The Love Box Experiment

Chapter Twenty-Five. Sparky again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE 

Katie and her two friends walked the twelve minutes to West Kensington Tube Station to get the District line. It was a Saturday and Rachel wanted to go to Tate Modern. She was interested in art. Katie could take it or leave it, but for her it was a destination, something to do together, to exchange gossip.

They got off at the Mansion House stop, walked down Victoria Street and over the 'Wobbly Bridge'. They stood for a while on the footbridge and joked how the bridge had got it's nickname. 

'Because,' said Rachel, 'on the first day the footbridge opened, there were so many people, it wobbled. Some infirm person got dizzy so they closed it for alterations.'

The girls thought this was hilarious.

On the other side of The Thames stood the imposing structure of Tate Modern.

'Could kill for a coffee,' said Katie, as they went inside and took the escalators up to the seventh floor.

Katie wasn't much good at keeping secrets, and knew she shouldn't say this, but couldn't help it. 'Guess what?' This always got their attention. 'I'm meeting Sparky later.'

'Er ohhh,' said Rachel.

Michelle leaned over. 'I thought I told you he's off limits. He'll get you into trouble.'

'Him too,' said Rachel. 'You want him beaten up again?'

'Nooo, course not. I just find him sexy.' Katie felt warm inside her.

Rachel pulled a face. 'Have you given up on Paul?'

'He's too controlling.' Katie sensed her friends wanted more. 'All he talks about is having the baby. Right now I want to be treated as a normal person, someone with an interesting character and fun to be with. Not a pregnant cow.'

Michelle nearly chocked on her Americano. 'A cow? You're a sexy girl. Any boy would want you. If I was a boy I would . . . '

'Shhhh,' interrupted Rachel, 'we're at The Tate.'

All three girls laughed at that.

'Listen,' said Katie, 'I need a confidence boost. Need to know if I can still turn heads, pull the boys.'

Rachel said, 'why Sparky?'

Katie realised her reply wasn't going to be logical. 'Because he's rough and knows what he wants.'

'Makes for an awful lover, Katie,' said Rachel.

Michelle gave her spin on it. 'In my experience, blokes like that don't know anything about the female anatomy, nor about what we girls want.'

Katie heard the advice but didn't pay any attention to it. She wanted to play with out-of-control fire. 

They finished their coffees and headed on down to one of the galleries. Rachel was keen to gape at the art, while Katie remained close to Michelle. 

'So,' whispered Michelle, 'how far will you let Sparky go?'

Katie giggled and felt naughty. 'Maybe, you know, you know . . .'

'No I don't. You going to let him in?'

They had stopped in front of a large canvas by Lichtenstein called Blue Nude 1995.

Katie murmured, 'what do you think that's worth?'

Rachel came over and guessed at 20 million. 

Katie thought, how ironic, the price of some paint for the same amount that Paul sold his business. She remembered he had kept ten million after his team had taken their fifty percent. No doubt, she assumed, Paul wouldn't have to work again. She moved on, her arm linked with Michelle.