Changing Places
Page 5
Chapter 5
Despite her own worries, Jill did remember to phone Rachel as she’d promised Anna. ‘How are you?’ she asked.
‘I’m fine,’ Rachel said, sounding anything but.
‘Let’s go for a pint,’ Jill suggested.
‘Can’t. Gary’s out.’
‘Then I’ll come over.’
‘Oh – okay then.’
Ignoring the lack of enthusiasm in her cousin’s voice, Jill hung up and hotfooted it over to Malahide, stopping at an off-licence on the way. After some hesitation, she bought two bottles of wine.
When Rachel opened the door, she raised her eyebrows at the two bottles. ‘It is only Monday, Jill.’
‘One is non-alcoholic,’ Jill told her, as Rachel led the way into the living room.
‘Ah.’
‘Now, where’s the corkscrew?’
‘Anna shouldn’t have told you,’ Rachel said when they were seated with glasses in their hands.
‘She didn’t have to,’ Jill said gently. ‘I’d already guessed. But why the secrecy?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. I just haven’t found the right moment to tell Gary.’
‘Don’t you think he’ll be happy about it?’
‘Yes, of course. Don’t worry, I’ll tell him. Now, how are things with you?’
Jill allowed her cousin to dismiss the subject. She knew from experience that Rachel wouldn’t talk until she was ready. ‘I’ve had a pig of a day. I really screwed up.’ She prattled on about Cauldwell’s and Vinny and watched her cousin relax before her eyes. It never ceased to amaze her that Rachel seemed to accept her career without question but resented Anna’s, visibly bristling when her sister even mentioned her job. But then Rachel had always been a bit in awe of her older sister. Jill sometimes thought that the only reason Rachel had got married and had Alex was because she wanted to beat her sister to it. She seemed to need to be first at something. Of course, Anna was completely oblivious to this.
Rachel had abandoned the non-alcoholic wine and gone to make some camomile tea. ‘It calms me down and keeps me from strangling Gary and Alex,’ she joked when she returned.
‘Is Gary still working long hours?’ Jill asked, topping up her own glass.
‘Yeah, never stops, God love him.’
‘You don’t sound very happy about it.’
‘Oh, I just get a bit fed up being on my own all the time.’
‘You need to get out more. Stop depending on Gary for your social life. Do something different.’
‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know – yoga, dance classes, bridge.’
Rachel stared at her. ‘I’m twenty-fucking-eight, Jill. I should be out clubbing, for God’s sake, not playing bridge!’
‘Then do it,’ Jill shot back.
‘Yeah, right.’
‘I’m serious. Come out some night with Anna and me. We could make a night of it. It’s been ages.’
Rachel looked dubious at the mention of her sister.
‘Oh, come on,’ Jill urged. ‘It would be fun.’
‘Anna will probably be too busy to go out with us.’
‘Of course she won’t, I’ll ask her. How about Wednesday?’
Rachel looked taken aback. ‘What – this Wednesday?’
‘Why not? If Gary’s working you can always get a babysitter.’
Rachel looked vaguely surprised at the idea. ‘I suppose. Linda next door is always offering to look after Alex and he worships her.’
‘There you are then.’ Rachel glanced at her watch and stood up. ‘I’ll call Anna in the morning.’
‘Are you going already?’ Rachel looked disappointed.
‘I need to be in at the crack of dawn tomorrow,’ Jill said, kissing her cousin’s cheek. ‘I have some knives to sharpen. But I’ll call you about the arrangements. And Rachel?’
‘Yes?’
‘Phone me when you’re ready to talk.’
‘Talk?’
‘About the baby, about Gary.’ Jill shrugged and smiled. ‘Hell, about the price of petrol if you like.’
Rachel hugged her fiercely. ‘Thanks, Jill.’
Anna was waiting outside a small, drab terraced house in Kinsealy at ten o’clock the next morning when her mobile rang. Jill was between meetings and hurriedly filled Anna in on the proposed night out. Anna agreed readily although her enthusiasm dwindled when she heard her sister was going.
