‘Fergus, ye stupid bollocks! I told you to call out an electrician and not be messing with it yourself. Now look at the state of theplace, and it’s getting feckin’ freezin’.’
Ally munched through her curry resolutely, glad at least that she’d chosen to wear the jumper and not something flimsy. There were times, she reflected, when a power cut could turn out to be sort of fun and exciting. This was really not one of those times. By ten past nine, she whispered to William that it was time she called an Uber.
‘Are you sure?’ said William, in a tone that meant: yes, good idea. He followed her out to the hall as they waited, while Ronan listed, at top volume, all the other times when Fergus had unsuccessfully tried to repair domestic appliances.
Ally found herself trying not to laugh. ‘We don’t have much luck, do we?’
‘It’s not usually like that, honestly .?.?.’ William began as they walked downstairs.
‘Only when I’m here.’ She laughed.
Just then her Uber pulled up and they had a brief kiss, which was really nice, she thought, although he hadn’t mentioned seeing her again. Actually, she felt quite serene about that, which meant her resolution must be working.
* * *
‘Well, was Fergus there?’ demanded Rosemarie, when Ally called her while still in the Uber.
‘He certainly was.’
‘And?’
‘He could definitely do with a steady woman .?.?. I’ll explain to you later.’
‘No, tell me now – how old is he?’
‘How the hell do I know .?.?. but he was drinking out of a Sagittarius mug .?.?.’
‘Jesus.?.?. you’re joking?’
‘Is that bad?’
‘It’sfabulous. Aries and Saggie are ideal. Wait! Let me read you this: “The most natural andpleasurablepairing in the zodiac. A dynamic duo”. OK, I’m supposed to be speedier and he’s supposed to be more philosophical .?.?. but, sure, what of it? Close enough.’
‘Except that .?.?. Rosemarie, I don’t know if the mug was even his – what if you’re ideally suited to someone else in the house?’
‘Did it take him a while to find it?’
‘Erm .?.?. yes.’
‘Then it was definitely his.’
Which was debatable. However, after the drama of the whole evening, Ally was more than happy to let it go. It did show once again, though, that, up close, other people’s lives weren’t as flawless as you might imagine.
* * *
Ally lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, feeling rather full, and thinking about William, his fresh face and friendly patient manner, and how she really did like him. She thought about the text from Francis, which she’d barely had time to think about, and wondered what he wanted to say to her – and of course, Pete, who hadn’t been in touch since the previous day. No matter how much she focused on bringing her attention back to the present, like her mindfulness app said, his silence still pained her.
How had her sister managed to find a happy relationship with Rob at twenty-five, seemingly effortlessly. She didn’t remember any big dramas between them. How did Damo apparently topple backwards into a woman who could balance out his flamboyantpersonality, so they both became the best version of themselves? Mum had only been twenty-two when Dad had literally hounded her to marry him.
And then there was herself. Well, maybe her function in the world was to balance out the howling successes of everyone else by being the ultimate Love Loser.
* * *
The following morning, in the light of Shower Wisdom, she recognised that this was nonsense, that Julia frequently rolled her eyes at Damo’s antics and Maeve really could’ve done with Rob being at home more often. Who knew the reality of other people’s lives? Remember your resolution, she told herself, detach from outcomes in the short term and do what’s right for yourself. Yeah! That’s why she was going back to her two-euros-above-minimum-wage job, plus a few quid in tips. Still, as she dressed in her baggy jeans, red top and chunky shoes, and tossed her hair around her face, she realised she felt .?.?. happy. She was actually looking forward to going to work.
She arrived at The Owl’s Nest at eight to an enthusiastic welcome from Evelyn and Dave.
‘Boy, are we glad to see you. Marco, the new guy, fell off his e-scooter on Tuesday, and ended up in A&E, so Evelyn and me have been holding it together since then.’
