‘What about Julie?’
‘Julie?’ He frowned.
‘That’s who you went to meet that night we went to the Abbey, right?’
‘Yes? I told you that, didn’t I? She’s just a mate.’
‘Sophie seemed to think she was more than that.’ Sam’s mouth was gaping open and he looked so completely stunned, Sive felt sorry for him. ‘She said it was one of the reasons you split up.’ She sighed. ‘Look, I know Julie’s married and you can’t help who you have feelings for. I get it if you’re trying to move on. That’s great. But you can’t do that with me. I need someone who’s all in.’
‘You think I’m having an affair with Julie?’ Sam said slowly, looking dazed.
‘Sophie told me you were. And maybe it’s over now, but—’
‘Why on earth would Sophie say that? She actually told you that I cheated on her with Julie?’
Sive thought back to what Sophie had said and realised she hadn’t – at least, not in so many words. ‘Well … not exactly. But she said she had to play second fiddle to her all the time, and that you’d go running whenever she called – like you did when we were out that night. And she said that you only see her when her husband’s out of town.’
‘Wow!’ Sam pinched the bridge of his nose, blinking dazedly. ‘Okay, there is absolutely nothing going on between me and Julie, and never has been. She’s married – happily – and she’s just a friend. Sophie knows this.’
‘So how come I’ve never heard about her more?’ Sive asked. ‘I believe you,’ she added hastily. ‘But I never hear of you hanging out with her.’
‘She’s not that kind of friend. She’s someone I know from Gamblers Anonymous. I’ve been … helping her, I guess. Trying to, anyway.’
‘You’re like her sponsor?’
‘Yeah. She’s still struggling with the programme and she finds it hard when her husband’s away. He’s supportive, but he travels a lot for work – not so much now, but he used to. That’swhat happened that night we were out. She was having a bit of a crisis. She’s had a couple of relapses before when he was away – though nothing like as many as Sophie would have you believe. That running out on her to meet Julie happened precisely twice, and she never let me forget it.’
‘Did she know who Julie was?’
Sam took a sip of tea and nodded. ‘Yeah.’
‘So she knew there was nothing to worry about. That you were just helping out a friend in trouble.’
Sam shrugged. ‘She still resented it. She thought she should be my only focus.’
Sive sighed. ‘God, I feel awful now for accusing you of having an affair.’ She reached across the table, relieved when Sam took her offered hand. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘It’s fine.’ He smiled. ‘I can imagine how Sophie made it sound. But Julie had nothing to do with me and her breaking up. That was all about me not having any money.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘It was the one good thing that came out of my gambling, because that would have been adisaster.’
‘It’s an ill wind. And just so you know, I’d never resent you helping out a friend in need. I love that about you. And I’m not that sort of girlfriend.’
Sam smiled. ‘I know you’re not.’
‘You know, I think Ben and I would have been a disaster too,’ she said musingly. ‘Not in the same way.’ She smiled. ‘I think we’d always have been nice to each other … kind, you know. And it would have been fine in its way … as long as we didn’t know any better.’
A smug grin spread across Sam’s face. ‘And now you know better?’
‘Now I know so much better.’
26
‘Ok,Ben’s coming to drinks tomorrow morning,’ Sive told her sisters on Christmas Eve when they were all in the kitchen prepping food for the following day. Sive and Mimi had come straight from the matinee ofA Christmas Caroland got stuck into helping Aoife, who had already spent the morning making canapes for the drinks party. Trays of filo cups and bruschetta were cooling on the worktop awaiting toppings and fillings.
‘You invited Ben?’ Mimi asked, aghast.
‘Yes, I did, and he accepted. So I want you to be nice to him.’ She pinned Mimi with a look.
Mimi frowned. ‘Really?’ She raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘You want us to be nice to the guy who cheated on you and left youliterallyholding the baby?’