‘It will be fun,’ Jill said firmly and rang off.
Anna had her doubts, but she didn’t have time to think about it right now as the young couple who had come to view number seventeen were getting out of their car.
‘Hello, there,’ she smiled and switched into business mode. ‘Susan?’
The girl nodded. ‘And this is Damien, my boyfriend.’
‘Nice to meet you.’ Anna held out her hand and after a moment’s hesitation the man took it.
Anna withdrew from the limp handshake and turned to open the door. ‘Shall we go in?’ She led the couple around the small house, pointing out the marble fireplace (a very strange orange colour), the Aga (way too big and imposing for the small, plastic kitchen) and the wonderful storage (dark brown hulking great wardrobes that dwarfed the bedrooms and shut out the natural light.) ‘Very well maintained,’ she said as they stood in the tiny back garden. Well, that wasn’t a lie. There was sod-all in the garden to maintain!
‘It’s a bit poky,’ the man complained.
‘Oh, but it’s so cosy!’ His girlfriend snuggled in against his arm. ‘I’m sure I could make it into a wonderful little home for us.’
‘It’s overpriced,’ he muttered, moving away from her, ‘and what about that field at the back? They could build a bloody factory there for all we know.’
‘It’s actually zoned as a green area,’ Anna told him with a pleasant smile.
‘Huh, that’s what they say now,’ he snorted.
Anna kept the smile fixed firmly on her face. ‘Shall we move on to the next house?’
‘Yes, please.’ Susan beamed at her. ‘It’s in Ashgrove Lane, isn’t it? That’s such a lovely road.’
Her partner frowned. ‘I don’t think we can afford a house in that area.’
‘It’s only five thousand more than this house,’ Anna told them as she locked up and led the way out to her car. ‘The owners want a quick sale.’
‘Why, what’s wrong with it?’ he replied.
Anna suppressed a sigh. ‘Not a thing, I assure you. They’re emigrating and they need to sell up before they can afford to buy a place.’
Poor Susan, Anna thought as she drove the couple down to the next property. There was no way this guy was buying this or any other house. He would come up with every excuse in the book, and after stringing Susan along for a while he’d dump her and move on to the next unfortunate. Anna had seen it all before. Dublin seemed to be full of women just dying to settle down with their partners even though they were patently Mr Wrongs. The men, however, were content to stay with their mammies. ‘Do you have your own house to sell, Damien?’
‘Oh no, Damien lives with his parents,’ Susan told her and received a glare from her partner. Anna suppressed a grin as she pulled up outside 42, Ashgrove Lane.
This was going to be a complete waste of time but then that’s what the property world was all about. She’d have these two back on the street in fifteen minutes and then she could concentrate on the three valuations that had to be done before lunch.
‘I’ll let you wander around on your own,’ she said, ushering them into the hallway. ‘Just shout if you need me.’ She didn’t normally let clients do this but the house was already empty and she could check back with the office while Damien came up with excuses of why this house wouldn’t suit.
She dialled the number and Val answered in a sing-song voice, ‘Donnelly’s Real Estate, Val speaking, can I help you?’
‘It’s me.’
‘Oh hi, Anna. Any luck offloading that place in Kinsealy?’
‘Poor girl,’ Val said, immediately understanding the situation. Like Anna, she’d seen it all before. Sometimes she felt more like a social worker or counsellor than an estate agent. She was glad she didn’t have to show desperate girls and reluctant boyfriends around properties any more. Running the office suited her much better and Anna was more than capable of doing the job on her own now. ‘Well, I wouldn’t waste too much time on them. I have a couple more properties for you to value this afternoon.’
Anna frowned. ‘That may be a problem. I have three to do this morning, and then I think Mark was trying to arrange a lunch meeting with Charlie Coleman.’
‘Was he? Hang on, let me check.’
Anna hummed along to ‘Greensleeves’ while she waited.
