Two months later Caitlin was at an event organized for families. She was there along with her sister, brother-in-law and two year old niece. Caitlin had volunteered to help during the course of the event, while Georgia, Elias and Sophie took part in the various games. Like Georgia and Elias, Caitlin only came to this event to pacify her father, and when she found herself on kitchen duty, she was quite happy. Her hands in washing up gloves, she continued to wash cups, plates, cutlery, as they were brought in. She'd join her sister and her family when the family disco started later that afternoon. But right now, they were still getting the children's goody bags ready and still washing up from the children's lunch that had just been completed.
"Well, I wasn't expecting to find you at a kitchen sink." Caitlin glanced toward the voice and smiled in acknowledgment . "Want a hand?" He asked and began to shrug off his jacket.
"er, you'll have to ask Mrs De Souza." She used her head to point at the woman who was delegating tasks in the back room, "She's allocating jobs."
"Ah. Right." He hooked his jacket with one finger and sauntered off. "Mrs De Souza. Ok if I help Caitlin with the washing up." She heard him ask.
"Hey, if you want to help, we are snowed here." Anne said loudly. "We've got heaps to get organised. And well, washing up is the least of our priorities."
Which begged the question why Caitlin was assigned to washing up, Douglas pondered as he waited. "Well, young man, thank you. It seems like you have a job lined up there." Mrs De Souza told him. "Follow Anne, she'll explain what needs to be done."
Douglas turned and mouthed an apology to Caitlin. She shrugged and smiled. When she had arrived and offered to help, she was dispatched to the kitchen to wash up. It wasn't a difficult task, just mundane. And it had taken her less than ten minutes to realise that the other young women were ignoring her. Not that it worried her. The fact they were deliberately ostracizing her was something she expected as soon as she saw who sat at the head of the table.
Anne dragged Douglas off toward a group of her friends, who were all preparing children's goody bags. "Budge up girls. Doug has come to help."
With smiles, and a fair amount of flirting, they made room for him on the production line. The end result was that one woman who had been putting two of the items in the bag, started putting in only one, leaving Douglas to put in the other. He thought about challenging the organization, then just held his counsel. He couldn't understand why it took six women, and him now, to fill goody bags for the children. It was a job that could have easily been accomplished by two, three at the most. After a few minutes, he was bored stupid. They chatted to him, or rather tried to chat him up. But they were simpering at best and boring at worst. He found himself having to work at not grinding his teeth as he sat among the small group of women and did as they did, insert the odd item into a goody bag. When they finished the bags, Doug wasted no time in leaving. He went to help Caitlin with the washing up.
"You've escaped!" She teased as he reached for a tea towel.
"What was that about? That job didn't need all of them." He frowned as he thought about the last half hour and how he had wasted his time and how bored he'd been. There was clearly something else going on here, given what had just happened. What he didn't know was, what that something actually was. It was frustrating, knowing he was being manipulated as a pawn to score points but not understanding exactly why point scoring was necessary. "Where do you want these to go?"
"In that box." She nodded her head toward the open small box a few feet away.
"Don't tell me you did all that." He looked at the open box and the six other boxes.
"Ok. I won't." She retorted with a smile in her voice and chuckled at his look of disbelief.
"You seem to have some sort of feud going with Anne." He said by way of conversation. Douglas wasn't sure what was going on, but the fact that the other women were being deliberately obnoxious was not difficult to see. He just didn't understand why. The woman working alongside him seemed perfectly amiable.
She laughed happily, totally at ease with the situation. "Looks that way." Then at his questioning look she said, " Don't ask me? I haven't a clue." She shrugged. When she realized she was sent to Coventry she'd initially taken offence, but then, as she settled into the routine of the task, she was actually quite relieved. She didn't have to feign interest in boring conversation. "I don't even really know her. The first time I met her was a few weeks ago."
"Ah. The line of sight thing."
"Sorry?"
"I, er overheard you." When she looked none the wiser he added sheepishly "Explaining to your uncle and his friend." She frowned as she tried to remember, "A few weeks back. You had Jared in line of sight." He prompted as he put a plate in the box.
Caitlin chuckled. "I'd forgotten about that. Yes. I did. Idiot eh?" She glanced around to look at him, and recognized him, "Now I remember who you are, you helped with the tire. He's a friend of yours."
Douglas nodded, somewhat surprised to hear that she'd forgotten who he was. His appearance tended to be something that most people didn't forget. The scars were not pretty. "Yes."
