by Melissa Hill
And after three long months of ‘roughing it’, Andrea’s generous maintenance was restored (albeit at a slightly reduced rate), as was Suzanne’s pocket money. Leonie was surprised to find herself almost relieved about this; it meant that the woman might now leave her and Adam in peace, and allow them get on with planning the rest of their lives.
But of course this was wishful thinking.
Barely a few weeks after Adam started the new job, and just as he and Leonie were settling nicely back into a routine, there came yet another ‘urgent’ phone call.
‘It’s Suzanne,’ Adam told Leonie, when he’d finished speaking to the girl’s mother, ‘Andrea is going away for a long weekend, leaving next Thursday, and she wants to know if we can take her. I told her it should be fine, but I’d ask you first. What do you think?’
Leonie groaned inwardly. A few days of the teenager moping and sulking around the place was all they needed, and as it was the school holidays, no doubt they’d see a great deal of her (equally moody) friends too. ‘The weekend is fine, but as there’s no school, how will we look after her on the other days when we’re both at work?’ she pointed out.
Adam grimaced. ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’
But surely Andrea had considered it, Leonie thought, and if so, she must have known that in the circumstances, Adam would hardly be able to take time off to baby-sit. Typical! ‘And wait, isn’t that the same weekend as your work thing?’
The new company had arranged one of those team-bonding weekends away where they all went paint-balling and such-like, and she was pretty certain this was also happening the weekend after next.
‘You’re right,’ Adam groaned. He picked up the phone again. ‘I’d better tell her it doesn’t suit.’
‘No wait, has she booked somewhere?’ Leonie asked, thinking that it really wasn’t all that long since that holiday in the Caribbean Andrea had ‘so desperately’ required. ‘And how come Suzanne’s not going with her?’
‘I don’t know, she didn’t say. I suppose she’s probably just going away with friends.’
Or perhaps the mysterious Billy, Leonie mused.
‘What about Hugo? Who’s going to mind him? Or is she bringing him too?’
‘Again, I don’t know, she didn’t actually mention anything about Hugo…’
Leonie had to smile. Trust Adam to get the bare minimum of information! Not that it was really any of their business who Andrea was or wasn’t away with, but at the same time she couldn’t help but be curious about it.
Nevertheless, the fact remained that someone needed to be around to look after Suzanne.
‘I suppose I could do it,’ she offered. ‘I’m due time off from Xanadu as it is, and given all the extra hours I’ve done recently, getting a couple of days shouldn’t be a problem.’
‘You’re sure? It won’t affect your leave for the wedding?’
‘Nope, as I said, I’m owed more than I’ve taken, so this’ll be a good excuse as any to take advantage of it. This time of year is manic too so I won’t mind getting away from it for a while.’
‘Lee, you’re an absolute star, you know that don’t you?’ Adam said, coming across and sweeping her into his arms.
Leonie snuggled into his embrace. ‘If you say so,’ she grinned, deciding that if offering to keep an eye on Suzanne for a weekend made him this happy, she’d gladly do it forever and a day.
As it turned out, looking after the teenager wasn’t that much trouble at all. During the day, Leonie pretty much left Suzanne to her own devices as often as possible, encouraging her to meet with her friends or go shopping, whatever she preferred.
She gave her lifts to wherever she wanted to go and as a result the girl spent most of her time hanging around town, or at her favourite haunt; Dundrum shopping centre,
It seemed that Suzanne, like her mother was content once her pockets were being refilled on a regular basis, and if that was what it took for the entire extended ‘clan’ to reach some form of equilibrium, then Leonie was happy too.
She was also making the most of her unplanned few days off, the weather was dry and she was spending lots of time out for walks or curling up on the sofa catching up with her reading. The last couple of months had been tough, so a few days of taking it easy and doing pretty much nothing at all was welcome. But best of all, her offer to mind Suzanne had scored considerable brownie points with Adam, and given their recent troubles this was an added bonus.
