City Lives

by Patricia Scanlan

  By the time she got home she was whacked. Luke wasn’t back yet so she headed for the shower. She wasn’t hungry. The lunch had been filling. He could look after himself for once, she thought tiredly as the hot jets of water flowed over her body. She dried herself and wrapped herself in her towelling robe, trying not to get lockjaw from her prodigious yawns.

  She’d have a ten-minute rest, she decided, too weary even to draw the curtains. She could see the lights of Dublin twinkling in the distance. She’d just lie quietly in bed and look at them. Devlin crawled under the covers and stretched her weary limbs. It had been a very long and eventful day. She was asleep in seconds.

  He should have phoned, Luke chastised himself as he sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the N11 coming up to Cornelscourt. He’d been so annoyed with her this morning he hadn’t bothered. Then around lunch-time he’d decided to give Devlin a call but she wasn’t at her desk and her mobile had been switched off and that had really made him mad. If she wanted to be that petty . . . forget it! Then he’d remembered that she was speaking at a lunch engagement and later she had an interview with a Sunday paper, and he’d felt bad about the way he’d thought about her.

  He’d bought her two dozen pink roses as a peace-offering. He hoped they weren’t withered in the boot.

  He was nearly withered in this traffic, he thought irritably as he tapped his fingers impatiently against the steering-wheel. He had the usual East Link traffic snarl-up to deal with yet. It would be a good hour before he was home. Luke sighed. He was tired and hungry. Maybe he should give Devlin a call, find out where she was and tell her he was on his way. If she was too tired to cook they could eat out.

  He called up her mobile number and frowned as it went into divert straight away. She must be still tied up.

  He was surprised to see her bag and briefcase in the hall when he got home. He’d tried her mobile every so often and still got divert. He’d assumed then that he’d be home before her. The only light on was the small lamp in the hall. Darkness in the lounge and kitchen. No sounds or aromas of cooking. No light from the bedroom and the curtains weren’t pulled. She hadn’t been in there.

  She must have gone out, he thought crossly as he plonked the roses into the sink and filled it with water. That wasn’t very nice. The least she could have done was to phone him and let him know that she wouldn’t be in for dinner. He could have got himself a takeaway or stopped off at Wong’s or the little Italian place they liked. Just because they were having a row didn’t mean that all communications had to break down.

  Strange for her to come home and leave her bag and briefcase in the hall though, he puzzled as he rooted through the fridge.

  Caroline’s! he thought triumphantly. That’s where she was. She was probably eating there too. Leaving him to starve! His stomach rumbled. He was ravenous. Maybe there was some of that tasty lamb casserole that she often made and froze. He searched the freezer and found the container he was looking for. Perfect! Luke shoved it in the microwave and while it was heating he buttered a big chunk of Vienna roll, lashed on some blackcurrant jam and munched away hungrily. He set a tray, poured himself a beer and when the casserole was heated he served it out, carried the tray into the lounge, switched on the gas fire and the TV and plonked into the armchair. There was a match on. What more could a man want? Luke thought happily as he settled down to an evening of peace and quiet.

  By eleven, he was knackered. Devlin and Caroline must have settled in for a session. He wasn’t waiting up. He had to be up at the crack of dawn to go to London. He tidied away after him and put his dishes in the dishwasher.

  He was just about to put on the main light in the bedroom when he heard a sound. A little cough. Startled, he looked at the bed. In the light from the hallway he could see Devlin curled up under the covers. She’d been here all along and he hadn’t realized it.

  She must have gone straight to bed when she came in from work. She’d been telling him how tired the pregnancy made her feel. His heart softened. He’d been a bit rough on her this morning. He was tempted to wake her up and apologize. But that wouldn’t be very fair, he thought regretfully, as he listened to her even deep breathing. She was obviously whacked. If he woke her up she might not go to sleep again.

  He left the light off and went into the en suite and had a quick shower before sliding into bed beside her. He put his arms around her and she snuggled in against him, still asleep. Luke yawned. They’d make up in the morning and it would be all the nicer. He was asleep in minutes.

