Chapter 39
39
Saturday evening rolled around, leaving Jess with the much more imminent worry of her mother gatecrashing her life in the near future and dinner that evening with Nick at Brianna’s.
Marian had emailed her flight details through that afternoon, and if she were honest with herself, Jess had been glad of the distraction. Her mother was flying some godforsaken airline Jess had never even heard of and arriving Tuesday night. When she set her mind to something, she didn’t muck about.
Brianna and Nora had been over the moon when she’d rung to tell them about Marian.
‘We’ve heard so much about her over the years – I can’t wait to meet her,’ Brianna had gushed.
‘You say that now,’ Jess had muttered darkly.
‘What do you mean?’
‘You’ll see for yourself soon enough.’
‘Ah, I’m sure she’s lovely. Now then, did you ring your man?’
‘I did but there was no answer so I left a message.’
‘He hasn’t rung you back?’
‘No, he’s probably with his father for the day.’
‘Oh gosh, you don’t think he’d do anything stupid?’
‘Brie, don’t even go there. Of course I don’t.’ God, she could be dramatic. Jess frowned, not wanting to admit to herself how much she would like to hear Owen’s voice.
‘No, of course he wouldn’t; he’s lived with it all these years, so he has.’ Brianna didn’t sound convinced.
‘So what are you cooking us for dinner tonight?’ Jess asked, brightly deciding to distract her friend before she suggested they begin phoning hospital emergency departments.
‘It’s a surprise.’
‘Right, well, I shall look forward to being surprised,’ Jess lied, thinking it may well be Brianna who was surprised. ‘See you at seven.’
‘See you then.’
Nora, upon hearing of Marian’s impending arrival, had been happy to hear she had an ally on her way over. ‘If anybody can stop you chucking Mr Right away, it’ll be your mother because you’ve certainly not been paying any attention to me.’ Nora seemed oblivious of Jess’s protestations that she wasn’t chucking Nick anywhere – she’d be seeing him that evening for goodness’ sake! She was beginning to feel like Ross in that Friends episode where he kept telling everyone that he and Rachel had been ‘on a break’. She shuddered. God help her when Nora and her mother did get together. It would be bad enough for her having to cope with the pair of them, but she wouldn’t put it past them both to frogmarch poor Nick down to the registry office!
In the meantime, though, she had to get through this evening, so she pushed all thoughts of Owen and her mother aside with a swipe of the new lippy she’d bought from Boots that morning. She smacked her lips together, then leaned in closer to the mirror and inspected them. She wasn’t sure about the shade, but the sales assistant had assured her that red was this season’s colour and that its brick undertones would do wonders for her pale complexion and auburn hair.
Oh whatever , Jess thought, stepping back from the mirror disinterestedly. Sales assistants were full of shite; everybody knew that.
Pushing her hair back over her shoulders to inspect her outfit, she turned this way and that. She’d dressed in a pair of high-waist, wide-legged black pants she’d owned forever and a day, teaming them with a pretty cinnamon 1950s top that had a silk bow under her boobs. It was very flattering in the way it fell, and the colour did wonders for her eyes. At least, that’s what Nora had told her.
‘You’ll do,’ she announced to the reflection staring back at her from the mirror and, satisfied she was as ready as she would ever be, she picked up her purse. With one last glance at the silent telephone, she paused for a moment. Should she try phoning Owen again? No, if he wanted to talk to her, he would be in touch, she told herself sternly before heading out the door.
A strange sight greeted her as she strode through the floodlit quad. Gemma, dressed in her usual sporty attire, was standing astride a man, her trainer-clad foot planted firmly on his stomach as he pulled himself up into what looked like a sit-up.
‘Come on, are you man or mouse? Put some effort into it, for God’s sake! I want a hundred more,’ she shouted, looking like some sort of dominatrix queen, except instead of a whip, she was brandishing a water bottle.
Spying Jess, she waved her over. ‘Off out again, Jess?’ She grinned before raising an eyebrow. ‘It must be serious.’
‘It might be,’ Jess replied enigmatically. ‘Never mind me, though. What an earth are you doing?’ There was something very familiar about the man Gemma was doing God knows what to, she thought, studying his flushed face and pained expression.
‘This is Jimmy from apartment forty-four up there.’ Gemma pointed in the direction of Puff the Magic Dragon’s lair.
It was him!
He paused to give Jess a half-hearted wink and rasped out an, ‘Oright, love?’
‘Did I say you could stop? No, I did not! Get back into it, man!’ Gemma yelled, and with a look of half terror, half admiration, he did as he was told. ‘He’s been hanging out his apartment window whistling at me whenever I walk through the courtyard for weeks now, and he finally asked me out, but I said I’d only go out with him if he stopped smoking. Exercise helps keep his mind off the fags.’
‘Oh, right.’ Jess felt vaguely betrayed at the news she wasn’t the only one on the receiving end of his whistles, but then again, she thought, looking at the sweaty red face with a shudder, rather Gemma than her. ‘Good for you, Gem. Got to run. Bye.’
Nick was running late again. Considering she was by nature a punctual person, this grated, and Jess tapped her foot impatiently in the foyer, feeling a stab of irritation pierce the grey cloud that had been hovering over her all day. She hated to keep Brianna waiting, too, knowing she would have gone to loads of trouble. The evening wasn’t off to a good start, and she hadn’t even left her apartment building yet!