‘I knew the pair of you would come through it,’ Grace told her, when on Friday afternoon, she called over to her friend’s house. Suzanne was out with her own friends somewhere but had reassured Leonie she’d be back in time for dinner. ‘Adam is crazy about you, and the two of you are made for each other.’
Leonie grimaced. ‘I don’t know, it was touch and go there for a while. I was beginning to wonder if there was something going on with him and Andrea…’
‘Not at all, I had a sneaky feeling you were blowing things out of proportion.’ Grace teased, having none of it. ‘And as I said before, if Adam had any interest in her, then why isn’t he still with her?’
‘I know, but when things weren’t going so great with us, and they were spending so much time together … I don’t know, men can be weird sometimes.’
‘You can say that again,’ Grace drawled. ‘Sometimes I wonder what’s going on in their heads at all. You know the way we’re doing up the bathroom at the moment?’ she asked and Leonie nodded. ‘Well Ray came home yesterday with a new shower tray. Apparently there was a choice between an ‘easy-plumb’ and a ‘non easy plumb’ and guess which one he came home with?’
Leonie grinned. ‘Knowing Ray, I suspect the non-easy?’
‘Yes! Now, why on earth would anyone …?’ she trailed off, shaking her blonde head in bewilderment, ‘ah, never mind my eejit husband, Adam is great and I was full certain he wouldn’t let you down.’
‘Well maybe if you’d seen Andrea, you might have a few reservations, and she is the mother of his child remember, so there was always a huge amount of history there.’
‘Exactly. It’s history, so there’s nothing to worry about. It was a rough patch but you got through it, and now all is hunky-dory again.’
Leonie smiled, feeling happier than she’d been in ages. Grace had been right as usual and despite her recent doubts, she really did have nothing to worry about where Adam and Andrea were concerned. OK so his ex might be a million times better looking than her with a great figure and the most amazing clothes, but Adam had his chance and he’d chosen to walk away. And lucky for Leonie, now he was marrying her.
‘So how come you got stuck with minding the little princess?’ Grace asked with a wry smile. ‘Is Mummy off on a saucy weekend?’
‘That’s what I was wondering,’ Leonie replied. ‘All Adam said was that she was going away somewhere. He didn’t say where, or more importantly who with.’
‘A bit of a coincidence that Adam’s away too then, isn’t it? Ha, maybe you were right after all,’ she chuckled, obviously tickled by the notion. ‘Oh give over!’ she groaned, seeing Leonie’s face. ‘I was only joking.’
‘I know, I know. Just don’t be putting ideas in my head!’ Leonie said laughing. ‘I’m bad enough as it is.’
‘Well, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You have nothing to worry about with Adam. Believe me he’s just not that kind of guy.’
‘Leonie, I like, really need a favour.’
‘Sure Suzanne, what’s up?’
It was Saturday evening and Leonie was about to suggest to Adam’s daughter that they order a takeaway. She’d cooked for them up until then, but tonight she fancied something different. The takeaway she and Adam used did a great Phad Thai and as she knew Suzanne liked oriental food (albeit the vegetarian variety) the idea should go down well.
‘I need to go home.’
Leonie frowned. ‘Home – to Wicklow you mean? Why?’
‘I left something behind, something important
.’ The girl didn’t elaborate and knowing Suzanne, Leonie thought, she didn’t intend to.
‘Something important,’ she repeated levelly.
The teenager nodded.
‘Well, is it really that urgent? You’re going home tomorrow after all.’
‘Please, I really, really need this.’
Leonie was taken aback at how genuinely worried the girl seemed to be; this time there was a complete absence of the usual whining and belligerence that so characterised her. Then again, perhaps she’d finally realised that such behaviour held no tack with her future stepmother. Even so, a drive all the way to Wicklow and back in pre-Christmas traffic …
‘I don’t know Suzanne,’ she exhaled apologetically. ‘It’s late, and the N11 is always so busy at this time of year …’
‘It’s my Pill,’ the girl interjected, and Leonie’s head snapped up.
