Prudence, p.14
Prudence, page 14
Milly nodded, peering up at me with those impossibly innocent blue eyes. “See you then, Derek.”
***
When I got home, I took Pablo out for a run along the beach. It was one of the few activities he was still prepared to do with me, and given he was a sixteen-year-old boy who much preferred his friends and video games to his dad, I took every opportunity I could to spend time with him. The good thing was he was fairly content with his life. He hadn’t gone through a depressive episode when his mother left like Gigi had, and that was a small mercy because I wasn’t sure I was equipped to deal with two children in crisis. We slowed down to a light jog at the end and talked a bit about what was going on with him before we reached the house.
While Pablo went to shower, I made a start on the garlic roast chicken I’d prepped earlier for dinner. I was just making a start on the vegetables when Gigi sauntered into the kitchen. She cast me a smile I recognised. It was syrupy sweet, normally indicating she was about to ask me for something.
“Dinner will be ready soon,” I told her as she slid onto a stool by the counter before placing both hands down on the table.
“Sooo …” she began, and there was an excited tremble in her voice.
I cast her an indulgent look. “So?”
“Purple Beatrice just added a last-minute date to their European tour. They’re coming to Dublin to play a show next month. Can you believe it?”
My chest warmed at her enthusiasm. It had been a while since I’d seen her this genuinely excited about anything. “So, you want me to buy you a ticket, then?”
“Yes, please, and can you get one for Deirdre, too? We want to go together.”
A smile tugged at my lips. I’d always planned on taking her to see her favourite band if they ever played a show in town, but Gigi clearly didn’t know that from the way she was nervously chewing at her fingernails.
“Of course, I’ll buy a ticket for both of you. When do they go on sale?”
“Tomorrow morning. But I have another request.”
“Oh?”
There was more nervous fingernail chewing before she blurted, “We want to go on our own, and I know you don’t normally let me go into the city unsupervised, but I’ll be with Deirdre. I’ll have my phone on me the entire time, so if anything happens, I’ll call you straight away.”
My smile faded. “You’re only fourteen, Gigi.”
“But Deirdre’s fifteen. Plus, she’s so tall everyone thinks she’s way older. And I’ll be fifteen, too, in six weeks.”
“That’s still not old enough to go into the city on your own, even if there are two of you, and even if you think Deirdre looks older, which I can assure she doesn’t.”
Gigi slumped where she sat, looking forlorn and possibly on the verge of throwing a tantrum. “I knew you’d ruin this. You’re way too overprotective.”
“I’m the exact right amount of protective,” I countered. “And you’re my daughter. I will always go out of my way to keep you safe.”
“I just want to go and have fun! I won’t be able to do that with you there.”
My cheeks twitched in amusement. “Well, that’s not at all hurtful.”
She pushed her lower lip out. “You know what I mean. Anyway, it’s not fair that you won’t let me go with Deirdre. Her mam’s already agreed to it.”
Now I stared at her. “Milly agreed to let Deirdre go to a concert in the city alone?”
Gigi held my gaze firmly. “Y-yes, because she’s a sane parent and not a paranoid, crazy, overprotective maniac like you are.”
I firmed my jaw. “Get me her number.”
“Whose number?”
“Deirdre’s mother’s. I’d like to speak to her about her careless decision-making,” I grunted as I went to grab my phone from where it sat next to the sink.
“Um, I don’t have it …”
“I’ll get it from Nuala, then.” I turned from the room, dialling my sister while Gigi called, “Wait, Dad, please don’t …”
I shut myself in my bedroom, and Nuala answered on the second ring. “Hey, bro. What’s up?”
“Can you send me Milly’s number? I need to discuss something important with her regarding our daughters.”
“Oh, no. You sound mad. Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. Will you send the number?”
“Only if you promise not to be a dick to Milly. She’s already mentioned you’ve been rude to her on more than one occasion.”
Fuck, why did that make me feel like the worst piece of shit in the world? Had I upset her that badly? The idea made my conscience pipe up. “Not being overtly friendly doesn’t mean I was rude, Nuala. Now, just send me her number.”
