The Traveller's Daughter

by Michelle Vernal

  “This is me.” He said stopping outside number twenty-two. There were three other doors on the floor Kitty saw glancing around as she waited for him to fish his keys out and unlock the door. A moment later he pushed the door open and flicked the light on, Kitty followed him inside his apartment.

  It was one bed she noted as she trailed behind him passing by a bedroom on the left and a bathroom on the right before coming out into a kitchen and living room area. Spacious it was not, but then he only had himself to think about.

  “Make yourself at home.” Jonny indicated the couch and Kitty saw that with its sagging middle it had seen better days. She went and perched on the edge of it with her case at her feet feeling anything but at home.

  He disappeared back down the hall to put his pack away Kitty guessed, using the opportunity to glance around the room. It would have been a reasonable size if it didn’t have such a ridiculously large flat screen TV taking up over half of the wall facing her. From where she was sitting she could see out the windows to a vista of twinkling lights spread over the suburb of Swords. Cities always looked far more magical at night than they did in the harsh light of day; she thought, her eyes taking in the fact the walls were bare. It was certainly a utilitarian room in its furnishings, but there was something bothering her about it, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

  “Drink?” Jonny said startling her as he came back in the room.

  “Yes please.”

  He opened the fridge. “I’ve only got a beer or whisky other than that it’s tea or coffee?”

  “I’ll have a tea, please.”

  He pulled himself a can out of the fridge before filling the kettle. Kitty got up to give him a hand. As he opened an overhead cupboard to get a mug, she saw that there were only two others in there alongside two plates upon which was stacked a couple of bowls. That was when it dawned on her as to what was niggling at her about his apartment. It felt temporary like a motel room, there were no photos or trinkets about the place, nothing to indicate the kind of life he led or person he was at all.

  Perhaps he’d not long moved in Kitty thought pouring the boiling water on the teabag he’d found for her as he pulled the tab on his can. “How long have you lived here then?’

  “A year or so, I rented it furnished and it’s not a bad spot close to everything. It came with a parking space too, that’s a bonus.”

  That put paid to her just moved in theory then. “Oh right, it’s nice.”

  He raised an eyebrow at that. “It’s a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in is what it is.” Opening the fridge he got a carton of milk out and sniffing at it declared it off. “Sorry hope you don’t mind your tea black.”

  “Its fine thanks.” She hated black tea but carrying it through to the living room she sat back down. Jonny sat down the opposite end of the couch, and she was grateful it was a three-seater because this situation felt strange enough as it was without being squashed up next to him again. If she had to suffer through any more inadvertent leg brushing, she’d probably do something daft like spill her tea all over herself.

  He picked up the remote and turned the tele on. “I hate that shite,” he muttered referring to the programme filling the screen. “Why anyone would want to put themselves forward for any of those reality shows is beyond me.”

  It looked like a survivalist show given the lack of clothing on its stars and the jungle backdrop. “I know they’re pretty awful,” Kitty agreed as he flicked through a couple of channels pausing on a rugby game before turning to her.

  “Anything you want to watch?”

  “No thanks, you go ahead watch what you want. I wouldn’t mind making a phone call though.”

  “You can use my room if you want some privacy. It’s not hard to find.”

  She smiled. “Thanks. I’ll yell out if I get lost.”

  He didn’t smile at her little joke.

  Stepping inside his room and pulling the door shut behind her she exhaled slowly glad of the opportunity to be on her own for a few minutes to try and make sense of the way she was feeling. What she was half hoping would happen, couldn’t happen. It would ruin everything she told herself. She didn’t want to admit to herself that Jonny hadn’t given her any indication that he was feeling those same jolts of attraction she was every time she looked at him.

