City Woman (21 page)

‘I’d like that, Devlin, I’d like that very much,’ Caroline replied.

‘Right, we’ll make an arrangement when you’re free,’ Devlin said cheerfully.

It was the early hours of the morning before Maggie left, and Devlin announced that she was staying the night. She just couldn’t face ‘the trek across the lawn’, as she called
it.

Caroline was delighted. It was nice to have the company and that night she slept like a log, knowing that Devlin was in the other room.

She woke early and lay listening to the rain beating against the window, as the wind whistled and keened between the apartment blocks. She snuggled down into the warm hollow in the middle of the
bed. It was bliss not to have to get up for work on a day like today. Devlin had assured her that she was in no hurry to get up either, so a lie-in was on the cards. Today that suited her just
fine. Her eyes grew heavy. Last night had been great fun and there was no reason why she should not have more nights like it. And she was really looking forward to her trip to Belfast, she thought,
as she sank into a delightful state of lethargy that lasted until she eventually fell asleep again.

Seventeen

Caroline gratefully submitted herself to the ministrations of one of the beauticians in City Girl. She was having a steam treatment as part of her facial after a workout with
Devlin and Maggie, and it was really the most relaxing experience. Her mind wandered and the muted sounds of the salon faded into her subconscious. Her little pink-and-green cubicle with the
steamer hissing softly was like another world.

It was a Friday morning early in December and she was planning to finish off her Christmas shopping. It was hard to believe that Christmas was almost upon them. She had been living on her own
for nearly two months now and she felt quite stable. She was controlling her panic attacks and their intensity and frequency had diminished greatly. Caroline had read somewhere that by facing up to
your fear, you conquer it. Well, maybe that was what she was doing, she thought with some satisfaction. Even the imminent arrival of Christmas was not causing her the angst she had been expecting.
But then she had so many plans for Christmas this year that she wouldn’t have time for angst.

She would go to her father and the boys for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day, then home to the penthouse to spend a few days on her own, painting. Richard and Charles had
sent her the most beautiful easel, a selection of canvases and an array of oils and water-colours that Michelangelo himself would have envied. Caroline hadn’t touched them at all; she was
saving that treat for Christmas.

Richard and Charles had invited her to Boston, and she had given a lot of thought to their invitation. She would have liked to visit the city and see where they were living, but she wondered
whether staying with them wouldn’t be a bit awkward – an awkwardness, she admitted to herself, that would be entirely of her own creation. Caroline had come to the conclusion that it
was the very distance between her and Richard that was enabling her to get on with her new life. She feared that if she went to America, all the old inadequacies would come surging in upon her and
she’d be back where she started. She fretted about it until Devlin said in exasperation, ‘For God’s sake, Caroline, stay or go. Make a decision; then you’ll only have to
worry about the decision you’ve made.’

Caroline had there and then decided not to go and, amazingly, once she had made her decision, she ceased to worry about it. It was something she was going to remember in the future. From now on,
decide and act was going to be her new year’s resolution.

Once she made up her mind, she found herself quite looking forward to Christmas. When Devlin returned from her trip to Paris with Luke, she was going to spend a few days with her and then she
and Devlin were going to visit Maggie, so it would be a busy little season. And a happy one too, she promised herself, as she inhaled the faint scent of aromatherapy oils that permeated the air of
the salon.

She hadn’t much Christmas shopping left to do, so she was in no great rush. She had done most of it on her trip to Belfast with Devlin and she had thoroughly enjoyed herself, apart from
her natural feelings of apprehension when she saw the soldiers and armoured personnel-carriers on the streets. How people lived with the constant threat of violence, she could not imagine. Devlin,
who had been up North on numerous occasions, and had never been involved in even the most minor incident, had assured her that she would get used to it very quickly. By the end of that long, busy
day, Caroline noticed that her anxiety had dissipated and that she had adapted to the situation, although she still felt a sense of physical relief when she crossed the border on the way home. But,
she told Devlin, as they drove towards Dublin, her trip to Belfast was an experience she wouldn’t mind repeating some time.

‘Great,’ Devlin declared. ‘You can come up and help out with the launch.’