I hung up before she could berate me further, and a moment later, her text came through. I quickly programmed Milly’s number into my phone before I hit Call. She didn’t answer, and it went through to voicemail. I figured she might not answer since it was a strange number, so I sent a text.
Hi, it’s Derek. I need to talk to you about this concert the girls want to go to.
No sooner had I sent the text than my phone lit up with a return call.
“Hello, Derek? Sorry I didn’t answer. I never answer numbers I don’t recognise.”
“That’s fine. You’re right not to. There are a lot of scams out there.” A silence fell before I cleared my throat. Being on the phone with her had me feeling an emotion I couldn’t pin down. I’d just sat through an entire meditation class with her, but there was something intimate about speaking over the phone. “So, about this concert.”
“Right, Deirdre just told me about it, and I was looking up the venue. I don’t mind letting her go since they’ve never played a show here before.”
“And you’re okay with them going into the city alone?” I asked in disbelief. “Dublin isn’t a safe place for two young girls at night. I thought you’d have more sense than—”
“Hold on for a second,” she interrupted. “I didn’t say anything about them going alone.”
“But Gigi said …” My words fell off as I realised what was going on. My daughter had been trying to play me. “Okay, now I get what’s happening here.”
Milly was quiet a moment before guessing, “Did Gigi say I agreed to it to try and pressure you into saying yes?”
All I could manage was an irritated grunt of assertion as Milly gave a quiet laugh. “Oh, the wiles of teenage girls. A couple of years ago, the mother of one of Deirdre’s friends back in London and I discovered they’d lied to us about going to watch movies at each other’s houses. Instead, they’d taken the Tube to Leicester Square to visit M&M’s world. They were only thirteen. I nearly had a coronary. Thankfully, we were able to get to them before anything terrible happened.”
“Bloody hell, I would’ve grounded Gigi for a year if she’d done that.”
“Look, don’t be too hard on her about the concert. Deirdre is completely besotted with that band, too, and would do anything to see them live. It’s just the age they’re at. They don’t want their parents cramping their style. Anyway, I’m happy to go with them if you’re not up for it. I could just hang out at the back and watch over them from afar. That way, they can have fun without the burden of a parent watching their every move up close.”
I ran a hand over the scruff growing on my jaw. “That does sound like a better idea. I’ll buy the tickets.”
“Okay, sounds like a plan. I better go, but keep me posted.”
“Will do. Goodbye, Milly.”
“Bye, Derek.”
Slotting the phone into my back pocket, I returned to the kitchen and found Gigi sitting exactly where I left her, looking chagrined. “We’re not going to discuss the fact that you just lied to me, but don’t do it again.” Her face was etched in apology as she bobbed her head. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’ll buy the tickets tomorrow morning, and Deirdre’s mam is going to go with you—”
“Aw, but—”
“No ‘buts.’ She’ll stay at the back of the venue to keep an eye on you, but you’ll be able to go to the front and dance and sing to your heart’s content. Deal?”
Gigi exhaled heavily. “Fine, deal. Milly’s much cooler than you anyway,” she went on with a grin. “She’ll fit in better at the concert.”
A smile pulled at the corners of my lips, but I didn’t scold her for being cheeky. It was a natural part of her personality I hadn’t seen in a while, not since her mother had gone on tour. It was nice to see a glimmer of her old self coming back, even if she had lied to me. “Oh, it’s Milly, is it?”
“She told me I could call her Milly,” Gigi asserted. “Did you know she and Deirdre have different last names? Deirdre goes by Morgan-O’Shea, but her mam is just O’Shea. Her parents were never married.”
Well, that was interesting. I turned to take the chicken out of the oven. “And where’s her father now?” I asked casually. “Does she see him much?”
“He lives in London. Supposedly, he’s a surgeon and works all the time. They made an arrangement for Deirdre to stay with him during the summer and school holidays, but the rest of the year is spent with her mam.”
