Sharon was instantly wary. Val never spoke to her and had been her prime tormentor at school. She’d even come on to Dean when she’d been pregnant with Willow. Sharon was not even sure that Dean hadn’t taken her up on it. You just never knew with Dean and she wouldn’t trust Val as far as she could throw her.
“Niamh tells me that you do her deliveries for her and I was wondering if you could maybe fit mine in at the same time?” Val went on, her voice wheedling.
“I don’t think so, Val,” Sharon replied. “It’s all I can do to fit Niamh’s deliveries in my car and at the rate her sales are growing . . .” It gave Sharon great satisfaction to say this. She knew how jealous Val was of Niamh. Let her put that in her pipe and smoke it, she thought, uncharitably. She heard Val’s intake of breath.
“Are you saying you won’t help me?” she asked sharply, in the voice that Sharon was more familiar with.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Sharon replied.
“God, you were always a stupid cow!” Val couldn’t resist saying, before hanging up.
Sharon was shaking as she put the phone down. She’d never stood up to Val before and was exhilarated that she had the courage to do so now. Before she’d started to work with Niamh she’d never have been able to say no to Val, but seeing how gutsy Niamh was had increased her own confidence.
She rang Niamh immediately and told her of Val’s request.
“The nerve of her!” Niamh was furious. She was even more furious when she heard what Val’s parting shot to Sharon was.
“Don’t pay any attention to her, Sharon. She’s the stupid one. What has she ever achieved in life?”
Niamh couldn’t wait to get home to tell her mother what Val was up to now.
“Why are you surprised?” Eileen asked her. “You know the latest? She wants to move back in here, into your old room.”
“She what?” Niamh couldn’t believe her ears. “But she knows that I’m using it as an office now.”
“She expects me to throw you out, I suppose, but I refused.”
“That’s it! I’m finished with her,” Niamh said, furiously. “I’ve tried to help her as much as I could but she tries to do me down, every chance she gets.”
“She’s a bad egg. I don’t know where I got her from,” Eileen said sadly.
Val bumped into Gavin on Henry Street.
“Hi, handsome, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, hi, Val,” he said, accepting the kiss she planted on his lips. “I was just looking at leather jackets.”
“As if you’re not sexy enough already,” she said coyly.
“Well, I’m only looking,” he said grumpily. “Doesn’t look like I’ll be able to buy one.” He made a face. “Your sister is very tight with her money, you know that?”
This was music to Val’s ears. “What’s she done now?” she asked him, acting all innocent.
“She’s turning into a right miser. I told her I needed a leather jacket, but no dice. She’s giving me the money to go to the Man. United match in January but only after I promised to baby-sit two nights a week. You’d swear I wanted to go to the moon! I don’t know. This job has gone to her head. And to think of all the help I’ve given her!” He looked to Val for confirmation.
This was too good to be true, she thought.
“Poor baby!” she said, rubbing his arm. “You’d think she’d appreciate that and show her gratitude, especially with all the money she’s earning.”
She saw the surprise on his face and decided to stick the knife in.
“Did she tell you that she had the best sales of any of us?” she asked him, pretending to be upset. “She’s raking it in, and how!”
It was obvious that Niamh hadn’t shared this bit of news with her husband.
“You’re joking,” Gavin said, looking at her with those gorgeous big blue eyes.
“Dead serious! I should think the very least you deserve is a leather jacket.” She took his arm. “Come on, show me which one you like,” she cooed persuasively.
Delighted that somebody understood him, he took her arm and they went to see the jacket that he had set his heart on.
Her heart lurched as she saw him posing and turning this way and that in the gorgeous tan jacket. He was soooo sexy! God, she wanted him so much!
“You have to have it,” she urged him. “It was made for you.”
He agreed. His dole money was burning a hole in his pocket.
“You deserve it,” she cooed, smiling up at him admiringly.
She was right, he thought. “I’ll take it,” he told the salesman. Niamh could lump it. It was time he asserted himself in his own house. He missed the irony in this – it wasn’t his own house. He took Val for a drink, it was the least he could do, to celebrate his new jacket. They had more than a drink – they had five – and he thought how understanding Val was. Not at all like her sister!
Niamh was surprised that Gavin was so drunk when he arrived home that evening. She also knew that he was hiding something. She could read him like a book and knew shifty when she saw it. She found out what it was when she asked him that evening for the housekeeping money for the week.
“I don’t have it,” he replied, avoiding eye contact with her.
“What do you mean, you don’t have it?” she asked, wondering why not.
“I bought that leather jacket I told you about,” he told her sullenly.
Niamh tried to keep calm but it was all she could do not to scream at him. She was aware that Bridget was in the kitchen and could hear them.
“What do you mean you bought a leather jacket?” she cried. “You know we can’t afford to spend a penny. How could you? You know your dole money is for the groceries and to pay your mother!” She paced up and down the tiny room in agitation.
“Val says that you’re raking it in,” he answered her. “You didn’t tell me that you had the highest sales of all of them.” He was accusing her now, aware that attack was the best method of defence, crossing his arms angrily in front of him. “I don’t even know how much you’ve earned. You can use that money for food.”
