Chapter 12 #2
‘There she is, ladies and gentleman; there’s the cynic that we know and love.’ Noah gave me a wink. ‘I still like to think that the universe has some kind of plan.’
‘Yes, I’m sure a universe with infinite numbers of galaxies has a plan just for you, one of seven billion people on Earth.’
I went to step off the kerb and Noah put his arm across my chest. I looked up in surprise to see a tram approaching.
‘You probably would have made it in time, but just in case.’
‘Yeah, thank you. I guess I have to look out for those.’
‘Um-hmm.’
‘I bet you’re going to say that it was fate that I introduced you to Mags.’
‘Ha, I wasn’t … ’ he said with a pause.
It was funny we’d become so close over the years and shared so much about our lives, but we never spoke about him and Mags. I guess that’s what happens when you are friends with both parties: neither want to confer with you for fear of it reaching the other person.
‘Speaking of,’ I said, ‘what time’s she arriving?’
‘I don’t know, around five? Maybe six? I just hope she makes it on the plane. She was only supposed to have one meeting today and then she scheduled another.’ He shook his head.
‘She’ll be here. It’s your birthday.’
‘Of course she will. Don’t get me wrong, I love that she’s driven and she’s thrown herself into the business. I just wish that she didn’t have to be on all the time.’
‘It must be a busy time for her. Getting the warehouse and everything.’
‘Yeah.’ He nodded, before he let out a deep breath. ‘Listen to me. I sound ridiculous. Of course I’m super proud of what she’s doing, and I’m pleased those bloody boxes are out of our house. Don’t tell her I said any of that, right?’
He looked pained. I knew more than any of us he wanted Mags’ business to succeed, and not just because his mortgage depended on it.
‘Well, I can’t promise,’ I teased to lighten the mood. ‘A few whiskeys tonight, and who knows what I’ll come out with.’
‘You wouldn’t. Don’t forget I can tell Graham some choice things.
What story would he like to hear first? The time that you crawled into my wardrobe and went to sleep after that night out in Clapham?
Or the time when you dressed up as a mermaid and fell off the bar and split your skirt tail all the way up to your knickers? ’
‘Do you have any idea how hard it was to walk in that skirt, let alone dance on a bar in it? I’m surprised I didn’t break any bones.’
Noah let out a snort.
I looked at Graham walking with Mum further up on the pavement. They were chatting away animatedly. It was nice that Mum got on well with him. It was one of those boxes to tick off on that mental checklist.
‘I guess we both know enough to blackmail each other into silence on any subject,’ I said, thinking over our eight-year friendship. ‘Questionable outfit choices. Dodgy haircuts.’
‘Oh, there you go. I was just waiting for you to drop in the frosted tips. The fishtail story comes out and the gloves come off.’
I tried my very hardest not to cackle at the image of Noah primed in front of the mirror with tiny plastic gloves trying to bleach the tips of his spiky hair.
‘Or more like the gloves stayed on.’
‘Easy.’ He threw me a warning glance. This was a dangerous game we were playing. We both had far too many embarrassing memories of the other in our arsenal.
‘I still wish I’d got a photo of you with the frosted tips before you shaved it off.’
He shuddered. ‘That was not a good look for me.’
‘The frosting or the skinhead?’
‘Either.’
My cheeks were starting to ache from trying not to laugh. ‘How did we even get on this topic?’
‘I think I was trying to blackmail you into not telling Mags.’
‘That was it. Don’t worry, your secrets are safe with me. And don’t worry about Mags; I’m sure it’ll all calm down soon.’
‘Yeah, I know.’ He nudged me with his elbow.
‘Especially with you set to join her.’ A tightness drew over my belly.
Mags had initially asked me to come in on the business fifty-fifty at the beginning, but it was too big a risk, so we decided I’d go in when it was more established.
I’d get less reward in terms of shares, but there’d be less risk.
I’d done a bit of freelance work for her, but now the business was growing she needed someone full time.
I’d be overseeing the marketing like I did now for clients, but being in-house meant that I’d be more hands on with the e-commerce and social media.
It could be a brilliant move, but the closer it got the scarier it seemed.
‘And what about you? How’s work?’
‘It’s alright, I guess. It just about pays the mortgage.’
I recognised the forlorn look on his face. It was the kind of look that Mum had on her face at the end of the month when she balanced her cheque book. She was always trying to find money somewhere.
‘That good, huh?’
‘Mags keeps saying I should move. Chase the new title, the bigger bonus.’
He put his hands in his pockets. Maybe I’d misread the look and it was more than just the size of his mortgage.
