Prudence, p.16
Prudence, page 16
“Okay, thanks, Paddy. You’re a life saver,” Derek said as he got off the phone.
“Was that a plumber?” I asked, hopeful.
Derek shook his head. “He’s a contractor I know who’s done some work on the hotels. It’s not just a plumber you’ll need. Replacing the ballcock is the easy part. It’s the water damage that’s the biggest problem. The walls and floors will need to be examined and possibly even replaced, depending on the level of damage. It could take up to a week or more to repair, but in the meantime, it’s not safe for you and Deirdre to stay here. There’s a danger of the ceilings falling through. Can you stay with your parents for a few days?”
I shook my head as my stress levels rose. “They downsized a couple of years ago, and their spare bedroom is basically used as storage space. I don’t think it even has a bed.”
“What about Tara or Nuala? I’ll call my sister now. She has a spare bedroom,” Derek suggested.
“Nuala has two cats, and Deirdre’s fiercely allergic. Tara’s apartment is only a one bedroom, but don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”
“You’ll stay at the hotel, then,” Derek said, catching me off guard. “I’ll arrange for a room.”
He looked like he was about to make another phone call when I reached out and grabbed his wrist. At my touch, Derek glanced down at me, his look questioning as heat seeped from his skin into mine. I dropped my hand and cleared my throat. “That’s not necessary. You’ve already helped enough. I can find a hotel room myself.”
“Not nearby, you won’t. There’s a big golfing tournament this week, and most hotels will be booked out.”
Oh, well, that complicated matters. I really didn’t want to lean on Derek to take care of this entire situation, but he was standing in front of me, so capable and full of solutions, and I found myself relenting. “Okay, then, but make sure it’s just a basic room. Deirdre and I can share a double bed. We don’t need anything luxurious.”
Something in his expression softened as he stared down at me. “I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, pack a bag with everything you might need. Be quick about it, and don’t go into the bathroom or kitchen. It’s not safe.”
Deirdre’s bedroom door opened, and Gigi emerged, looking tired. “Dad, what’s going on?”
“You might have to miss tennis this morning, honey,” he said.
“Oh, no,” Gigi responded, her eyes sparkling as she clearly tried to disguise her glee. The tennis lessons must’ve been something she’d asked for and subsequently wanted to drop, but her dad refused to let her. I’d been there with Deirdre a couple times, namely when she was determined to attend ballet for which I’d had to pay a few hundred pounds for the outfit and lessons, and after two weeks, she’d promptly decided it wasn’t for her anymore.
Deirdre emerged then, and I quickly explained about the leak and that we’d be staying at the hotel for a few days. My daughter didn’t appear too upset when she heard where we’d be staying. The Balfe Hotels were notoriously fancy, and even though I’d insisted on a basic room, I wondered if they even had any rooms like that.
Derek went downstairs to examine more of the damage in the kitchen while I hustled Deirdre into her room to pack a bag, as well as everything she might need for school on Monday. When we were finished packing, Derek was still in the kitchen, quietly grumbling to himself.
“Who exactly did you buy this house from?” he asked, annoyed.
“Oh, um, Ian and Susan Doyle were the couple’s names. Why?”
“Just wanted to check if it was anyone I knew so I could give them a piece of my mind. I’ve been examining your plumbing system, and it doesn’t look like much of it’s been updated or worked on in over thirty years. Your taps are so worn they could snap off in my hand, and don’t even get me started on the boiler. I’m fairly sure they don’t even make that model anymore.”
“I was aware that the house was going to require some work before I bought it. I was planning to make a start on hiring contractors this month. The leak has forced me to start a little earlier is all.”
“These things should’ve been repaired before the sale went through,” he continued to grumble.
“Hey, you don’t need to be mad on my behalf. I knew about the issues with the place. Honestly, I had difficulty even getting this house and was outbid several times before the sellers finally accepted my offer.” I realised too late that I should have kept my mouth shut because he seemed even more furious, a blood vessel pumping in his neck.
“I can’t believe …” he began but then caught himself as he raked a hand through his hair, like every new piece of information I offered just stressed him out even more. Exhaling heavily, he continued, “There’s a room ready for you at the hotel. Just go straight to the reception desk and give your name. They’ll sort you out. If you could let me have your keys, I’ll give them to Paddy when he and his team arrive. That way, they can do the repair work without you needing to be here to let them in and out every day. I’ll make sure they clean up after themselves when they’re done.”
“All right, if you’re sure they’re trustworthy?” I said as I dug for my keys in my handbag.
“I wouldn’t let them anywhere near your house if they weren’t,” he responded, and the fervency in his voice took me by surprise. Honestly, after the last few weeks of Derek acting like I was an inconvenient presence in his life, it was jarring that he was helping me out like this. It reminded me of how he was when we were younger, always there when I needed him. I took comfort from it even though I was confused by the change. Maybe I’d somehow proved I deserved a little of the friendship we’d once shared. He was shedding some of his armour, showing me a glimpse of his old self, and I couldn’t deny the warm tingles I felt every time he cast me a glance, his gaze no longer hard but filled with something softer.