  Twenty-nine

  Devlin yawned and stretched. And blinked. Daylight showed through a chink in the curtains. How could it be bright? She’d only got into bed for a nap. And she hadn’t pulled the curtains. Luke must have done that. She turned her head to look at the small travel clock beside the bed. Five to eight. She sat up, puzzled. It couldn’t be five to eight in the morning, could it? She surely hadn’t slept round the clock?

  She scrambled out of bed and pulled back the curtains. It was daytime. Raining and blowing a howling gale. A miserable sort of day. People were leaving for work. She should be showered and dressed at this stage.

  ‘Oh Lord,’ she muttered as she ran her fingers through her hair. She hadn’t heard Luke come in. Hadn’t heard him come to bed. And she hadn’t heard him get up this morning.

  A thought struck her. Luke was going to London today. She wouldn’t see him again until the end of the week. Devlin burst into tears.

  He’d gone to London without saying goodbye. Without making up their row. He’d never done that before.

  She sat on the bed and put her face in her hands and cried. He must be as mad as hell with her. Well, he could go to hell himself. The next time he phoned she’d hang up. And he could stay in London for all she cared.

  Devlin wiped her eyes. What on earth was wrong with her? Where had all this weeping come from? Her hormones were running rampant.

  A wave of nausea swamped her and eventually receded. Devlin crept back in under the bed covers. She remembered Caroline’s words about treadmills being of your own making. Maybe today she’d step off hers. She’d phone Liz and tell her that she wasn’t coming in. She just felt too lethargic to make the effort. You had to listen to your body sometimes.

  She lay quietly with her hands on her tummy, stroking her palms across it. She had to think about the baby too. Maybe a day of peace and calm would restore her equilibrium. She was going to Galway in two days’ time, that would be difficult and tiring. At least Caroline was coming with her this trip. They were taking the morning train and flying home the same evening.

  The rain battered off the window-pane and the skies darkened. A rumble of thunder in the distance signalled worsening weather. Devlin felt snug and cosy. She’d be mad to get dressed and go haring into City Girl when she could stay at home and read Memoirs of a Geisha, curled up in bed while the rest of the world galloped along on their treadmills. It was like staying at home sick from school. If her audience of successful businesswomen could see her now, they might not be too impressed. Devlin gave a wry smile. Anyway, who was to know? She rarely took a day off. She was entitled.

  Her stomach gurgled. She was hungry. It had been a long time since she’d eaten. She’d feel better after she’d had some toast. She always did. And today, seeing as she wasn’t going into work, she’d just lick some toothpaste around her teeth instead of brushing them. That way she’d get to keep her breakfast down.

  She headed into the kitchen and came to a full stop in front of the sink. Two dozen tightly budded pale pink roses filled the basin. A note was propped up against the kettle.

  A lump in her throat nearly choked her. Luke had bought her pink roses and she’d been thinking he was the worst in the world. How disloyal of her. She should have known better. Tears spurted from her eyes again.

  ‘This is ridiculous,’ she sobbed. She opened Luke’s note.

  Dear Sleepy Head,

  I wanted to wake you up this morning to say goodbye but you
were fast asleep and I just couldn’t bring myself to. I hope you like the roses. I didn’t mean to upset you. I love you. And don’t worry about the other thing. You do what you think fit. I’ll call later.

  Love Luke.

  XXXX

  ‘Oh Luke, I love you too,’ she hiccuped as she raced over to the phone and dialled his mobile number.

  ‘You’re in the land of the living,’ he greeted her, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

  ‘Oh Luke, why didn’t you wake me up? I wanted to say goodbye to you.’

  ‘Are you crying?’ Luke said.

  ‘Not, not really. I got the roses,’ Devlin sniffled.

  ‘Aha! So there are waterworks. I know you. You cry at the National Anthem.’ Luke laughed.

  ‘They’re beautiful. Thanks.’ She was feeling a hundred times better just hearing his voice.

  ‘Sorry I didn’t call yesterday. The phone was off all afternoon. I should have phoned earlier in the morning but you know yourself . . . I needed time to cool down.’

  ‘You needed time to cool down. I was fit to burst,’ Devlin snorted.

  ‘I know . . . that’s why I got out while the going was good,’ Luke teased.

