‘Mate, at this stage I just want it to happen without any more disasters.’
Neil held out his hand and Cammy shook it. ‘It’ll all be good. Like I said, don’t worry. Everything is going to be perfect and it’ll absolutely be a night you’ll never forget.’
Cammy didn’t doubt that. He just wanted to remember it for all the right reasons.
As they went back out into the afternoon chill, Cammy pulled out his mobile to call Lila again. He wasn’t surprised when it went to voicemail.
In the beginning they’d speak a dozen times a day on the phone. Now it was just a couple of actual conversations and a few chats with her answering machine, but that was understandable – she was packing in the clients to make sure she smashed her targets every month.
‘Hi, this is Lila. Leave a message…’ He hung up. He’d try her again later.
‘Right, mission command, what do we still have to do?’ he asked Val.
‘Just pick up your suit from the shop and that’s it,’ Val answered.
Josie interjected, her words dripping sarcasm. ‘Still think you should have organised a Red Arrow flyover. If I were Lila, I’d feel a bit short-changed to be honest.’
He laughed, despairing. ‘Josie, it’s at night. We wouldn’t be able to see a thing.’
‘Well I’ve got a pal in the ambulance helicopter. I could get him to fly past the window and flash his lights a couple of times.’
Cammy turned left and led the way. ‘Thanks, but we’re good. I’m beginning to wish I’d gone to work today and just asked her in the kitchen tonight with the ring pull off a can of Fosters.’
Val tried to console him. ‘I know it’s not going to plan, but nothing is irretrievably broken. And let’s face it, you’ve had enough disasters for the day, so that’s all the drama over and out of the way now. So let’s nip into the shop for ten minutes, get a cuppa and we’ll all be laughing about this in no time. From here on in, there will be no surprises or drama.’
‘What makes you so sure about that?’ Cammy asked, waiting for profound words, sincere reassurances, witters of wisdom.
‘I told you already – I can feel it in my water. You’ve got to be positive.’
Not exactly the deep, philosophical reply he’d hoped for. So far, the only thing he was positive about was that the day could only get better.
15
Bernadette
Sarah pulled out of Nina’s driveway, tooted the horn, waved, then as soon as they were out of sight, pulled over, parked and turned to Bernadette in the passenger seat.
‘I’m scared to ask, but you’re not a weeping mess, so I’m risking it. How did it go?’
‘She said she’s surprised I didn’t leave him years ago.’
‘You’re kidding!’
‘Nope. I always thought she worshipped the ground her dad walked on. I had no idea she saw the flaws in him. Turns out Kenneth told her Gerry wasn’t good enough for her.’
Sarah didn’t hide her outrage. ‘No way! Gerry is a lovely bloke! Och, yet another piece of evidence that you – no disrespect – married an arse. This isn’t a split, Bernie, it’s an escape from a dictatorship.’
Bernadette didn’t answer. Even now, she still found it difficult to criticise him to anyone, even her friend of many years.
How had she not known how Nina felt? Had she been in such a cloud of misery and fakery for all these years that she’d been totally unaware of what was really going on around her?
She checked the time. Just after 2 p.m. Stuart finished at lunchtime on a Friday and headed to the Mitchell Library to study and tie up all his assignments for the week – said that way he could relax and enjoy the weekend. He was a man of habit, like his father, but she hoped – today at least – that waswhere the similarities ended. He’d spent a lifetime trying to follow in his dad’s footsteps and now he was training to be a doctor, just like him.
‘How do you think Stuart will take it?’ Sarah asked, as if she was reading her mind.
Bernadette sighed. ‘I honestly don’t know. He respects his dad so much, and you know Stuart – he doesn’t like change or drama. Maybe I should have told him first and if he was too upset by it I could have changed my mind before I told Nina and…’
‘Stop,’ Sarah said, firmly but not unkindly. ‘Bernie, you’ve lived your whole life for other people – for the kids, for your mum and dad, for the cretin…’ They both let that hang, although it did lighten the moment. ‘…And now you need to live it for yourself. It doesn’t really matter if Stuart doesn’t approve, because he’s a grown man and he’ll get over it.’
