‘Very subtle, Dad.’ Sophie grinned. She proffered a hand to Shania. ‘I’m Sophie, and this is my daughter, Jess.’
‘Hi,’ Jess said. ‘I like your jeans.’
Shania’s jeans had pink hearts stitched down the side of each leg.
‘Thanks, they’re Stars and Stripes too. You should come into the store. I can help you pick some out.’
Sophie butted in: ‘Jess is too young for that shop.’
‘Oh, no, honestly, we do really cute jeans for teenagers.’
‘She’s nine,’ Sophie said firmly.
‘Wow, you look older, probably because you’re tall, like your mum. You could definitely be a model.’
‘Really? Do you think so?’ Jess’s face lit up.
‘Totally.’
‘Pippa thinks so, too.’
I saw Sophie’s face darken. Pippa was a sore subject. I felt sorry for my sister. Pippa was like a slap in the face, she looked like a younger version of Sophie and was Jack’s first serious girlfriend since they had broken up. The fact that Pippa was living with Jack and spending time with Jess was hard on Sophie.
‘Who’s Pippa?’ Shania asked.
‘My dad’s girlfriend. She’s a TV presenter and she’s amazing,’ Jess gabbled. ‘She’s beautiful and so much fun. I love my weekends with her and Dad. My other weekends are so boring.’
Ouch, poor Sophie. I walked over to her and took her arm. ‘I think Mum needs help in the kitchen,’ I said, leading her away. Once we were outside the room, I said, ‘Jess doesn’t mean it.’
Sophie sighed. ‘Yes, she does. She worships Pippa and hates me. Honestly, Louise, since Pippa came on the scene, Jess has been a nightmare. It’s bad enough that Jack is going out with someone half my age, but to have my daughter obsessed with her, too, is really hard to take.’
‘Pippa’s still a novelty. It’ll wear off. You’re Jess’s mum and she adores you.’
‘She used to, but not any more.’
The doorbell rang and I went to answer it. The triplets tumbled into the house, Julie, Harry and Tom following. Julie was wearing a cute navy shift dress with navy-and-white ballet pumps. She looked great.
‘Hi, Harry, how’s things?’
‘Good, thanks,’ Harry said. ‘Is the game on inside?’ He nodded at the door to the lounge.
I stepped aside. ‘Be my guest.’ He headed straight in.
‘You look lovely, Julie,’ Sophie said.
‘Thanks. You told me to buy this – remember?’
‘Oh, yeah! Well, it suits you.’
It’s a pity Sophie doesn’t buy similar clothes for herself, I thought. She’d look so much better.
‘I have to admit, having money to buy decent clothes makes such a difference,’ Julie said. ‘I never knew how much tailored clothes could enhance your shape. They hide all my bad bits. I’m not like you two, with your skinny frames. You can wear anything and look good.’
‘Harry’s had a make-over, too,’ Sophie noted. ‘That was all Hugo Boss, wasn’t it?’
Julie nodded. ‘One of the men in the golf club told him it was the “only place to shop”. So Harry went in and bought almost everything in there. He came home with a car full of clothes. I was shocked. He never cared about clothes before. I know he’s a lot smarter, but I kind of miss his cord jackets and crumpled chinos.’
‘He looks way better now,’ Sophie assured her.
‘Which golf club did he join?’ I asked.
‘The Royal Marine.’
‘Wow! That’s the most expensive club in Ireland. Very fancy!’ I said.
Julie shrugged. ‘It costs a fortune to be a member. Harry spends half his time worrying about money and the other half spending it. But he says he only makes investments, including the boys’ new school and the golf club, which he says is great for networking. The amount of time he devotes to meeting people to discuss how to make the money grow and last for our future is ridiculous.’
‘Hang on! He’s right to be cautious. You came into a large sum, but it disappears quickly. Harry’s wise to be thinking about investment plans and pensions,’ I reminded her.
‘Damn right! Look at me,’ Sophie said. ‘One day we were millionaires, the next we were homeless. You need to mind your cash.’
‘I understand that, but I wish we didn’t have to talk about it all the time,’ Julie said. ‘I spent years budgeting every single day. I just want to enjoy not having to worry about money.’
