Chapter 6
SIX
Joey tried the loading bay door and found it locked. They checked their watch. Mari’s staff should be preparing for lunchtime service by now.
“Hello? Amira.” They hammered on the doors and shook the handle. Nothing happened. They pulled out their phone.
Hi, Mari, are you in? I come bearing lobster.
They stared at the screen, waiting for the three dots to appear. When they did, it was a frustrating couple of minutes more until the reply appeared.
On my way.
The doors eventually rattled as they were unlocked from inside, but the version of Marianne who stood there shocked Joey. Her clothes were rumpled as if she’d slept in them, and her eyes were swollen and bloodshot.
“Mari, what’s wrong? What’s happened?” Without thinking they pushed their way inside and pulled Marianne close. To their surprise, she collapsed against them, sobbing.
“I should have let you know. I can’t buy your lobsters. I don’t have a restaurant anymore.” That was what it sounded like through the sobs, anyhow. But they were standing in Marianne’s restaurant, so that didn’t make any sense.
“What are you talking about?”
Mari pulled herself together a little and took them by the hand, through the dark and empty kitchen out into the dining room. She unbolted the front door and swung it open, pointing dramatically at a sign stuck there with tape.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances Batiya is closed for business.”
There was no contact information or anything to say how long the closure would be for.
“I’ve got a van full of shellfish. I could’ve done with some prior warning.”
Marianne burst into tears again, drawing the attention of passersby. Knowing how important image was to her, Joey pulled her back inside and locked the doors. They took a deep breath and leaned back against the door. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Marianne blubbered, her face in her hands. Joey pulled her closer and got a waft of stale alcohol.
“Are you drunk?”
When Marianne staggered back toward her office, Joey followed, not knowing what else to do. The couch in the office was piled with cushions and a blanket lay on the floor. Three empty wine bottles stood on the desk.
Joey took her by the elbows. “I’ll make you coffee and you can talk to me, okay?”
Marianne sniffled, dropping into her chair. “You can’t. No power.”
“I’ll get you some water, then.” Joey ran water into the largest glass they could find and came back to find Marianne slumped at her desk.
“Has something happened to Amira? Where’s Denny?” They hoped someone other than Marianne was responsible for him. What the hell was going on?
“He’s upstairs with Amira. She’s destroyed the business. And now she’s leaving me because it’s all my fault.” Marianne had gone from hysterical to so downbeat Joey barely heard the words.
“Destroyed it how?”
“With debt. She has a gambling addiction. She was in trouble when I met her, but she swore to me she’d given it up. I’d never have married her, or started a business and a family, if I’d known she was still doing it.”
“Oh.” Joey hadn’t been expecting that. They’d suspected the relationship was under strain and maybe Amira had met someone else. This was much more complicated.
“Why are you down here?” Surely Marianne should be trying to sort things out instead of getting drunk.
“I couldn’t think straight last night, so I thought I’d have a couple of glasses of wine, but my head was spinning with everything, so I kept going in the hope of blotting it all out.” She sobbed again.
Joey could relate to that, although they were aware how much it didn’t help. Putting the glass into Marianne’s hand, they knelt beside the chair and held out a box of tissues. “Try and get the water down, and then maybe you should go and talk to Amira.”
Marianne took a tissue and blew her nose. “Thank you, Joey. I wish everyone was as reliable as you.”
Good old reliable Joey. “It’s no bother, but I will need to get on with deliveries soon. Are you going to be okay?” They didn’t really want to leave her, but this mess wasn’t theirs to get involved in. Besides, they had extra lobsters to try to sell, and Tierney was relying on a lift to her appointment.
Marianne sniffed. “I’ll have to be, won’t I?” She blinked. “What will you do with the order?”
“I’ll see if Whyte’s want some extra. If not, I’ll sell them cheap at the fish market.” They pushed up with the arm of the chair. “Will you call me if you need anything?”
“Thanks, yes. And sorry about the lobsters.”
“It doesn’t sound like there’s anything you could have done about it. Take care of yourself. And say hi to Denny.”
They left Marianne sipping her water and got back into the van. Luckily, their other customer was happy to take the extra lobsters at a discounted price, letting them quickly return to the harbor. Marianne was in their thoughts throughout the drive, and as they steered Queen Maedbh back to Inishderry. They struggled to think of anything they could do to help since doing nothing didn’t feel right. They hoped Marianne would reach out if she needed anything.
They got back to the island in plenty of time to pick Tierney up for her midwife’s appointment. Kasia was at the dock and she gave Tierney a long kiss before allowing her to get on the boat.
“I’ll look after her, don’t worry.”
Kasia frowned. “I should be coming with you.”
“I’ll be fine with Joey. You can come to the next one when we’re not so busy.”
“We’re always busy.” Kasia scowled and Tierney threw her a last kiss as the boat pulled away.
“She’s really stressed about Tom leaving. The timing couldn’t be worse.” Tierney settled on a clean bench for the short ride.
