Hot Property

by Susanne O’Leary

  Diana blinked and burst out laughing. “You’re right there, darling. You look absolutely incredible.”

  Beata touched her hair. “I know. Megan did it. She tried to turn me into a marshmallow, but then she had other ideas.”

  Megan rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what I was thinking. But when Beata said Lady Gaga, I knew what to do.”

  Alex couldn’t take his eyes off Beata. “The make-up,” he murmured. “Who did those perfect smoky eyes?”

  “Megan,” Beata said.

  “Brilliant,” Diana said. “Megan, you’re a true artist.”

  Alex nodded. “Don’t know what she looked like before, but right now, she’s a vision.” He beamed at Megan. “If this is your work, I’d be very interested in getting to know you better.”

  “Take the girls inside and get them a drink,” Diana said. We’ve given up on the garden-party idea, as the met office promised rain.”

  “Drink?” Boris brightened. “You have Vodka?”

  “We have everything,” Diana said. “Alex will look after you. Be careful, though, he mixes some very strong drinks.”

  “We’ll watch him,” Megan said. “We won’t let him get us too drunk.” But when she saw Bunny walking up the avenue hand in hand with Paudie, she felt getting drunk would be a very good idea.

  ***

  Megan managed to avoid Paudie and Bunny for a whole hour, while the big drawing room filled with guests. Alex was very attentive and plied her with drinks and food from the buffet in the dining room. “The usual Irish summer party food,” he said, handing her a plate of cold salmon, potato salad and lettuce. “But, hey, what’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing,” Megan agreed, as she nibbled at a piece of French brie on a slice of baguette. “I love this kind of food. It’s so summery.”

  “Even if the weather isn’t.” Alex glanced at the rain drumming against the tall windows. “I’m glad Jack lit the fire. Are you warm enough?”

  “Yes,” Megan said. “It’s actually not that cold. And there are so many people here. It’s getting quite stuffy.”

  “True. Let’s go and eat in the study instead. We can talk there.”

  Megan got up from her uncomfortable seat on the edge of the sofa “Good idea.”

  “You might want to escape the attentions of that hot-looking man by the window,” Alex said. “He’s been watching you.”

  “Who?” Megan scanned the room and met Paudie’s gaze as he pretended to listen to a big ruddy farmer beside him. Bunny, in cropped white trousers, beige linen jacket and long silver earrings, tugged at his arm. But he was looking at Megan. Their eyes locked for a second before Megan looked away. “Oh him. Just a friend,” she said airily.

  “And the needy-looking woman beside him?”

  “His fiancée.”

  “Really? I don’t see a ring.”

  “I’m sure that’s just a question of time.”

  Alex studied her for a moment. “Just a friend, huh? There are red-hot vibes that tell a whole different story.” He took her by the arm. “But listen, my darling, let’s you and me get out of here and have a chat. Diana tells me you have the most divine place near the beach. With a gorgeous ruin and everything.”

  Megan sighed. “Yes. But I might have to give all that up if I don’t find a way to earn some real money.”

  Alex grinned. “Maybe we can come up with something…”

  Chapter 15

  Megan walked home slowly. It had stopped raining, and the full moon shone so brightly, she didn’t need any other light to guide her home. She had taken off her stilettos and walked barefoot on the rough tarmac, occasionally stepping into puddles. Her mind full of what Alex had said to her, she wondered if what he had suggested would really happen. While they were chatting, he had floated the idea of using her tower for fashion shoots. It sounded far-fetched but the more they talked, the more real the whole scheme appeared. There were certain hurdles that had to be tackled first, but if the first attempts were successful and the word got out, she would have a steady income and maybe even a business. The house would be secure, and she would be able to keep it. “Saved by fashion,” she said to herself and laughed at the thought. Beata’s makeover had set off these series of events. Alex had been all fired up, and they had discussed future plans. He was going back to New York in a few days but would call in to Megan the next day—or that very day, actually.

