Behind Every Cloud

by Lawless, Pauline

  “Hey, I’m not that old,” he laughed at her and she laughed back as she swirled around him.

  The night was a roaring success. The band was as good as Rachel had promised and Ellie was on the dance-floor continuously. David still refused to dance and when she came back, breathless and exhilarated from jiving with Ronan, he suggested that it was time to go home.

  “Ah, David,” she wailed, “I’m having a great time. It’s only eleven and Rachel said there’s going to be fireworks at midnight.” She looked at him, eyes pleading.

  “I’m exhausted. I’ve had a tough week at work and this headache is getting worse. I would like to go home now.” He stood up.

  Seeing the stricken look on Ellie’s face, Sam couldn’t resist interfering. “Look, David, Orla and I can drop her home if you want to go on ahead. What do you say?”

  Relief flooded Ellie’s face as she looked at David hopefully.

  “Well, if it’s not too much out of your way,Sam?”

  “Not at all. It’s no trouble,” Sam assured him.

  “Thanks, darling,” Ellie said happily, giving David a kiss.

  He called for a taxi and when he was gone Ellie relaxed and continued to enjoy the wonderful party. She danced with Marcus and with Sam again. Jade still hadn’t returned to the table, thank God. She had a long chat with Orla who told her that she was studying political science at Trinity. Ellie liked her a lot and wondered if she and Sam were dating seriously. They seemed very comfortable in each other’s company.

  “You and Sam seem very well suited’ she couldn’t resist remarking.

  “We are!” Orla replied, leaving Ellie longing to ask when they’d started going out together.

  Orla didn’t elaborate and Ellie didn’t want to appear nosy so she stayed mum.

  Louise was knocking back gin and tonics like nobody’s business and Ronan was keeping a watchful eye on her. He hoped she’d last until midnight at least, because he loved fireworks.

  The girls made their way to Madame Farah’s tent to hear their future. They all looked on it as a great lark. The men had refused to go, much to Rachel’s disappointment. Louise was thrilled when the fortune-tellerpredicted that she saw lots of money coming her way in the near future but Ellie thought the old woman was talking through her hat when she told her that she hadn’t yet met her true love. Honestly, the things she’d said!She didn’t believe in fortune-tellers or Tarot cards or any of that stuff but it was a bit of a laugh.

  Zita didn’t believe in fortune-telling either but Rachel was so anxious for her to go that she did, just to please her. Madame Farah refused to tell her what the future held for her which made Zita angry. Try as she would, she could not get the silly old woman to open up. Marcus was dying to know what Madame Farah had foretold and when Zita told him she’d refused to tell her anything, he roared with laughter.

  “Ho, ho! What is it she sees that’s so bad it’s unspeakable?” he teased her.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” She lowered her voice so Rachel wouldn’t hear her. “I told you, I don’t believe in it.It’s all utter crap! I did it just to please Rachel.”

  Just before midnight Carl joined them and they watched the fantastic fireworks together. Afterwards, as Rachel was seeing Ronan and a drunken Louise into a taxi, Carl asked Zita to dance.

  It was a slow number. She liked the feel of his muscular body next to hers and the way he held her close. She could feel his hardness against her and it gave her a sense of power to know that he wanted her. Yes, her instinct had been right. He would make a great lover. She looked forward to a romp in the hay with him. It wouldn’t take much to persuade him, she guessed.

  “You’re the most exciting woman I’ve ever met,” he whispered in her ear as the dance ended and he let her go.

  She gave him her most seductive look. “Till we meet again,” she said coyly.

  This time he did take her hand and bring it to his lips.

  “I can’t wait,” he replied, his eyes hot with desire.

  The party continued into the early hours and it was a tired and happy Ellie who said goodnight to Rachel and Carl.

  “It was a brilliant party. Thank you so much for inviting me,” she said, hugging them both.

  “Same here,” Sam told them as he tried to keep a comatose Jade from falling down. She’d arrived back at the table after midnight, much the worse for wear. Seeing her unfocused eyes, Sam knew she’d been indulging in more than alcohol.

