Mother of the Bride (27 page)

‘Sure.' Amy smiled, trying to hide her annoyance that the night at the cinema she had planned with Jess and Tara to see the new Jennifer Aniston chick flick would have to be postponed.

‘Good. I'm glad that I can rely on you.' Norah beamed, turning back to her computer.

Amy was just sitting back at her own desk when she got another text message.

Maybe it was Daniel! Disappointed, she realized it was only Matt. Matt, undaunted, was texting her again and again. How long could she keep this up, ignoring him and treating him like he'd once treated her? Why hadn't Daniel phoned or texted her? He was the one she wanted to hear from. Turning back to work, she tossed her phone into her handbag.

She was working on her laptop at the kitchen table when Matt called again.

‘Don't hang up on me, Amy,' he pleaded. ‘I just want to talk to you.'

Saving her work, she gave in and found herself laughing as he told her of his visits to some of the old places they used to frequent.

‘Bewley's is a bloody fancy pasta restaurant now!' he complained. ‘You can't get even a sticky bun or a slice of coffee cake there any more.'

‘Things change,' she teased, ‘nothing stays the same; besides, they do a great spinach fettuccine and seafood tagliatelle there now.'

‘Then will you join me for a bite to eat there tomorrow?' he begged. ‘And we can go for a drink after?'

She froze, wondering was she mad to be even speaking to him, let alone considering meeting him? He guessed her hesitation.

‘Come on, Amy, for old time's sake,' he cajoled. ‘We used to be best mates, you and I, or have you forgotten that?'

She hadn't forgotten it, the friendship and the fun and the romantic whirlwind that ensued when she was with Matt. She remembered the minute they had met and started dating in college, and all the highs and lows of their relationship. She had missed him so much when he had gone to Australia, and had been bereft without him. She had started saving madly for the airfare to go and join him, until she'd discovered that she did not figure at all in his plans for his down-under odyssey! So she had been sensible, and listened to her mum and dad and Jess and the girls, and got a grip, and in time gotten over him.

That was ancient history because then, almost two years later, Daniel had come along, and she had realized what love really was. Matt wasn't a patch on Daniel, but Matt was the one texting her now, and what was the harm of seeing him before he went back to Australia?

‘OK, OK,' she gave in. ‘I'll meet you.'

‘Are you gone mad?' raved Jess when she told her. Jess had already bitten the head off her for going to Freddy's with Matt the previous weekend.

‘Don't you know what a conniving cheat he is? How do you know he's divorced? I wouldn't believe a word he says. He's a charming bastard, and he's probably left that poor wife of his back in Australia. Keep away from him, Amy. Don't you think that you have enough on your plate without getting involved with him again?'

‘I'm not involved,' she argued hotly. ‘Honestly, I'm not.'

Jess flounced out of the room and disappeared up to her bedroom.

Amy sighed to herself. Jess was the best in the world, but she was definitely beginning to feel that she was outstaying her welcome. She had to find somewhere of her own to live. Jess was smothering her.

‘Hey!' Matt grinned, gesturing to her from a quiet table under the stained-glass windows near the back of Café Bar Deli.

Amy slid on to the seat across from him. The large noisy city-centre restaurant was busy. It was certainly not a place for a quiet intimate romantic dinner, but that was fine by her.

The waitress took their orders, and she giggled as Matt filled her in on his attempts to connect with old friends.

‘Do you remember DJ? He's married to a dragon of a girl. They have two kids and he's living in a shoebox of a house up in Sandyford. When I met him the other night he was literally crying into his pint.'

Poor girl! thought Amy, remembering what an obnoxious creep Matt's friend had been, always full of his own importance and bragging about his job in IT.

They were easy with each other through dinner, and Amy relaxed. She remembered that Matt had always been good company, as he regaled her with stories about Australia.

‘I've told you loads about Oz and breaking up with Libby,' he said softly as they ordered coffee. ‘And you have barely mentioned anything about you and your Daniel.'

Amy took a deep breath and began to tell him about the collapse of her engagement.

The humiliation and embarrassment of cancelling the wedding, and the no-man's-land situation that she now found herself in.

‘I honestly don't know where I stand any more with Daniel,' she confessed.

