sarah, I do already,” she said and began to sip the hot tea. She knew she owed Sarah an explanation and started to try and tell her a little of the argument.
“Not now,” Sarah said putting a hand up in front of her. “There’s plenty time for all that later. Keep it out of your mind for a while and just relax back, get warmed through and drink your tea.”
She watched Sarah fiddling with the TV remote and chattering about what program they could watch on a Sunday evening and not for the first time knew she felt blessed to have her friendship.
Sarah was small with delicate facial features and possessed an almost girlish prettiness. Being just five foot, with a tiny body and a pale English rose complexion her quietly composed personality gave off an air of calm gentleness and nearly every man she met wanted to rescue her. They often confused the gentleness with helplessness which drove Sarah crazy but then soon realised she had such an underlying strength of character that Katie often thought she was stronger than her and Lisa put together.
A loud knocking on the front door seemed to shatter the stillness of the room and they both gasped in shock. “Goodness, I am popular tonight,” Sarah said getting up from the settee.
Katie’s mind raced. Was it Tim coming to look for her? She almost squealed with fright. “Sarah, if it’s Tim I don’t want to see him,” she warned. “I…I just couldn’t face him!”
Sarah was on her way towards the door. “Oh you needn’t worry about that,” she retorted. “He won’t set one foot over my door step.”
Katie’s eyes were glued to the open doorway and her recently calmed insides started to churn again. Her heart beat thumped loudly in her ears in the quiet atmosphere while she held her breath.
“Oh darling,” Lisa declared grandly sweeping her way into the room followed by a smiling Sarah. Lisa wore a long, fine-knit, blue dress with a white thick shawl flung over her shoulder and pounced upon Katie hugging her with such ferocity that Katie could hardly catch her breath.
“Are you OK?” Lisa asked staring hard into her eyes. “I rang your landline and that bastard, Tim, said you’d left. And I knew you would either come to me, Sarah, or your mums and because I hadn’t seen you I figured I’d start with Sarah first.”
Katie untangled herself from the shawl. “I’m fine, Lisa,” she stressed. “I came straight here because you only have one bedroom and I knew mum would be at the bingo. And I’d got myself into a bit of a state but Sarah has poured brandy and tea down my neck and I’m loads better now, honestly.”
Lisa flounced down next to her on the settee and took hold of her hand, patting it reassuringly almost like an old matron would do. “Thank, God,” she murmured. “You’ve no idea of the panic I felt when I didn’t know where you were and if you were all right.”
During this time Sarah had disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine. “Wine anyone?” she asked without waiting for replies and poured three glasses. They all took a glass and Sarah dropped down onto a beanbag next to the settee, tucking her legs underneath like a little girl. “Katie wanted to tell me about the argument before but I told her to leave it for now until she felt better. I think it’s best to do that when you’ve had a nasty shock, don’t you?”
“Nasty?” Lisa probed and raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “He hasn’t hit you, has he?”
Feeling warm now Katie started to sweat and pulled off the throw, unzipped her jacket and taking it off lay it on the arm of the settee. “No, no, of course he hasn’t.