Chapter 31
Thirty-One
Istirred in bed, reaching out for Alfie. As usual these days, he was gone already. Between this drama and whatever he had going on at work that he wasn’t telling me about, I didn’t know how he found time to sleep.
I reached for my phone, then thought better of it. I didn’t need to read whatever bullshit articles had been posted overnight. It was best if I just stayed in my own little bubble today.
I climbed out of bed and stretched. I smiled when I noticed a gift on the small tea table by the window. It was a Calathea. An Eternal Flame. With dark, almost purple, leaves and bright orange flowers almost the colour of my hair.
Alfie.
As I stroked the delicate foliage of this beautiful plant, I drew in a deep breath.
We would get through this. I looked up, staring at the decorated ceiling.
The feeling of ‘home’ that I’d felt the night before on the roof top came back to me.
I didn’t want to leave Harrington. There was a safety about this place.
As if I was untouchable here. This felt like Alfie’s home.
A place he’d bought that went against his fathers cold aesthetic.
There was history here, life here. Stories. Every window showed me green beauty.
Speaking of green beauty, I had a project to finish.
Twenty minutes later, my hair was up in a pony tail. I gave my most comfortable jeans a sniff and decided they could make it another day. I stepped out into the glorious sunshine and headed across the grounds.
I found Sid in our work tent, reviewing the plans for our final structure; the fairytale tower.
I didn’t know if it was the thrill of knowing I’d almost completed a challenge I’d been worrying about for months, or if I was just trying to distract myself from everything happening in my personal life, but either way, Sid seemed extra impressed with my work ethic today.
Over the course of the day we erected the ten foot tall structure and got the wiring into place for our plants to attach onto.
By the end of the day, we had a skeletal view of what our final sculpture was going to be.
Tuesday passed, Wednesday too and Thursday night I allowed Keira to persuade me to have a facetime dinner date with her, though for her it was more like lunch.
My dinner dates were usually with Alfie but tonight he was busy, just like the night before.
I told myself it was work, it was the stress of figuring out who was harassing us.
I had avoided social media like a plague, not wanting to see the lies being written about Adam and I, about Angie. I didn’t need that noise and there was nothing I could do about it. So, for an hour, I was going to hang out with my best friend. Well, virtually anyway.
Keira’s bright face filled the screen of my laptop, the backdrop of fabrics and a mannequin taking up the space behind her in her tiny office. I sat on the floor, my plate and laptop propped up on the coffee table. She ate sushi like a pro while I tucked into bangers and mash.
I sat there, soaking in every word out of my best friend's mouth. The excitement of theatre production, the drama from the actors, her love of the city.
“I’m beginning to think New York might be your permanent home, hun,” I said around a mouthful of mashed potato.
“I do love it. Everything is so fast-paced, there’s something new everyday all the time. It’s impossible to get bored here.” She was grinning like a Cheshire Cat. “When will you come visit? I miss you.”
“I’ll steal Alfie’s jet and come after Natalie’s wedding.”
“Promise? Really?”
I’d meant it as a joke but she had such hope in her face that I couldn’t tell her that. Besides, why couldn’t I go and visit her? I’d have a break from work and Alfie had said I could use his plane. Our plane. I had to stop thinking of everything as his.
“Yeah, I mean it. Alfie has offices in New York anyway, maybe we can make it a work trip.”
“Thrilling,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “I don’t think he’s going to be letting you out of his sight until all of this mess has blown over anyway.”
“I know. I’m just hoping none of it screws up Natalie’s big day.”
“Speaking of weddings,” she said, moving brusquely on before I started to spiral again, “I wanted to ask you something. I know you’ll say this isn’t the right time, too much going on, we’re supposed to be celebrating Natalie blah blah blah, but I need your opinion.”
“On what? I don’t think you’ve ever asked for my opinion on anything.”
“Your dress. Duh.” She pincered another piece of sushi and stuck it in her mouth. “I know what would look best on you but I have been reminded recently that I can be a bull in a china shop on occasion and I should try being considerate every once in a while.”
“Did this reminder come from Damien by any chance? I can’t imagine anyone else whose opinion you actually care about.”
“Who said I care about his opinion? Did he tell you that?” I bit back a laugh and she threw up a hand. “Ugh! Anyway, what style of dress do you want? I know what I want to make but I guess you should have some input too.”
“Why, thank you,” I said, not bothering to hide my sarcasm. “Honestly, I haven’t given it much thought.” I’d had other things on my mind over the last few months.
“Well, veil or no veil?” she asked. I paused, thinking about it. “Oh my god, are you wondering which one Moneybags would prefer? Lola, this is your dress!”
“He’s the one that's got to look at me all day!” She rolled her eyes at me again. “I don’t know. Maybe no veil? I think it would look crazy with my hair.”
“I’m glad you said it so I didn’t have to. What about the colour? White, cream, ivory, beige? Or something else? You’ve said before that Alfie likes you in blue?”
“Um…” I grimaced. I really had no idea. “I think white? Maybe?”
“Okay, what about jewellery? I’m trying to figure out the aesthetic you’re going for so I don’t clash. Do you want bold or understated?”
“I mean, I have my necklace and my engagement ring. I don’t have any other special jewellery to wear.”
“Alfie’s never given you anything?” she mumbled around her food. “That surprises me. I’d have thought he’d shower you with stuff.”
“No. I mean, there’s a closet full of ‘stuff’ but the ring is the only piece he’s ever specifically given to me. Except for—” I paused, a smile spreading across my face at the return of a memory. “Oh, I just got an idea.” For the first time in days, I began to laugh.
“What? Tell me!”
Before I could there was a knock at the door and I called for the visitor to come in. Maia opened the door with a tentative wave. “I’m sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to tell you I’m going to bed. Security is at both exits as usual.”