Suzanne was staring at the floor, awkwardly clasping her hands together. ‘I’m supposed to start on the new pack today after the seven day break from the last one, but I forgot to bring it with me...’
Leonie stared at her, flabbergasted. The girl was barely fifteen years old! OK, so she’d always looked and behaved older than her years, but Leonie had (rather naively she thought now) always considered this to be a bit of a front. And despite her somewhat revealing clothes and wilful behaviour, she hadn’t considered for a second that Suzanne would up to…that. But clearly if she was so worried about missing a pill, she must be! Did Adam know about this?
‘Dad doesn’t know,’ Suzanne said, as if reading her mind. ‘Please don’t tell him Leonie, he’d kill me.’ Her pleading sounded so immature and childlike, it made the whole situation even more disturbing.
‘It’s not up to me to tell him, but I must admit I’m a little taken aback,’ she told her gently. ‘I suppose it’s good that you’re being responsible and everything, but at the same time, you’re still very young to be …’ she looked at her. ‘I take it you are … doing… that, seeing as continuing on the full course is so important to you?’
Bloody hell, this really was one very awkward conversation!
Suzanne wouldn’t meet her gaze. ‘Can we just go and get it?’ she said, avoiding the questions and Leonie supposed she couldn’t blame her. She wasn’t her mother and had no right to be questioning her like this. But thinking of which…
‘Does your mother know about this?’ she asked. ‘About you being on the pill, I mean.’
Suzanne nodded emphatically. ‘Yes, but she doesn’t want Dad knowing either. He’d go ballistic.’
Leonie couldn’t understand why Andrea would approve of this, but then again she hadn’t a clue what raising a teenager was like, had she? ‘OK then, we’ll drive down to get it later. But let’s get something to eat first, OK?’
‘Thanks Leonie, I really appreciate this.’ The less belligerent Suzanne behaved, the younger she seemed.
While waiting for their food to be delivered, the two sat side by side on the sofa watching TV, Leonie trying her best to come to terms about what she’d just heard.
Now that she knew about this she couldn’t help but view Suzanne differently.
God, was she some kind of oul prude for being shocked by this? Well, no matter what she might think, Leonie wasn’t going to be responsible for Suzanne missing her pill and getting into even greater strife because of it.
When they’d finished eating, they got in the car and headed off to Wicklow.
Suzanne didn’t say too much on the way and Leonie was just as happy to drive in silence, lost in her own thoughts.
She felt that Adam should really be party to this, but at the same time, it really wasn’t any of her business, and certainly wasn’t up to her to tell him. Should she have a word with Andrea maybe, express her concerns? She could imagine the other woman’s reaction, and in fairness Andrea would be right to tell her to go and get stuffed.
Leonie turned off the N11 at the Ashford exit and headed in the direction of the house. When they pulled up outside the door, she was surprised to see a car parked outside. It was an old, battered Volkswagen that looked to have seen better days.
‘Whose car is that?’ she asked Suzanne.
‘Billy’s,’ the younger girl replied easily, getting out of the car.
Ah, Leonie mused, so she was right in thinking that Andrea had gone away with her boyfriend. Clearly the other woman preferred to travel in her own classier looking Audi rather than that clapped-out banger of a thing. She was surprised; for a supposed devotee of the finer things in life, Leonie found it hard to reconcile Adam’s ex going for a man who drove a car like that. Then again, maybe it was just some run-around the guy used and, like that joke bumper sticker, his other car actually was a Mercedes?
‘Do you want to come in?’ Suzanne asked then. ‘I won’t be long, but like, seeing as you drove me all the way down here…’
Leonie nodded. ‘I suppose I might as well stretch the legs.’
Suzanne used her key to open the front door and as they went inside, they were both struck by the sounds of a TV on somewhere in the house.
The two exchanged looks. ‘Sounds like someone’s here.’
Suzanne shrugged and headed in the direction of the sound. ‘Maybe Mum’s home early,’ she said, opening the living room door.