‘But you like your job, don’t you?’
‘Does anyone?’ There was no emotion in his voice.
‘I do,’ I said, taking myself by surprise. I’d put up with Fucking Francis for too long, but when I’d moved for a promotion at a rival company, I’d rediscovered the love of my job. ‘I get out of bed, excited to go to work every day.’
‘Bloody hell, what’s that like?’
I smiled.
‘Perhaps you should work for Mags. Take the job she wants me to do.’
‘Uh, no. That would be a recipe for disaster. And I doubt that would help with the mortgage anxiety.’
‘You’ve got a beaut of a house though. And you’re homeowners. Actual real-life house owners. I thought they were an urban myth, especially in the home counties.’
‘I know. I’d have never believed I’d own a house like that.’
The wind whistled along the river.
‘My ears are freezing.’ I put my hands up to them, wishing I knew where in my suitcase my hat was.
‘Yeah, it’s not warm. Why couldn’t we have a birthday in summer?’
‘I know, or go somewhere hot?’
‘Yep, hot would be good. Maybe next time, huh?’
‘Maybe next time.’
‘Although haven’t you always fancied New York?’
I looked out at the river, a little guilty that I wished I was there when here was so pretty.
‘I did. But I still really hope that I’ll go with Mum one year, and Graham and I talked about it.
You know, maybe later in the year, if we’re still …
’ I tailed off. I always got a bit freaked out in a long-term relationship; most people liked looking to the future with a partner but it made me feel trapped.
‘That’ll be good.’
‘Yeah.’
It might have been freezing, but the sun was out and the sky was blue. If it wasn’t for the wind, it would have been pleasant.
We weaved our way through the tourists as we got closer to Temple Bar. The wide avenues started to give way to smaller streets and cobbles appeared.
‘I can’t believe it’s this busy on a Tuesday in February,’ I said, trying not trip anyone up with my suitcase.
‘I know. But I guess that this is the most touristy area.’
‘Right,’ said Paul, as we caught up to him on the corner, ‘this is where we’re staying. We should see if they’ll hold our luggage then I think it’s time to get on it. This pub looks like an excellent place to start.’
Someone walked out and we could hear the sounds of folk music coming from inside. It looked exactly as I’d imagined a Dublin pub to look. The windows were made up of tiny windows steamed up from condensation, and there were wooden beams running along the outside of the building.
Amy coughed and stuck her belly out so that it protruded from her coat.
‘Of course, we don’t have to get on it. I just meant, soak up the atmosphere.’
‘And by atmosphere did you mean whiskey?’ she asked, with an inquisitive eyebrow.
Paul bowed his head. ‘Maybe.’
‘Let’s just dump the bags, and go from there. We might be able to check in early. I could do with a nap. We’re not booked on the tour at the Guinness Storehouse until four.’
‘There was a time when checking in early meant other things,’ he muttered under his breath.
‘Yes, but that’s how we found ourselves in this situation, isn’t it?’
‘They’re like a comedy double act,’ whispered Graham in my ear. He rested his hand on the small of my back. ‘It must be exhausting. Hope we’re not like that when we’ve been together that long.’
‘Oh, they’ve always been like this.’ I tried not to read too much into what he said.
We were at the age when so many of our friends were settling down – it seemed that I couldn’t open up Facebook without an ultrasound photo or a blingy ring announcement – but anytime that I was dating someone and things even hinted at any form of commitment, I felt too young for any of it. We weren’t even thirty yet.
‘Glad we’re not like that.’ He leaned over and slapped me on the bum as we walked into the hotel. He’d started to do that a lot lately. I’m pretty sure it was his way of showing affection. Our equivalent to Amy and Paul’s bickering, only I think I’d rather have the bickering.
‘You alright, Mum?’
She was staring at her phone. ‘Yeah, I’m fine, I just can’t get it to send a text. I wanted to send a message to Gloria at work.’
‘Have you activated your roaming?’
She looked at me blankly, so I took her phone and toggled it in the settings.
‘I don’t understand these phones anymore. I miss my old BlackBerry.’
‘Got to move with the times, Mum,’ I said, and she sighed.
‘Listen to me, I sound like a dinosaur.’
‘You don’t.’
I handed it back to her and she sent her message.
‘There, done. Now, I feel like I’ve been on the go for hours. I need a good shower and then I’ll be ready to take on this city.’
Mum’s cheeks were glowing and if I’d been nervous of how she was going to fit into our trip, those fears disappeared as I watched her cackle her way over to the reception desk with Amy.