What are our chances?

The Sound

'Michael, Jade. Looking amazing as always. How are you both?' Rosie appeared behind them and casually rested her hands on the back of Kats chair causing it to rock slightly under the pressure.

'We're doing fine thank you, and yourself?'

'We didn't know you were coming.' Jade interrupted her husband's polite well-being check and sipped her drink as she kept a watchful eye on Rosies next move.

'Yeah, it was pretty last minute. I got in late last night and messaged, B, to see if she wanted to catch up for a coffee, and she was like oh we're all going out, you should come with, yadda, yadda, and I was just like, yeah, why not, be good to see everyone. Damian, you good?'

Kat felt her chair shift again as Rosie leaned forward above Kat and turned to Damian.

'Yep, all is well.' He looked back over his shoulder at her in a polite acknowledgement, but not enough to suggest she was welcome to stay any longer.

Kat felt her chair move again as Rosie let go, but it quickly rocked back as Damian stretched out his arm and rested it on the thin wooden back.

Instantly noticing the subtle protective gesture Rosie fixed the widest smile she possibly could and stepped around to the side of Kat.

'Hi.' Her voice was ringing with a fake high pitched Los Angeles tone.

'You must be Kate.' Rosie continued as she extended her thin boney hand towards Kat. 'I'm Rosie, I've heard so much about you. Damian just wouldn't shut up in Rome, he was all Kate this and Kate that. It's so weird to see him like that.'

Kat felt her shoulder tense as she registered that Rosie was making sure she knew that she and Damian had recently been spending time together, but she couldn't let it show that it bothered her, or that this is how she was finding that out.

Kat graciously accepted her offer and reached out to shake Rosie's hand, feeling every bump and bone as they politely shook for their audience.

'Nice to meet you Rosie.' Kat felt Rosie squeeze her hand a little tighter than necessary. 'It's Kat by the way.'

'Oh My God. I'm so sorry.' Rosies' eyes narrowed, not matching the fake laughter interrupting every other noise in the building. 'I'm such a clutz with names, aren't I Damian?' Rosies' eyes flicked over to him but he kept his gaze firmly on his glass as he swirled the contents of it.

'Don't worry about it.' Kat quickly spoke before Damian had a chance to let the awkward silence linger any longer. 'I get it all the time, Kat's quite a difficult one to remember.'

Rosies' eyes narrowed further and her lips slipped into a thin grin. 'I better take my seat and order then, don't want to hold everyone up any longer.' Rosie looked around to Michael and Jade and nodded, her gaze moved towards Damian who was still eying the smokey brown contents of his glass. 'Great to finally meet you, Kat.' Again her pursed smile didn't marry with the scathing tone of her voice.

'You too,' Kat lifted her glass as Rosie went to walk off. 'Enjoy the rest of your stay Rosa.' Kat took a long slip trying her hardest to not laugh into the drink as she spotted Rosie take a hesitated step then carry on towards Bella.

'Oh my God... that was brilliant Kat.' Jade raised her glass towards Kat, whose face began to flush with embarrassment. 'Michael let's get another round in, we are going hard tonight.'

'You ok?' Damian turned and leaned into Kat.

'Yeah, why wouldn't I be?' Kat gulped down the last of her drink.

'I didn't know she was coming.'

'Why would you know if she was coming, it's not like you are in regular contact with her and would know that.' Kat turned to face him. 'Or that you would even think to say you were with her in Rome after everything you told me the other day.'