  “I’m coming home with you, Sam,” she announced. “That bastard can go jump!” She waved her hand vaguely at the bar.

  Sam shrugged his shoulders and wondered who she was talking about. Had she come with someone or had she just met someone at the party? You never did know with Jade! Hesighed deeply and told her that would be okay.

  “Thanks for coming. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. See you next Monday night,” Rachel said as she hugged them. She was more than a little tipsy now.

  Between them they manoeuvred Jade into the taxi.

  “Where do you live, Orla?” Ellie asked.

  “In Dalkey, but I’m staying with Sam tonight.”

  “Oh!” said Ellie. Sam certainly had his hands full. They dropped her off first in Malahide and she stole into the apartment careful not to disturb David. She needn’t have worried. He was snoring loudly as she slipped into bed beside him. He probably hadn’t even missed her.

  “What a great night. You did a brilliant job, darling,” Carl said, putting his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “I really liked your new friends. They’re fun people.”

  “Yes, they are. I’m really glad they came and that they enjoyed themselves,” Rachel replied with a big yawn. “Let’s go to bed. I’m bushed.”

  21

  Ellie had to drag herself out of bed on Sunday morning, exhausted from the previous night. She felt a warm glow remembering what fun it had been. Whoever would have thought that a wine group would be so much fun? She’d really warmed to Rachel who had made such an effort to ensure they were all having a good time. The more she got to know her, the moreshe felt sorry for her. Yes, she had the fabulous house and the gorgeous husband but Ellie felt that there was something missing in her life. She was sorry she hadn’t got to meet Rachel’s children.

  David’s headache was gone and he wanted to go for a run which was the last thing Ellie wanted but, as he’d been so good as to let her stay on at the party, she thought she’d better make the effort to join him. It was a big mistake. She hadn’t gone half a mile when she started to feel ill and after a mile she was bent over throwing up, right there on the seafront in Portmarnock. She was mortified and David was furious with her.

  “That’s what you get for drinking so much last night and dancing your silly head off.”

  She glared back at him in between her retching. When she’d finished she sat down on a wall and told him to go on by himself, which he did. She was upset that he hadn’t beenmore sympathetic. She waited for him while he ran to the end of the beach and back. She was feeling a little better by then.

  He seemed to have softened a little. “Are you okay now?”he asked. “Do you want me to go and get the car?”

  “No, I’ll be okay. I’ll follow you back.”

  He stopped running and walked back with her in silence.

  They went back to his apartment where they showered and changed before going for brunch. Ellie wanted to go to their usual place in Malahide but David wanted to go to Kitty O’Shea’s, which was across the Liffey, in Ballsbridge.

  “But that’s miles away,” she objected.

  “It’s not far. It will be nice for a change. All the guys say they do a mean brunch there at weekends.”

  By ‘all the guys’ she supposed he meant his new friends at Buckley Steadman. She knew there was no point in arguing with him and she couldn’t eat a bite anyway as her tummy still felt off, so she agreed to go with him.

  Once inside Kitty’s it was obvious that all his colleagues were there with their spouse
s and families. David introduced her to everyone and they all welcomed her warmly. Ellie was delighted to see Anna and Mike whom she’d met at the Buckleys’ dinner party. It seemed so long ago now.

  “How are you?” she asked Anna, who moved over to make room for her on the seat.

  “Great! I was wondering when you’d get roped into these Sunday brunches,” Anna laughed.

  “You mean you meet here every Sunday?” Ellie asked, surprise in her voice.

  “Like clockwork.” Anna could see that Ellie didn’t know that fact. Seeing the dismay on the younger girl’s face, she patted her hand gently. “Don’t worry, Judith never comes. Frank does sometimes, but usually it’s only the younger set.”