  His room was small she saw glancing round it. His double bed was neatly made and it took up the bulk of space in the room. There was a built in wardrobe, and a small chest of drawers pushed into the corner, but it was what was sitting atop those drawers that grabbed her attention. It was a framed photograph and from where she was standing she could see it was a picture of Jonny and an older woman, his mother she guessed. Feeling ever so slightly stalkerish she picked it up noticing a piece of crumpled paper next to it as she did. ‘Pick Tess up at five’ was scrawled on it. She frowned, he had a girlfriend. For some reason, she had just assumed he was single, and her heart sank at the realisation that the attraction she had been feeling toward him was obviously one sided.

  Peering at the photograph she could see it had been taken a good few years ago. Jonny only looked to be about fifteen or so in it she thought, but he was already showing signs of the handsome man he would become. His mother’s face was pinched as befitting the life she had probably led married to an alcoholic. Her lips were pressed together tightly in a line that alluded to dissatisfaction, and there was not much softness about her. Behind them was a caravan that had seen better days and tracing her finger over the photo she tried to imagine what it would be like to live in such close quarters with another person, with Jonny.

  Hearing a noise she put the photograph back down guiltily then realising Jonny must have gone to the bathroom decided it was time to stop her sneaky inventory and do what she’d come into the room to do. Sitting down on the bed she ran her hands over his duvet and imagined herself stretched out alongside Jonny in it. Oh for goodness sake get a grip girl you are in danger of turning into a bunny boiler! She told herself sternly hitting the call button and listening to it ring a split second later she waited for Yasmin to pick up.

  Chapter 26

  Three diseases without shame: love, itch and thirst – Irish Proverb

  Kitty lay on her back in Jonny’s bed staring at the ceiling. In one breath she willed morning to hurry up and get a move on, and in the other she wished the night would never end. Every time she thought about the day ahead her insides began doing an Irish jig.

  Jonny had gallantly insisted she take his bed, and he was currently snoring on the couch in the lounge. It was pitch black outside, and there was no sound except for the snoring that she could hear even with the bedroom door shut. It had taken her an age to get off to sleep, but she had finally drifted off only to be woken by some mid-week revellers making a ruckus as they crossed the courtyard area below her window. She’d woken with a start not knowing where she was as she lay there in the darkness with her heart pounding. By the time she remembered she was in Jonny’s apartment in Dublin she was wide awake, and she’d begun mulling back over her conversation with Yasmin earlier in the evening.

  Yas had been buzzing with anticipation for her date with Mr Amatriciana who, she’d informed Kitty, was called Carlos. “Yasmin and Carlos, it has a great ring to it don’t you think? I wonder if he’s of Spanish descent with a name like that.”

  “It sounds very exotic yes.” Kitty had replied with a smile before filling her friend in on where she was and what she was planning on doing tomorrow.

  “Kitty,” Yasmin’s tone had taken on a warning note. “I know you’re worried about how your aunt’s going to react to you showing up out the blue tomorrow but don’t go doing anything tonight that you might regret in the morning.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean trying to find an outlet for all that tension with the gypsy boy.”

  “Yas!”

  “Well, I am just saying and it wouldn’t work even if you did throw a leg over because
afterwards you’d still be uptight about going to Wicklow. I mean all that sex hasn’t done a thing to mellow Paula she is still piggy, you want to see the state she left the kitchen in this morning.”

  Kitty had to laugh. “Okay you’ve just managed to put me right off any amorous activity for at least a year.”

  “That was my cunning plan.”

  “Chance would be a fine thing, he’s not interested in me he has a girlfriend called Tess.” She couldn’t help the sarcastic tone in her voice. “All he sees when he looks at me is the daughter of the woman whose family his has been feuding with for decades.” She’d whispered down the phone adding, “Actually state of my fringe at the moment all I see when I look in the mirror is my mum too.” Then not wanting to dampen Yasmin’s excitement she’d told her she would ring tomorrow to wish her luck on her date and to tell her how she got on in Wicklow.

  “It will be okay Kitty, whatever happens tomorrow it will be okay,” Yasmin told her before hanging up.

  When she’d come back into the lounge she’d found Jonny stretched out on the couch, his sock clad feet were dangling over the arm at the end, and his eyes were half shut.

