A Year Like No Other

by Pauline Lawless

  Since her divorce had come through he’d made no mention of marriage. Now she wasn’t sure that marrying him was such a good idea. This was where she was at when she opened the door one morning to find Marilyn on her doorstep.

  “Marilyn,” she cried, delighted to see her old friend. “It’s wonderful to see you!” She hugged her tightly.

  Marilyn couldn’t keep the shock from her face. “Oh my Gawd, honey, what’s happened to you?” she cried, before she could stop herself.

  She took in the slovenly hair and make-up free face, the dirty clothes and the messy apartment and was appalled. Taylor, who had always been so impeccable, living in this pigsty. It was incredible! Then she was introduced to Dylan and with disbelief she wondered how anyone in their right mind could have traded in the gorgeous Brandon for this weedy little man. He was small and skinny with long lank dirty blond hair framing his stubbly face. He had a ring in his nose and if you tried, you couldn’t imagine anyone more different than the tall clean-cut Brandon. Was Taylor out of her mind?

  Dylan took her hand limply and it was all she could do not to flinch away from his touch. He made her skin crawl and she unconsciously snatched her hand back. He looked her up and down slowly, taking in the expensive clothes and jewellery. He also saw the voluptuous curves and big breasts and made her squirm as he leered at her. He made her feel dirty and she wanted to rush home and shower after being in his presence. How could Taylor stand it here?

  She couldn’t even bring herself to sit down on the dirty, rubbish-strewn sofa and insisted that Taylor put on her coat and come out for breakfast with her. Taylor obediently did as she was told, ignoring Dylan’s disapproving glare.

  Once they were seated in the restaurant, Marilyn couldn’t hold back. Taylor sat quietly as Marilyn berated her and asked her if she was out of her mind.

  “I know, but it’s not as bad as it looks,” Taylor mumbled.

  Marilyn insisted on taking her friend to her own hair and beauty salon and was shocked to find that Taylor had no money and no debit or credit cards. She was appalled to be told that Dylan held all control of her finances. It took Marilyn until seven o’clock that evening to persuade Taylor that she had to get out of this mess.

  “You’re comin’ to stay with me, sweetie,” Marilyn informed her.

  “He’ll kill me,” Taylor whispered, her fear showing in her eyes.

  “Not with me around, honey,” Marilyn assured her. “If he lays one finger on you, I’m callin’ the police.” She looked fearsome and Taylor didn’t doubt her for a minute.

  She needn’t have worried. Dylan, like all bullies, was completely cowed when faced with a stronger character than himself. He meekly handed over Taylor’s debit and credit cards to Marilyn and stood silently by as they packed up her things. He was obviously under the influence of some drug.

  “Taylor, babe,” he slurred as she was leaving, but Marilyn swept her out imperiously, not giving her a chance to say anything.

  She felt a strange sense of relief and looked to Marilyn as her saviour.

  When they got back to Marilyn’s apartment she gave Taylor a sleeping pill and hot chocolate and tucked her up for the night. Taylor slept till noon the next day and then soaked in the tub for an hour, feeling refreshed and half-normal for the first time in months.

  For the next three days Marilyn looked after her like a baby and by the fourth day had convinced Taylor to go back into rehab again. She chose another clinic, way up in the Hamptons, just in case Dylan should decide to revisit the one they’d met in. Taylor was humbly grateful to Marilyn, convinced that she’d saved her life, and entered the clinic determined to get her life back on track. They were both tearful as they parted, Marilyn on her way to check in for her plastic surgery. She promised to visit Taylor the following week, when she was released.

  49

  Jazz had been having a hard time since her miscarriage. She had been very down in herself and had found herself crying at the drop of a hat. If it hadn’t been for her job and the support she got from Ashling and Brandon, she feared she would have gone under.

  Ashling had finally persuaded her to go and see a doctor who explained that her feelings were perfectly normal and that most women felt that way after a miscarriage. Seemingly, it was her hormones that were in upheaval so the doctor gave her some medication to correct this. She also gave her the name of a counsellor who could help her with the grieving process she was experiencing. Soon Jazz felt much better but she recognised that the sense of loss would always be with her.

