‘Are you still seeing the mystery woman Finding Forever set you up with?’ Eddie’s eyes narrow a fraction and he rests an elbow on the table.
‘I certainly am.’ The smile on my lips stretches all the way to each ear. It’s great not to have to lie about that at least. Emma’s eyes continue to flick between Amy and me as if she’s trying to position all the pieces together but she’s missing some.
‘I want you to bring her to the wedding. I’m dying to meet her, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.’ Eddie’s eyes soften and turn to his fiancée at the mention of their big day.
‘I’ll do my best.’
‘And it’s not the only wedding you’ll need a plus-one for, what with Anit—’ The waitress arrives to take a drinks order and I’ve never been more grateful for the interruption.
For some reason I haven’t been able to bring myself to tell Amy about my ex and my brother. There’s a sense of personal shame surrounding the whole thing. It’s almost like I wasn’t enough for Anita, yet my big brother was. It feels like admitting an inadequacy.
Even though I’m far happier now, I don’t want Amy to pity me, or worse again – in a weird caveman-like way – view Luke as more masculine and find me lacking somehow. Amy’s family are so close, so united and loyal. The comparison is stark. Her sister would never step on her toes like that, of that I’m certain. What does it say about me when my family don’t view me with the same loyalty? That I’m not worthy of the same loyalty?
Then there was all the stupid shagging around after that, which I’d rather poke my own eyes out than admit to Amy, who is so good, and if not innocent, then pure. She has an unbelievably good heart.
I order a pint from the waitress and the others chip in with their requests. Thankfully, ordering drinks for twelve people is enough of a distraction to make Eddie forget the conversation he was about to start about the other wedding I might need a date for. Emma is less easily distracted, however, and continues to glance between us for the duration of the night.
By midnight we’re no closer to formulating any sort of plan. The only thing that has become clear is that Eddie and Emma want asten, instead of separate stag and hen do’s. At least it provides Amy and me another excuse to be seen together. We could probably knock a few public dinners out of the planning of it too, with justification. I want to bring her out, to wine and dine her and have her on my arm. She deserves to be spoiled not stashed away.
It would be great to get a dinner back at The Spicy Affair. The food was fabulous and I have a soft spot for the place since it was our first date. When I propose to her properly, I might even do it there. Because it is when, not if. I’ve never been more certain of anything. I can’t imagine my life without her in it.
‘We’ll share a taxi. We’re heading the same direction anyway,’ Eddie says to Amy, ruining my plans to bring her back to my place and devour her.
‘Actually, Geri text. She has a babysitter for the night so I’m going to meet her and Alex for a drink.’ Amy is one step ahead of the game, thank goodness. For a woman who claims she can’t say no, she’s starting to do a lot of it, in a roundabout sort of way.
‘Ok. Well, be careful. Tell Geri I say hi.’ Standing from the table, Eddie throws a hundred euro tip down and guides a slightly worse for wear Emma towards the door. The others have been leaving in dribs and drabs for the past hour. If anyone thinks it’s odd that Amy and I remain at the table finishing the last of the wine, they don’t comment.
The second it’s just the two of us, my hand finds Amy’s, fingers entwining with hers underneath the table.
‘So, a sten, hey. What do you think about that?’ My thumb brushes over the back of her hand.
‘It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. Those two can barely stand to be apart for more than thirty seconds. A bit of notice would have been nice though… where will we find availability for fifty people for a weekend in a five-star hotel, at this late stage? Because let’s be honest, we both know my sister-in-law has high standards.’
I know exactly where we’ll find a hotel like that. I practically own one. But do I want to bring the gang to Westport? Am I ready for that?
My phone buzzes on the table in front of us and both our eyes follow the sound. Anita’s name flashes up on the screen and I immediately cancel the call. Within seconds it’s ringing again.
‘Answer it if you like,’ Amy offers.
‘No.’ I cancel it again and switch it off.
‘So are you going to tell me who Anita is?’ Amy sits back in her chair and arches an eyebrow at me.
‘I told you already. She’s someone that I used to know.’
‘If she’s just somebody youusedto know, then why is she calling you at midnight? Is this some sort of booty call or something?’ Amy drops my hand as though it burnt her.
‘No, it’s not a booty call. She’s in Westport. Probably,’ I add as an afterthought.
‘You know your past is a little intriguing. It’s the biggest kept secret of the century. You’re the only one out of the entire team that the tabloids haven’t managed to spill some ink over the front pages on. You must be very good at hiding things.’ Her backhanded compliment hits the nerve that it’s supposed to.
‘Truthfully, there was nothing tabloid worthy about any of it.’ It’s not a lie.
‘Talk to me, Ollie. You say you love me, but you don’t trust me enough to open up about your past. It’s like there’s an entire side to you that I don’t know. You know pretty much everything about me.’ She takes my hand again, this time it’s she who runs her thumb over the back of my hand.
A heavy sigh whooshes from my chest. I hate talking about the past, because that’s what it is – the past. But despite having moved on herself, Anita still keeps calling me. ‘Anita was the one before you. The only one, until she wasn’t.’
‘Well that’s cryptic.’ Amy tuts.
