“That’s ok Cat, just tell me.”

Cat sat down on a chair. She couldn’t look at Tess directly, so she looked at the floor instead.

“I fucked up Tess.”

Tears started pouring down Cat’s face.

“I really fucked up.”

Cat needed to cry – all the strain and anxiety of the last few weeks were pouring out of her. Tess brought her chair closer, embraced Cat, caressed her hair, examined her face anxiously. It was minutes till the sobs subsided and Cat could talk again.

“Cat… What happened?”

“I slept with Frankie” Cat said so quietly she barely could hear it herself.

After a long pause, Tess whispered.

“When?”

“Three weeks ago. Almost exactly.”

“God… Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I couldn’t. I couldn’t tell anyone. It has been hell Tess”

“What happened? I mean, are you back together? Are you in love with her?”

“No, no. We aren’t. I thought I was. I was very confused. She threatened to leave for New York that night. She did this romantic thing where she gave me this piece of woodwork from our school the one I told you about. She was on her way to the airport when I came, and, and… ” Cat started sobbing again.

“Jesus Cat.”

“I thought… I thought I was in love with her, Tess. I wanted this to happen. For a long time, you know. While I was with Sam. I wanted to sleep with Frankie. I was waiting for this to happen.”

“So… how was it?” Tess asked hesitantly.

“It was great. I really missed her, really wanted her. Felt like I could not help it. But then, after it was over, I felt this piercing pain.”

“You were afraid that Frankie would steal your heart and break it again?”

“No, it wasn’t that. I suddenly felt…” Cat was gasping for air. “I felt this pain when I thought of Sam. I thought, I did something awful, something I will never be able to undo. I thought, what am I doing here. That’s not where I am supposed to be. That’s not where I want to be.”

“Did you spend the whole night?”

“No, it was brief. Sam was waiting for me in the bar with her friends. I got up, got dressed, and went away. I felt so incredibly guilty. I didn’t know what to do.”

“So who do you want to be with? Do you still love Frankie?”

“I thought and thought about this during these three weeks. I want to have Frankie around. But I can’t go back to her, I don’t want it. And I can’t bear the thought of Sam leaving. I want to wake up every morning in Sam’s arms. But I fucked it all up.”

“And Sam… did you tell her?” Cat shook her head. “Are you going to tell her?”

“She would never forgive me. She would leave right away.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Both of them stared at the table not saying anything for some time.

“Here is an idea, Cat.” Tess said finally. “If you tell Sam, you gonna break her heart. So just don’t tell her anything.”

“No Tess, this won’t work. First of all, it’s a nightmare. I can’t work, can’t function – I feel like a liar, a traitor. Secondly, Frankie threatened me today.” And Cat told Tess the details of what happened earlier in the Café.

Fin emerged out of the shower fresh and smelling of green apples. “What’s going on here?”

“Cat slept with Frankie and now Frankie threatens to tell Sam” Tess offered without wavering, perhaps too cheerfully for the occasion.

“I never liked that one!”

“Fin!” Tess tried to caution her lover.

“What? I’m just saying. She loves mess, that one. Thrives in it. I’m not surprised by what happened.” “By the way Tess, what are you doing offering Cat tea? Don’t you see she needs something stronger.” Having said this, Fin poured some scotch into a glass and put it in front of Cat.

“Drink up!”

Cat complied.

“By the way” Tess concluded the conversation thoughtfully, “Ed’s going to kill you when he finds out!”