  “You can have my room tonight, I’ll take the couch.”

  “No that’s not fair, look at your feet hanging over the edge you won’t get a wink on there.”

  “I’m quite comfy here.” He’d said making no effort to move and so taking the hint Kitty had thanked him and gone off to bed. His bed without him in it she’d thought, climbing under the duvet, and inhaling his musky scent. She wondered if Tess would be sleeping in it with him tomorrow night.

  This time when Kitty opened her eyes the room was lighter, she must have eventually drifted off again she realised, blinking. Her eyes felt gritty, and she rubbed at them. Across the hall she could hear the shower running, and reaching over to grab her phone she saw that it was just after seven. She let herself lie there for a few minutes longer wishing she didn’t feel so wound up.

  Normally when she felt worried or stressed like this she would get up wander into her kitchen, and begin making a batch of something yummy. It was her version of having a drink or a cigarette and was the perfect antidote to taking her mind off whatever it was that was bothering her. By the time she pulled her sweet treats from the oven she’d be feeling positively Zen-like, and it required a lot less energy than a yoga session. Just thinking about the process of mixing and measuring wouldn’t work this morning, she was way to wound up to concentrate on visualising anything else other than how today would pan out.

  Nope, coffee would have to suffice this morning she thought, yawning as she sat up and stretched. Not willing to parade around in front of Jonny in her PJ’s she threw on her jeans and T-shirt before padding through to the kitchen. She’d just flicked the switch on the kettle when she remembered there was no milk. Bugger it she thought, standing there for a moment, she needed a coffee this morning of all mornings. There must be a convenience store nearby she frowned, Jonny was still in the shower she’d have to go out and grab a carton.

  ***

  There was something to be said for the anonymity of being in a strange city Kitty thought a few minutes later as she tottered down the road, it was busy with workers driving their morning commute. She hadn’t brushed her teeth or her hair, and she’d taken to the streets of Swords in high heels, jeans, and a three day old T-shirt. No one knew her so what did it matter? She was nearly at the intersection when a car stopped at the lights, revved its engine in that universal way of boy racers and sounded its horn. She stumbled and just about went over on her ankle with fright. As she steadied herself, a young lad with his hoody pulled up over his head leaned out his window and yelled, “Hard night eh love?”

  Regaining her dignity she gave him the finger and stalking round the corner spied a Tesco. It was the most excited she’d ever been to see a supermarket. She picked up her pace eager to complete her mission and return to the safety of the apartment. A cup of coffee followed by a hot shower was the order of the day. The store was blessedly quiet apart from the piped music being played a tad too loudly given the time of the morning, and she headed in the direction of the refrigerators spotting the baking aisle on her way.

  That was when she had her brilliant idea and retracing her steps she picked up a basket. She was fairly certain having glimpsed Jonny’s sparse household utensils yesterday that he would not possess a single baking implement. So she filled her basket with everything she would need to whip up a batch of her cupcakes. The nerves she realised, watching the items she’d just bought get packed were already abating at the thought of dolloping spoonful’s of the batter into her newly purchased tin. Thanking the young girl on the checkout she picked up her bags and headed back to the apartment with a swing in her step.

  Letting herself in she found Jonny munching a piece of toast sitting on the couch with a plate on his lap, the television was tuned to a morning programme. He looked bright for someone who had slept where he was now dining she thought her eyes flicking to the blanket folded up neatly at the other end of the couch. He looked up as Kitty walked in the room to place her bags down on the kitchen floor and aiming the remote at the TV he muted it. “I thought you’d gotten cold feet and headed off home, not gone and done the fecking groceries.” He said checking out the bags.

  “I did get cold feet well kind of because I woke up feeling pretty stressed about how today is going to go.” Kitty flicked the switch on the kettle and gave her mug from the night before that was still sitting in the sink a quick rinse before spooning coffee into it. “I remembered there was no milk so I decided to pop out and buy a carton because I can’t drink my coffee black and this morning I am in need of caffeine. Do you want one?” She gestured to the jar of coffee and Jonny shook his head.