“Okay, well, here you go,” I handed over the keys and felt a tiny jolt of awareness when Derek’s fingers briefly touched mine. That same transfer of heat from earlier made my stomach flutter.
Lowering my hand, I continued to grapple with the fluttery sensation in my stomach and went to tell Deirdre that it was time to leave. I wasn’t used to a man like Derek taking charge of household emergencies. Colin and I had never lived together, and though I’d had sleepovers with my previous partners, I hadn’t actually experienced living with a man before. It was tough with Deirdre because I had to be so sure about someone before I fully let them into our lives, and I’d never managed to get to that point of trust.
“Thank you,” I said to Derek when he grabbed our bags and carried them out to my car. Gigi decided that she’d come to the hotel with us so she and Deirdre could hang out for a few more hours. It appeared that the post-concert blues had started to kick in, and the both of them were consumed with discussing when Purple Beatrice might come do a show here again.
When we got to the hotel, the receptionist handed me a key to a room on the top floor. The location should’ve tipped me off right away, but I was too busy talking to my mam on the phone and rearranging the dinner I’d planned to host tomorrow evening. We’d have to have it at theirs instead.
“Oh, my goodness!” I heard Deirdre exclaim when we stepped into the room and discovered it wasn’t a room but an entire suite and, by the looks of it, one of the fanciest they had.
“This is the Talbot suite,” Gigi said, confirming my suspicions. “It’s the largest in the entire hotel.”
“Look at the view,” Deirdre went on as she hurried over to the window. “You can see the sea from here.”
Immediately, I pulled out my phone to text Derek.
Me: You’ve put us in the largest suite in the entire hotel. I said a basic room would do.
His reply came several minutes later.
Derek: All the smaller rooms are booked for the golf tournament. The suite is the only one free at the moment.
Me: This is too much. Surely there’s something smaller available.
Derek: Quit stressing and enjoy the space. I’ll stop by later to let you know how much the repair work is going to cost.
Maybe he was right. I should just enjoy the luxury, especially since there was a large home repair bill coming my way. The sea view was especially beautiful, but I just didn’t want to feel like I was taking advantage of his kindness. Deirdre was already unpacking in one of the rooms, so I took the other one. A little while later, I told Deirdre I’d bring back something for a late lunch and left her and Gigi to hang out while I went for a walk on the beach.
Approaching the elevator, I hit the button for the ground floor. The doors opened, and I stepped inside, stopping a few floors down to let another person on. As the doors slid open and I saw it was Derek’s father who was waiting to get on, my heart gave a swift, nervous thud. I’d always been awkward around Padraig Balfe, and it didn’t look like that was going to change any time soon. I found it difficult to be cordial with the man who was accountable for the worst period of my aunt’s life. Still, I managed to paste on a tight smile.
“Hello,” I greeted as he stepped into the lift.
“Ah, Milly, isn’t it?” he replied with a kind, wrinkly eyed expression. “You were at my wife’s birthday party a few weeks ago.”
“That’s right,” I replied tightly, nervously clasping my hands together.
A few moments of tense silence passed when Padraig said, “What brings you to—” Before he could finish the sentence, we’d reached the ground floor, and the doors opened. I quickly stepped off, not making eye contact as I lied, “It was nice to see you again.”
I swiftly strode away, relieved to have escaped the awkwardness. Padraig probably thought I was a complete oddball, but he likely had no clue that Nell was my aunt since we had different last names. I was passing by the reception desk when I noticed a couple who appeared to be in their late fifties arguing with the same receptionist who’d given me the key to the suite earlier that morning
“This is ridiculous,” the woman complained in a high-pitched voice. “We made the booking months ago, and we always stay in the Talbot suite.”
Her statement caught my attention, and I lingered near a large potted plant to listen.
“You have our utmost apologies, Mrs Long. There was a problem with our booking system, but management have asked me to gift both you and your husband a discounted stay as well as free dinners at our in-house restaurant every night.”
“Not good enough. I want to speak with the manager,” the husband put in.
“Of course. I’ll go get her for you right away.”
Deciding I’d earwigged long enough, I continued through the large lobby area and out of the hotel, all the while my mind raced. Guilt nipped at me because I had that couple’s room, and they were obviously looking forward to staying in it. Derek had clearly lied about the suite being the only available option for us, but why? Surely the man who’d had no problem blanking me for weeks wouldn’t feel the need to put my daughter and me up in the lap of luxury. Yes, he’d started to thaw towards me, and we’d come to an agreement to be civil for Deirdre and Gigi’s sakes, but that didn’t explain such a lavish gesture.
When I reached the beach and started my walk along the strand, I decided I’d confront Derek about cancelling that poor couple’s reservation. Honestly, I felt wretched and didn’t like the fact that he’d inconvenienced a pair of complete strangers, even if his intention was to help me out. I was going to inform him that if he didn’t change our room, I’d be leaving and making other arrangements. The problem was, he never turned up that evening. Instead, I received a text from him detailing the list of repairs that needed to be done on the house and the accompanying cost. The fee to replace the boiler was particularly stress inducing, but I knew it needed to be done sooner or later, so I tried not to fret over the money.