Leonie followed her with some considerable reluctance; the last thing she wanted was a face-to-face meeting with Andrea. But when she entered the room, she came face-to-face with someone completely different.
Sprawled on the sofa in the front of the TV watching football and surrounded by beer cans, pizza boxes and the deitrus of whatever he’d had for breakfast, was a tall, lithe, and from what Leonie could see of him, attractive man. Although he looked to be about the same age as Leonie, he was dressed in worn, faded denims, a cut-off T-shirt and sported a longish, grungy hairstyle which gave him a much more youthful, look. He was so enthralled by the game that he didn’t seem to have noticed them come in.
‘Billy!’ Suzanne exclaimed. ‘What are you doing here?’
Ah, so this was the famous Billy, Leonie thought, with interest.
‘Had to make the most of havin’ the place to myself, didn’t I?’ he said, in a thick Dublin accent.
‘But where’s Mum, I thought you were going away with her.’
‘To one of those bloody spa places? You’ve got to be kiddin’.’
‘Oh right.’ Suzanne seemed confused but at the same time not particularly bothered about the situation. Clearly, Billy making himself at home in this house was a regular thing. ‘This is Leonie by the way,’ she said, introducing her companion.
‘Cheers Leonie,’ Billy replied, holding up a beer-can in half-hearted salute, his eyes never leaving the screen.
But Leonie didn’t return his greeting; she couldn’t return it. As it was she’d barely heard it over the loud thumping of her heart, couldn’t quite process it through the noisy ringing in her brain.
And as the room began to sway and the ground suddenly felt spongy beneath her feet, she couldn’t do anything else but just stare at Billy; the full implications of his appearance almost too great for her to contemplate.
Chapter 27
Following some savvy legal work from Doug, Seth and Alex’s dispute about the Mustang was eventually resolved in her favour, which meant that three long weeks later, Alex was once again free to lodge a fresh no-fault divorce petition against Seth.
She expected some other form of protest or dramatics when he was due to be served, and pleaded with him beforehand to be at home when the process server called. But to her amazement, her errant husband had allowed himself to be served, which meant that she and her lawyer were at least someway further along in submitting the petition to the courts.
Soon, she would finally be free of Seth, free of all the drawbacks of being married to him and most importantly, free to start her life all over again with Jon.
Well, at least she would be in a few months time once the completed
documents winged their way through the courts.
‘It shouldn’t take too long,’ Doug assured her. ‘He’s given up contesting and assuming there are no more disputes …’
Again, Alex almost expected something to go wrong at the last minute and for Seth to come up with some crazy excuse for a delay. But no, for once in his life he was being adult about something and had finally managed to see sense.
‘Aren’t you a bit sad though?’ Leonie asked when she learned that Seth had finally agreed to go along with Alex’s wishes.
‘Are you crazy?’ she retorted, although in truth it did feel a bit strange. Especially when Seth was back living here in San Francisco. When he was away it was pretty much a case of out of sight out of mind.
Almost.
But she was glad now for Jon’s sake that her status was finally clarified. Not that he was angling for them to get married or anything, but just in case…
Anyway, Alex wasn’t about to jump into marriage again so soon, not when she’d made such a mess of it the first time round. Although admittedly, it had been great right up until Seth messed up. But had she really expected anything different? She could never see her ex being a serious candidate for marriage – real marriage – with all the normal stresses and strains and ups and downs of everyday life. He didn’t have the emotional intelligence for that; his recent behaviour towards her and Jon being a case in point!
Alex thought back now to one particular memory, an afternoon she and Seth had spent down at the Golden Gate Park a couple of summers back.
It was the fortieth anniversary of the famous Summer of Love in ’67 and a massive reunion festival was taking place. Hippies filled the park in their thousands, gathering in the grass in front of a huge stage area where folk singers rehashed all the old sixties favourites.
The air was ripe with the smell of pot and barbecued food, and Alex and Seth were having lunch on a grass verge overlooking the main concert area, having picked up some food at one of the nearby outdoor food stalls.