“And her dad’s okay with that?” I couldn’t imagine only seeing Gigi and Pablo during the summer and for a few measly school holidays. I’d miss them far too much.
“I don’t know. Deirdre seems fine with it, though,” Gigi replied while reaching for one of the grapes in the fruit bowl.
I wondered what the relationship was like between Milly and Deirdre’s father. Was it amicable or combative? I couldn’t imagine Milly actively keeping her daughter from seeing her dad, not unless he was an absolute scumbag, and I didn’t see her dating someone like that in the first place. She was too good a judge of character. Then again, people could pretend to be decent at the start of a relationship before their true colours showed.
Okay, I needed to quit obsessing over Milly and her ex. Why did I even need to know? It was none of my business.
The next few weeks passed, and I saw Milly every couple of days, either when dropping off or collecting Gigi, or at meditation class. Sometimes we’d even cross paths at the swimming pool. We managed to keep things cordial but distant. When the night of the Purple Beatrice concert arrived, Gigi skipped off in a band T-shirt and ripped jeans, her hair fashioned in what she informed me were called “Space Buns.” I gave her a hug, made sure she had money in case of an emergency and then off she went to meet Milly and Deirdre at the train station. They were taking public transport because it was easier than getting caught in evening traffic and having to locate a parking spot in a busy part of the city.
About two hours passed before my phone rang, and Milly’s name showed on the screen. They must’ve arrived at the venue, and I decided she was probably just checking in.
“Hello,” I answered before a stressed sounding Milly replied, “Derek, we have a little bit of a problem.”
14.
Milly
“What kind of a problem?” Derek’s low, rumbly response filled my ears while Deirdre and Gigi paced nervously at my side. I was pretty sure poor Gigi was on the verge of tears.
“Well, we just arrived at the venue, but they won’t admit us because the person who purchased the tickets needs to be present,” I explained. “I don’t know how we overlooked it. I’d literally pay for three more tickets at the booth right now if I could, but the show is completely sold out.”
“Bloody hell, okay,” Derek replied, and it sounded like he was moving around wherever he was. I heard the recognisable jangle of keys. “I’m on my way. How long until the show starts?”
“Twenty minutes, but there’s an opening act so I’m guessing we have a little under an hour before Purple Beatrice are on stage.”
“That should be just about enough time for me to get there. Stay put. I’ll meet you outside the venue.”
“All right, but don’t break any speed limits,” I replied, worried.
Derek gave a quiet chuckle. “I won’t. See you soon.”
“Thanks, Derek. You’re a life saver.”
I hung up and turned back to the girls. Deirdre wasn’t quite as bereft as Gigi since she’d already seen the band live twice, but it warmed my heart how she’d wrapped her arm around Gigi’s shoulders, quietly reassuring her. It was clear the girl had really been looking forward to the concert, and I berated myself for not foreseeing how this could happen. I mean, I knew of people who’d been caught out in this exact same situation, and it still hadn’t occurred to me. Gigi gave a small sniffle, and my heart went out to her.
Stepping close, I placed a hand softly on her arm. “Your dad’s on his way. He’ll be here by the time they go on stage. You won’t miss a single song. I promise.”
She blinked up at me, her wide brown eyes full of anxiety that she might not get a chance to see her favourite band live. I knew it was normal for a girl her age to get upset in a situation like this, but her distress struck me as intense. My words seemed to settle her somewhat, and she visibly began to calm down. To pass the time, I brought the girls to a nearby shop and bought them some drinks and chocolate bars to shore up their energy. I’d planned to take them for burgers after the show, but with the stress of being denied entry, they needed some sugar to calm their nerves.