“Is there nothing you can do to entice him to stay?” Joey steered them toward the harbor exit.
“We’ve tried, but it’s really about the location. He’s got a girlfriend in Dublin, and they want to move their relationship to the next level. With the hours he works, they just can’t do it long distance.”
“And she wouldn’t move here?” Joey knew not everyone loved their little island like they did.
“She can’t. Her career is quite specialized, and she needs to be in the city. It’s a shame, but it was inevitable, really. We’re lucky to have had him as long as we did.”
“Is that how Kasia sees it?”
Tierney laughed. “Not so much, but she’s trying. She’s worried we’ll have to pick up the extra work and it’ll mean more stress for me.” She stepped outside for a moment as they pulled into open sea, then ducked back into the wheelhouse to avoid the spray that splattered onto the deck. “I swear if she could, she’d lock me in our rooms for the next six months and force me to stay in bed.”
Joey could understand Kasia’s worry. She was a very hands-on person; it was hard for her to support her partner through something she couldn’t directly do anything about.
“She’ll be happy when the baby’s born, and she can do her share of parenting.”
“Or oversee Project Baby, more like.”
Joey joined in the laughter for a moment, then sucked in a breath. “Have you ever talked about what would happen if you didn’t stay together?”
They regretted the words the moment they were out.
Tierney turned with a frown. “Strange question. But knowing you, there’ll be a reason for it.”
“I just mean, as you’re carrying the baby, do you see yourself as the main parent?”
Tierney shook her head. “We decided I’d be the one to carry the nugget…” She rubbed her bump. “For lots of reasons. But this is our child. We’ll be their mums equally.”
Joey wondered how Marianne and Amira would resolve their own situation.
“I’ve answered your question, now you can answer mine. What’s going on?”
Joey paused, unsure about talking to Tierney after her teasing about Marianne at the weekend.
“Hey, come on. I’m your oldest friend. Talk to me.”
“It’s Marianne.”
Tierney’s mouth twitched, but her tone was serious when she spoke. “Is she having problems?”
“Her business has gone under. Her wife got them in a lot of debt and they’re going to sell up and separate.”
“Oh, that’s terrible.” Tierney’s amused expression vanished. “Is she okay? She can stay at the hotel for a while if she needs to.”
“I don’t really know what will happen, but I’m guessing Marianne will go back to Dublin. She’ll need to find a job.”
They steered Queen Maedbh into the mainland harbor, wishing there was more time to talk. “I wondered what would happen with little Denny. She works long hours, but she loves that kid.”
Tierney ran a hand up their arm. “They’ll work things out between them, Joey. Just like Kasia and I would if that day ever came. Which I dearly hope it won’t. Kids come first when relationships end. Denny has two loving parents; he’ll be okay.”
Tierney spoke with more sincerity than Joey would have expected from someone who’d had a raw deal in her own childhood. They guessed she was speaking less from personal experience and more as an optimistic mother-to-be determined to give her child the best possible future.
They tied up the boat and jumped onto the quay to help Tierney disembark.
“Hell, you’re doing it, too.” Tierney jumped up agilely onto the stone surface. “I can still walk okay.”
Joey shrugged and rested a hand under Tierney’s elbow. “The stones are damp, and Frank just unloaded his ewes. I’m not going back to tell Kasia you slipped on sheep shit and are in the university hospital. I’d be joining you immediately.”
Tierney laughed. “Do you trust me to drive to the surgery, or am I not capable of that, either?”
Joey shrugged. “You can if you want. I don’t have any instructions about preventing you from driving.”
Tierney waited for them to fully secure Queen Maedbh, then took their arm to walk to the hotel’s van. “You’ve worried me about falling in sheep shit now.”
“Hey, Tierney.” They both turned at Doc Scott’s immediately recognizable voice. She was striding across the quay in their direction.
“I saw you crossing as I drove down from the house. I’m heading for the medical center. Do you want me to take you to your appointment?”
“Thanks, Doc, that would be great. It would save Joey from having to go to town.”
Joey rubbed their neck. “I kept the afternoon free to go with you.” They shook off the disappointment. “But it makes sense if Doc’s going anyway. Just don’t tell Kasia I deserted you.”
Doc grinned. “I’m sure I reach even Kasia’s high standards for a suitable escort.”
Tierney turned to give Joey a peck on the cheek before Doc led her to an ancient Land Rover parked nearby.
“Let me know when to pick you up.”
“You could have a chat with Shane O’Dwyer about selling your catch to his distributor.” Doc threw the comment over her shoulder as she opened the door and helped Tierney up the high step.
It was typical of Doc’s meddling nature that she had an ulterior motive for helping out. Joey wished they’d never mentioned to her about their loss of income from Batiya. They waved them off and turned to scan the harbor. But Doc was right. They needed to find another outlet for their catch, and hopefully one with a longer season than the Waterside.
Shane’s fishing boat, Lady Kathleen, was moored along the stone quay, but there was no sign of anyone on board. Joey knew where to find the fishers when they weren’t at sea. They strolled over the road to Tina’s café, nodding to the owner standing at her small counter.
