‘What time are we eating?’
‘Let’s sort the girls out first, do their homework. Then we can set them up with a movie in the sitting room and have dinner together in peace.’ She winks at me and a flutter of love rips through my stomach.
How could I ever doubt her? Doubt us? Dinner together sounds like heaven. In fact, I always prefer dinner at home to dinner out together – usually dessert is so much sweeter at home.
The four of us sit at the dining room table to do the homework. Shelly helps Emily and I help Erin. When they’re finally showered and in their pyjamas, I set up a movie while Shelly sets the table for us.
Contentment floods through my veins, replacing the tension I’d unwittingly been holding. This is how it should be.
Shelly opens a bottle of red wine to serve with dinner, even though it’s only Tuesday. We’ve always agreed Italian food needs Italian wine. It’s no Uivo Vinhas Velhas, but it’s almost as lovely and a quarter of the price.
The September sun sets lower in the sky sending buttery beams through the huge corner windows. We sit facing each other at the huge cream table next to open sliding doors that overlook our spacious garden.
‘So, how was it, really?’ The wine served to relax me and I am genuinely interested.
‘Aisling Duffy was absolutely lovely. I knew she would be. I’ve got a feeling we could become great friends. PJ Maguire is about two foot shorter than he looks on his YouTube videos.’ She muffles a snort and takes a sip from her wine glass. ‘The producers were fine, Aaron was strict but Teddy is as cuddly and camp in real life as he is on TV. Given the newspaper reports, you probably won’t be surprised to hear Gemma Sloane wasn’t kind to either of us.’
My fork falls as my fist clenches with anger. Anger about whatever she said to upset my wife, not me. ‘What did she say?’
‘Nothing unexpected, I suppose.’ Shelly’s eyes flick to mine but she lowers them to her dinner equally as quickly, unable to maintain eye contact. Gemma must have hit a nerve.
‘Tell me.’ I take her hand across the table, outwardly calm yet silently seething inside. From the very first time I laid eyes on Shelly, I wanted to protect her forever. That feeling has increased tenfold over the years.
‘She said I was too old to be doing the show, and the only reason they picked me was because of who I’m “shagging”. Oh, and that you’re a “has-been”.’ Shelly makes the quotation marks with fingers that drip with diamonds – one for each anniversary and a separate trilogy eternity ring to mark the birth of our first child.
Outrage fills my core. I couldn’t give a fuck what she says about me, but how dare some little brat speak to my wife that way? The mother of my children. Shelly takes a huge sip from her wine glass and empathy floods through me.
I want her to beat Gemma, of course I do, but I also want my wife back as soon as possible, which leaves me torn between wanting her to be the best and wanting what’s best for me and the girls.
‘You know what you have to do, don’t you?’ I tell Shelly, as she glances at me quizzically. ‘You have to wipe the floor with her.’
