Authors: Sinéad Moriarty
H
arry droned
on and on about investments, stocks rising, blue-chip companies, commodities … I sipped my wine and looked around the restaurant.
‘Julie?’
‘What?’
‘Have you been listening to a word I’ve said?’ Harry asked.
‘Honestly? No. I’m sorry, Harry, but all you talk about is money. When we had none I hated talking about it, and now that we have a lot, I still don’t want to talk about it. I feel that money has had a stranglehold on us for ever, whether we were poor or rich. Can we please talk about something else?’
‘I just want to keep you in the loop about our investments, but if you really aren’t interested, I won’t bother.’
Harry was grumpy with me because I’d forced him to cancel a dinner with Donald to go for dinner with Sophie and Andrew. Sophie seemed really smitten and I wanted to be supportive. I was interested to meet Andrew, too. It had been just a few weeks, but Sophie talked about him constantly.
‘Look, Harry, I trust you with our finances. I know you’ll do the best for our family. I’m confident you’ll be careful with the money. When we had none, I spent a lot of time budgeting and worrying, so I just want to enjoy not having to stress about it now. OK?’
Harry folded his napkin. ‘Fair enough. I just don’t want to end up like Sophie and Jack.’
‘We won’t, because you’re not a risk-taker. I’m sure all your investments are very solid and secure.’
Harry looked affronted. ‘I take risks sometimes.’
I snorted. ‘When?’
‘That time I went surfing.’
‘Harry, it was ten years ago and you lasted five minutes. Come on, you’re not someone who likes danger and I’m glad of that.’
‘But you’re saying I’m dull.’
‘No, I’m not. I’m saying you’re sensible, which is a good thing.’
‘Would you prefer if I went out and bought a Lamborghini and a speed boat?’
‘No. I’d prefer you not to play golf all weekend. I’m always on my own and I hate it. It’s bad enough being alone all week – the weekends should be precious. You need to spend more time at home with me and the boys.’
‘The golf pro said I need to play in weekend tournaments to get my handicap down. Besides, I’m going to the boys’ rugby with you tomorrow.’
‘Big deal. You played golf all last weekend and you’re playing all day Sunday. And you’re always having dinner at the club with Donald or one of the other men you think are so great.’
‘I’m enjoying it. I thought you’d be pleased that I’ve found a sport I like to play. You used to say I needed a hobby.’
‘Yes, but not one that takes over your life. Why can’t you play tennis for an hour instead of golf for a whole day?’
‘Why don’t you take it up too? We could play together.’
I sighed. I didn’t want to join his stupid golf club. I didn’t want to have to make a huge effort getting to know lots of new women, who probably wouldn’t like me anyway. I could think of nothing worse than being stuck for four hours smacking a small ball into bushes while making conversation with strangers. It was bad enough having to go to Castle Academy every day and see all those mothers who avoided me. My confidence had been knocked badly since the concert. I was completely paranoid about all the parents thinking we were dragging down the school’s name and trying to get the triplets kicked out.
After the concert Harry and I had had a huge argument. I wanted to take the triplets out immediately. I didn’t want them to stay in a school where the parents were so snobby. But he had dug his heels in because, despite the rudeness of some of the parents, the triplets were happy and thriving. He refused even to consider moving them.
I’d felt better after we’d received their report cards. They were, for the first time ever, really good. The boys had never had good reports before. The teachers in Castle Academy, who were mostly young males, seemed to ‘get’ them. They understood boys. They knew how to channel their endless energy. Harry was probably right: there was no point moving them now that they were settled and doing well, no matter how awful some of the parents were. I’d just have to ‘suck it up’.
Harry was particularly impressed with the comments from the rugby coach, who said he thought the triplets were ‘extremely talented’ and had ‘high hopes’ for their future in the sport. Harry was a huge rugby fan and, although he had never been good at it himself, he was very keen for the boys to play and was thrilled that they had impressed the coach already. I was just hoping they’d be good at rugby because I knew all the practice would tire them out.
Harry’s phone rang. ‘Sorry, I need to take this. It’s Donald about our game on Sunday.’ He stood up and walked outside to talk to his new best friend.
I sighed, sipped my wine, then took out my own phone and sent Dan a text:
How u?
A message came straight back:
Was just thinking about you! Saw movie last night with a young Juliette Binoche. She reminds me of you. Very sexy!
I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and a thrill in my stomach. I bent my head and typed,
Not so sexy any more
.
