Stand by Me (68 page)

Authors: Sheila O'Flanagan

Tags: #Fiction, #General

BOOK: Stand by Me

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How long? she wondered. How long before we’re back here and part of everything? How long before I become a glittering socialite again? How long before our lives are exactly as they were before?

But they would never be the way they were before. Too much had changed. And although it had been hard at first, there were lots of things about her life now that she liked. And very few about her old life that she missed.

She missed not having to think about money and using her credit cards without worrying, although she was used to it now and so perhaps it didn’t really matter much. She missed organising the fund-raising events, but if she was really honest with herself, she didn’t miss the events themselves. She missed feeling as though she was doing something useful for the charities, but she’d been involved with a number of Glenmallon’s charity golf outings and so she knew she was still doing her bit. And she was working hard too on the day-to-day part of her job. Which she liked very much.

She didn’t want to give up her job. Not that it was a prospect while Brendan was based in Dublin. But she knew that he was itching to get back to Cork. Of course she could always get another job if they moved. Brendan hadn’t wanted her to work before; not unless she had a little business of her own, he’d said. An antique shop. Or an art gallery. Something stylish and creative and appropriate. She wasn’t a stylish and creative person. Not really. She was someone who liked getting things done. Which was surely very appropriate.

‘Hi, Domino.’ Paddy O’Brien detached himself from a group of people near the buffet and came over to her. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m fine.’ Her eyes scanned the crowd to see where Brendan was now. Still talking to the same person, engrossed in their conversation.

‘Enjoying yourself?’

‘It’s a good event.’

‘That’s not what I asked you.’

‘I can’t honestly say I’m enjoying myself,’ she admitted. ‘It’s too difficult.’

‘Why? Are people giving you a hard time?’

She shook her head. ‘No. Not really. It’s just that I feel out of place.’

‘Why did you come?’

‘Because we were invited. I don’t know how that happened. I didn’t think anyone knew our address.’

‘It’s my fault,’ said Paddy.

‘Yours?’ She looked at him in astonishment.

‘The organisers asked me. They thought that as I’d bought your house, I might have a forwarding address for you in Dublin.’

‘Oh.’

He grinned at her. ‘They didn’t know that I’d actually been there.’

‘No,’ she agreed. ‘I guess not.’

‘They don’t know that we have a secret past.’

She laughed. ‘We don’t have a secret past.’

‘We’ve gone out to dinner together,’ he protested. ‘And nobody spotted us.’

‘It’s hardly a secret past, though.’

‘Pity. I liked the sound of it.’

‘Actually I quite like the sound of it too.’

She saw Brendan look across the room at her and a frown cross his face.

‘I’ve missed seeing you,’ said Paddy. ‘But I guess you and your husband have patched up your differences, which is probably a good thing.’

‘We didn’t have any differences,’ Dominique told him. ‘He walked out on me. That’s not a difference. That’s a course of action.’

‘Right.’ Paddy looked surprised. ‘But now he’s back and you’re here with him.’

‘The invitation was to both of us,’ said Dominique.

Brendan walked over to them.

‘Hello again,’ he said.

‘Hello.’ Paddy extended his hand. ‘Paddy O’Brien.’

‘Yes,’ said Brendan. ‘I know who you are. You bought my house, didn’t you?’

‘I did,’ said Paddy. ‘A lovely house, and I’m sorry about the circumstances.’

‘But the house wasn’t enough. You were seeing my wife too. Trying to move in on all my assets, were you?’

‘Brendan!’ Dominique sounded annoyed.

‘Domino and I became friendly,’ said Paddy. ‘That’s all.’

‘She threw a party for you.’

‘It’s what she’s good at. So she said when she offered to organise it.’

The two men looked at each other.

‘Well, thanks for taking care of her.’ Brendan put his hand on Dominique’s back. ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘I want you to meet Timmy Gannon. He’s going to captain the team next year and he’s great fun.’

‘See you, Domino,’ said Paddy as Brendan ushered her away.

They moved to the other side of the room and Brendan looked at her.

‘Well?’ he said.

‘Well what?’

‘Is he the real reason I’ve been frozen out of the bedroom?’

‘Of course not!’ she said, her voice low. ‘I told you already. He’s a nice guy, that’s all.’

‘All the time I was away,’ Brendan told her, ‘I worried about you. I felt terrible about what I’d done. I was working hard to sort things out. But lately I’m beginning to wonder if I needed to worry at all. You seem to have been perfectly all right on your own.’

‘Don’t start,’ she said. ‘You know you’re talking bullshit.’

He stared at her. ‘Am I?’

‘Of course you are,’ she replied. ‘I met Paddy O’Brien at Atlantic View one day and he was nice to me. And then I bumped into him at the golf club where I was working, and yes, we had a couple of drinks together but that’s all. I like him, but there’s no huge relationship. I was too busy keeping it all together to have huge relationships, Brendan.’