  Megan reached her gate. She stopped there for a moment and listened to the waves rolling in on the beach. She looked up at the moon and the wide, diamond-studded belt of the Milky Way. The horses moved softly in the field. She could hear a tail swishing, a soft neighing. She was about to open the gate and go inside, but changed her mind. She put the shoes inside the fence and padded down the sandy path to the beach. The tide was in.

  The soft breeze cooled her hot cheeks and brushed over her bare arms. Megan slipped out of her dress and underwear. Naked, except for her necklace, she waded into the waves and threw herself into the water with a little shriek. It was quite cold, but the water felt invigorating and bracing. Just what she needed after the long evening of eating, drinking and talking. And trying not to notice Paudie and Bunny feeding each other bits of dessert on the terrace and laughing softly in that annoying complicit way of lovers. At least Bunny laughed. Paudie just smiled back and let her do it.

  Megan turned and floated. Her head back, the water cooled her scalp, cleansing and sharpening her brain. Looking up at the sky, she felt like howling at the moon, screaming out loud into the cold, uncaring universe. But she came to her senses. What’s the use of shouting at the universe? Wading back to shore, she saw a strip of pink in the east. Nearly morning. Time to get some sleep and then face another day.

  With her dress wrapped loosely around her, the light of the new day guided her home. Nearly at her door, she noticed a shadow move by the gate. She strained her eyes to see what it was. A fox? Then she saw him. Denis, Paudie’s dog, slinking through the fence and trotting up the road. Denis, who never left Paudie’s side. Was he here alone? Megan looked up the road but the shadows were still so deep, she couldn’t tell if there was anyone there. She wrapped the dress tighter around her and went inside, forgetting the dog and everything else as she went upstairs, crawled under the covers and closed her eyes.

  ***

  The gate creaked. Megan woke up. She rubbed her eyes and squinted at her watch. Nine o’clock.

  Someone knocked.

  “Okay!” she yelled. “I’ll be down in a second.”

  “No panic, sweetie,” a voice called back. “I’ll walk around while you get ready.”

  Megan got out of bed and pulled on a shirt and a pair of jeans. Yawning, she went downstairs and put on coffee before she ventured into the back garden, where she found Alex by the fence talking to the big grey mare, her foal sniffing his hand.

  He turned around. “Hi. Slept well?”

  “Brilliantly. But not enough. Didn’t get to bed until around four. I went for a swim before bed and then conked out.”

  “That was brave of you.” Alex gave the mare a pat and waded through the long grass to the stream. “This is a great place. Wonderful setting.” He sat down on the bank.

  Megan joined him. “Sorry about the grass and the weeds. I haven’t had time to do any gardening at all. It’s become quite a wilderness.”

  “That doesn’t matter. In fact it’s great. An Irish wilderness. A ruin. That beach. It’s unique, you know.”

  “Is it?” Hope rose in Megan’s chest. “Can you use it?”

  “Definitively.” His eyes focused on her. “And you.”

  Megan laughed. “Stop it. I’m no model.”

  “No, but you could be a great contrast. The down-to-earth normal woman and the emaciated, exotic creatures that invaded her space. Or something like that.”

  “Hmm, well, I’m normal enough, I suppose. With hips like these, ha.”

  “I think you’re very attractive.”

  “Th
ank you. That’s very kind.”

  Alex shook his head. “Can’t believe you don’t have men buzzing around you.”

  “Oh, I do. Or one man anyway. Who seems to be very absent these days. I have that effect on men.”

  Alex laughed. “I don’t believe that for a second.” He hauled his phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to call New York and tell them about my plans.”

  Megan got up. “And I’ll make breakfast. The coffee’s made.”

  “Great. I’ll just have a look at the tower, and then I’ll join you.”

  During breakfast on the back step, Megan wondered why she felt so secure with Alex. He didn’t make a pass at her and his compliments were sincere, but more like observations than flattery. When he smiled and touched her, it felt more like the touch of a—then it hit her. She beamed at him.

  He looked back. “Why suddenly so happy?”

  “Because I’ve just realised you’re gay.”

  He smiled shyly. “Yes, you’re right. But why is this such a delightful discovery to you?”