Caroline smiled to herself. Devlin was so decisive that it was no wonder she was such a successful businesswoman. That Belfast launch was consuming all her energies at the moment and if the new
City Girl didn’t succeed, it wouldn’t be Devlin Delaney’s fault. Caroline was looking forward to the opening. She remembered well the excitement of the Dublin one. She had helped
out at that, too, so she thought it would be nice to get involved with the Northern venture.

‘Caroline?’ she heard a voice calling.

‘In here,’ she called back. It was Devlin looking uncharacteristically harassed.

‘Caroline, I can’t go to the pictures with you tonight. I’ve got to go to Belfast. There’s a bit of an emergency. Arthur’s had a heart attack and it doesn’t
look too good. And City Girl is supposed to be opening in less than two weeks. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. It looks as if Paris is off as well,’ she added
forlornly.

Caroline sat up on the couch. ‘Is there anything I can do? I’m finished working, I’m a free agent. I can type and make tea,’ she offered. ‘Do you want me to come up
with you and give you a hand?’

Devlin’s eyes widened. ‘God, Caroline, would you? It would be brilliant just to have someone I could depend on. I’d pay you a salary, of course.’

‘Oh, don’t be daft, Devlin,’ Caroline protested.

‘Don’t you be daft. By the time
I’m
finished with you you’ll be demanding a salary. It’s going to be hectic,’ she warned. ‘Are you sure you
don’t want to change your mind? I’ll be staying up there for two weeks or more.’

‘Fine,’ Caroline replied with equanimity.

‘I’d better get Liz to book us two rooms in the Europa, then. It’s about the handiest to City Girl and it’s very central. Are you
sure
you want to
come?’

‘For God’s sake, would you stop blathering and get on with it,’ Caroline said. ‘And why do you want to book two rooms? Can’t we share and save on the expense? We
shared before – and if you start snoring, I’ll buy some earplugs.’

‘If you’re coming to Belfast with me, you’ll want a bit of comfort. The budget will cope with it,’ Devlin argued.

‘It will be a bit of a laugh – like old times,’ Caroline said, with a smile.

‘Yes it will, won’t it? Caroline, thanks. I really appreciate this. I was starting to panic for a minute there,’ Devlin confessed.

‘
You
panic . . . Impossible! Look, I’ll just finish off here and go home and throw a few things in a case. You said we’ll be there for two weeks?’

Devlin nodded. ‘At least.’

‘Right, I’ll meet you at the apartments. Call me when you’re ready to leave.’

‘OK, but first things first. I’m going straight down to accounts to put you on the payroll. How does the title “Executive Assistant” grab you?’

‘Wonderful. It’ll look very impressive on my CV. Now, beat it and let me finish my facial.’

‘Enjoy it,’ Devlin warned. ‘It’s going to be the last bit of relaxation you’ll have for the next fortnight.’

Her friend hadn’t exaggerated, Caroline reflected, as she gazed at herself in the mirror in her bedroom in the Europa. The previous two and a half weeks had been among
the most hectic, frenetic, exhilarating of her life. She and Devlin had started working the minute they had arrived in the city. Devlin had gone to visit Arthur in hospital, to reassure her partner
that everything would be fine. She was relieved to find that his condition had stabilized and the critical twenty-four-hour period after the attack had passed with nothing untoward happening.

Caroline had gone straight to City Girl, introduced herself to the rest of the staff, found out what needed doing, and got to work.

She had taken over the administration, supervised workmen and organized deliveries of the remaining stock that was needed, leaving Devlin free to get on with the various promotions and marketing
strategies that Arthur and his publicist had planned.

Caroline couldn’t believe how much she was enjoying herself. She was too busy to be nervous or apprehensive or to dither over making up her mind. It was challenging and rewarding to be
able to use her initiative to make decisions and follow through, knowing that Devlin was depending on her utterly because she was so busy with her side of things.

The staff that Devlin had employed were top-notch and, as the hectic days rushed forward to the planned opening day, they came together as a team and the atmosphere was tremendous, full of
enthusiasm and goodwill. That was half the battle. Notwithstanding several minor hitches, like the wrong-coloured towels being delivered and one of the turbo sunbeds being faulty and a hiccup in
the central heating system, by the evening of the big launch it was all systems go and, as Caroline eyed her glamorous reflection in the mirror, she was very satisfied.

She had mucked in and got on with it and been able to give Devlin all the support she needed to get the project up and running. She had learned that she could cope under stress and the whole
experience had done wonders for her self-confidence. Even the fact that she’d had to stay a few nights on her own, while Devlin went back down to Dublin, had given her a great boost. She now
knew without a doubt that she wanted to be back full-time in the workforce.

There was a knock on the door, and she opened it to find Luke smiling at her. He looked divine in his evening suit.

‘Hi!’ she greeted him. ‘You look great.’

‘You look pretty sensational yourself,’ Luke said with a smile. ‘That colour suits you. Are you ready?’

‘I am,’ Caroline replied.

She had chosen red, a glorious crimson sheath with black trim and a black silk bolero with matching crimson trim. It was very sophisticated. And with the professional make-up job that the
beautician had given her and her hair newly cut and shining, she knew she looked her best.

Devlin emerged from her room, announcing, ‘I’m ready,’ and Caroline thought she looked stunning in an expensive and classy cerise cocktail dress that fitted her like a
glove.

‘I’ll be the envy of Belfast with you two belles on my arm tonight,’ Luke declared, as he led them down to the chauffeur-driven limousine. Tonight they were doing it in
style.

It was a terrific party, and Caroline winked at Devlin as they noticed dozens of gorgeous ladies clamouring for the special opening offer at reception. The broadcaster, Lynda
Jayne, had just made a very witty speech declaring City Girl open.

Arthur, who was out of hospital, had bullied his doctors to allow him to attend the launch for a couple of hours and although he was a bit pale and noticeably thinner, his bonhomie had
diminished not one whit.

‘Caroline, come here, I want you to meet someone. He’s an old friend of mine and this is the kind of thing he’d normally run a mile from, but I wanted him to come and see what
I’m up to now. Just to show off, like,’ Arthur beamed.

‘Caroline, this is Bill Mangan, at home on a few days’ holiday from Abu Dhabi. Bill, this is Caroline Yates, who helped save our bacon here. She’s done a terrific job helping
to coordinate everything.’

‘Hello.’ She found herself shaking hands with a stocky, weatherbeaten man somewhere in his mid-fifties.

‘How do you do?’ he said, and looked alarmed as Arthur said ebulliently, ‘Oh look, there’s Jock Douglas and his wife. Excuse me for a minute. I must just have a few words
with them.’

‘Nice party,’ Bill muttered, and Caroline felt sorry for him. It was obvious that this wasn’t his scene at all.

‘Can I get you a drink?’ she offered. ‘Come on over to the bar. I hate standing in the middle of a room,’ she said lightly.

‘Me too. I won’t stay long. Arthur just wanted me to see the place. He’s got a good business going here,’ Bill remarked, as they edged their way through the throng.

‘Well, we hope so.’ Caroline caught the bar attendant’s eye and asked Bill what he wanted.

‘I’ll have a pint of Guinness,’ the older man said gratefully, smiling at Caroline.

Gradually, he relaxed in her company and she was so concerned with putting him at ease that she forgot to be shy herself. She found herself telling him about her broken marriage, although she
didn’t mention Richard’s homosexuality, and remarked how she badly wanted to start working full-time again after her experience with City Girl. With her degree in languages she might
look for something in that area, but she wasn’t sure yet.

He told her about his building operations in the United Arab Emirates, and how his own marriage had broken up because he was always away from home, that his only daughter was married and living
in Belfast and that he always came home to be with her at Christmas. He had given her a year’s membership to City Girl as a Christmas present, and she was thrilled with herself. He pointed
her out, a woman in her thirties who was chatting to one of the aromatherapists. Bill was on his third pint and telling her about the time he had been trapped in the desert in a sandstorm, when
Arthur arrived over to them.

‘The wife’s insisting I go home,’ he moaned, ‘and I promised her I’d do as I was told. Will you come back for a bite of supper?’ he asked Bill Mangan.