When Matt reached for her hand and held it, she was overwhelmed with gratitude at the fact that he had simply listened.

Finishing up in the café they paid the bill and went for a walk. It was mild outside and they fell into step together, Matt with his head bent listening to her as she talked and talked.

‘Come on, let me buy you a drink,' he insisted.

They walked up towards Baggot Street and sat in Doheny and Nesbitt until closing time, talking and talking. Amy was glad of his company and reminded just why she had always found him so attractive.

‘Can we do this again?' he asked as the two of them shared a cab. It had started to drizzle.

‘Of course.' She'd laughed, unable to stop herself enjoying the sensation of being held in his arms as they drove along towards the canal.

Matt didn't hide his disappointment when the taxi stopped outside Jess's place and she made it quite clear that she wasn't inviting him in.

‘I'll call you,' he promised, kissing her goodnight briefly.

Amy was relieved that she didn't have her own place, as she would have been sorely tempted to prolong the evening and ask him in for coffee.

The light was still on in the sitting room, and Jess was waiting up for her, pretending to watch TV in her dressing gown and fluffy pink slippers, a big mug of coffee at her side.

Amy made a mug of decaf for herself and sat on the sofa near her. Poor Jess, to be so worried about her. Honestly, you'd think Matt was some kind of axe murderer the way that she was going on.

‘What happened?' Jess asked.

‘Nothing,' Amy protested. ‘We had dinner. I had the creamy chicken and pasta. And then we went for a drink in Doheny and Nesbitt.'

‘Nothing?'

‘Absolutely nothing! We talked. I told him about Dan and he was very understanding.'

‘I'd say he was! Amy, please be careful!' Jess warned. ‘Matt still has a hold on you. You know what he's like.'

‘Matt's an old friend.' Amy blushed. ‘That's all. It's nice to catch up with him before he goes back to Australia.'

‘Sure,' harrumphed Jess disapprovingly. ‘But just be careful about falling for him again.'

‘Jess, how can you say that?' Amy protested. ‘Falling for him doesn't come into it. I'm in love with Daniel, you know that.'

Jess took a slow sip of her coffee and said nothing as Amy checked her phone again. Not even one word of a message from Daniel. What was she going to do?

Jess came home from work and cooked dinner quickly. Amy and herself had managed to get tickets for the production of a new Roddy Doyle play in the Abbey, and had agreed to eat and then get a bus into the city.

Where the hell was Amy? At this rate they'd be late! She hated getting to the theatre after it started and disrupting everyone in their seats, or having to stand in the back row until the interval. She'd give Amy a piece of her mind when she saw her. She tried to text and phone Amy again, but her phone was off.

She went upstairs to get ready and glanced inside Amy's room. She couldn't believe it when she saw that Amy's pink and grey patterned suitcase, which was usually flung on the floor in her spare bedroom, was missing. She didn't mean to be nosy but even at a glance she could see that Amy's hair straightener and make-up and wash bag were also missing. Flummoxed, she sat on the bed. Amy had made no mention of going away for a night or two. The rest of her clothes still hung in the wardrobe, the floor was covered in her shoes, and her expensive Mulberry handbag was sitting on the dressing table, so it wasn't like she had decided to move out!

Maybe she had gone home. Jess punched the O'Connors' number
into the phone but there was no reply there. She tried Tara and Aisling and Sarah, but none of the girls had heard from Amy or had a clue where she was. She even sent Dan a text. Maybe Amy had gone back to the apartment.

Dan phoned her immediately. ‘Jess, is Amy OK?' he asked, his voice filled with concern.

‘Everything's fine,' she lied. ‘I was just wondering where she was. I think she's actually gone to Tara's. Sorry to have hassled you.'

‘Jess, thanks for being such a good friend to her at the moment. I know how much support you've been to her, and I really appreciate you letting her live with you,' he said. ‘This has been an awful time, but I know we'll get through it . . . we still love each other and that's what matters.'

As she was listening to Dan Jess got a sudden appalling feeling that maybe Amy had arranged to see Matt. Shit! Don't say she was with him!

Jess hadn't Matt's number, but she did know where his family lived, and a quick call to directory enquiries put her through to Marie Kerrigan's home in Clontarf.