By the time Nick pulled up at seven twenty, she’d bitten two fingernails down to the quick. As she raced outside, she was assailed by both the cold night air and the bass line of Justin Timberlake once more. Ducking down and clambering inside the idling car, he turned the stereo down before leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.
‘You’re looking particularly stunning tonight,’ he murmured, stroking her hair, his voice thick.
With that compliment, Jess felt her irritation disperse as he indicated right and merged out into the flow of evening traffic.
Deftly swerving to avoid a bus busy pulling out, Nick cursed the driver under his breath before regaining his equilibrium. ‘I read your piece in the paper today. It was pretty powerful stuff – not your usual style.’ His eyebrow was raised in query as he glanced over at her.
‘No, not my usual style at all. How did your trip down south go?’ Jess changed the subject, not wanting to discuss Amy or Owen with him. It felt wrong, and she was glad that for the rest of the drive to Bray, he was content to fill her in on Cork and his prowess – or lack of it – on the golf course. She’d have found his commentary amusing if she didn’t have such a sense of impending doom where the evening ahead was concerned.
‘Hey, are you all right? You seem a bit preoccupied.’ Nick’s expression as his face was momentarily illuminated by a streetlight was concerned.
This was her chance to come clean and tell him who Brianna was before they met face to face in about five minutes’ time. She had no choice. It wasn’t fair to either of them not to say something, and so, licking her bottom lip, Jess took a deep breath and opened her mouth to explain just as Nick braked violently. Her head snapped forward as the car skidded to an abrupt halt. Nick slammed his palm down on the horn, and Jess saw in the car’s headlights a fluffy white cat pause to glare at them before sticking its tail in the air and meandering off the road.
‘Bloody cat! It came out of nowhere. Sorry about that – are you OK?’
Jess rubbed her neck. ‘Yes, I’m fine; a bit of a fright, that’s all. At least you didn’t hit it.’
And just like that, the moment for confessing all had gone.
‘OK, you turn right here, and see that white picket fence up there on the left? That’s where we’re going.’
Nick pulled over, flush with the kerb, before getting out of the car and coming round to open her door for her. Treat her like a princess he may, but Jess felt as though she were on her way to the gallows as she literally led him up the garden path.
‘Do you know you look really familiar? I’m sure we’ve met somewhere before,’ Brianna said, glancing back over her shoulder as she led Nick and Jess through to the warmth of their dining room. Pete stood by the sideboard, wrestling with a bottle of red and, as Brianna turned to smile at them both, Jess felt her insides contract. Any moment now there would be fireworks.
‘Do I? I don’t think we’ve met before,’ Nick replied, smoothly holding out the bottle of wine he’d bought with him. ‘It’s a 1986 cabernet. I’m Nick – Nick Jameson. It’s lovely to meet you.’
‘Are you sure we haven’t met?’ Brianna frowned as she took the bottle from him.
‘Positive. I never forget a face, especially not a pretty one.’ He shot Jess a peculiar look as Brianna did the introductions.
‘Nick, this is my husband, Pete – Pete, Nick.’
Pete gave up on the bottle and, leaving the corkscrew sticking out the top of it, held his hand out in greeting. ‘I hope your wine’s screw top, mate.’ He shook hands with the taller man.
Jess risked a sideways glance at Brianna, whose mouth had dropped open. Uh-oh , she thought as her friend clamped her mouth shut and shot her a nasty look.
‘Could you come and give me a hand in the kitchen for a sec, Jess?’ Her smile was sweet, but her tone was saccharine, and Jess wasn’t fooled.
‘Um, yeah, of course.’ She dragged her heels behind her friend.
‘Where’s Harry tonight?’ Maybe a change of subject would stave off the bollocking she was about to receive.
‘At his nana’s, and don’t try to fob me off. It’s bloody well him, isn’t it?’ Brianna hissed once they were out of earshot.
Jess didn’t say anything, studying the floor tiles beneath her feet instead.
‘For God’s sake, Jess, why didn’t you tell me you were dating the man who wants to tear down our community centre!’
‘Shush, Brie, keep your voice down! I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d go mad, that’s why. Please don’t say anything.’
‘I won’t make a scene – my mammy raised me better than that. But you should have told me instead of putting me on the spot like this. I am not happy with you.’ Brianna prodded her in the chest, and Jess had the grace to look shamefaced. ‘I knew there was something up with you where he was concerned, but I just put it down to his being a bit too good to be true and you being wary. I mean – it’s a 1986 cabernet and I never forget a pretty face. Really, Jess?’
It had been a bit cringeworthy. ‘I’m sorry; I really am. Could you please try to keep an open mind about him tonight, though, for me? I know if you just give him a chance, you’ll see past all that other stuff and you’ll like him. The community centre – well, it’s just business to him; it’s not personal.’
‘Don’t push your luck because it feels pretty bloody personal to me right now,’ Brianna muttered, piling little pieces of brown toast with oysters atop them onto a platter.
Jess decided to take her friend’s advice and not push her luck. Brianna not giving out to him was the best she could hope for under the circumstances, and as her friend carried the nibbles through to the dining room, she arranged her own face into a cheery smile and marched out to join Nick and Pete. Somehow they would all get through the evening. It could have been worse – at least Nick had been none the wiser as to who Brianna was.