"Then you should be giving me a wide berth." Caitlin told him with a cheeky grin, "He'll probably think I've cornered you to get to him." She put another plate on the drainer, and glanced up at Douglas. "Is he always so arrogant?" Douglas laughed. Caitlin shrugged, "I mean, he's a good looking guy and all that. But, surely he doesn't think that all women fancy him."
"You don't?" Douglas wasn't sure whether she was spinning him a line or not. Most women were keen to meet Jared.
"I barely know the man."
"That hasn't stopped the others." Murmured Douglas but wasn't quiet enough.
"Ah, well, some of us have more than one brain cell." Caitlin told him with a winsome smile.
He chuckled. Then he thought about it. Based on what little he knew of Caitlin, he was sure she would enjoy Jared's company. They were both bright, both imbued with an innate sense of charm, both genuine and neither appeared to take themselves too seriously. Douglas considered Caitlin for a few more minutes before saying with clear conviction, "You'd like him."
"Doubt it." She laughed at his expression then handed him a plate. "He thinks I'm a snooty..."
"Oh there you are Douglas. Could you help us move some tables? I'd ask the girls, but I really could do with a big strong man!" Anne came and stood beside him. "I'm sure Caitlin can manage for a few minutes."
Douglas smothered his groan. "Sure."
"Sorry Caitlin. You don't mind do you?"
"Not at all." She winked at Douglas, fully aware that he was far from pleased about having to leave her. "Nice talking with you."
"I'll be back." Doug muttered.
"I doubt it." She mumbled and carried on washing up. Douglas and Anne left the kitchen area.
"Jared." Douglas tapped his friend's shoulder as he walked past him in the corridor. "Give us a hand would you." He waited for Jared to make his excuses and join him.
"What's going on?" Jared adjusted his stride to catch up with Doug.
"Table moving or something." Douglas nodded toward Anne who he was still following.
Anne led them to a table. "This one needs to go back to the kitchen." She leaned and unhooked the clasp as she added, "The legs fold."
Douglas and Jared took either end and picked it up. Anne led the way, much the way a town crier would, clearing their path as they carried it across the hall.
"Where do you want it?" Douglas asked when they'd entered the kitchen.
"There." Anne pointed to the wall. "We'll be stacking them in there." She waited for the men to lean it against the wall then pulled open the door to a storage cupboard, they carried it in. "Ok, just another five to get. Thanks Doug. Thanks Jared."
Surprised, Caitlin turned at the sound of his name. She found he was watching her. She quirked a brow, a mixture of challenge and question. He curled his lip in a good imitation of a sneer. Caitlin rolled her eyes and then turned back to the sink.
"You sure she knows how to wash up?" Jared asked Anne, just loudly enough for Caitlin to hear. He saw Caitlin's spine stiffen. But she did not turn back to face him. Douglas frowned when he heard his friend's question. Now what was going on?
"Who knows!" Anne laughed, pleased to see she had ensnared another ally. "It keeps her out of our way." She mock whispered.
"Wise." Jared muttered loudly. Caitlin squared her shoulders as his words reached her. Anne giggled.
"I'll show you where the other tables are." Anne smiled, utterly happy with the way things were going. "Oh, Douglas, would you mind helping Lisa with the chairs." She pointed to her friend. "I'll help Jared bring in the other tables." She was sure she could work on him. From Doug's frown, if he kept Jared company, Jared would soon change his opinion of Caitlin. And that Anne was simply not willing to tolerate.
Jared and Anne carried the tables into the room, and every time Jared came in, he made a remark as they headed past the sink.
"Did she bring gloves or did you provide them?" He asked Anne in a mock whisper as they carried the table past Caitlin.
Caitlin ignored him. The man was clearly an idiot. Good looking. But an idiot nonetheless.
The next time as they came through the door, he said in another whisper, "So Daddy didn't insist she was front of house. High profile."
"Like handing out the goody bags or collecting tickets?" Anne smothered a laugh and added. "Mrs De Souza allocated jobs. And anyway, she can't just swan in and expect everyone to do what she wants. Even if her father is..."
Caitlin started wiping the dishes and putting them into the box as the two of them disappeared into the storage cupboard. She really wasn't interested in Anne's low level sniping. Obviously having a father who was an icon in the community brought with it some measure of jealousy.
The next time Jared and Anne came in, he said, "If she breaks anything, daddy can afford to pay for it."
Caitlin gritted her teeth and continued to stack the dry dishes in the box. She simply was not going to give them the satisfaction. If they wanted to keep making nasty comments that was up to them, but she didn't have to lower herself to their level. Not yet, at any rate. That had her lips twitching with suppressed laughter.