Woman to Woman (44 page)

Aisling hadn’t known what to say at first. She’d simply hugged him and said that Dad loved them and would see them all the time, but that he wanted to live somewhere else.

Now, Aisling put down Phillip’s homework notebook and looked at them both earnestly.

“Boys, there’s no point in getting upset when people talk about your dad and I splitting up,” she said.

“It happens to lots of families and the important thing to remember is that even though Dad and I aren’t getting on well, we both still love you two, OK? You know,” she added conversationally, ‘you’re lucky because you have two homes now. That’s special. I bet Shane won’t get two lots of Christmas presents, either. Tell him that next time he bothers you, Paul.”

“I will,” said Paul, his jaw set as firmly as his father’s. It was

hard to put Michael out of her mind when the kids looked so like him. Somewhat cheered up, Paul returned to his homework and Phillip carefully tugged his notebook out from under Aisling’s elbow.

“Work on your handwriting, brat,” she said, ruffling his hair affectionately.

When the boys were finally in bed, Aisling finished the ironing before mashing the potato for the following evening’s shepherd’s pie. It wasn’t their favourite dish but she wanted something quick and easy to give them before she went out.

She’d hoovered earlier in the evening and now she dusted the sitting room, cleaned the downstairs loo and put another wash on. Even though the babysitter was a seventeen-year-old Leaving Cert student who had more on her mind than untidy houses, Aisling’s pride meant she didn’t want the place looking messy the following evening.

As usual, she was halfway through bleaching the work tops before she remembered her rubber gloves lying untouched in the cupboard underneath the sink. That’s why Vivienne has elegant nails and I have dry hands and flaky nails, she muttered. There was no point bothering with them now.

She’d rub cream on her hands later. If she remembered.

It was half ten by the time she’d finished cleaning and polishing. Roll on tomorrow, Aisling thought, sinking into the settee with a small gin and tonic. If ever a woman deserved a night out, she did.

Thomas Read’s was buzzing when Aisling ventured in, clutching the folds of her raincoat around her legs selfconsciously.

She was wearing a new on-the-knee black skirt which showed off lots of leg in her seven-deniers. The short skirt was a mistake, she decided passing the bus stop and getting a flash of herself tottering in her black suede stilettos.

She loved short skirts but was never sure whether she had the legs for them or not. Definitely not.

As she stood, she scanned the pub anxiously. She couldn’t see Vivienne anywhere. The place was jam-packed even though it was only after eight o’clock. The tables were full of welldressed people, all looking at

home in the trendy city-centre pub. Aisling felt totally out of place, as if she had a sign over her head proclaiming that she was thirty-five, separated and wasn’t used to going anywhere more exciting on Thursday evenings than Quinnsworth.

She spotted Vivienne standing up and waving at her. Relief flooded through her as she wound her way through the crowd. It was horrible arriving on her own, trying to fit in and find people at the same time when she felt so selfconscious and out of place.

“Awful, I know,” said the darkhaired woman sitting beside Vivienne when Aisling arrived at the table and sat down, raincoat still on. There’s nothing worse than arriving somewhere on your own.” Wow, thought Aisling, I really must have a sign over my head.

“Glad you made it.” Vivienne looked marvelous in a crimson velvet fitted shirt with her hair in an elegant topknot.

Aisling, this is Maria. “She gestured at the woman who had spoken when Aisling arrived, a large brunette wearing a grape-coloured satin jacket which revealed an impressive cleavage. Maria was wearing a lot of make-up which emphasised full lips and high cheekbones and a jet pendant necklace which drew the eye directly down. And Annie.”

“Nice to meet you said Annie, pulling up a chair for Aisling. She was petite, blonde and wearing a rich brown lycra dress Aisling had already spotted in Dunnes.

“I’m afraid we’ve already started,” Annie said, picking up her glass of red wine.

“Maria, catch that waiter’s eye, will you?”

“Hello, Aisling, welcome to our little gathering,” said Maria warmly, leaning over the table towards Aisling.

“When you walked in, you reminded me of myself four years ago just after I split up with my husband,” she confessed.

“I was terrified of going anywhere on my own after years of being part of a couple. Every time I went out, I felt so strange and out of place, being on my own and not being used to it. And now look at me!”