And in regard to the suite, I decided I’d wait until I saw Derek in person to discuss it, which just so happened to be the following evening, but it wasn’t at the hotel.
It was at Deirdre’s school for parent teacher evening. Since she’d only been attending St. Colmcille’s for a few weeks, I hadn’t been expecting to be invited, but the letter informed me it would be a good opportunity to meet her teachers and get a sense of how she was settling in.
I stepped into the wide assembly hall and immediately spotted Derek’s tall shoulders and dark hair. I would’ve approached him right away, but there was a problem, given he appeared to already have company, and that company consisted of several mothers who seemed to have cornered him in conversation.
Well, someone was certainly popular.
16.
Derek
Normally, Paloma and I took turns attending Gigi and Pablo’s parent-teacher evenings, but since she was away, the task fell to me. It wasn’t that I didn’t like talking to their teachers; it was more the other parents who were the problem. Namely, the mothers.
I wasn’t oblivious to the fact that I was considered a catch around these parts. Sure, they didn’t know anything about the real me or the things I struggled with, but on the surface, it seemed I held a certain appeal. I was a single father approaching his forties with a decent job, over six feet tall, a good physique and a full head of hair. Yes, those were all prized attributes, it appeared. If they knew what a wreck I’d been the last few months, all these mothers wouldn’t be gazing up at me with such dreamy expressions.
In my peripheral vision, I spotted Milly arriving, and the very sight of her arrested me. Her flawless skin and bright eyes, the way she seemed to have no idea just how stunning she was. Such was her effect on me that my resolve to keep my distance from her had withered away almost to nothing. I could feel myself shifting, my thoughts going to her constantly, my instinct to make life seamless for her prodding at me even though she wasn’t mine to worry or fuss over. I didn’t want or need to be feeling this way about her, especially at this juncture in my life, but I couldn’t stop it even if I tried.
Milly cast her gaze about the space, and a moment later, our eyes connected. She didn’t look pleased. I’d put her in the Talbot suite, and she wanted to switch rooms, but I’d told her it wasn’t possible. To be honest, I wasn’t sure why I was being so bullish on the matter. Although to be fair, I didn’t feel much guilt over changing the Long couple’s reservation. They’d been coming to the hotel for years, and they were notoriously nightmarish to deal with, always being rude towards the staff, making endless inappropriate requests and complaining at even the most minor inconveniences. A part of me hoped that changing their booking might encourage them to start staying elsewhere. My poor staff definitely deserved a break from having to deal with them.
Besides, I wanted Milly and her daughter to have a spacious place to live while their house was being worked on, and none of our other rooms would do. I had this overwhelming need to eliminate her stress, and it was probably down to how I felt when I discovered the water damage to her house. Not only did it terrify me to think that something could’ve happened to Gigi while she was staying there, but I was scared for Milly and Deirdre, too. Against my will, I’d started to care for them, which was the exact reason I’d tried to keep my distance in the beginning.
Now it seemed I’d passed a point of no return because something in me refused to put her in any room other than the most expensive suite we had.
“How has Gigi been liking those tennis lessons?” one of the mothers—I think her name was Iona—asked. I was momentarily confused as to how she knew about the lessons then recalled it was another of the mothers who’d recommended the instructor. Clearly, they’d been discussing me and my daughter.
“I’m not sure tennis is her sport. Her interest has been waning.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Iona said. “Well, there are always other options. Does she have any talent for horse riding?”
My gaze caught on Milly’s curious blue eyes as she passed the circle of women surrounding me. I cast her a beleaguered look, which was shorthand for “Save me!”—something we’d developed as teenagers. We’d always been adept at silent communication and reading one another’s facial expressions. I was rewarded with a sparkle of amusement as she continued on her way without a care.
Evidently, she had no plans to rescue me from my predicament. I mean, I was putting her up in the hotel and overseeing the work on her house entirely for free. The least she could do was approach me with a made-up emergency or a simple request to speak with me in private. Perhaps this was my punishment for being such an arsehole towards her when she first arrived. And yes, perhaps I deserved it. Just a little.
“I’m not sure. I’ll have to ask Gigi about that,” I said. “If you don’t mind, ladies, I have a couple more teachers to meet with.”
“Of course,” one of them said. “Don’t forget about my dinner party next weekend. We’d love to see you there, Derek.”
“And my barbecue,” another added. “I make the best chicken wings in town.”
“I’ll try my best,” I said, no intention of attending either event as I hurried in the direction of the next classroom I needed to visit. Gigi’s history teacher, Mr Flynn, was an elderly man with balding grey hair and a stern expression. There were several other parents waiting to speak with him, so I took a seat to wait my turn. A little while later, Milly walked into the room, saw me and immediately took the seat next to mine.
“I was hoping to speak with you.”
“You couldn’t have approached me earlier when I was clearly begging to be rescued,” I responded archly, and her lips twitched in amusement.
