A Risky Business #SYTYCW15 #CarinaPress

Chapter Twenty Two

At the Mexican Restaurant – the tension builds and secrets are revealed ...

*Kate*

"Happy Birthday Jack!" we all chorused around the table, and raised our glasses. I was sitting next to Damien and opposite Jack and, so far, we were doing a pretty good job of all behaving ourselves. We'd had our starters, which were delicious, and Jack and Damien had found some common ground in Iraq of all places, where they had both spent time working. It was great to hear them exchanging stories and I finally began to relax a little. Jack called over a passing waiter and ordered another bottle of champagne. I wondered when he'd started to develop such expensive taste, champagne, made to measure suits, he always used to be more of a lager drinker. He'd changed. Unsurprisingly. It had been a long time, after all. I supposed I'd changed too.

"Come on Kate," Jack said staring at me over the table, "have a glass of bubbly with me. It's my birthday. I can't remember the last time we spent a birthday together."

"No, I'm alright," I said. "I'm driving."

"Come on!" he said, "Don't be a spoil sport, you can have one glass, and not be over the limit you know."

"I'll have one," piped up Kim, who I think had probably had more than enough already.

"There you are," Jack said, "that's the spirit girl! Can we get two more champagne glasses over here please, mate?" he called over to the waiter again.

"No, honestly, not for me," I said.

"Nonsense," Jack said, "I think we should all ...."

But he was cut off mid sentence by Damien,

"Look, mate, she's said she doesn't want a drink so let's just leave it at that shall we?"

Ordinarily Jack would probably just let a comment like that wash over him, but fuelled by just over a bottle of champagne to himself, he decided to square up to Damien, verbally, if not physically.

"I think Kate is quite capable of speaking for herself, we've never had a problem communicating with each other before, have we babe?"

"It's fine, honestly," I said not really addressing either of them in particular, just hoping that one or other of them would let it drop, and that I wasn't going to have to put myself between them to prevent any violence.

"And what's that ridiculous comment supposed to mean?" Damien threw back at Jack, completely ignoring me.

"Just what I said," Jack said. "Kate and I go back years, you've known her, what ...?"

"Long enough." Damien was getting rattled.

"What, and you think that gives you the right to speak on her behalf does it? To tell her what to do?"

"Of course not," Damien was clearly trying to control his temper and keep his voice down but I really wasn't sure how much further he was going to let himself be pushed. "But you do, I suppose?"

"I do what, exactly?" Jack wasn't being quite as successful at keeping his voice down.

"Have the right to tell her what to do?"

"Neither of you do, actually," I said weakly, "I am still here you know," I glanced at Kim who was looking a bit uncomfortable and tried to give her a reassuring smile.

Again, my words were completed disregarded as the two men glared at each other across the table.

"Do you have a problem with me, Damien?"