He came straight back:
Bet u are!
Well …
Harry came back to the table and sat down. ‘Who are you texting?’ he asked.
I quickly put my phone away. ‘Just Sophie,’ I lied. ‘She said she’s sorry she’s late and she’s only a minute away.’
‘How’s her romance going?’ Harry asked.
‘Really well. She’s a new woman,’ I told him. ‘It’s so lovely to see her happy again. It’s very early days, but this guy has already given her confidence such a boost. I hope it works out. She’s had a tough time.’
‘Well, that’s what you get for marrying a tosser.’
‘Jack wasn’t that bad.’
Harry raised an eyebrow. ‘He was incredibly arrogant.’
He had never liked Jack. To be honest, none of us had. He was so flash with his money, always buying bigger cars and fancier holidays … There was nothing subtle about Jack. But Sophie had bought into the lifestyle. She loved it too. She had been hard to relate to then. Louise and I had definitely drifted away from her. All she ever talked about was shopping and fashion, jewellery and beauty treatments. She had become very caught up in her moneyed life and rather shallow. We all preferred the new Sophie. She was so much more open, honest and kind.
When we had come into money I had worried that I might end up losing the run of myself and turn into a superficial ‘lady who lunches’ too. But when I’d voiced my worries to Marian, she roared laughing, and said, ‘Sorry, Julie, but you just wouldn’t fit in. Those ladies wouldn’t have you. You’re not glamorous or phoney enough. They don’t spend weeks making Death Eater costumes for Hallowe’en like you. They don’t read the sports section of the paper like you do so that you can chat to the boys about football. You’re never going to be one of them, so stop worrying about it.’
Marian, as usual, had been blunt but right. I would never fit in with Sophie’s old crowd of socialites, as I had found out at Castle Academy, and didn’t want to. They were not my type of people. Marian was my type and she was completely bonkers.
‘
Hiiiii
,’ Sophie trilled, rushing in and kissing me and Harry on the cheek. ‘This is Andrew,’ she said, introducing a tall, attractive man in his mid-forties.
Andrew reminded me a bit of Jack. He had the look of someone who spent just a little too much time getting dressed. His shirt was clearly tailor-made, his trousers were a perfect fit, his hair looked like he’d just stepped out of a salon. He had a big gold Rolex watch and veneered teeth. He was exactly Sophie’s type. I couldn’t help feeling a stab of disappointment. I had hoped the new Sophie would go for someone different.
They sat down and we ordered some food. Sophie kept touching Andrew’s arm and laughing far too loudly at everything he said. He really wasn’t that funny.
‘So, Andrew, Sophie tells me you have two daughters,’ I said.
‘That’s right. Kate is fifteen and Amber is thirteen. I can tell you, the teenage years are a nightmare.’
‘Oh, God, don’t say that. The boys are a handful as it is,’ Harry said.
‘Sophie told me you have triplets and then another boy.’
‘Yes, we’re a testosterone-fuelled household.’ I smiled.
‘I’d love a son. Girls are a bloody headache.’
‘Well, they can certainly be tricky,’ Sophie said.
‘I sent my two to boarding-school this year. They need a firm hand. My ex has no sense. She just gives them whatever they want. They were turning into spoilt brats, so I put my foot down.’
‘Do they like it?’ I asked.
He grinned. ‘They hate it, but they’ll get used to it. I went to boarding-school. It makes you grow up and be independent.’
The waitress came back with our main courses. I noticed Andrew glancing at her legs a little too closely. He caught me watching him and, instead of being embarrassed, he winked at me. ‘I’m a sucker for legs. Luckily, Sophie’s got a great pair.’ He reached down and rubbed Sophie’s thigh. She giggled and leant in to kiss him.
I looked at Harry, who subtly raised an eyebrow.
‘So, Harry, what do you do? Sophie told me you came into a pile of money recently.’
Harry’s fork froze mid-air. He coughed. ‘Well, my aunt kindly left us some. But I work in IT for the county council.’
‘A civil servant!’ Andrew snorted. ‘So you’re one of those guys who gets ten weeks’ holidays a year and works three hours a day.’
Harry bristled. ‘Not quite.’
‘What do you do, Andrew?’ I asked, changing the subject before Harry poked him in the eye with his fork.
He sat back in his chair and, in a very bad attempt at modesty, proclaimed, ‘Oh, I’m just a cog in the Style Central wheel. Isn’t that right, Sophie?’