We returned to the entrance to the theatre, and at long last, Derek arrived. I’d never been so happy to see him. He looked like he’d come straight from work, wearing dark slacks, a few buttons on his white shirt undone and the sleeves rolled up displaying a pair of indecently sexy forearms. On his wrist was an expensive-looking silver watch. I was distracted by his tan skin and sprinkling of dark arm hair while Gigi gushed, “Dad! You’re here! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Finally managing to drag my gaze away from his exposed arms, I dipped my head at him in hello before we all quickly hurried over to the usher manning the entrance. The queue from earlier was gone, with everyone inside watching the opening act. I could hear the upbeat pop music streaming out as Derek presented his ID with the tickets, and the guy quickly scanned them. Deirdre and Gigi immediately dashed through, heading for the stage while I turned back to Derek.
“It was so kind of you to rush in. I’m sorry if it put you out.”
“It didn’t. I was just leaving my office to head home for the evening when you called.”
“Still, thank you for coming. The girls were about to have a meltdown if they couldn’t get in to see the band.”
Derek’s gaze met mine, his focus roving over my long purple coat and navy wraparound dress. I wore a gold necklace with a circular pendant that sat in the centre of my modest cleavage. It seemed to momentarily distract him before he forced his eyes back to mine. A faint heat rose in my cheeks as I swallowed and tried to suppress the strange way he was suddenly making me feel.
Maybe it was just his forearms.
“Well, I’d better get in there,” I said, breaking the thick quiet before Derek placed his hand lightly on my shoulder.
“Wait a second.” He turned and walked back out onto the street. I watched as he approached a tout who was trying to flog overpriced tickets. They exchanged a few words, and then Derek was handing over a wad of cash. He waved the ticket at me as he returned to my side.
“Might as well stick around now that I’m here,” he said. “And this way, I can drive you all home when the show is over.”
I suppressed a smile. “I really don’t want to know how much money you just paid for that.”
“Too much,” he answered with a sigh before his hand moved to my lower back. I blinked as he showed his ticket to the same guy Gigi and Deirdre had just rushed past before ushering me in. Distracted by the heat of his hand even through the fabric of my clothing, I endeavoured to steady my breathing. I was also surprised that he’d bought a ticket and hadn’t opted to just go and wait in his car. These last few weeks, he’d gone out of his way not to spend any extended amount of time with me, but now he’d just paid over the odds to endure the entire duration of a pop concert in my presence?
“I’m sorry again for interrupting your evening like this,” I said to break the quiet between us. The venue was loud, so I had to go up on my tiptoes and shout into his ear to be heard.
“Not your fault. I should’ve read the terms and conditions on the tickets more closely. Admittedly, I’ve been so busy with work lately that it’s distracted me from other things.”
I nodded. That made sense. We were coming into the summer season, so I imagined his hotels were running at maximum capacity due to their popularity with wealthy tourists.
“Oh, I think I’ve spotted the girls,” I said, making out the backs of their heads not too far from the stage.
“Where?” Derek asked, his voice unexpectedly close. He’d bent down to speak to me over the music, his mouth near my ear. His breath washed over my skin, and the tiniest shudder went through me.
“Over there,” I answered, pointing, and Derek’s gaze followed before he nodded. “I’ve spotted them. I suppose we should hang back here so as not to ruin their night,” he went on with a hint of humour.
It was shocking to hear him almost make a joke since he was usually so grumpy and serious around me. I smiled at him. “Right, good idea.”
We stood close to one another as the opening act finished up, and then Purple Beatrice were finally taking to the stage. The excitement of the crowd was palpable, and a group of girls nearby hurried past us to try and get closer, knocking me into Derek in the process. His hands came to my waist to steady me as he glowered in the direction of the girls.
“Are you all right?” he asked, peering down at me in concern while I braced my palms against his chest for balance.
“I’m fine,” I replied with a quiet laugh. “I was bound to get a little jostled, especially since the building is teeming with overexcited teenagers.”
“Yeah,” Derek said. “They could use a lesson in manners, though.”
Something about the gruff statement had my stomach whirling. Derek’s strict, disapproving dad side was strangely appealing to me. He released me and stepped back, shoving his hands in his pockets as though annoyed that he’d had to touch me. But no, that couldn’t be it. If that were the case, then he never would’ve placed his hand at the small of my back earlier.