  ‘Listen, buster. You had me up to ninety.’

  ‘Ah, you should have gone up to a hundred while you were at it,’ Luke retorted good-humouredly.

  She burst out laughing. You couldn’t win with Luke.

  ‘Did your lunch and interview go well? What did they ask you?’

  He was always so interested in what was going on in her life, even after all the years they’d been together. She told him all that had happened the previous day. ‘And I’m taking today off,’ she added. ‘I’m just going to laze at home all day.’

  ‘You’re having me on.’ She could hear the disbelief in Luke’s voice.

  ‘I’m not. It’s a horrible day. It’s raining and blowing a gale and there’s thunder in the hills and I just decided to step off the treadmill for once and take it easy.’

  ‘You’re dead right, Devlin. I never thought I’d see the day. My little workaholic is getting sense at last. That’s great news. You have a lovely long lazy day and think of me over here working my fingers to the bone, with my nose to the grindstone and my shoulder to the wheel.’

  ‘Yes, dear,’ Devlin said smugly.

  When she eventually hung up, she was beaming. She hated rowing with Luke. It always threw her off kilter. It wasn’t that they didn’t argue. They had mighty arguments on a variety of topics, but that was fun and she loved pitting her wits against him, especially when he conceded the point. But a row was a different kettle of fish. It wasn’t in her nature to fight. She’d seen too many rows when she was a child, when her mother was drunk and out of control. Rows brought up old buried fears. They made her feel insecure. Even with Luke. And that was crazy because she felt safer with Luke than she did with any other human being. Luke gave her the freedom to be totally herself. That was the greatest gift of all.

  She spent a thoroughly relaxing day, reading and dozing as her body caught up on some much needed rest. It was nice to be alone for a while. It was such a contrast to the buzz and bustle of the office.

  Later in the afternoon, she slipped into a track suit and lit the fire and lay on the sofa, looking out through the big floor-to-ceiling French windows at the white-capped waves that frothed and bubbled along the deserted shore. She was glad the weather was so bad. It made her day off all the more enjoyable.

  The following day when she went into work she felt the better for her little break. She was going to take the odd day off here and there for the next few months, she decided, as she ran up the stairs to Caroline’s office.

  ‘Ciara’s just been on the phone,’ Caroline said dryly.

  ‘What does she want?’

  ‘Just checking that I had got the copy of the report she had written about our new staffing requirements.’ Caroline waved the neatly typed and bound report at Devlin.

  ‘Pity she won’t see it all come to fruition,’ Devlin said coldly. ‘I don’t know how I’m going to be able to be nice to her. I wish she was gone.’

  ‘Look, why don’t I take her off your hands tomorrow for as much time as I can. We can spend a couple of hours discussing staff requirements. You talk to the builders and the suppliers. We’re stuck for time anyway, so it suits our purposes to hold separate meetings.’

  ‘I don’t want you to be stuck with Ciara. I’d like you to see what’s going on.’ Devlin frowned.

  ‘This report is very thorough, I’ll give Ciara that. It will be very helpful to us. We might as well make the most of it. So this time wearing my “personnel coordinator” hat I’ll get the staff side sorted, leaving you free to concentrate on everything else.’ She grinned. ‘So I’ll be ahead of myself, so to speak. And when I go down the next time, because my job will be done I’ll be free to sit in on your meetings. OK?’

  ‘Have I any choice in the matter?’ Devlin retorted.

  ‘Not really, no,’ Caroline said firmly.

  ‘You’re very bossy.’

  ‘Comes with the job.’

  ‘OK, Caroline. As long as you don’t mind,’ Devlin agreed.

  ‘As I say, Dev, it suits our purposes to have it this way. I’ll tell you though,’ she said, changing the subject, ‘I think it’s a great idea to go to Powerscourt Springs. It will be very interesting to see residential in action.’

  ‘Yeah, and I’m really looking forward to flopping. It’s going to be so nice for the three of us to be on our own for a while. It’s ages since we’ve spent time together. It’s just what we need.’ Devlin took Ciara’s report from Caroline and longed to throw it in the bin. Nevertheless, Caroline was right. Ciara was good at her job and if her points were pertinent it would be foolish to ignore them.