Several people did and Maria smiled at them, shooting smouldering looks

at a handsome -young man at the table beside them who was chattering in Italian to two girls.

“Maria likes to stand out from the crowd explained Vivienne gravely.

“It makes a change from all those times when I wanted to sit in the corner and die because I was a size eighteen and I wanted to be a ten said Maria, turning away from Mr. Latin with a wink. She waved at a bar girl.

“Now, what’s your poison, Aisling?”

“A gin and tonic, please said Aisling, feeling more at home in her little black skirt and silky grey wrap over blouse now that it appeared that the other women were dressed to kill.

“Enough about us. Tell us all about you. Vivienne has been filling us in on the boss with the roaming hands and I want to hear every gory detail of how you thumped him! I wouldn’t like to tell you what I’d do if he tried it on me!”

Aisling burst out laughing. She’d love to see what the voluptuous Maria would do if she got her hands on Leo.

They talked so much that they were half an hour late for their table in Sinners, the Lebanese restaurant a few doors away. In between hearing about Maria’s gorgeous new dentist, Aisling discovered how the three other women had met.

They’d been doing a computer course five years before, had struck up a friendship during the first lunch-break and had remained friends ever since. They were all totally different the extrovert and risque Maria, down-to-earth Vivienne and Annie, a quiet woman with a wry sense of humour yet they got on like a house on fire.

This place is lovely said Maria as she squeezed into the pew-style seat at their table and dumped a bulging suede handbag onto the seat beside

“And so’s the waiter” she whispered.

“Are we going to order or not?” Annie demanded ten minutes later, while Maria flirted with the waiter.

“I’m ravenous.”

“Sorry.” Maria said repentantly.

“He’s so cute. It’s a pity he’s so young. He’s just my type.”

On Vivienne’s advice, Aisling ordered the house speciality, Mezes, a selection of different types of Lebanese food.

“It sounds like lots of teeny-weeny dishes and you think you’ll still be hungry afterwards said Maria, ‘but wait until you see the amount you get. You’ll be stuffed.”

They ate char-grilled lamb, stuffed vine leaves and beautiful deep-fried goat’s cheese, and talked non-stop about what had happened to each of them over the past week.

As they chattered about everything under the sun, Aisling found herself joining in as if she’d known them all her life.

Funny, down-to-earth and warm, the three women were the sort of people you could tell anything to.

She found herself talking to them about her separation from Michael in a way she’d never been able to do with her sister, Sorcha. It was a relief to talk about how scared she’d been at the thought of going back to work after so long.

“I was terrified of you at first, Vivienne,” Aisling admitted, now knowing the other woman well enough to actually say it, “You poor thing,” Vivienne said apologetically. That was a dreadful day for me because Christine had been awake all night with a stomach bug and I hated leaving her with my mother that morning. I was a complete zombie with exhaustion.

It took me five minutes to hide the dark circles with concealer. And when I met you for the first time I thought you were just some bored well-heeled housewife amusing herself with a job … Oh, I’m sorry, Aisling, I really am.” She leaned over and patted Aisling’s arm.

“I’d always prided myself on not judging people until I knew them and I did just that with you.”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter now,” Aisling said sincerely.

“Look how good you’ve been to me since.”

“I should have told you about bloody Leo, that’s what Vivienne replied.

“I was thinking of how legally risky it would be to spread a rumour like that especially when I didn’t really have any proof, so I said nothing and you had to deal with the consequences.”

“That’s in the past, Viv. So let’s forget about it.” Aisling patted the other woman’s hand gently.

“You’re absolutely right, Aisling,” Maria said firmly.

“We’re not here to dredge up bad experiences. We’re here to have fun.” She lifted her glass for a toast and the others followed suit. To us and to fun!”

“Cheers!” the others said in unison.

Maria was separated and had two teenage children, a fact which amazed Aisling as the other woman only looked about thirty-two or three.

Thirty-three and a few months confirmed Maria, with a cheesy smile.

“Ninety-six months, actually. It’s my lifestyle, you see. Some people diet, drink lots of water and buy horrifically expensive moisturisers to stay young she confided to Aisling.

“Personally, I use the dairy chocolate bar method of staying young she continued.