Sophie punched his arm playfully. ‘Andrew is the financial controller of Style Central.’
Andrew shrugged. ‘Well, I do my bit.’
God, he was annoying.
Sophie babbled on: ‘He’s amazing with people as well as figures. Everyone in the company loves him.’
‘Your sister is easily impressed.’ Andrew chuckled.
‘Yes, she is,’ I said, irritated by him.
‘No, I’m not.’ Sophie frowned at me. ‘I just know a great man when I meet one.’
‘What about Sophie here?’ Andrew said. ‘Partner in her own business. Gorgeous and smart. Killer combination, don’t you think, Harry?’
Harry, who had been checking his phone under the table, looked up. ‘What? Oh, yes, Sophie’s great.’
‘And hot.’ Andrew nuzzled her neck. When he came up for air, he turned back to me. ‘What do you do, Julie? Are you one of those domestic goddesses?’
Harry snorted into his wine.
‘I’m a full-time mum,’ I said. I hated saying it. Even though it was true, even though I chose to be at home, even though I knew there was nothing wrong with it, I always cringed when I said it. It sounded so lame and utterly underachieving. When I’d worked for the newspaper I’d been able to say I was a columnist, which I’d loved. It had made me feel less insignificant, but now I had nothing to offer. ‘I’m a full-time mum’ translated socially as ‘I do nothing, I’m boring and uninteresting. Run away from me now before my dullness rubs off on you.’ Saying it made me feel useless and ashamed. I knew it didn’t make sense, but that was how I felt.
‘Good for you. We need more of those,’ Andrew said, patting my arm. I thought briefly about stabbing his hand with my knife but managed to control the urge. ‘Stay-at-home mums are unsung heroes. Looking after children is such a hard job. I really admire you, Julie. We guys don’t appreciate all that you do. Am I right, Harry?’
‘Uhm … yes, I suppose so,’ Harry said, and tugged his earlobe. It was our secret SOS sign to each other. Harry wanted to get the bill and go. He wasn’t alone.
He pretended to go to the Gents and discreetly paid so we could get the hell out of there.
Andrew’s phone rang. It was the James Bond theme tune. I tried not to laugh. ‘Hello?’ he bellowed. ‘Speaking … Oh, hello, John. Can you hold on just one minute?’ Turning to Sophie and me, he said, ‘Sorry, lovely ladies, I have to take this. It’s the CEO of Style Central. He needs some advice. You know how it is, never off the clock.’
‘You never stop,’ Sophie told him.
‘Back in a minute. Don’t go anywhere, gorgeous. The night is young.’ Andrew squeezed Sophie’s thigh yet again, then got up and went to the foyer, where we could still hear him talking loudly into the phone.
‘So?’ Sophie looked at me excitedly. ‘What do you think? Isn’t he wonderful?’
‘Yes … Well, he’s very self-assured and he seems keen on you.’
‘I know.’ Sophie sighed, like a cartoon princess. ‘I really think this is it, Julie. He’s the one. I’d completely given up hope. I never thought I’d be lucky in love again, but he’s perfect.’
‘Just be careful, Sophie, it’s very early in the relationship. Take it slowly.’
She smiled. ‘Julie, when you know, you know. Andrew is the one.’
I didn’t know what else to say. How could I protect her without hurting her? If I told her what I really thought of Andrew, she’d hate me.
‘Sophie, all I want is for you to be happy, but please don’t jump in feet first. Take your time with Andrew, there’s no rush. Get to know him properly before deciding he’s the one.’
Sophie squeezed my hand. ‘You don’t have to worry about me any more. I’ve found the perfect man. I’m really happy for the first time in years.’
‘
W
hat a complete tosser
,’ Harry said, rinsing his toothbrush.
I sighed. ‘I know, but she’s in love.’
‘She needs someone nice and decent. Why does she always go for these idiots?’
‘She likes confident, flashy guys.’
‘She’s far too good for him.’ Harry switched off the bathroom light and climbed into bed.
I lay down beside him. ‘You’re right, but I have to admit Sophie is happier than I’ve seen her in years. Maybe he’s not as bad as he seems. Maybe he just gives a very bad first impression.’ I was trying to convince myself more than anything.
Harry turned off his bedside lamp. ‘I don’t have much confidence that Andrew’s going to grow on anyone. The man is obsessed with himself.’