  The manageress was all smiles when she greeted them in the foyer the following morning.

  ‘Devlin, Caroline, great to see you. Progress is excellent as you can hear.’ She made a face at the sound of drilling and banging that throbbed dully through the double-glazed doors. ‘We’re well on target.’

  ‘Morning, Ciara.’ Devlin had to struggle to keep her voice civil. Seeing Ciara in the flesh, knowing what she knew about her, was more difficult than she’d expected.

  Why? she wanted to ask. I was good to you. I gave you an opportunity. Why are you ripping me off?

  ‘Ciara, we’re actually going to split up. You and I are going to discuss your report. Devlin can hold her meetings without us. We’ll get more done seeing as our time is limited,’ Caroline interjected smoothly.

  ‘Oh!’ Ciara was taken aback. ‘I think I should be at Devlin’s meetings. I am the manageress and I need to keep abreast of things. The interior designer is coming today to show samples of curtain and furnishing materials. He wants us to make our selection as soon as possible so that she can get the furniture organized and ordered. And then later I’ve made arrangements for the three of us to have lunch in Kirwan’s Lane. I’ve booked a table.’

  Devlin’s eyebrows rose. Lunch in Kirwan’s Lane would go on expenses, of course.

  ‘Ciara, we’re here to work, unfortunately. Caroline and I have a lot to get through today. I can deal with the interior designer. And I’m sure you can organize something tasty from the kitchen,’ Devlin said coolly.

  ‘Of course. But I would like to be involved with the interior design and I thought it would be nice for the three of us to have a working lunch somewhere special. It’s one of the in places in Galway. It’s good to be seen there. A lot of our clientele dine there,’ Ciara pointed out a tad sulkily.

  ‘Well, today time’s of the essence. Another time,’ Caroline said lightly. ‘And of course you’ll be involved with all aspects of the new development, that’s why I want to spend time with you on the report. Now, I think we should give Devlin your office for her meetings and you and I can go over to that nice little corner and perhaps Mona would bring us some coffee.’ Caroline smiled at t
he receptionist. ‘And tea for Devlin,’ she added blandly, remembering that Devlin had given up coffee for her pregnancy.

  Ciara was furious at the way Caroline was taking over, Devlin could see it in her eyes.

  ‘Good thinking, Caroline,’ she approved briskly. ‘Presumably John Joe is on site?’ She turned to Ciara.

  ‘Yes, Devlin, he knows you’re coming. Will I bring you out?’ she said sweetly, eager to please.

  ‘Not at all, Ciara. I’ll find him. You go off and work on the report with Caroline. I’ll mosey around and see what’s going on.’ Devlin smiled brightly as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

  ‘Oh!’ The younger woman was disappointed. Things weren’t going to plan at all.

  ‘See you later,’ Devlin said cheerfully as Caroline and Ciara moved over to one of the sofas in a corner of the foyer.

  You better have good reason, Hanlon! Devlin thought resentfully as she crossed the reception area. Ciara didn’t look like someone with the weight of the world on her shoulders or some big burden that was causing her dishonesty. The sooner it was all out in the open, the better.

  Thirty

  Devlin cheered up considerably as the builder led her around the site, explaining everything in his rich Connemara accent as he went along. Even though it was all scaffolding and bricks and mortar at this stage she could visualize the finished product, and she knew without doubt that it was going to be a beautiful building.

  The day flew. And it turned out much better than she’d expected. She hardly saw Ciara at all. The interior designer, a young Galway man named Finn Kennedy, was full of enthusiasm and ideas. He and Devlin spent an immensely satisfying two hours discussing every aspect of the interior design of the new building. They eventually decided on a selection of fabrics that were suitable for their requirements and within the budget allotted for furnishing.

  Following her meeting with Finn she had a meeting with a tile supplier for the treatment rooms, then meetings with gym-equipment suppliers, sauna and Jacuzzi installers and kitchen-equipment suppliers. The new wing was to house a state-of-the-art kitchen to service the residential dining-room plus the existing dining-room. In between she grabbed a quick meal of poached salmon served with a mixed salad.