“Okay, thanks Maia.”
“Maia?” Keira said. “Maia’s there?”
I looked between the screen and my bodyguard/former roommate. They hadn’t seen each other since Maia moved out.
“Hello Keira. Congratulations on your success in New York, I hear you're doing well.”
“Very formal. They teach you that in spy school?” I winced and gave Keira a look. I watched my best friend snort and sigh like I’d seen her do a thousand times. “Fuck it. Why don’t you join us?”
Maia hesitated.
“Seriously. Lola, pour her a glass. She must need it after working for Alfie’s psycho self.”
I ignored her jibe. Asking Keira to accept Alfie back into our lives was a tall order after everything that he’d done, letting her roast him every once in a while was a fair deal if it meant I got to keep both of them.
“Maia, do you wanna join us?”
She looked like a deer in headlights but after a moment she nodded. “Okay.”
I got up and grabbed her a soft drink from the mini fridge as I knew she wouldn’t touch the alcohol.
She sat next to me on the floor and for a moment there was silence. Of course, we could always count on Keira to make things more awkward.
“So,” she pointed her chopsticks at the screen, “what’s Eli like in bed? I hear good things.”
I glanced at Maia. “I think you’re going to regret sitting down.”
“No, I’m not.” She giggled and launched into a full breakdown of her on/off relationship with Eli West.
I tucked into my food, letting them compare worlds, clubs and kinks. I listened to Maia talk in a way she never had when we’d lived together and she’d felt too guilty to join in, knowing that she was living a lie.
I realised Maia was lonely. Without family, without friends. I realised too that I wasn’t angry anymore and the duo Keira and I had had going on our whole lives was now a trio.
Sweat beaded along my hairline as Sid and I worked on the ten foot tall structure.
The first two days of work had been filled with worry that I’d designed it wrong.
It was too boring, too rigid, lacking any of the whimsy of a fairytale.
Sid had told me to trust my own process and by Friday afternoon, I realised he was right.
Now covered with moss, draping ivy and a variety of pink and purple flowers, it was something out of a dream.
I held my necklace, my thumb rubbing over the glass. Look, mum! Look what I made!
I snapped a photo and sent it to Alfie. I frowned when I didn’t receive his usual instant reply. I was trying not to be needy but it was hard.
There was still no word on who was threatening us with those pictures, or if there was then Alfie wasn’t telling me.
I was suspecting the latter but for just this week, I didn’t care.
I had shit to do and if Alfie wanted to handle this without involving me until it was necessary, I was going to let that lie until next week when this project was over.
By the end of the day, the sculpture was finished.
The crew were packing up on their side of the grounds.
Sid and I sat on the grass underneath our tower, sharing a bottle of champagne that I’d ordered to celebrate with.
Maybe the celebration was premature, we still had a week to go, but the hard work was done and we needed the lift.
“Sid, you’re a superstar. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“I think we make a really good team. By the way, I’ve been thinking over your offer about making these things for weddings?
I’ll do it in the interim but honestly, I want to make that show that your man suggested.
I want to be the behind-the-scenes guy helping you plan, design, build gardens, sculptures, whatever.
I want to help you teach people about it. What do you think?”
“I think the thought of it scares the crap out of me.” Now didn’t seem like the right time to be putting more of myself online but I didn’t want to say that in front of Sid.
“That’s fair. I think we should make a – what do they call it – a pilot episode?
Get a camera, get an idea for a video, a short fifteen minute thing and put it together.
If we don’t like it, we don’t post it. I think we could do it though.
” I bit my lip, thinking it over. I wanted it badly, I was just nervous.
“You said you wanted to get through this project before you thought about it but this is practically over, so will you at least promise to think about it now?”
I took a big gulp of champagne. “Yeah, I’ll add it to my list of life changing decisions I need to make.”
I arrived at my old home at seven on the dot. I stepped through the gate as I had thousands of times and was met on the path by Ryan who barrelled out of the door and directly into my arms.
“Hello, trouble.” I kissed his head. “I heard we’re having spaghetti?”
“Yeah. Worms.”
Natalie and Riley followed out after him. My sister was wearing a dress I’d never seen before and Riley looked strange in his dress shirt.
“Hey, you both look nice!”
“Thanks. And thanks for babysitting. We could use a night out.”
“My pleasure. I miss hanging out with him.” It was true.
Going from seeing my nephew every day to once every other month had been really hard over the last few years.
I felt guilty that I hadn’t spent more time with them the last few weeks while I’d been here.
Between everything, I’d been too distracted. Selfish.
Putting my own thoughts aside, I waved them off and went into the kitchen to heat up our dinner.
“Auntie Lo, will you draw pictures for my stories after we eat? Mum said you’re really good at drawing because you draw gardens and if I ask nicely you might help me.”
“I’ll do my best but you have to call them illustrations if you’re really going to make a book out of it.”
“Yeah, illustrations!” He held his collection of papers in his hands, held together by staples and string.
Natalie had bought him a proper notepad and a binder, he even had a laptop to work on but he preferred his own messy method.
“There's a writing competition for under twelves. Mum said I can enter it if I take it seriously.”
“If you take it seriously then the others don’t stand a chance.” I stirred the bolognese, waiting impatiently for the sauce to heat up. My stomach was rumbling.
“Okay, we’ll eat but before I help with your story, I need you to help me with something.”
“What?”
“I need you to help me dig up something in the garden.”
“What is it? Treasure?”
“Yeah, it’s treasure and only you know where you buried it.” Ryan frowned, thinking hard about all the ‘treasure’ he’d buried over the years. There was only one piece of treasure he’d buried that I wanted back. When I’d told Keira about it she’d laughed as hard as me.