‘You should treat yourself – just don’t go mad like Jack and I did.’
‘There’s no fear of that. I’m never going to wear designer clothes. I’m still too intimidated to go into Harvey Nichols.’
‘Julie!’ Sophie laughed. ‘It’s just a shop.’
‘I find it really daunting. I’m not comfortable there. I don’t feel like I belong, and I keep expecting someone to ask me to leave because I’m not glamorous enough.’
Sophie and I roared laughing. ‘That’s insane,’ I said. ‘You’re one of the only people in Ireland who has money at the moment. They’ll be welcoming you with open arms.’
‘I used to spend half my life there, shopping or having coffee or lunch. Now I only ever go there for work.’ Sophie smiled ruefully.
‘Well, I’d be happy to go with you and treat you to new clothes,’ Julie offered.
Sophie put an arm around her. ‘Thanks, Julie, but you need to spend your money on yourself and enjoy it. By the way, I keep meaning to ask you how the boys are getting on at Castle Academy.’
Julie filled us in. Sophie laughed wickedly when she heard about Victoria getting smacked by the football. I didn’t think it was so funny, though. Julie needed the triplets to start behaving. They were wild, and if they got expelled from Castle Academy, she might find it difficult to get them accepted elsewhere. She needed to be firmer with them. Harry was far too easy on them, too. He hardly ever gave out to them. He thought all of his children were wonderful. That was fine, but the triplets needed a firm hand. Tom was the opposite, an incredibly calm, sweet child. How had Harry and Julie ended up with such polar opposites?
Gavin’s head appeared around the door of the lounge. ‘The witches are in conclave, I see,’ he said, grinning at us. ‘What are you three whispering about out here?’
‘We’re putting bets on as to how long Shania will be around,’ Sophie said, teasing him. ‘The previous girl only lasted a night, didn’t she?’
Julie and I burst out laughing. Gavin’s love life was a constant source of fascination to us. Why so many girls fell for him was beyond us, but he seemed to have the magic touch.
‘You’d better get used to her,’ Gavin said, shaking his finger at Sophie. ‘This one’s a keeper, I swear.’
‘If she lasts a month, I might start believing you,’ Sophie said. ‘How are you anyway? What’s happening? Any interviews lined up?’
‘One at Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.’
‘Cool store.’ Sophie seemed impressed.
‘Isn’t that the place where the guys stand outside on the street shirtless, covered with fake tan and baby oil?’ Julie asked.
Sophie laughed. ‘It gets people into the shop.’
‘Really? Are you seriously going to work with no top on?’ It sounded ridiculous to me.
Gavin glanced towards the kitchen door, then shushed us. ‘Keep your voice down. Mum and Dad don’t know about that.’
‘What?’ I was shocked.
‘Don’t get all judgemental. The dudes in the shop don’t wear shirts.’
‘Are you honestly telling me that you’re considering working half naked?’ I know I sounded like a granny, but come on! We didn’t live in Santa Monica: this was cold, grey Dublin.
‘Shania said it gets the ladies in. And, apparently, it’s the old birds, like you lot, who always cop a feel,’ Gavin said.
‘Do they proposition them?’ Julie asked.
Gavin grinned. ‘One or two of the really fit guys have had phone numbers slipped into their jea
ns by cougars.’
‘Well, if they’re single, why not?’ Sophie said.
Gavin crinkled his nose. ‘It’s a bit desperate.’
‘Do you think you’ll be propositioned?’ Julie asked, trying not to laugh.
‘I’m working on my six-pack in the gym, so I reckon I probably will.’ Gavin patted his thin frame. He didn’t even have a one-pack.
‘If you actually get this job, aside from being mauled by older women, are you going to try to get into management or are you going to spend your time in the stockroom with Shania?’ I asked. Gavin had a long history of getting distracted by girlfriends.
‘No, I’m totally focused this time. The company is really cool and I definitely see my future there.’
We all laughed.
‘What?’ Gavin snapped.
‘Come on, you always say that and then something or someone turns your head and it all goes pear-shaped,’ Sophie said.
‘Well, I’m serious this time. Stars and Stripes rocks and the clothes are amazing.’
‘What about Shania? Does she rock too?’ Julie asked, with a knowing smile.