‘Anna? Yes, Mark says to meet him in Cruzzo’s at twelve-thirty.’
‘Right, then you’d better phone those clients and put them off until tomorrow. I’ve a feeling this might be a long lunch.’
‘If Charlie Coleman has his way, you won’t get out of there before three.’
‘You know him? What’s he like?’ Anna was curious about this client that Mark was so keen to impress.
‘Nice lad, something really big in computers – don’t ask me what. Seems to be loaded.’
‘How old?’ Val used the term ‘lad’ for men anywhere between fifteen and fifty.
‘Not much older than you, probably, although he’s a bit thin on top so that makes him look older.’
‘How come you know him?’
‘Oh, his parents live in Malahide and his grandparents before them – lovely family.’
‘Is he married?’
‘I don’t think so. There was some scandal a few years back about him getting a teenager into trouble, but as far as I know he’s still single.’
‘Interesting,’ Anna murmured as she heard Susan and Damien coming back. ‘Look, I’ve got to go, Val. Talk to you later.’ She turned around as the couple joined her. ‘Everything okay?’
Susan looked as if she might burst into tears. ‘It’s really lovely but probably not for us.’
‘Oh?’
‘A bit big for our needs,’ Damien grunted.
‘Just a few square feet bigger than the last house,’ Anna said, holding his gaze.
‘And I’m not keen on the redbrick front.’
‘How unusual, most people love redbrick. Still, to each his own. Sorry you don’t like it.’ She looked at Susan.
‘Oh, I do! Still, it’s important that we buy something we’re both happy with.’ She slipped her arm through Damien’s and gave Anna a brave smile.
‘I’ll drop you back to your car then, but please contact me if there’s anything else I can do for you.’
‘Oh, we will. We’re going to keep looking, aren’t we, Damien? The perfect little place is out there for us somewhere.’
Damien muttered something unintelligible as they piled back into Anna’s car.
The rest of Anna’s morning passed in a flurry of measuring and negotiating. The number of clients who thought their houses were worth more than they actually were was incredible, and it wasn’t always easy to persuade them to be a little more realistic. Mr Delaney and his dingy house in Marlboro Road was a perfect example. Mind you, if he gave his house a bloody good clean he might actually get four-twenty for it but Mark positively forbade her from telling him so.
Anna pulled into the restaurant’s car park, and took out her make-up bag. She turned around the rearview mirror, reapplied her mascara and lipstick and ran a comb through her hair. Slipping out of her driving shoes and into her heels, she stepped out of the car, put her bag on her shoulder and went inside. She was glad she’d worn her cream linen suit. While it was very businesslike, the tight skirt stopped just above her knee, showing off her slim, tanned legs. The waiter obviously appreciated the view.
‘Good afternoon, miss, can I help you?’
‘Hi. I’m at Mark Donnelly’s table.’
‘You’re the first to arrive. Would you like to take a seat here or would you prefer to go up to the table?’
‘Here’s fine.’ She sat down on a comfortable leather sofa and tossed her bag on the table. ‘Could I have a sparkling water, please?’
‘Of course, and I’ll bring you a menu.’
The waiter had just returned with her drink when a man of medium height, with a receding hairline and a deep tan walked in. ‘I’m meeting Mark Donnelly,’ he announced loudly.
Anna stood up as the waiter led him over. ‘Mr Coleman? I’m Anna Gallagher, I work with Mark.’
Charlie grinned, showing off a row of even white teeth, and gripped her hand in his. ‘Lovely to meet you, Anna. Please call me Charlie.’
‘Can I get you a drink?’ she asked as he took the seat next to her.
‘A pint of Heineken, please,’ Charlie asked the waiter and then turned back to Anna. ‘So you work for Mark? You must be new.’
She shook her head. ‘No, I’ve been with Donnelly’s a couple of years now.’
‘Strange we haven’t met before. Mark and I go way back. I played rugby with his little brother.’
‘Then you might know my husband, Liam Harrison?’