  Brandon was surprised when Marilyn called him to tell him that Taylor had re-entered rehab voluntarily. Marilyn was turning out to be a better friend than he’d ever have imagined. Maybe he’d misjudged the old girl, after all. What perfect timing! Mia and Mike were arriving the following day for a five-day visit and he looked forward to giving them the good news about their mother.

  It was with a light heart that he met them at Charles de Gaulle Airport and they were overjoyed to hear that their mother had re-entered rehab and was trying to get her life back on track. It set up a happy note for their holiday. Jazz had very kindly offered him her spare guest room so that they wouldn’t have to go into a hotel and in the end it was decided that the kids would stay in his place and he would sleep in Jazz’s.

  “April in Paris,” Mia sighed as they drove down the Champs-Élysées. “Could anything be more romantic?”

  The kids went to bed for a couple of hours while Brandon went into the office. He wanted to wrap up as he was taking the following day, Friday, and the next Monday and Tuesday off, to show them around. He was so looking forward to spending the time with his kids. He was taking them to his favourite local restaurant, Au Sergent Recruteur, for dinner and had invited Jazz along to meet them.

  It was a lively trio that converged there that evening and, as they waited for Jazz to join them, Brandon ordered a bottle of Bollinger as an aperitif.

  The waiter was pouring the champagne when Mike let out a low whistle.

  “Wow! What a babe!” he murmured, looking towards the door.

  “She’s beautiful,” Mia agreed, following his gaze.

  Brandon turned around to investigate the object of their admiration, only to find out that it was Jazz who was making her way towards them, stopping to kiss the patron and two waiters along the way. She was wearing a short, fitted, black-wool dress with a black-leather bomber jacket. The skirt ended mid-thigh and her high suede boots came to just over her knee. She wore her hair up and she looked sensational.

  She kissed Brandon on both cheeks and then kissed both Mia and Mike. Mike was enthralled with her and Mia looked enviously at her figure. She noted, with typical female intuition, the glow in her father’s eyes as he took Jazz’s jacket. Ha-ha, she thought, there’s more to this than meets the eye!

  They had a wonderful evening and Brandon announced it was the best night he’d had in years.

  They walked the five hundred metres to his apartment and he saw the twins comfortably settled. He then made his way to Jazz’s apartment where she had a cognac waiting for him. He stretched out on the sofa and sighed happily as he sipped it.

  “They’re great kids,” Jazz remarked, delighted to see him so relaxed. “You must be very proud of them.”

  “I sure am. They are wonderful, aren’t they?” he said, bashfully.

  “They take after you, much more so than Taylor,” she said.

  It was true. They were both blond and blue-eyed and had Brandon’s sweet nature. Thank God for that, Jazz thought uncharitably.

  Mike, meanwhile, was extolling Jazz’s attributes to his sister.

  “Do you think I might stand a chance with her?” he asked his twin.

  “Not a hope in hell,” she replied, in her forthright manner. “Not with Dad around as competition.”

  “You don’t think . . . ?”

  “She’s crazy about him. Can’t you tell?” she stated, with all the arrogance of a twenty-two-year-old expert in love
.

  “Well, blow me down!” Mike let out a low whistle, feeling a little jealous. “Dad’s a lucky dude! She’s a wow.”

  “But so nice too,” his sister replied. “I’m delighted for Dad. He deserves some happiness.”

  “You’re right,” Mike agreed generously. Both of them were thinking of the awful life he’d shared with their mother. They hoped that she would also be able to move on with her life.

  Brandon was incredibly proud of the adults his children had become and he enjoyed their company enormously. He was also delighted to see how well Jazz was getting on with them. Mike was obviously smitten and forever trying to attract her attention which made Brandon smile.

  Mia was charmed by her and admired Jazz’s style, pumping her for information about her clothes and shoes. Jazz promised to take her shopping on Monday.