“Eat lots of chocolate yes, you do put on weight, but you’re happy only use water for making tea, coffee or hot whiskies, go out with plenty of nice men and make sure you’ve got two mad young girls around the house.

That keeps me young.”

“Sounds like a great recipe Aisling said.

“How old are the girls?”

“Shelley was fifteen last month I can’t believe how fast she’s growing up exclaimed Maria.

“Lynsey is seventeen.

She’s doing her Leaving this year and Shelley’s doing her Group. The house is an exam time bomb waiting to go off. I’m afraid to have the telly up loud at night because they’re studying so hard.”

“You’re lucky they both want to study said Aisling.

“Shelley really looks up to Lynsey, she hero worships her explained Maria.

“Because Lynsey got the best Group Cert results in the school, Shelley wants to do the same, which is wonderful. I’m delighted.”

Annie was in her late thirties, was married to Greg, a carpenter, and had one little girl. She told Aisling that she’d been engaged for five years to her childhood sweetheart until she was twenty-nine when she

fell in love with a man she worked with. She left her fiance to move in with Greg and had never looked back.

“I know because of your experience, you probably think it’s a dreadful thing to do,” Annie said slowly, stirring sugar into her coffee.

“I was living with Ray for six years and I thought we’d get married and have kids eventually, you know, the whole nine yards. Then I met Greg and fell in love.” She paused for a moment, obviously thinking about him. Vivienne said she’d never seen a couple so incredibly in love. They hold hands when they walk,” Vivienne explained.

“How many couples do you know who do that after nine years together?”

“You don’t choose who you fall in love with,” continued Annie.

“It was so dreadful at the time of the breakup, but I’m so glad I did it. I’m so happy now,” she added.

“Annie is proof that true love exists,” remarked Vivienne, pouring the remains. of the third bottle of wine into their glasses.

“Well, you’re not doing too badly in the love department yourself,” Maria pointed out.

“I don’t know Vivienne said gloomily.

“I think Pat’s getting cold feet about the whole thing. We’re supposed to be going away next weekend and yesterday he phoned to say he might have to work on Saturday after all.” She took a gulp of wine.

“God, I’d love a cigarette. I always want to start smoking again when I’ve had a few glasses of wine.”

Vivienne was going out with a detective she’d met at a wedding ten months previously. Good-looking, kind, solvent and with a great sense of humour, he was almost too good to be true, Vivienne said. She kept waiting to discover some fatal flaw in him. Privately, Aisling thought Vivienne was probably right. What man didn’t have a fatal flaw?

“Pat’s job is hardly routine, Viv,” Annie said sensibly.

“He never knows what’s going to come up or when he has to work, so you can’t blame him for that.”

“And Christine loves him,” put in Maria.

“She may only be eight but she’s very clever, cleverer than her mother

when it comes to men!” She wagged a finger at Vivienne.

As the staff in Sinners seemed in no hurry to close the place up, the four women sat and talked until nearly one.

“Oh God, is that the time?” gasped Aisling, looking at her watch in alarm. The babysitter will go berserk. I didn’t mean to be home so late.”

“You need to get out, Aisling,” Vivienne said quietly.

“Otherwise you’ll go mad. Think of this evening as therapy. It’s more fun and much cheaper than Prozac!”

Aisling and Maria shared a taxi home. The other woman lived in Sandymount, which was on Aisling’s way home.

“You will come out with us again, won’t you?” asked Maria when the taxi pulled up outside a pretty terraced house in a quiet street.

“Of course, I’d love to,” answered Aisling warmly.

After her night out with Vivienne, Annie and Maria, all of whom obviously enjoyed her company, Aisling felt more confident about going to the Finucanes’ party. On Friday evening while the boys were watching TV, she tore her wardrobe apart looking for something that would live up to Fiona’s description of ‘red-hot’.

She found nothing. The evening clothes she’d worn for the past few years were generally size sixteen, black, navy or grey and all-encompassing to hide the tummy she hated and her fat thighs. All she found were long, A-line tunics, several sloppy jumpers and a pink silk over shirt that had always made her look like she was pregnant. Now that she fitted into a size twelve with ease, everything looked frumpy and far too big on her. There was nothing terribly sexy in the evening-clothes department apart from a black body with a low-cut neck.