‘She’s a very cool girl.’
‘With a weird fake American accent,’ I noted.
‘That’s the way all the young girls speak now,’ Sophie said. ‘You should hear the models at the agency – you’d swear they were all from LA.’
‘She’s very pretty, great figure,’ Julie said, sounding envious. Julie had lost weight in the last few years, but she was big-busted and would always be curvy. She had always envied Sophie and me for being taller and slimmer. Mind you, we both worked hard at staying slim. I ran five miles every day and Sophie had been starving herself since she’d started modelling at eighteen.
Mum came out of the kitchen and clapped her hands. ‘Right, lunch is ready. Julie, we’ll leave the boys outside playing football so we can eat in peace. I’ll give them pizza later on.’
‘Fine with me,’ Julie said.
We went in to take our places at the table, and Shania brought Clara’s book in for her. ‘Louise, your daughter is awesome,’ she said, smiling widely at me. Her teeth were scarily perfect. ‘I was reading her book with her and she’s, like, super-bright. I cannot believe how much she knows about birds. She’s just like my little brother – he was obsessed with animals when he was young.’
I smiled at her. ‘Thank you. Clara is pretty amazing, even if I say so myself.’
Harry was sitting beside me, checking Bloomberg on his phone.
‘What are you into these days?’ I asked.
‘Donald at the golf club told me to buy Ardvarnid and I made a killing last week. I got out and bought some Janson shares. They’re up and down, so I’m keen to keep an eye on it.’
‘Harry!’ Julie snapped. ‘Put your phone away.’
He stuffed it reluctantly into his pocket.
‘I was on to Christelle this morning,’ I said. ‘She’s having a great time in Galway.’
Harry shook his head. ‘I don’t even know who she went with. She was very vague – she just said pals from college. I hope she’s not hanging out with a wild bunch.’
Julie snorted. ‘Christelle has more sense than all of us put together. Stop fussing, Harry.’
‘I can’t help worrying about her.’
‘Of course you can’t. That’s what good fathers do,’ Mum said.
‘I understand that, but she is a very mature and sensible girl. You probably need to give her a bit of space,’ I suggested.
Harry sighed. ‘I know, but I’m trying to make up for all that time we missed.’
‘Of course, but try to remember she’s twenty-two. She’s an adult,’ I reminded him.
‘I like Christelle. She’s really cool,’ Jess said.
‘Jess thinks everyone’s cool except me,’ Sophie said.
Jess rolled her eyes. ‘You’re my mother. Of course I don’t think you’re cool.’
‘Compared to a lot of your friends’ mothers, I am actually quite cool. I never wear frumpy clothes.’
‘You could do with a longer skirt,’ Dad said.
‘I agree,’ I said, seizing my moment. ‘It’s way too short, Sophie. It doesn’t look good. It looks a bit … well …’
‘What? Desperate? Come on, Louise, spit it out.’ Sophie’s face was bright red.
‘It’s just not age-appropriate,’ I said.
‘So what should I wear? Boring suits like you?’
‘I’m not saying that, but going around in a bum-skimming mini-skirt at forty-two is ridiculous.’
‘I work in fashion, Louise.’ The rest of the table had gone quiet and, out of the corner of my eye, I could see Gavin drawing his finger across his throat, obviously telling me to quit while I was ahead.
‘I know that, but you’re not a model, you’re a partner in the business. That kind of outfit is hardly business-like.’
Sophie’s mouth fell open in surprise. Then she dropped her knife and fork with a clatter. ‘Get off your high horse, you judgemental cow. We can’t all be as perfect as you.’
‘Jesus, Sophie, calm down, I’m just trying to help.’
Julie interrupted us: ‘Guys, stop, please. You have different styles. Leave it at that.’
Sophie shook a finger in my face. ‘You’re not helping me, Louise, just kicking me when I’m down.’ With that, Sophie stood up, grabbed her coat and Jess and stormed out.
‘Well done, Louise, very sisterly of you.’ Mum glared at me.
‘Someone needed to say it to her,’ I snapped. ‘I’m the only one who had the balls to do it.’
‘You shouldn’t have said it here, in front of everyone,’ Mum said.
‘It wasn’t the right time,’ Julie agreed.