“I told you that every penny of it is going towards a house for us! I will not use it for anything else,” she hissed at him, her green eyes fiery.
“Well, Val says –”
“What the hell has Val got to do with anything?” she screamed at him. She was past caring now whether Bridget heard them or not.
“I met her in town and she came with me to buy the jacket,” he mumbled, starting to feel guilty. “She said I deserved it.”
“I bet she did! Well, maybe you’d like to ask her to buy some food for your children this week!” She was so angry she wanted to hit him. Instead she grabbed her coat and stormed out. The look she gave Bridget as she passed froze the words on her mother-in-law’s lips.
Chapter 29
The following Sunday was Susie’s lunch and as Amber had known they would, Tessa and Susie got on like a house on fire. Tessa had also hit it off really well with her sister, Deirdre, who was heavily pregnant, and Susie’s kids, Rachel and Joshua. While Susie and Amber were preparing lunch, Tessa sat barefoot on the floor playing with them, her long legs curled under her. Rachel, who was five, loved Tessa’s hair and kept stroking it.
“Can I play with your hair?” she asked Tessa, her big blue eyes imploring.
“Rachel, leave Tessa’s hair alone,” Susie admonished her little daughter.
“Oh, no, it’s okay,” Tessa told her. “I love having my hair played with. So did my dad and when I was little he used to pay me to play with his hair.” She smiled at the memory.
“Will you pay me to do it?” Rachel asked, not believing what she was hearing.
“Yeah, sure, how much do you charge?” Tessa asked, all business-like.
“What used your dad pay you?” the little one enquired.
“Threepence – about five cents in today’s money!” she laughed.
“Oh, but that was a long time a
go,” Joshua butted in. His ears had pricked up at this talk of money. “That’s at least a euro today,” he added, to the amusement of the adults. “Will you pay me, if I do your hair too, Tessa?”
“You mercenary little monkey!” she laughed. “I’ll pay you not to do it!”
“Cool!” he replied. “I’ll go and watch a DVD.” He turned to his dad. “Imagine, getting paid to watch Power Rangers! That’s really cool!” He scampered off and they all laughed at his precociousness.
Tessa luxuriated as Rachel brushed, plaited and tried all kinds of styles on her hair.
“I think this little lady has a great future as a hair stylist,” she told Susie as she coughed up €5 to each of the kids and they sat down to lunch.
Luke felt right at home and had a great store of jokes which kept them all entertained.
Susie asked Tessa to help with the dessert and alone in the kitchen they discussed Luke and Amber in a whisper.
“He’s really sweet, isn’t he?” Tessa murmured.
“A dote. They are so suited to each other. But don’t even suggest romance or she’ll run a mile,” Susie whispered.
“I wish she could put her marriage behind her. What was Dermot like?”
“An out-and-out shit!” Susie replied vehemently, taking the profiteroles from the tin. “I really didn’t like him at all. He sapped all her confidence and made her feel useless. I was really worried about her after the divorce. This job saved her life.”
“So she’s told me.” Tessa nodded. “Do you think she and Luke could get together? He seems awfully keen.”
“I hope so,” Susie replied as she set about melting the chocolate. “They’d be perfect together. What’s this Pete like?”
“Yeuch!” Tessa said, making a vomiting motion with her fingers. “He’s a total Casanova. I can’t understand that she doesn’t see it.”
“Believe it or not, Amber’s a bit naïve when it comes to men.”
“You’ve heard her talk of Carlo,” Tessa said, as she licked a piece of cream that had missed its mark. “He’s a lovely guy and cracked about her. I know she likes him but she’s resisting him all the time.” She shook her head and made a face. “He wants to take her out again and I practically had to beg her to go.”
“I’d really like her to meet someone,” Susie said earnestly.
Amber didn’t suspect for a minute that her friends were talking about her while she and Luke were having a lovely time chatting. It was nice to have an uncomplicated male friendship without anything being expected of her. She was really extremely fond of him. He fitted in so well with her life and she could tell that her friends really liked him too, as he did them.
They stayed well into the evening, drinking wine and talking together and Amber was sorry when it had to end.
Val knew very quickly that living with Phoebe was not going to work out. The woman was mental! She spent all day on the phone and Val had never heard anyone tell as many lies as Phoebe.
She’d spend the morning in bed and then watch TV all afternoon, letting her voicemail take all the calls. Then she’d ring people back, telling them that she was exhausted as she’d been out working all day, without even a break for lunch. Val would look at her disbelievingly but Phoebe didn’t so much as bat an eyelid. What was really awful was that she expected everyone else to lie for her too. Poor Talika was a nervous wreck but didn’t seem able to disobey her mother.
“Tell them I’m not here,” was Phoebe’s mantra and poor Talika told the lie, time after time. She tried the same thing on Val, but Val was having none of it. She refused to lie for Phoebe so as a result was told not to answer the phone at all. A lot of Phoebe’s time was taken up harassing the two previous men in her life, her ex-husband and Talika’s father, for more money. Val was sure they’d have paid her any amount just to get her off their backs. They must be so relieved to be shut of her and not living with her any more.
