Uncovering Kaitlyn (16 page)

Me- What
are you doing?

Foxy
Jones- Right now? I’m being photographed with a girl I barely know, who used to
be in my class, stuffing my face with a Big Mac. But I get the feeling that
wasn’t quite what you meant.

Me- I
didn’t think you were the type. I meant from now until 4AM.

Foxy
Jones- Shopping, salon, dinner, interview, new home, sleep, music, sleep.

Me- At
Channel 4 studios?

Foxy
Jones- Depends. What the rent’s like?

Me-
Forget the music, clearly you should be in stand up. So Channel 4?

Foxy
Jones- Yes, channel 4. I guess you’ll be there?

Me- I
will. See me after?

Foxy
Jones- Like a date? I’ll see if I can get rid of Jake for half hour or so. See
you later x

I was
grinning like an idiot at the airport. I’d become a right chick since I’d been
seeing Kaitlyn, in my head I was over analysing what a kiss on the end of a
text meant. Like Ryan would say; whipped. The flight dragged but at least
Graham was busy so he couldn’t fly home with me. I had over twelve hours
without having to listen to him and I was over joyed at the thought. My mum
offered to pick me up from the airport and I happily accepted her offer. I
hadn’t had time to catch up with her in ages. We had never been an overly close
family like Kaitlyn’s, but we still got on well.

“James
Mathew Stark. Where on earth have you been?” She shouted as she saw me in
arrivals. I laughed and gave her a hug, barely noticing the people who started
to crowd us. That is until my mother decided she wasn’t finished trying to
embarrass me. “I haven’t seen my son in over six months. You see him on TV all
the time, so give us some privacy.” She said to the crowd around us. She shooed
a few people away and I grabbed my bag and followed her out the airport.

“Nice to see
you, Mum.”

“Graham’s
being relentless as ever then? You need to take a break once in a while. Spend
time with that girl, Kate or whatever she’s called.”

“It’s
Kaitlyn Mum, and we’re just friends.”

“You seemed
awfully concerned.”

“I didn’t
know if she was alive Mum, of course I was concerned. She’s only eighteen. It’s
not fair on her to have to put up with this.”

“You were
sixteen, Jamie.”

“I was, but
I never had a man with a knife try to stab me in my kitchen. So I think it’s
all balancing out.”

“Oh God.
That’s terrible, she wasn’t hurt was she?”

“No, her dad
got in the way. He got a scratch apparently. Though I have no idea what
constitutes as a scratch when I knife was involved. She’s on the show tonight.
I’m surprised she’s going back to work so soon.”

“Poor girl.
She must’ve been petrified.”

I mumbled an
agreement and listened to her gossip for the ride to the hotel. I was going to
stay with my parents and catch up, but I had to be back on set tomorrow evening
so I wasn’t here long enough. I got a hotel room in the city instead.

Me- On
the island once again. See you tonight Foxy.

At six
o’clock I said goodbye to my mum and headed to the studio. I spotted Kaitlyn
sitting nervously in the corner as soon as I walked through the door. It was
strange to see her covered up with a scarf. I’d gotten used to seeing her
without it, just being comfortable with me.  I waved and she nodded at me. Jake
and Aaron smiled and came over to say hello. Kaitlyn’s dad was sat beside her
with his arm around her, whispering something into her ear.

“She’s still
nervous?”

“She’ll be
ok. She’s still shaken up from the other day.”

“Is she safe
now? I read that the guy had a knife.”

“Dad managed
to stop him getting to her, but she was bloody brilliant. She never once lost
her cool. She even asked him to join her for dinner while dad rang the police.
I couldn’t believe it when he told me. It was lucky. She’s moving today, into
the city. We think it’ll be safer there for her.”

“She’s
strong. Kaitlyn will be okay.”