  “No ta.”

  “Anyway I found the Tesco and when I saw the baking aisle I had this brilliant idea.” She began pulling items from the bags and setting them out on the bench. “If it is okay with you I am going to make some cupcakes to take with us to Wicklow.”

  Jonny looked at her like she was slightly mad.

  She shrugged. “Baking is my drug of choice. It soothes me, calms my nerves and believe me I am very nervous about going to meet my aunt this morning. First things first though, I could do with a shower.”

  He looked her up and down, and she could tell he was trying to hide his amusement. “Do you always go out and about looking like you just got out of bed?”

  She didn’t think a rude gesture was an appropriate reply given that he was her host and besides doing the fingers two times in one morning would mean it was becoming a habit. Instead, she kept her hand signals to herself, and headed down the hall hearing him call out after her. “There’s a clean towel on the vanity.”

  ***

  Feeling a lot better after sluicing off the previous day’s travel under the hot water she’d cast a rueful eye at the pile of clothes she was going to have to get dressed in yet again. Never again would she pack lightly she vowed, drying off. The next time she travelled anywhere she would be prepared for any eventuality, and pack at least three of everything. She sorted her hair out so that her Aunt Kitty didn’t think it was a mad woman escaped from somewhere who had come to see her. By the time she finished putting on her makeup she felt ready if not to face the day, then at least to bake cupcakes.

  Donning the cheap pinny she’d bought because she was not willing to risk any more stains on her top she missed the amused glance Jonny shot her from the couch. He’d spotted the apron’s ‘I’m a Bacon Girl’ logo.

  “Are you now?” He asked eyebrow raised.

  “What?” She followed his gaze. “Oh right, it was this or ‘Bacon gives me a Lard On.’ There was a bacon promotion going on.”

  “Right. Good choice then.”

  Fastening it at the back, she looked toward the oven, first things first check if its empty then pop it on to preheat she told herself. Closing the door a moment later she wondered if Jonny ha
d ever even used it, the inside was spotless. To her surprise, he switched the television off, and came over to stand beside her.

  “So where do you start then?” He said waiting for instructions. Kitty felt a tiny thrill course through her at his proximity. Chewing her bottom lip she told herself to focus. “Well um, it’s a pretty basic vanilla recipe, so the first thing to do is wash your hands.” Oh dear, she sounded like a mother instructing her pre-schooler. “If you haven’t already this morning that is.”

  He smirked and held his hands up. “They’re clean I promise.”

  “Okay right, well measure two and a quarter cups of flour into the bowl then and while you are doing that I am going to melt the butter.” She handed Jonny the measuring cup she’d bought. He set about doing what she’d asked while she sliced off a wedge of butter, and putting it in his one and only pot, waited for it to melt. She felt Jonny’s eyes on her waiting expectantly for further instructions. “Okay so now you’re going to add a cup of sugar and mix it in with the wooden spoon.” She couldn’t help but smile at the look of concentration on his face as he carefully poured the sugar into the cup before tipping it into the bowl. Once he’d mixed the two ingredients she told him to make a well in the middle of them. She moved to show him what she meant and felt a tingling shock run through her as their fingers brushed each other in the floury mix.

  Kitty was filled with the strongest feeling that were she look to look up at him right at that moment then he would kiss her. Knowing he belonged to another woman she forced herself to keep her eyes on the mix in the bowl and began to demonstrate how to scoop it to the sides. “Okay, so you need to crack two eggs into the middle now.” She hoped he couldn’t hear the huskiness that had crept into her voice as she added a few drops of vanilla essence. Picking up the wooden spoon she showed him how to combine gently all the ingredients. Handing the spoon over to him she poured in the hot liquid butter and milk getting him to continue mixing until she was satisfied they had a smooth cake batter.