  “That’s if my boss will give me the day off,” she said, looking hopefully at Brandon.

  “As if I could stop you,” he laughed, throwing his eyes to heaven.

  Brandon had wanted to have a party to introduce the twins to his colleagues and their families but obviously his bijou apartment was much too small. He asked Felicity and Ashling if they knew of anywhere he could hold it, as there would be quite a crowd.

  “Why not let me host it for you here?” Felicity had said, when he’d been there for dinner the previous week. “I’m off for the Easter break and we’ve plenty of space here. I’d love to do it. It’ll be good practice for me.”

  “I couldn’t impose on you like that,” he’d replied.

  “Nonsense, man, she loves to entertain. She’s a born hostess,” Max had said proudly, beaming at his wife.

  “Well, only on condition that I pay for all the food and drink,” Brandon had insisted. “Otherwise it’s no deal.”

  “Done!” Felicity had smiled at him. “I’ll make you proud.”

  They all gathered in Felicity’s at noon on the Sunday and the twins were very impressed with her apartment.

  “Gosh, we’ve nothing this nice in LA,” Mia had told her. “Everything’s so modern there. I like this,” she’d said, looking around the room appreciatively.

  Pippa and Alex had arrived for the Easter holiday and Mike and Alex seemed to hit it off extremely well. Max raised his eyebrows at Brandon as the young couple sat close together on the sofa, joking and laughing.

  Ashling was there with Kieran and the girls and she and Mia found themselves discussing wine for the afternoon. Jazz was enveloped with hugs and kisses by Orna, Ciara and Pierre, who were all fighting for her attention. Mia noticed how wonderful she was with the children.

  “Does Jazz have any children?” she asked Ashling tentatively.

  “No, unfortunately. She’d make a great mother.”

  “Maybe Dad and she will have one. I’d love a little sister,” Mia remarked nonchalantly.

  “What?” Ashling asked, thinking she’d misheard.

  “Dad and Jazz. They’re an item, aren’t they?”

  “Well, they’re very close but they’re just friends,” Ashling replied, looking at the young girl in surprise.

  “No way! They’re crazy about each other,” Mia stated matter of factly. “Look at the way they smile at each other and they even finish each other’s sentences.”

  Ashling felt rocked out of her usual equilibrium. She looked across to Brandon and Jazz who were laughing over something the children had said. With a shock she realised that Mia was right. They were like two parts of a whole but she knew that they were not aware of it.

  “Well, well,” she murmured, turning back to the smiling Mia.

  “Trust me, I know true love when I see it,” said Mia.

  The afternoon went with a bang and Felicity had done her usual wonderful miracle with the food. Even Sophie was happy and laughing. Yves was doing fine and had said he would like Kieran to visit him in the prison. Sophie felt it was a good sign that her husband was ready to see someone else. She’d been very worried at his isolation of himself. Kieran was surprised that it was he Yves wanted to see and not Brandon or Max. He promised Sophie that he would go to visit Yves on Tuesday.

  Jazz did as she’d promised and took Mia shopping on Monday. Brandon had given her his credit card and told her to buy something very special with it. Jazz could think of nothing more special than a Herve Leger dress and when Mia saw how flattering and glamorous it was on, she immediately bought two.

  “Dad won’t mind,” she said, mischievously.

  Jazz laughed. The young girl obviously had her father wrapped around her little finger.

  They met up with Ashling and Felicity and her girls for lunch and had a lovely time.

  That evening Mia declared to her father that it had been a brilliant day.

  “Jazz is so cool,” she said, looking at Brandon slyly. “I really love her.”

  “She is pretty special,” he agreed. “She’s become my best friend since your mother left.”

  “I think she’s a little in love with you,” Mia said casually, looking for his reaction.

  “Oh, I don’t think she’d be interested in an old fogey like me.” He smiled at the very idea.

  “You never know,” Mia said mysteriously. “She’d make a cool stepmom.”

  Brandon laughed. “So that’s what this is all about?”

