I waited for the punch line.
‘I mean, do you even own a pair of wellies?’ She threw her head back, dissolving into cackling laughter, and gestured towards my beautiful gold high heels. ‘Those heels are going to sink into the first pile of cow shit you trip across honey. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!’
I couldn’t help but laugh. It was kind of funny.
‘Have you ever even been to a farm?’ Ruth teased. ‘You know it’s full of animals that stink of shit and demand more care than a new born baby? And just when you finally form some sort of bond – boom! They’re taken away and carved up for dinner!’
Wow, Ruth wasn’t painting a pretty picture at all. A sliver of alarm ripped through me. I’d never thought about it that way, but then I was a total hypocrite because I wasn’t exactly a vegetarian. I simply chose not to think about where the food on my plate came from.
‘Do you even know what slurry is? Never mindSex in the City, it will beTreks in the Shitty!’ Clara cried.
‘And there’s no Harvey Nichols, Lucy. So I don’t know what you’re going to do with yourself for the entire weekend,’ Ruth added.
‘Ooh, I’m sure lover boy will have thought up a few activities to entertain her. She’s about to find out if the rug matches the carpet!’ Clara slapped her thigh in glee.
I couldn’t help but laugh along with them. It was funny. I had no idea what to expect, and I hadn’t had time to think about the specifics of it yet. Only that I desperately wanted to see him.
‘What will I pack?’ I asked them with a frown.
‘The sexiest underwear you own and make sure it’s green to match your new Hunters!’ Clara screamed, releasing another huge belly laugh.
The laughter helped the tension of the last few weeks evaporate further.
It would take a long time to let it all go fully, to forgive myself for my own failures.
But that’s exactly what I planned on doing.
Chapter Fifteen
SATURDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER 2012
The Aer Lingus flight touched down in Knock Airport at lunch time. John said I was the only woman in the world could describe a plane landing in a manner that was explicit. He must have had sex on the brain.
I did too.
I wondered, increasingly so, what it would be like. I hadn’t been with many men and was slightly concerned about my lack of experience and, let’s be honest, complete lack of interest in that department until recently.
And what woman was one hundred percent confident in her own body, regardless of what size she was or how much weight she’d lost?
It had been a fast week getting organised; waxing, nails, hair. I bought eight sets of new underwear (none of which were green, coincidently), three jumper dresses that could be dressed up or dressed down as necessary, a little black dress, two new pairs of jeans, a short-sleeved crisp-white shirt and four new vest tops.
It was partly for John’s benefit but more so for myself. I needed to feel good. Out with the old and in with the new.
Knock was the tiniest airport I’d seen in my entire life.
John waited, hands folded across his chest in anticipation as I breezed through passport control. It was so surreal. I’d spent every minute of the day wishing for this, and here we were. Me separated, only weeks away from an official divorce and him still interested, despite the complications.
He was still as strikingly understated as ever, dressed in light blue jeans and a grey hoody.
‘I see you dressed appropriately for the occasion.’ John kissed me full on the mouth this time. My stomach flipped as he took a step backwards, taking in my white jeans and gold stilettos. He shook his head, laughing.
‘You realise I live on a farm?’ he asked.
‘Yes, but you don’t sleep in the barn, do you?’ I answered sharply, stirring a hearty laugh from him.
‘Put your claws away, girl, I’m only saying you look fantastic, if a little impractical.’
‘I thought I was coming to visit, not to do the farming for you,’ I said with a helpless shrug.