Charlie frowned and shook his head. ‘Name doesn’t ring a bell. How old is he?’
‘Thirty-three.’
‘Ah, way after my time then,’ Charlie chuckled. ‘I must have been on my third job by the time he left school.’
Anna smiled and handed him a menu. ‘I don’t know where Mark’s got to but we might as well have a look at the menu.’
‘Sounds good,’ Charlie agreed. ‘I forgot to have breakfast.’
‘Forgot?’
He shrugged. ‘I work best in the early morning, and when my cleaning lady comes in she usually brings me some tea and toast. If she’s not in, I don’t bother.’ He patted his waist. ‘Probably not a bad thing.’
‘So Mark tells me you’re looking for a property with a view.’
‘Oh, time for business, is it?’
His brown eyes twinkled at her and she felt herself blushing. ‘If you’d prefer to wait for Mark . . .’
He shook his head and laughed. ‘I’m just pulling your leg, Anna. Yes, a view of the sea would be nice.’
‘And you want to stay close to Malahide?’
‘Yes, well, this is where my folks are and now that they’re getting on a bit, I’d like to have a place nearby. Also, I need some land for my daughter’s pony.’
Anna made a quick note of that in her diary. ‘We have a couple of properties on our books that might suit you. I could show you them today if you like, or would you prefer to arrange another time when your wife is free?’
Charlie burst out laughing. ‘Now you’re fishing, Anna.’
She flushed again. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—’
‘I’m just teasing. Look, I’m not married. Sophie was the result of a drunken day out at a David Bowie concert in Slane Castle.’
‘Oh.’
‘Best mistake I ever made,’ he said. ‘Thankfully, our parents didn’t try to push us into marriage so we agreed to raise Sophie as a member of both families. Jeri, that’s Sophie’s mother, is married now and has two other kids. They’re moving to Galway next month – her husband has got some big job down there – but Sophie doesn’t want to move to a new school so she’s going to stay in Dublin with me.’
‘That must be very hard on her mother.’
‘Yeah, but Jeri’s got her hands full with the other two, and once Sophie does her Leaving Certificate next year, she can decide whether she’s going to go to college in Dublin or Galway.’
Anna frowned. ‘So wouldn’t it be better to rent somewhere until she decides?’
Charlie raised an eyebrow. ‘If your boss could hear you trying to talk me out of a sale . . .’
‘Don’t worry
,’ Anna joked, ‘if we don’t sell you a property, we’ll rent you one.’
‘No, I’m not interested in renting,’ he told her. ‘I’ve been meaning to invest in some property for a while. God knows, my money isn’t making anything in the banks.’
‘Well, as I said, we have a couple of properties I think might interest you. One needs a bit of work, but it could be amazing.’
He shrugged. ‘Work doesn’t bother me. As long as the location is right and there’s somewhere to keep the pony. Sophie’s nuts about that bloody animal.’
Anna’s mobile phone trilled and she excused herself as she answered it. ‘Mark, hi.’ She listened intently for a moment. ‘Okay, that’s fine. Yes, he’s here, would you like a word?’ She handed the phone over to Charlie.
‘Mark? What’s up? Oh, don’t worry about it, Anna’s looking after me.’ He winked at her. ‘Right, then. Okay, talk to you later. Bye.’ He gave the phone back to her. ‘Looks like it’s just you and me.’
‘Then let’s order, I’m famished.’
Lunch was far from businesslike as Charlie entertained Anna with stories from his schooldays in Malahide, his travels in the States and his business. He had been working in the accounts department of a large retailer when he started designing websites for friends. It had brought in a little extra money and relieved his boredom, but through word of mouth it had taken off and now his company, D-ZineIT, was one of the top website design companies in Europe, employing sixty staff.
‘So where’s your head office?’ Anna asked, fascinated.
‘There isn’t one. My staff are all over the place; a couple of them are in Dublin, a lot over on the west coast, and I’ve more than twenty people in Belgium, France and Germany.’
‘Amazing. You must do a lot of travelling.’