  “Why not?” Mike joined in. “All my friends would be madly jealous of me.”

  Brandon threw back his head and roared laughing at the transparency of his children. They were priceless!

  He felt his spirit had been renewed by the time the twins left for California. It had been a wonderful five days and he reckoned that he had caught up on some of the time he’d missed with them when they’d been little. They promised to come again in summer and this time Doug and Star would come too.

  “We’ll maybe take a trip and see a little more of France,” Brandon suggested.

  “And Jazz could come too,” Mia said, all innocence, as they said goodbye.

  “Maybe,” he replied, thinking it was just as well she was going or she’d have had him married off by summer.

  50

  Jazz felt sad after the twins had left. She’d felt like part of a family with them and she genuinely liked Mia and Mike. She had to admit that she’d also liked having Brandon stay in her apartment and it somehow felt empty after he’d left. He was such a fantastic father and she thought, for the hundredth time, how foolish Taylor had been to let him go. The good news was that Taylor seemed to be getting her life back together again.

  Jazz felt melancholy all week and couldn’t shake off that feeling. She wondered if it was the youthfulness of the twins that was making her feel her age. Her birthday was less than a month away and she was not looking forward to it. If she was honest, she was in denial about it. Thirty-six! She didn’t want to go there.

  She was going back to Munich the following weekend, which was Easter, but even that prospect couldn’t lift her gloom. Two of her friends had just got engaged and were having parties. Another had asked her to be godmother to her new baby. Jazz somehow had the feeling that she was missing the boat.

  Kieran went to visit Yves on Tuesday and was shocked at how much he had changed. Besides the fact that he looked years older, his whole demeanour was different. Looking around the cold bare walls of the visiting area, Kieran shivered. He guessed it must be no picnic being locked up in a dismal place like this. He couldn’t begin to imagine how he would cope, away from Ashling and the girls, with his freedom curtailed.

  “How are you?” he asked Yves gently, feeling desperately sorry for him.

  “I’m fine, all things considered,” Yves smiled wanly. “I’ve had plenty of time to think about my life and to realise what a dick-head I’ve been.” He spoke quietly and kept twisting his hands as he did so. “I feel I’ve let everyone down and I’ve brought dishonour to the project. Please apologise to everyone for me.”

  “Look, we all know how easy it would be for any one of us to have done the
same thing,” Kieran assured him. “We all have colleagues who made a lot of money on schemes like you tried. And the project is on track. It hasn’t been affected by your actions.”

  Yves looked relieved at that but then a shadow crossed his face again. “The worst of it is what I did to Sophie and Pierre.”

  He put his head in his hands and Kieran could see that he was crying. He reached out and rubbed Yves’s arm.

  “Listen, Yves, Sophie loves you and that’s the main thing. You’ll have a chance to make it up to her, and Pierre, when you get out of here.”

  “I hope so. She’s wonderful to be sticking by me. I wouldn’t have blamed her for leaving me.” Yves’s eyes were distraught as he looked up at Kieran.

  “She would never consider doing that. She loves you and you’ll get the chance to start again when you get out. Any idea when that’ll be?”

  “By August, my attorney says.”

  “You won’t feel it,” Kieran assured him gently.

  He left, giving Yves a hug, and promising to take care of Sophie.

  “I really appreciate what Ashling and Jazz are doing for her. Can you please tell them that?” Yves said, as they parted.

  Kieran said he would.

  51

  Kieran and Ashling left for Dublin to spend Easter with their families. They’d invited Corey to visit for a few days and he was very much looking forward to it. Felicity and Max were taking the girls to the south of France for a week and Sophie was taking Pierre to visit her sister, Vianne, in Grenoble, in the French Alps. With Jazz gone to Munich for the weekend, Brandon felt very alone. He thought often of Jazz and wondered what she was doing. She had texted him a few times and he gathered that she was not enjoying herself too much either. ‘Miss you’, she’d signed off her last message and he wondered if this was true. He had a spring in his step on Tuesday morning and was looking forward to seeing her again.