‘Fine. I’ll just say nothing and let my sister go around looking like a desperate divorcée, shall I?’
‘Let’s not spoil lunch altogether,’ Dad said quietly. It was his fault – he’d mentioned it in the first place. ‘Your mother’s made us a lovely meal so we should settle down and enjoy it.’
But I couldn’t eat because I knew I’d handled it badly. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Sophie. I’d only tried to help her. Why did everyone have to be so sensitive?
3
Sophie
I reapplied some lipstick and examined myself in the mirror. Was my dress too short? Bloody Louise had made me paranoid. I was questioning all of my clothes now. To Hell with her. I looked good and the date was going well.
I sashayed out of the Ladies and back into the restaurant. At the table, I sat back down opposite Julian. He was good-looking, successful and kind – the first date I’d really connected with since I’d broken up with Jack. Tick, tick, tick. All the things I wanted in a man.
I sipped my wine and smiled as I listened to him talking about his years living in Hong Kong. I felt good. I felt attractive. I felt like a real person for once. Not just a mother or career woman or sister or daughter – an actual woman.
Julian smiled at me. ‘Enough about me. Let’s talk about you. So, what happened with your ex, if you don’t mind me asking about it?’
‘No, it’s OK, all water under the bridge now. Well, when we lost everything our lives were turned upside-down. He was at home with Jess while I went out to work. It took him a while to get a new job and back on his feet. When he did get a job, it was in London, and those two years when he was commuting back and forth, we grew further apart. As break-ups go, it was pretty amicable. We get on quite well and Jess is our priority.’
‘Was it difficult to lose everything?’
‘Awful, really traumatic, but we’ve built our lives back up and I’ve learnt a lot.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like making sure that my daughter studies hard and has her own career and money.’
Julian smiled. God, he was sexy. ‘I prefer women who work. They’re more interesting and less needy,’ he said.
‘So,’ I was keen to change the subject and get back to more
flirty chat, ‘I’m really glad we met up. I’m having a lovely time.’
He nodded. ‘Me too. I’ll have to call Grace in the morning and thank her for setting this up.’ He was referring to our friend-in-common who had played Cupid.
‘She was very keen for us to meet. She was positive we’d get on well, and she was right.’ I winked at him playfully.
Julian glanced at his watch. ‘Gosh, look at the time. I didn’t realize it was so late. The evening flew. I’d better get the bill.’
I wasn’t normally so forward, but I really liked him and I hadn’t had sex in ages, so I took a deep breath and said, ‘Would you like to come back to my place for a nightcap?’
Julian handed his credit card to the waiter. Then, turning to me, he said, ‘Sophie, I’ve really enjoyed dinner. You look great for your age, you’re good company and good fun, but to be honest, you’re a little older than I thought. I’m looking for someone younger. Sorry.’
My lip began to wobble uncontrollably. I pushed my wine glass against it to stop it and pretended to take a sip. I managed to say, ‘No problem,’ then bent down to busy myself with my bag and try to stop myself crying.
Somehow I was able to walk to the door on shaky legs, accept a kiss on the cheek and climb into a taxi before I buried my head in my hands and sobbed.
It was utterly crushing. At forty-two I was too old for a forty-eight-year-old man. Would I have to go on dates with sixty-year-olds? Was that it? God, it was so humiliating. I wanted to crawl into bed and never get up. I was a fool, a complete and utter fool.
I sat up, looked out of the taxi window and wiped my eyes with a tissue the taxi driver had handed me. He was completely unperturbed by my embarrassing outburst. You’d think he had weeping forty-something women in his car every night of the week. He gave me the well-worn line that it couldn’t be that bad, and I smiled gratefully and pretended he was right. But he was wrong. Things were that bad. The thought of being on my own for the next thirty or forty years was terrifying. It made me feel physically ill.
The next morning I dragged myself out of bed, dropped Jess at school and went into work. I made myself a strong cup of black coffee, picked up my diary and walked into Quentin’s office for our morning briefing. He was sitting in his throne-like chair with Stella on his knee. The poor dog was so fat from being overfed and over-pampered that she could barely walk.
The Secrets Sisters Keep: A heartwarming, funny and emotional novel (The Devlin Sisters Book 2) Page 3