  “Because I like you, and now we can be friends without all that other stuff.”

  He nodded. “Very true. I have no designs on your body or you on mine. So… back to business now that we’ve cleared up our sexual preferences. I spoke to my partner in New York. He wants to come over here and have a look. Then, if he likes the venue, I think we’ll have some kind of deal.”

  “If,” Megan said. “That’s not a word I like.”

  “Oh, he’ll say yes. I like it and so will he.”

  “Deal,” Megan said, “what kind of deal are we talking?”

  “It’s a little complicated, but this is what I have in mind….” Alex pulled a piece of paper out of his breast pocket and handed it to Megan. “It involves you as well.”

  Megan looked at the figures. Then she looked at Alex. “Is this for real?”

  He nodded. “It’s not a joke, hon.”

  “But it must be a dream,” she said.

  ***

  “Great news, sweetie,” Megan told Dan on the phone that evening.

  “What’s that?” Dan enquired.

  “I think I’ve found a solution to my financial problem. I’ll be able to pay that debt if this works out.”

  “If what works out? Don’t talk in riddles. Tell me what’s going on, okay?”

  “Sorry.” Megan frowned. Dan sounded irritated. Maybe it was the problems with his father that made him so tetchy? “Too long to explain on the phone but the gist of it is that I met someone last night who made me a business proposition. I might be able to let the tower and the house, too, for photo shoots. Could bring in a lot of money.”

  “Sounds a little far-fetched to me.”

  “It’ll work. I know it will.”

  “When pigs fly, right?”

  “No, it’s not—”

  But Dan had hung up.

  ***

  “It’s absolutely amazing,” Megan said to Beata, when they were making beds the next morning. “It’s not all ironed out yet, but if this works, I’ll have some kind of business. I can rent out my place for fashion shoots and hire myself out as stylist and maybe even make-up artist. Alex says he’ll recommend me in the fashion world in the US and help me set up a website. Then I can do this on a permanent basis. Hiring out the tower and the house would bring in a lot. I might even do it for wedding photos too, he says.”

  Beata ripped a sheet off a bed. “Which means you’ll no longer work here, I suppose.”

  “Yes. It might. I won’t need to. And I’ll be busy organising bookings and promotions. I might even do a make-up course so I can do all the styling for the shoots.” A sheet clutched to her chest, Megan slumped on the bed. “I can’t believe this is happening. I’ll be able to pay that old debt and keep my house.” She looked up at Beata. “This is all thanks to you, of course.”

  “Me? Why?”

  “Because you asked me to ‘do’ you. And then I did that amazing makeover and you came to the party, and Alex saw you and thought it was so great.” Megan drew breath. “What an amazing chain of events.”

  Beata folded her sheet, looking at Megan. “So, I was your advertisement?” She craned her neck to look at herself in the mirror and patted the gleaming mahogany bob. “I can’t stop looking at myself.”

  “The hair’s still great. And I’m glad you’ve changed your colour scheme to go with it.”

  Beata sighed. “Yes. That’s all good. I wish everything else was.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Boris.”

  “ Oh God, what’s he up to now?”

  “He’s disappeared.”

  “What? Disappeared? What do you mean?”

  Beata snapped her fingers. “Poof. Just like that. Gone. The day after the party. I noticed his clothes were gone and his bag and all his other stuff. Even the old leather-bound volumes of the works of Maxim Gorky he used to sob into when he was feeling homesick.”

  “Did he leave a note?”

  Beata shrugged. “No. I suppose he had enough of me and my bad temper.” She looked at Megan with despair. “I hope he’s okay, though.”

  “I’m sure he is. He’ll probably be in touch soon.”

  “I hope so,” Beata sighed. “But I’m not holding my breath.”

  ***

  But he didn’t get in touch. There was no sign of him anywhere.

  With Boris gone and the B and B going through an end-of-season boom, Megan and Beata worked flat out the following week. They tried to report Boris as a missing person, but the police refused to have anything to do with it. As Boris was an adult with no health or psychiatric problems, suddenly leaving was not considered a reason to list him as missing. Beata was worried sick, but there was nothing much to do except hope he would come back or at least send Beata a message.

