didn’t they?’
‘Yes, but it was the betrayal and the broken trust that got me. Brian was bad, but Aoife was worse for going out with him. I haven’t spoken to her since.’
‘I shouldn’t have gone out tonight. I should have stayed in and babysat for Liz.’
‘You babysat for them last night,’ Evie reminded her. ‘Besides, just because you and Gareth aren’t together doesn’t mean you can’t go out with the girls for a meal and a drink. Don’t be so stupid, Kim!’
‘But if I wasn’t in town,’ she hiccupped, ‘I wouldn’t have seen him!’
‘You are hardly going to hide away. You know what Dublin’s like – everyone knows everything about everyone!’
‘I just wish that I had stayed home and hadn’t seen him.’
‘I know,’ Evie consoled her. ‘It’s shit seeing your boyfriend with someone else.’
‘It’s so crap that he’s not my boyfriend any more,’ she said, feeling sadness overwhelm her. ‘I just don’t know how I’ll ever get used to it.’
‘You will,’ said Evie loyally, getting up and bustling about the tiny kitchen area on one side of the large room. ‘I’m making us toast and hot chocolate.’
‘Sure.’ Ever since she was about nine years old, Evie had always believed that hot chocolate was the best drink there was in a time of crisis and this was most definitely a crisis.
‘I hate my life! I hate the way things are,’ Kim confessed as she sat in front of the gas fire with her mug of hot chocolate. ‘Everything is a disaster.’
‘You have to start believing in yourself,’ Evie insisted. ‘Forget Gareth! Forget those stupid wanker bankers you used to work for! You’ve got to find something that you really want to do for yourself – something that makes you happy, like my painting, or Lisa and her running, and Mel and her mania for interior decorating. You’ve got brains to burn, Kim, but you just need tofind the right thing to do in life – no more second bests! You have to change things.’
Drunk as they both were, Kim knew what Evie was saying was true. She was the only one who could change her life – the only one.
She had tossed and turned on the futon before finally giving in to sleep. When she woke it was lunchtime and Evie was in her pyjamas painting.
‘Hey, I’ve got bacon and scrambled egg for brunch,’ she said, standing over Kim.
‘I’m not really hungry.’
‘You hop in the shower and I’ll get it ready,’ Evie said, ignoring her protests. Fifteen minutes later Kim was beginning to feel human again as she sat on the couch in her jeans and sweatshirt eating.
‘It was a great night,’ murmured Evie, ‘except for us seeing you know who!’
‘Yeah.’
‘Do you want to do something today?’
‘Not really … well, unless you count sleeping …’
‘Okay, I am going to paint, but you are welcome to hang out here.’
‘What you said last night – it made me think.’
‘I was probably far too wasted and said more than I should have,’ said Evie apologetically.
‘No, you were right. The only one who can change my life is me. Not a job, not a guy – the elephant in the room is me. I need to sort that out, find out what I want …’
‘Oh Kim!’ said Evie, throwing her arms around her. ‘I just want you to be happy!’
‘I know.’
Later, as she drove back to Liz’s house, she wondered how the hell she was going to even begin to change things.
Chapter 12
GINA SULLIVAN STOOD AT THE COUNTER LOOKING OUT ON THE street. Rain again. God, did it ever stop raining? Heavy rain and showers kept customers away, and heaven knows Cassidy’s Café could sure do with more of them.
Norah Cassidy had put up the day’s lunch menu: vegetable soup, roast pork with apple sauce and potatoes, and ham salad up on the board; hardly the fare to tempt hungry diners. There were also fresh scones and Norah’s famous apple tart, and Gina’s own home-made brownies and cupcakes for those coming to have a coffee or tea and while
‘Yes, but it was the betrayal and the broken trust that got me. Brian was bad, but Aoife was worse for going out with him. I haven’t spoken to her since.’
‘I shouldn’t have gone out tonight. I should have stayed in and babysat for Liz.’
‘You babysat for them last night,’ Evie reminded her. ‘Besides, just because you and Gareth aren’t together doesn’t mean you can’t go out with the girls for a meal and a drink. Don’t be so stupid, Kim!’
‘But if I wasn’t in town,’ she hiccupped, ‘I wouldn’t have seen him!’
‘You are hardly going to hide away. You know what Dublin’s like – everyone knows everything about everyone!’
‘I just wish that I had stayed home and hadn’t seen him.’
‘I know,’ Evie consoled her. ