The People Next Door (37 page)

Kieran had lived in Dan’s house while Clara and Dan had been lovers, and now her mother loved Kieran.
There was a kind of horrible symmetry to that – or was it irony? Maybe a bit of both.

Clara wondered if her mother and Kieran would last. Maybe they’d be the lucky ones.

Douglas rang within a week and they arranged to go to the cinema. After the film they went for a drink, and he told her that the Irish girl he’d fallen for, who’d been the reason for him coming to Ireland, hadn’t worked out.

‘She was too high-maintenance for me,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t keep her in the style she was accustomed to – isn’t that the phrase?’

Clare smiled. ‘I think so. But I’m afraid most women are pretty high-maintenance – at least, most of the ones I know.

Douglas considered. ‘Maybe I need to get a second job, then.’

He wore a moss green T-shirt that matched his eyes and he’d got his hair cut and he’d shaved. And he had lovely teeth. Really he wasn’t unattractive.

At the entrance to the apartments, she turned to him. ‘Thanks, I enjoyed it.’

‘Good.’ He looked down into her face. ‘Me too.’ He was a good eight inches taller than her.

And because he was Douglas, Claire put her hand behind his neck and drew him down and touched his cheek lightly with her lips. ‘Goodnight then.’

They’d seen each other three times since, two meals and another visit to the cinema. He still hadn’t been invited beyond the doorstep. He still hadn’t attempted to kiss her mouth.

But when he did, Clara might be inclined to respond.

The doorbell rang. She took her jacket from the back of the chair. ‘Right, see you later.’

Siofra didn’t look up. ‘Have fun.’

Fun. Yes, that was something to aim for. Clara crossed the room and opened the door and smiled at Douglas.

Many thanks to Ann Menzies, Liz Skehan and Dan O’Gorman for their help and advice, to Faith O’Grady for her support and encouragement, to Ciara Doorley for knocking me into shape whenever it was needed, and to all at Hachette Books Ireland for everything they’ve done to get this book on the shelves.

Thanks to my parents Rose and Micheál for their continued faith in me, to my sister Treasa for single-handedly boosting my sales, to my brothers Tomás and Aonghus for turning up and clapping loudly at the launches, and to my other brothers Colm and Ciarán for their long-distance well-wishes – and a special thank you to my Uncle Mike for taking me out to dinner when I made the bestseller list.