  Ellie didn’t know what to think. She was annoyed at David for not telling her. She looked at him now, smiling and laughing with his colleagues. He seemed like a different man. He seemed . . . she searched for a word . . . at home! It was strange to see him so at ease and in good form. All they’d seemed to do lately when they were together was argue. Ellie wondered if it was her fault.

  The other women were very friendly to her and some of the small kids adorable. She took one of the babies on her knee.

  “Ellie’s getting married in six months,” Anna informed the other women.

  “Oh, God love you,” Mandy, the youngest of them said. “I’m just recovering from my wedding last year. I’m sorry now I didn’t elope.” She rolled her eyes to heaven as the other women laughed.

  “Where are you having your reception?”

  “In Clontarf Castle. I live just around the corner from it.”

  “Well, good luck with all the organising,” Mandy said. “You’ll lose half a stone from all the stress.”

  “Don’t be put off by her,” Anna laughed. “We had a great day at her wedding.”

  “Where did you have your reception?” Ellie asked.

  “Fitzpatrick’s in Killiney, of course. They do a brilliant job there.”

  “I had my reception there too,” Anna joined in.

  “Me too,” another girl piped up. “They’re by far the best and they make it very personal with lots of nice touches other hotels don’t give you.”

  Ellie pressed her lips firmly together. She had no doubt that what they said was true but it wasn’t for her. She was beginning to feel like she had stepped into the world of the Stepford Wives. What one did, they all did. While they were all very nice, it felt like an exclusive club – one Ellie wasn’t sure she wanted to join.

  David sat down beside her. He had a huge plate loaded with everything an Irish breakfast could offer. Ellie felt ill just looking at it. She was bouncing the baby on her knee and the little girl was gurgling with happiness.

  “You obviously have a way with babies,” Joanne, the mother of the baby observed. “Do you plan to have any?”

  “Oh, yes, lots,” Ellie smiled at her and shook her hair at the little girl who grabbed it in her tiny fist.

  David stopped eating long enough to butt in. “Not lots exactly, but one or maybe two, eventually,” he said.

  Ellie looked at him strangely. They’d never discussed it but he knew she loved children and she’d assumed he’d want a big family too. She felt uneasy. She’d thought they were both on the same wavelength but lately his ideas seemed to have undergone a major change. They definitely needed to sit down andhave a serious talk.

  Louise woke with a hangover on Sunday morning afterall she’d had to drink at Rachel’s party but it didn’t dim her spirits as she remembered what Madame Farah had told her. She took two Nurofen, which helped, and then rang Melissa to see if she would go to Liffey Valley Shopping Centre with her that afternoon. Although Melissa had already made other plans, she cancelled them. Her sister was forever berating her for jumping whenever Louise clicked her fingers but Melissa couldn’t help herself. Louise had always had that effect on her.

  When Ronan heard that she was going out he decided to go to the golf club and see if he could get a game. He was surprised that Louise was in such good form. Maybe taking her to Rachel’s party had been a good idea after all. It had certainly lifted her spirits.

  To Melissa’s surprise Louise hardly bought anything, just a bottle of perfume. All she really wanted to do was talk about her upcoming date with Alan. Melissa had never seen her best friend so exhilarated. She seemed really keen on this guy. Seemingly they’d been texting each other regularly and according to Louise he was just as keen. Melissa felt uneasy. She was worried that Louise might get hurt or, even worse, mess up her life.

  Rachel was also suffering from a hangover but she’d promised her parents that she would be over to have brunch with them and collect the children. There was a bottle of champagne half-full in the fridge so she made herself a bucks- fizz as the hair of the dog. No point in wasting the champagne, she figured. She felt much better after a second one. Mmmm . . . champagne and orange juice was a wonderful pick-me-up.She really should have it more often.

  Carl had already left for his weekly golf game and she left Olga to supervise the caterers and cleaners who were busy cleaning up in the garden.

  Zita was up and about early on Sunday morning and after a bracing cycle arrived home to drag Marcus out of bed and down to the Chatham Brasserie for brunch. They sat sipping Bloody Marys as they waited for their food to arrive.