‘Hi, Mrs Kerrigan, is Matt there?' she asked. ‘I'm a friend of his.'

‘I'm sorry, dear, but Matt's not here,' replied his mother. ‘Do you want to leave a message and I'll tell him when he gets back?'

‘Gets back?'

‘Yes, dear. Matt's gone down the country for a night or two with a friend.'

Jess almost dropped the phone. Surely Amy wasn't stupid enough to go off with Matt? Shit! She had to stop her from destroying her life with someone like that!

‘If I want to contact him, do you know where he's staying, by any chance?' she probed.

‘Well, Matt didn't actually say, but I know it's one of those big hotels in Kilkenny.'

‘Thanks,' Jess said, almost dropping the phone as she considered what to do.

1. She could stay here and do nothing and go to see the play on her own.

2. She could try to do something to stop her best friend making the biggest mistake of her life!

There was no contest. She had to interfere for Amy's own good! Anyone with eyes in their head could see Amy and Dan were meant for each other and that it was just a matter of time before they both got sensible and got back together. Matt Kerrigan turning up like a proverbial bad penny could ruin everything, and Jess Kilroy had no intention of letting that happen.

She dialled the O'Connors again to make sure that Amy hadn't just gone home for a few nights. She let the phone ring and ring and eventually Ciara answered it.

‘Ciara, it's Jess,' she shouted. ‘Is Amy there?'

‘Don't think so.'

‘Can you go and check?' she demanded. ‘Go and see if she's left her pink case there, or moved stuff into her old bedroom?'

‘What?' Ciara sounded peeved that she had to go and do anything.

‘For heaven's sake, Ciara, will you run up and check Amy's bedroom!'

Ciara sounded half-asleep and Jess could imagine her slowly walking up the stairs.

‘Hurry up,' she yelled down the line.

‘She's not here,' Ciara said, puzzled. ‘Mum and Dad are gone to Cork for the night for Auntie Sinead's sixtieth birthday party, so there's no one here except me and the dog.'

‘Shit!' Jess couldn't disguise the mounting sense of panic in her voice.

‘What's wrong?' asked Ciara. ‘What's the matter?'

Jess hadn't intended to, but she found herself telling Ciara all
about her concerns for her sister and Matt Kerrigan.

‘Matt Kerrigan's back? I don't believe it!'

‘He's back in Dublin and Amy's already met up with him a few times.'

‘Feck! I don't believe Amy'd be so stupid as to give that wanker the time of day!'

‘Well, they've had dinner twice and he's always texting her,' informed Jess. ‘Also, I know for definite that he's gone away for a couple of nights, and I'm really worried because Amy's not answering her phone, and her case is missing, and her make-up bag.'

‘Double feck!' said Ciara succinctly, summing up the situation. ‘Where are they?'

‘I think that the two of them are in Kilkenny,' said Jess firmly. ‘I'm not going to let Amy make a fool of herself with Matt again and screw things up with Dan!'

‘But what can we do?' Ciara grasped the urgency of the situation, too.

‘Stop her,' said Jess firmly, making a decision. ‘She's not answering her phone but they are only in Kilkenny, it's not that far away. I'm going to drive down and try and get her to see sense.'

‘Can I come, too?' asked Ciara.

‘Sure. I'll collect you in about fifteen minutes, so be ready!'

Jess was glad that Ciara had agreed to come with her. Heaven knows what kind of reception they'd get from Amy. It was only because she cared so much for her best friend that she was prepared to do this and intervene. Amy might never speak to her again, but she had to somehow try and stop her making such a catastrophic mistake!

Ciara, in black jeans and a T-shirt and grey hoodie, was ready. Jess chatted to her about college and discovered that her friend's sister was a lot more interesting than Amy usually let on. Ciara was studying Philosophy and Classical Studies at UCD, and despite appearances seemed to be a good student.

‘Sometimes I feel my brain is going to burst with all the thoughts and ideas that fill it!' she confided. ‘It's kind of weird, as I expected to hate college. I detest all that D4 snobby crowd that always hang out in the canteen, but the rest of the students are OK. I'm in an experimental dance group, and at the moment we are working on a piece about global warming and its effect on mankind. We have rehearsals all week in college and hope to perform it in about a month's time.'