The studio
was manic and I didn’t have much chance to speak to Kaitlyn, other than a quick
hello. The interview seemed to last forever and I was grateful it wasn’t live.
There was a small audience of around twenty people but the majority of people
watching worked for the studio. Kaitlyn didn’t seem that phased by her ordeal a
few days ago, and just told the interviewer that she couldn’t talk about an
on-going investigation. I don’t think they noticed her slight shake when she
replied. How she spilt her drink slightly and couldn’t look away from Jake.
He’d called her dad, Dad earlier which kind of proved the brother thing, but I
didn’t get what they weren’t telling me. After the interview Kaitlyn spoke a
bit with me then gave me a peck on the cheek and said goodnight. She left me
standing there while she walked out the door with Jake and I waited around for
about ten minutes before she text her address.

Foxy
Jones- Jake’s staying over tonight but I told him to go home and pack up some
of his stuff. We have until midnight Prince Charming.

I got in my
usual pre-arranged car and asked the driver if he could take me somewhere else
instead. He drove me to Kaitlyn’s and I stood outside her building while I
waited for her to tell me what to do about the doorman. The phone at the desk
rang and I saw him nod and look out the window at me. He waved me over and I
reluctantly walked in.

“Mr Smith.
Miss Jones is on the fourth floor, she requests you take the stairs.”

I thanked
the doorman and went in search of her apartment. I was surprised that she
trusted the doorman with knowledge of us but I suppose she didn’t have a
choice.

“I’ve missed
you.” Kaitlyn hugged me at her doorway.

“I’ve missed
you too. You have no idea how much you scared me the other day. Don’t do that
to me again.”

We went into
her apartment and I had to try not to laugh at the state of the place. On every
counter there were boxes and bags. There was a large empty space across the
entire room.

“I’m not
quite moved in yet. My furniture arrives on Monday.”

“I’m glad
you said that. I was beginning to think I was dating a slob.”

“So that’s
what we’re doing is it? Dating?”

“I honestly
couldn’t tell you. I think we’re acting like teenagers, sneaking around behind
everyone’s backs, but I can honestly say I’m enjoying that.”

“Hey, I am a
teenager. You’re the creepy adult here.”

“I’m feeling
the love Kaitlyn. Don’t I get a tour?”

“This is the
lounge, dining room and kitchen.” Kaitlyn put on a posh tour guide voice. It
was atrocious. It made me question her acting lessons that I gave her. “This
here is the main bathroom, and that is the study. Some would call it small but
it is cosy not small. The room on the end is a guest bedroom. Although I’m not
really up for guests at the moment. No beds or anything. The room in the middle
is Jake’s and the master suite is over there.”

“Jake lives
here?”

“Not all the
time. He’ll be over a lot so it makes sense for him to have his own room. It’s
weird not living with him anymore. Even when he moved out he was only two
streets away.”

“You guys
are really close, huh?”

“He means
the world to me. I owe him a lot.”

I didn’t
push it any further but I thought Kaitlyn trusted me. We were supposed to be
together but she couldn’t even tell me what the deal with her and Jake was.
Kaitlyn was skittish and I knew she’d close up if I asked her outright. I was
hoping that over time she’d learn to trust me, if not I had no idea where we
stood.

Chapter Ten

Kaitlyn

Over the
next couple of weeks Jamie was in England three times. Some of it was for work
and sometimes family commitments such as his uncle’s fiftieth birthday. Each
time he came to England he checked into a hotel but ended up sleeping at mine.
I’d even given him some space in my wardrobe, although secretly that was just
so it looked a bit more used. I only had enough clothes to fill one tiny
section and I thought it looked pathetic. It worked out that Jake only stayed
over around three nights a week. I was hoping I’d get to stay at his place
occasionally but he was adamant that it wasn’t safe enough for me. I was
becoming used to spending more time alone and I found that I liked it more
often than not.

I was
debating what to do with my day over breakfast when my phoned bleeped.