  “Mission accomplished,” Zita smiled as she raised her glass to him.

  “Yeah? What do you mean?”

  “Well, Mr Carl Dunne gave me his card last night and I naturally gave him mine. I said I’d call him this week.” She was grinning broadly now.

  “My God! How did you manage that?”

  “Easy. I told him I wanted to interview him for a TV programme.”

  “Oh, you scheming bitch!” He laughed.

  “He also told me, as we were dancing,” she added, her eyes glittering brightly, “while his hard-on was pressed against me, that I was the most exciting woman he’d ever met.”

  “Well, I’ll drink to that.” He clinked his glass to hers. “How thrilling!” He was practically dancing in his seat now. “You sure know how to haul them in,” he laughed.

  They chatted over brunch about the party the previous evening.

  “To be honest, I hadn’t expected it to be much fun but it was great,” he admitted. “They’re a good bunch, your wine crowd.”

  “Yeah, they’re not so bad. It was just the partners that were gross. That awful Louise – what a nightmare – and Ronan is so sweet.”

  “Yeah, I like him a lot but that David – Ellie’s fiancé – what a dork! I can’t imagine what she’s doing with him.”

  “He’s a pain in the arse alright. They’re getting married soon,” Zita told him as she speared another crab cake with her fork.

  “If he doesn’t bore her to death in the meantime,” Marcus remarked, rolling his eyes.

  Their conversation was interrupted by a text coming in on Zita’s phone: Really enjoyed meeting u last night, it read. Look forward to ur call. Cxx

  She saved the message and handed the phone to Marcus. He beamed at her.

  “Poor Carl. He doesn’t realise he’s met his Jezebel.”

  “His Waterloo, more like.” Zita laughed wickedly.

  22

  Ronan knew the moment he walked into the office on Monday morning that something was wrong. It didn’t take long to find out what it was. The managing director called the staff into the conference room to tell them that the business would be closing down the following Friday.

  “We’re truly sorry to have to do this but we can’t survive in this economic climate any longer. We have done our best to keep afloat as long as possible but it’s become unsustainable. I know this is a hardship, especially to those of you with families to support and mortgages to pay, but there is unfortunately no other option open to us. I’m so sorry.” He looked around the room at the stricken faces and wished he could have been anywhere else on earth at that moment. It was the most difficult thing he’d e
ver had to do in his whole career. “You will of course get twelve months’ severance pay and the best reference possible. I do hope that you all find other employment quickly although it is a tough world out there right now. I thank you all for your service and loyalty to this company.”

  With that, he left the room, tears in his eyes.

  They looked at each other in stunned silence. They’d known for some time that redundancy was a distinct possibility but had hoped against hope that it wouldn’t come to pass. Now it had.

  “Christ!” Ronan was the first to break the silence. “What are we going to do now?”

  “Get a job in McDonald’s,” said one of the others.

  They’d all sniggered when they’d heard of architects and solicitors queuing up for a job in the fast-food chain some months ago. It didn’t seem so funny now.

  “At least the severance pay will clear my mortgage,” observed one of the older men, “but I’m too old to get another job.”

  “You’re lucky,” the youngest colleague said bitterly. “I have a huge mortgage and have no idea how I’ll pay it. And the chances of my getting another job are nil at the moment. I’ll have to emigrate.”

  “The banks are being very forgiving,” another man tried to reassure him.

  “I have two kids at university,” the last man said. “There’s no way I can keep them there if I’m unemployed.”

  Ronan realised that of the five of them he was probably the luckiest. He had no kids, a modest mortgage and thankfully now he had his part-time job with Sam.

  The five men sat with glum faces, pondering their future. Their mood was sombre as they slowly filed back to their offices. Ronan wondered how they would survive. He supposed they were no different from many thousands of others in Ireland at the moment. What a mess the country was in! He blamed the government. They’d lost control of the banks and the property developers.

  With a heavy heart he started to finalise what he’d been working on. Time to bury the Celtic Tiger!