Ally felt herself flush at the mention of Pete, but Dave was far too upset to notice. God, or whoever it was, seemed to have a plan that involved Pete renovating the building so they’d be flatmates. What would that be like? Something in her leaped with excitement. Could it actually work? She was being offered a perfect solution to her apartment crisis, so why did the whole thing feel about as stressful as the night before the Leaving Cert? Because she’d already decided on a plan – a plausible, family-approved plan – and now it was being thrown into chaos.
Quite apart from that, Dave was facing a major life crisis and needed friends. It was hardly the moment to walk out on him.
* * *
‘Why in the name of Holy Saint Joseph would I want a pair of red wetsuit boots for Christmas?’
Ally had managed to avoid any in-depth conversations until her coffee break.
‘I don’t know, Rosemarie, you’re the only person I know with the same size feet as me. Look, what am I going to do? My life has become unmanageable. I’ve just been offered everything that I want, all at once, and now I think my head is going to explode.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘Mum’s got me an interview for a job at Maeve’s friend’s firm.’
‘OK. So?’
‘And William came round last night and we ended up snogging.’
‘Stop,’ she shrieked. ‘Marks out of ten?’
‘Five. But that’s just because he was worried and tense that he might have caused his friends to get a criminal record. He’s very loyal.’
‘Tongues?’
‘More .?.?. teeth.’
‘Meh, it happens. What then?’
‘He’s invited me wall climbing.’ She allowed herself the teeniest white lie.
‘Are you insane? Have you forgotten you’ve the worst head for heights of anyone I’ve ever met? You have to sit down on escalators .?.?. you topple off bar stools.’
‘Well, thanks for the encouragement.’
‘So, what’s the bit that you’re not telling me?’
For some reason, she felt anxious talking to Rosemarie about The Owl’s Nest.
‘I was going to tell them that I might be leaving but .?.?. Dave’s baby is being born tonight, far too early, and I just feel .?.?. awful for them .?.?. and I just wish I could do something to help. He says he really values me and that we can renovate upstairs and live there for free.’
‘Wait, wait, wait. We?’
‘With .?.?. Pete, obviously.’
There was a moment’s silence while she heard Rosemarie take a pull on her vape.
‘Take my advice. Do nothing. Say nothing. Keep your head down. Meet me at six in Los Banditos.’
* * *
Los Banditos seemed to be working on the basis of Christmas Lite. There were a number of grimly stoic Santas stationed in each of the windows and a yellowish snowman slumped by the cash register, while the staff were still wearing their obligatory sombreros and trailing round listlessly taking orders. Still, it was a brave effort, and in her current state of mind, Ally was filled with sympathy for anyone’s attempts at doing life. She decided to order a margarita instead of her usual Aperol spritz, on the basis that the latter had revealed itself as a Cursed Cocktail as far as she was concerned, so any change must be an improvement.
Just then Rosemarie strolled in, apparently unaware that the world was in a tailspin.
‘A sex on the beach, please, and a bowl of nachos,’ she drawled.
‘No nachos for me, thanks, I’m too stressed to eat.’
