What the actual…?Surely Cherry had told him this was not happening. But for Sean to demur this second very public invitation would be churlish – even if he evidentlywasn’t being asked to join them this time, because he’d be busy at the “care home ceilidh”.
Turning to Cherry, he saw the faltering in her eyes. Campbell had caught her off guard, too. Sean softened his expression, letting her know she didn’t have to do this – the extra money wasn’t important.
‘It’s very generous of you, Campbell,’ Sean said, ‘but we couldn’t ask you to donate all that money. It’s too much. Your presence here is enough.’ That would hopefully keep him quiet.
But Campbell was one step ahead.
‘Och, that’s a shame. The charity will be disappointed. I called them, you see, and had a good chat about what that money could do. An awful lot, as it turns out. They’re very excited.’
You gallus wee fucker.Sean was furious at being backed into a corner like this, but he would not put Cherry in a compromising position, no matter whether Campbell had talked to the charity or not.
‘I’m sorry, Campbell,’ he began.
But Cherry cut in.
‘Maybe we need to rethink, Seany? It’s super generous of Campbell. And the charity would really benefit from that money. Think of all the lives it could help – people like your dad.’ She smiled a little too sweetly.
‘Aye, such a good cause, such a good cause.’ Campbell nodded reverently. ‘Motor Neurone Disease ravages so many lives. So sorry about your father. I enjoy a wee dram of his whisky.’
Sean was at sixes and sevens. First there was Cherry pretending she was up for this, and then his dad thrown into the mix by Campbell.
Dad, if you’re up there, make this shit be over, for the love of God.
He took Cherry to the side and spoke to her in hushed tones. ‘Cher, you said you didn’t want to go to dinner. What’s going on?’
‘I know.’ She stood on her tiptoes and adjusted the collar of his shirt in a way that was far too sexy for optimum concentration levels. ‘But I won’t let that amount of money go by, not when I know how much it means to you. You get that, right?’
‘Aye.’ What else could he say? Well, probably a lot if she hadn’t been working her fingers over his collar like she was about to undress him.
‘By all means, press for more, though.’ Cherry winked a heavily mascaraed, glittering eye at him.
Fuck. How can one eye be so seductive? But she has a point.
Sean turned to Campbell, the words spilling out of his mouth before he could stop them. ‘How much was it again?’ he asked. ‘£500K?’
Campbell laughed, but Sean held fast to gravitas. He had one chance, and he would not back down. If this man wanted to fly his wife to Edinburgh in a helicopter, and she was willing, he could cough up to charity. Big style.
‘Aye, okay, you could be right.’ Campbell leaned on his crutch and appeared to think. ‘Maybe I did say £500k. And you and Cherry can take a bit off that for yourselves. You know, for “painting the nursery” or whatever.’ He nodded sagely at Sean as if they were sharing some sort of secret.
What the actual fuck?
“Painting the nursery”? What the hell had Cherry said to him? It sounded very much like she’d told him about theirmarriage hanging in the balance. Quite how much she’d revealed was uncertain, but Sean already knew it was too much. Even when he’d spoken to Jamie, he at least tried to keep things as coded as possible. And Jamie was his brother; he could be trusted, implicitly.
‘We’re fine, thanks, Campbell. But I’m sure the charity will appreciate the money. I don’t see why you shouldn’t go out for dinner with Cherry, as long as Cherry’s fine with it.’ He could barely look at her, so seeing her flying off in a helicopter might be a good thing. ‘I would come, but old Agnes Anderson has me booked for the Gay Gordons at the care home every Friday night.’ Sean hoped Cherry noticed he hadn’t called her ‘my wife’. He was not in the mood. The money for charity would be good – he’d be a fool not to take it – but it felt weirdly like she’d been spilling about their private life to Campbell, who seemed completely indiscreet.
He caught her eye and, funnily enough, she tried to smile, but she would not be getting one back from him after that.
‘Now we’ve got that sorted, I think I need a drink.’ Oblivious to the tension he’d caused, Campbell scanned the room. For him, being half a million quid lighter was like a normal person emptying their pocket of a spare tissue. ‘Where can I get a whisky sour around here? Can Jamie get one for me? Jamie!’ Campbell raised his arm like he was calling a waiter, and Jamie, who was standing near the bar, saw but simply waved in return.
Sean leashed back the amusement that threatened to burst out. Campbell and Connor were staying at Jamie’s house, so Jamie would have the measure of him.
‘Jamie’s not here to wait on us, bud,’ Connor interjected. ‘Plus, you’re already off yourchops on pain meds, so I don’t think a drink is a good idea if you want to get past the first table. And lunchtime.’
‘That is a fair point,’ Campbell conceded.
At least Connor seemed to have him under control, and perhaps Campbell’s terrible judgement could in part be explained by pain medication.
As for Cherry, he wondered what her excuse was.
