“I know,” she said. “And the owners have asked me to come up with a theme for its décor. This will be the first time I’ve done a hotel.”
“Where do you start?”
“Initially with the bathrooms. I’ve passed some ideas over already. There are twenty-two rooms, all of which are ensuite, three of which could be made into luxury suites. I’ve got the plans but I need to walk through the building before I put together some proposals for the investors,” she said, her head turning behind us as the roar of a car engine grew in volume. “That’s Jon and his new toy.”
A Porsche pulled up, the top down and Jon leered over at us. “Hello, Sunshine,” he said, getting out.
I fought the urge to hit him.
Or scratch the paintwork of his car.
“You didn’t tell me you were bringing your lawyer.” He eyeballed me. “I was hoping we could get something to eat together afterwards, if that’s okay. You know, then we can discuss the plans for this place and have some time to chat.”
“No can do, I’m afraid,” I said, putting my hand on the small of Ava’s back. I knew it was like I was pissing to mark my territory but the guy needed to realise she wasn’t interested. “We’re off to Padella for dinner.”
He tipped his head to one side and looked at Ava. “Really?”
She nodded and smiled. “We are. So if we can have a look around and I can take a few pictures?”
Jon nodded. “Sure. Whatever.”
Jon was clearly pissed off by the fact I was there, saying very little as we walked through the building. I could see that Ava was enchanted by it, making suggestions as we went into room after room. She already knew the area and its history and seemed to be contemplating themes to do with the Thames and the boats that were displayed nearby. She talked of using some of the artefacts that the mudlarks discovered and driftwood sculptures, as well as having a nautical theme running through.
“I’ll send you and the investors a couple of different proposals around bathroom fittings when I get back. You said they wanted high spec?”
Jon nodded. “Yes. They want to meet you too, to discuss it in person, so if you can make yourself available one evening…”
“No can do. I’m keeping business hours from now on,” she said. “I can make a lunch though if you give me a date and place.”
“Hmmm,” Jon said. “That might not work out so well in the future. I need more flexibility than just lunches to be able to accommodate you around my schedule. Have a think. I’m sure it will be worth your while in the long run to make an exception.” He gave her a wide grin. “Have a good dinner.”
He locked the doors behind us and paced to his car, driving off noisily.
“He’s a tool,” I said. “And, if I’m honest, I don’t want you to be on your own with him. Is there any scope for you bringing Cat or Davina with you when you meet him?”
“Remember what part of my business is, Eli,” she said. “I work with bigger idiots than him every day.”
“I know. I know you can handle yourself, but I really don’t trust him at all,” I turned round to face her. “He’s got a foot and five stone on you. If he tries anything you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
She laughed. “He’s not going to do anything. He just likes to get his own way. Let’s go and have dinner. I’m starving.”
I followed her, not saying any more but still having reservations about the architect and a niggle that just wouldn’t go away.
July was warm, a couple of days the temperature even broke records. The Thames ran low and a hose pipe ban was issued in the south. Ava continued to stay at mine and our evenings were taken up with sitting on the veranda drinking iced tea and beers and trying to keep cool. We didn’t talk about us or about her moving out. Instead we laughed and teased and spent the nights fucking like teenagers and then opening he windows as wide as we could as my apartment didn’t have air con. I wasn’t sure if we’d ever get tired of each other; there was something so easy about the way we were, but never boring.
She and Claire had spent several hours combing through online records and even visiting a couple of churches to find out more about Mary Ada O’Brien and her parents. Claire had a slight obsession with family history and knew her way round the ancestry sites; looking into James and Kathleen had given her something else to do when Eliza was sleeping or playing by herself and the two of them had traced James and Kathleen to a town in Ireland an hour’s drive south of Dublin and not that far from where Killian’s parents were now living.
It was Killian’s father’s birthday and Claire had invited Ava and me to go with them to Ireland to celebrate, and to go to the village which was called Enniskerry with the plan of going into the local pub and seeing if anyone remembered Mary Ada. I hadn’t visited anywhere in Ireland outside of Dublin before and like the rest of the Callaghans, I was intrigued to find out more about the baby born in the secret room.
Killian’s brother, Nick, met us at the airport. He and Katie, plus his twin daughters, had already been over there for a week.
“Good flight?” he said, as we piled into the people carrier that Nick had hired. “How did Eliza go on?”
“She cried at take-off and when we landed, but other than that she was good,” Claire said. “Which is better than I can say for Killian.”
“Yeah, there was a reason I joined the marines and not the Air Force,” Killian muttered, his eyes on his daughter. “Where are the twins?”
“With Katie. Having a tea party,” Nick said, driving away from the airport. “We keep asking them what they want to call their sister when she’s here. So far we’ve got Ermintrude Tabitha Clover.”