‘I just don’t like seeing guys who think they can muscle in on my territory.’

‘He doesn’t think anything of the sort. And I’m not your damn territory!’ Dominique’s voice rose.

‘OK, OK.’ Brendan knew he’d overstepped the mark.

Dominique said nothing for a moment, and then told him she was going up to the room to fix her make-up.

‘All right,’ he said. ‘But Domino ...’

‘Yes?’

‘I want it to be right between us again. Tonight. I’m back and I’ve paid my dues and I want us to get back to the way we were. I deserve that.’

She nodded slowly.

‘There’s more,’ he said.

‘What?’

‘Funds I had overseas have been released. It was a sub-account of another account. Difficult to access. But I heard today. Not a huge amount by our previous standards. Around a hundred thousand.’

‘Brendan!’

‘And because all of the settlements are made, it’s our money. So it gives us a bit of comfort now. You don’t have to worry quite so much. Plus, I think I’ve got a deal from tonight too. I’m back, and so are you.’

‘You’re unsinkable, you know that, don’t you?’

She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. Then she turned away and walked towards the stairs.

She sat on the edge of the bed, staring straight in front of her, remembering the important moments in her life and how she’d dealt with them. Not always well. Not always badly. But never actually realising at the time just how important they really were.

Was tonight important? She thought it must be. Brendan’s revelations about the money and the job changed everything once again. She knew how she felt about it, but she didn’t know if she could trust her own judgement any more.

She took out her phone and sent a text to Kelly, who phoned her in reply.

‘You all right, Mum?’

‘Oh, yes,’ said Dominique quickly. ‘I was just wondering what you were doing later. I wondered if you’d like to have a coffee with me as I’m in Cork?’

‘I’m out with Charlie,’ said Kelly doubtfully. ‘I thought you’d be too busy tonight to meet up. Are you sure everything’s OK?’

‘Absolutely,’ Dominique said. ‘I’m just taking a bit of time out. Not used to wearing my high heels so much again.’

Kelly laughed.

‘How’s Dad?’ she asked.

‘Back in his element,’ said Dominique. ‘Meeting everyone, chatting away, not a bother on him.’

‘You can’t put him down, can you?’ asked Kelly.

‘No. But that’s a good thing.’

‘I love both of you,’ Kelly said. ‘Always. No matter what.’

‘And both of us will always love you,’ Dominique replied. ‘No matter what. Now go on, enjoy the rest of your night. Tell Charlie I said hello.’

‘Will do. See you soon. Take care, Mum.’

Dominique slid her phone closed and replaced it in her bag. She was glad that Kelly was happy. She knew that both the time when Brendan had disappeared and the manner of his return had been as difficult for her daughter as it had been for her, and she was proud of how Kelly had handled it. She was a strong girl, thought Dominique. She would be a strong woman.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She’d made a good job of it tonight, she thought. The Chanel dress, even without the diamonds around her neck, had been the perfect thing to wear. She’d looked elegant and unflappable. She’d behaved in an elegant and unflappable way too, even though most of the time her heart had been racing and she’d been shaking with nerves. She’d done what she had to do. She’d supported her husband.

And Brendan had worked the crowd as he’d always done so that it had eventually seemed perfectly natural that they were both there together again. The problems of the past year were history. He’d bounced back and he’d somehow managed to retrieve some of his money too. She wondered when he’d heard about that. And why he’d waited until this evening to tell her. But that was his way. Keeping his cards close to his chest. She might have been involved in helping with the court case, but he was beginning to move on again. Which was a good thing, especially as everyone now seemed willing to forgive him. And embrace her.

She stayed looking in the mirror for a moment, then she slowly pulled the pins from her hair so that it fell softly around her face. The headache that had been threatening for some time began to ease almost at once. She let out a long, slow breath and closed her eyes. She sat in silence, sifting through the memories of the last year, remembering how tough it had been but reminding herself that she’d come through it.

No matter how awful things are, she thought as she opened her eyes again, the world keeps turning and a new day comes around. And somehow we keep going. I keep going. And I do OK.

She stood up. She took off her jacket and her dress and slid out of her high-heeled shoes, wriggling her toes, which had been squashed by the narrow fit. She went to the wardrobe and took out the jeans, jumper and loafers she’d worn for the drive down. She put them on, then went downstairs again. She could hear the buzz and the chatter coming from the function room as she crossed the wide hallway and walked out of the hotel.

She strode purposefully across the car park, opening her bag as she walked. As always, her keys were at the bottom, beneath her purse, her phone and a packet of tissues. She pulled them free and put them in the lock.

‘Domino.’

She turned around.

‘Paddy.’

‘What are you doing out here?’

She stood with the keys in her hand and looked at him.

‘It looks like you’re leaving,’ he said.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I am.’

‘Why are you going?’

She shrugged.

‘There isn’t any trouble, is there? Between you and Brendan?’