How right Mam was, thought Val. “If you want to know me – come and live with me.” One week of Phoebe and she’d had enough. But where could she go? Her sales were much improved but she wasn’t earning enough to rent a place of her own. There was only one thing for it, she’d have to contact Boxer again and see if he’d take her back.
Boxer owned a lap-dancing club in the city centre, called Hot Bods, and Val had been one of his top dancers. She’d lived with him for a while but had left when she’d met Keith. Boxer had been very annoyed with her so she was a bit apprehensive about how he would receive her now. “Desperate is as desperate does,” she thought, as she rang him. She was relieved when he sounded pleased to hear from her and told her to come and see him. She went straight away before he changed his mind.
She got the feeling that he’d actually missed her and he appeared to be very impressed with her new boobs. After kneading them for five minutes, which hurt like hell because of her nipple ring, she was actually relieved when he finally entered her, knowing it would be over in less than two minutes. She tried to blank her mind, perusing his shaved head and the tattoos on his shoulders, because she knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. She would have to do as he wanted, and what he wanted was that she would service him, whenever he felt the need. Okay, give and take – that was fair enough. Then he said he also wanted her back in the club, working, but she was adamant.
“No! No way! I’ve got a regular job now and I don’t want to go back there,” she told him.
“A regular job! Val, don’t make me laugh,” he said, doing exactly that.
“I don’t see what’s so funny,” she said huffily.
“You’ll never stick it,” he said, still laughing. “There’s nothing regular about you, babe.” He hugged her to him roughly. “Anyway, within a month you’ll see just how much money you could be making here and I’ve no doubt you’ll change your mind,” he sniggered.
She looked at him imperiously. “That’s what you think,” she told him, but deep in her heart she acknowledged that he was probably right. Thank God he’d taken her back. Bad as it would be, it would be better than Phoebe’s. She moved back in with him that night.
Niamh had headed to her mother’s after the showdown with Gavin. She told her mother what had happened.
“Oh, love, he’s never going to change,” Eileen said, shaking her head. “Don’t even think of touching that money. You and the kids can eat here with me this week and let Bridget feed him. They’re well matched. I can always lend you some money if you’re stuck. I haven’t touched the money you put into my post office account for looking after the children. Use it if you need it.”
For the hundredth time, Niamh said, “Mam, what would I do without you?”
She couldn’t bring herself to forgive Gavin so things were very strained in the house during the following week. He was furious that she was taking her meals with her mother and refusing to touch her savings. Bridget was naturally taking her son’s side, so Niamh spent more time than ever at her mother’s in the following days. Thank God for Mam.
When she arrived home from the school the following Friday, her mother was dancing with excitement.
“Niamh, I’ve got some fantastic news. You know my friend, Mrs Flanagan, from Number 26? Well, she’s gone into a home but the family don’t want to sell the house in case she doesn’t like it there. I spoke to her daughter, Carmel, today, and she said that she’d be delighted to let you have it for six months, by which time she’ll know whether her mother will be happy to stay in the home or not.”
“Oh my God, Mam, that is fantastic! Are you sure they won’t mind having the kids there?”
“No, she knows you have three children. She’ll put away anything valuable. You can see the place this evening.”
Niamh could hardly believe her luck and counted the minutes till Mrs Flanagan’s daughter arrived. She wondered how Gav would take the news. She worried that he wouldn’t want to move from his mother’s. Well, whether he did or not, she was going. She’d had her fill of Bridget.
Mrs Flanagan’s daughter, Carmel, assured her that she was delighted to have someone in the house, keeping it aired, and refused any rent for it.
“No, honestly, I’m just pleased that it won’t lie empty and I know you’ll look after it and cut the grass and that,” Carmel told her. “I wouldn’t let a stranger in here,” she confided, handing Niamh the key. “You’ll have to change the electricity and phone to your name, of course, and then you can move in anytime you want.”
Niamh sat down and cried. She couldn’t believe her luck. Everything seemed to be coming up roses lately. Hopefully, by the time the six months was up, she would be buying a house of her own.
As expected, she didn’t get a great response from Gavin about the house.
“What about Ma?” he asked.
“What about her? She’s constantly complaining about us and it was never meant to be long-term. Either you come with us or you stay with your mother. Either way, we’re going. Let me know.”
Gavin looked at her in surprise. She was turning into a woman to be reckoned with. She had matured so much since she took on this job. He couldn’t help but feel a new respect for her. Her star was on the rise, no doubt about it. And let’s face it, could he live with his mother on his own? It didn’t take him long to make up his mind.
“Okay, I’ll come too.” Smiling at her, he put his arms around her. “Let’s go out and celebrate tonight, babe.”
She didn’t want to spoil the mood by asking where they’d get the money from but he had obviously kept enough drinking money. She was relieved that they were talking again but she made him promise that he would never again spend money like he had on the leather jacket, without her agreeing to it first. He wore the jacket out that night and she had to admit that he looked damn sexy in it. They made fantastic love later and everything was back on track.
If the Shoes Fit Page 21