TJ Smith-
I have a weekend off, just landed in London. I’ve got to see family but I’m
free until tomorrow night.

Me- Come
on over then :)

I quickly
jumped in the shower and found some half decent clothes before Jamie arrived. I
never felt like I had to hide with Jamie, so I rarely bothered with a scarf. He
knocked on the door and I checked it was him before opening it up. After the
doorman calling up a few times he asked me if he could just send Jamie up. I
didn’t see a problem with it and he told me that if he knew I had people over
then he’d stop Jamie but otherwise he’d just make a note of him. I was thankful
that he was being nice about our obvious relationship but then again he could
always tell anybody that he was there. I think it’s why he kept up the ‘Mr
Smith’ pretence, to stop him slipping up.

“Back so
soon?”

“Practically
finished the movie. They don’t need me this weekend so I’m free to come to
England. I'm staying at my parents tomorrow, but I thought I’d get an early
flight.”

I went back
to finishing up the song I’d been rehearsing on the piano last night, and Jamie
sat with me while I worked.

“You’re
either showing off or trying to pretend you’ve been working. I choose the
latter.”

“I have you
know, I’m a very hard working artist.”

“Kaitlyn,
your hair’s still wet. You haven’t even been up an hour, have you?” he teased
me.

“An hour and
three minutes actually.”

My phone
rang and I searched everywhere for it. Jamie laughed when he found it in a
drawer in the wardrobe. He threw it at me and I ducked. When I finally answered
I had to hit Jamie to keep him quiet.

“Hello,
Kaitlyn? It’s Helen, your landlady. I’ve been talking to people in the building
about security and I think we can make some improvements. If you’re free we
could have a meeting with everyone that’s needed in half an hour. That way
it’ll be sorted over the weekend.”

Jamie was
listening in and nodded his approval.

“Helen, I’m
afraid that depends on who’ll be at the meeting?”

“Well, you
can call your family and whoever you want, but it’ll be me, the couple across
the hall from you and a building manager. We just all happen to be free right
now, but we could rearrange.”

I looked
over at Jamie and he nodded. I told Helen to let everyone know that they should
come to my apartment and hung up.

“Are you
sure about this?”

“Kaitlyn, they
live here. They’ve probably seen me here anyway.”

“I guess
you’re right. Fancy clearing up after me?”

I laughed
while Jamie decided clearing up meant grabbing all my stuff and throwing it in
my bedroom to hide it from the guests. Someone knocked on my door and I went to
answer it.

“Kaitlyn.” I
turned back to see Jamie holding a silky blue scarf which he helped me put on
before I opened the door.

Everyone
came in together and introduced themselves. Jamie was finishing tidying so was
in my room when they all sat down. I offered everyone a can of coke (I still
was undomesticated and coke was safer than any drink I had to pour) and put out
some Jaffa Cakes.

“Are we
waiting for anyone else?” Helen asked me.

“Just two
seconds, he’ll be ready.” I sat on the kitchen counter and Jamie came over and
sat on the stool beside me. “This is Jamie, Jamie everyone.” I pointed to the
people sitting on my sofa and he laughed at my bad introduction.

“I’m
Kaitlyn’s boyfriend. Jamie Stark.” He got up and shook their hands.

“See, I told
you I saw him the other day.” The man told the woman from the couple next door.

“We’re
trying to keep it quiet. Is that ok?” Jamie asked. Everyone nodded and seemed a
bit star struck. I couldn’t get passed him saying he was my boyfriend.

“Well let’s
get started. We need to make this place as safe as we can for Kaitlyn. I don’t
like the idea of a vulnerable eighteen year old living here alone, especially
one who doesn’t want to be here. So I want to increase security slightly.”

“What do you
mean ‘one that doesn’t want to be here’?” The woman from across the hall asked.

“Kaitlyn had
to leave because someone broke into her house. Her family thought somewhere
like here would be safer, and I have to agree with them.” Jamie replied for me.