  Alex kept in touch from New York by e-mail and Facebook messages. Things were looking good. His partner loved the idea and the photos Alex had taken. Megan discussed the whole thing with Diana one evening, when she came to check on the mares.

  Diana beamed at Megan over a cup of tea in the kitchen. “This is a brilliant idea. Now you can pay the debt and tell that developer to get lost.”

  “I already did. Not the debt but the developer. I told him yesterday. He said it was a very bad idea, and that my scheme wouldn’t work in the long run. But I have to say a big thanks to you for introducing me to your brother.”

  “I knew you’d get on. Delighted he was able to help.” Diana patted Megan on the arm. “Better times ahead, I feel.”

  “I hope so. I don’t think I could take more problems. Maybe my luck is changing…”

  ***

  It started to rain around nine o’clock. Megan sat by the fireplace with her laptop, writing a message to Alex and chatting to her friends in Dublin on Facebook. The darker evenings and cooler, wetter weather had made her miss her friends. Chatting with them online was not the same as seeing them in person, but it was better than nothing. Dan popped into her Facebook page from time to time too. As the darkness pressed against the windows, and the rain smattered outside, the little screen was alive with messages and jokes.

  She had lit a small fire with sods of turf, and the smell mingled with the hot chocolate in her mug. There was no wind, and the rain drummed straight down on the roof, the sound making the room feel like a cosy little island in the midst of a wet, cold world outside. Soon autumn, Megan thought. Hopefully we’ll get some nice crisp weather for our fashion shoots. Alex was already setting up the first one for two weeks later.

  Suddenly sleepy, Megan decided to go to bed. She banked the fire, put up the fireguard, switched off the lights and went upstairs. After brushing her teeth, she slipped on her cotton nightgown and crawled under the duvet. Settling her head on her pillow, she thought sleepily of the chores ahead. Talking to the bank manager again to arrange a loan to pay the debt on the house. Now that she would have steady income, they might agree. Or, if they didn’t, she could
use up all her savings for the moment and then earn it back within six months or so, which would mean having to stay working with Beata for a while, as well as developing the website and promoting her new venture. Hard work, but worth it in the end, she thought, drifting off to sleep.

  What seemed only moments later, something woke her. What was that? A noise? She sat up and listened, her heart hammering. There it was again. A kind of groaning coming from the stairs… She reached out to switch on the light, but nothing happened. The power was off. It was freezing in the room, and the curtains swayed and billowed in the wind from the open window. A window she didn’t remember opening. The sound increased in strength. Then the door handle turned, and the door creaked open.

  Unable to move or utter a sound, Megan stared at the door. A dark shape appeared, a shadowy figure moved and swayed in front of her. Bathed in cold sweat, her heart beating, spiders of ice running up her spine and her breathing laboured, Megan’s head swam. Finally, she was able to wring a sound from her tight throat, a kind of muffled, laboured scream. The figure stopped moving for an instant, then disappeared. All was quiet again. Megan sat up in bed, staring into the darkness. What was it? Who was there? She tried the switch again but the light didn’t come on. There must be a power cut, she thought. She knew there was a torch somewhere but she was afraid to get out of bed in case it, or whoever was there, would appear again. But the dark shape seemed to have vanished into thin air. Megan jumped as the bedside light came on. The power was back. She got out of bed and grabbed her phone.

  ***

  “A ghost?” Megan said to Paudie. “I don’t know.”

  He handed her a steaming mug. “Here. Hot milk with a little whiskey.”

  She took it and drew her legs up under her on the sofa. “Thanks for coming. Sorry if I woke you up.”

  He sat down beside her. “I wasn’t asleep.”

  “At two in the morning?”

  “I’m not sleeping so well lately.” He looked at her. “Are you sure it wasn’t a dream?”

  Megan sipped the hot milk. It had an added heat that warmed her stomach and calmed her frayed nerves. “Of course I’m sure. I know I didn’t open the window before I went to sleep. It was raining, so I didn’t want to leave it open.”