Chapter 42
42
“Everyone out. Please! The karaoke will be finished if we don’t hurry.” When the last straggler had finally vacated the bridal suite, I locked the door, slung the key in my bag and turned around—to find Joey.
“Anna?” He spoke quickly. “Sorry. For being weird. The other night, I talked too much. Told you stuff…I guess I thought it would be a long time before I saw you again. Coming back here so soon, I feel…”
“Please don’t.” I was keen to make him feel comfortable. “Joey. It’s all good.”
His eyes slid away. “Just…” He looked at me. “I’m sorry.”
“Really, Joey, please let it go. But I appreciate you telling me.” Relief made me chatty. Almost exhilarated. “Can I tell you something? I missed you.”
“I missed you too. Why d’you think I came back?”
“Oh.” I blushed with pleasure. “Silly, isn’t it?”
“Totally. Come on, we’d better get going.”
“Thank you for the flowers!” I said as we went down the stairs. “So many! Weren’t they gorgeous?”
“Least I could do,” he murmured.
“I was so touched. Seriously. And that you told him to leave out the lilies. Joey, I mean .”
“It was no trouble.” He slid me a bashful smile. “I’m embarrassed now.”
“Don’t be! So you’re really not doing a choon tonight?” I asked as we hit the lobby.
“I’m really not. What’s yours?”
“It used to be ‘Raspberry Beret.’ Until I heard it was used in Guantanamo Bay. I’ll never think of it the same way again.”
Out on the street, where the Walshes were milling, a breakaway group had formed: Regan had decided, probably correctly, that she was too young for karaoke. Francesca and Lenehan had elected to join her.
“The Joe-boy?” Regan called up to Joey. “You can come with us. We’re gonna do coloring and watch Masha and the Bear .”
Instantly Joey brought himself down to Regan level. “Thank you, Regan, that’s very kind.”
What’d she call him? someone asked. The Joe-boy? She’s hilarious.
“But someone needs to look after these guys,” Joey told Regan.
Regan’s nod was impassive as she watched Mum force a fluff-covered sweet, excavated from the depths of her pocket, into Francesca’s mouth, both of them choking with laughter and reeling about the pavement. “You’d like Masha and the Bear .”
“I love Masha and the Bear . I have three little boys—they love it too.”
Regan cast eager glances around Joey’s head. “Are they here?”
“No, honey, they’re not.” He got up. “But you have a super-great time with your cousin.”
Startling me, my phone rang. It was Ike. I turned my back on the throng, hoping for privacy. “Hi. Hello.”
“What are you up to?” His voice was low.
“Going to the karaoke with my visitors.”
Silence followed. “I’ve to sort out Vivian’s hot water. If I get it done in time, I’ll come to the parish hall.”
“Okay.”
“But if I don’t…” Another pause. Then, speaking faster, “Anna. I live just outside town. A house down near the shore. I’m sending you the coordinates.” My phone pinged as the message arrived. “You’re busy. You’re only here until Monday. I’d like to see you. If you get a break in your schedule, you know where I am.”
“Aaaah. Okay.”
“Okay.” And he was gone.