“Tea is it, Joey?”
“Please, Tina. I’ll be in the back.” They ducked through an archway that opened out into a simply furnished room. A group of men sat together, most cradling mugs in their rough hands. Weatherproof kit was strewn across unoccupied chairs.
“Joey!” Shane’s bellow silenced the hum of chatter, and the other men turned to see their visitor. “It’s not like you to come and hang out with us.”
Tina entered and placed a mug on Shane’s table. “That’s because Joey’s always busy working, not like you bunch of slackers.”
The men let out a few grumbled objections, but Tina laughed them off as she left. Joey dropped onto the chair opposite Shane. “I came to see you.”
He scratched at his reddish beard. “You finally changed your mind about the wholesaler?”
Joey took a long drink of the hot tea while they thought about their answer. “I’m considering it. Will you email me their latest prices?”
“I will, but you won’t like them. You won’t be getting what you’re used to with your fancy restaurants.”
“Those prices are market value. It’s your distributor who’s undercutting.”
Shane shrugged and pulled out his phone. “There’s a cost to convenience. Now you’ve lost your celebrity customer, what other choice do you have? Drive your catch across the country to sell in Dublin? You’ll spend all your profits on fuel.”
“It’s not so simple for me. You don’t sell live catch. My lobsters could be in tanks for weeks before they get to their destination. The quality isn’t the same. Not to mention, it’s inhumane.”
Shane’s bark of laughter wasn’t kind. “We pull things out of the sea for people to eat, Joey. Don’t kid yourself.”
“I can still have standards.” They drained their mug and stood. “I’ll think about it.” They didn’t want to go down this route, but they were starting to believe they had little choice.
Shane nodded. “I’ve sent you their details.” The phone in Joey’s pocket buzzed. “Take a look. If you catch more lobsters, you could make up the loss.”
“Thanks, I’ll see.” Joey paid Tina on the way out and quickly crossed the quay. The gray day had cleared into hazy sunshine. They hoped the weather would stay dry for the lifeboat training session they were leading later.
They hadn’t long been back on board before they heard the rough roar of Doc’s aged diesel engine. They ducked out of the wheelhouse to see Doc helping Tierney down the step.
“That was quick.” They stood close as Tierney got back on board. “Thanks, Doc.” They waved as she got back into her vehicle.
“I’ll see you at four tomorrow for your appointment,” Doc said.
They didn’t have an appointment, but they always turned up when Doc summoned them. She was a good person to have in your corner.
While Tierney settled inside, Joey untethered the boat and jumped on board. “How did it go?” they asked.
“It was all good. I’m progressing well, and they’ve booked me in for a scan in two weeks’ time.” She put her hands on the small swell of her belly and smiled.
Joey pulled the boat away from the quay. “You’ll need to get someone to cover the hotel for the scan. Kasia will explode if she misses another appointment.”
“I know. But it’s a difficult time. The regular seasonal workers are going back to college after Easter, and we’ll be getting busier. Tom’s resignation isn’t helping the situation.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”
“You already do plenty, Joey. And we appreciate it.”
Joey’s thoughts went back to Marianne. They found it hard not to help when people were in need, and Marianne seemed like she needed all the help she could get. They shook themself. It truly was none of their business. The chances were Marianne would shortly be back in Dublin surrounded by family and support.
“It’s lifeboat training tonight. Is Kasia up for it?”
“Oh, yeah. There are some things she’ll drop everything for, even if it terrifies her. Try not to be too late, though. Okay?”
“It’s out of my hands. Seán’s in charge and he does enjoy his health and safety briefings.” Grinning, they turned from the wheel. “I’ll drive the lifeboat extra fast if you like?”
“I do not like.” Tierney moved up alongside and screwed up her nose. “I miss it. I was barely qualified as a helm before I had to stop.”
“The lifeboat will be there when you’ve had the baby. You need to stay safe for now.”
“Oh, don’t I know it. I get told at least a dozen times a day.” She turned to face Joey. “I’m totally excited about being a parent, but this period feels a little dull. And uncomfortable.”
“It’ll soon be over, and life will never be the same again. Are you ready for that?” Joey failed to hide their wistful tone.
“Yes, absolutely.” She put a hand on Joey’s arm. “Did you never think about having a kid?”
Joey frowned. “You’re the second person to ask me that this week.” They looked back at the wheel. “I can’t have children.”
“There’s loads of ways to be a parent, Joey. And you’re so good with kids.”
“I have a hard job with long hours. I don’t think being a single parent would really work, do you?”
“I’m sorry, I’m being insensitive. I’m so excited about this that I want everyone else to do it, too.” Tierney slipped an arm around Joey’s waist. “You’re going to be the best godparent ever.”
Joey hoped that was enough. Everyone around them seemed to have children. The hotel was full of them all the time. And they did wish there was a way they could have their own family. But much as they loved their life, most people wouldn’t want it. Not for more than a vacation, at least.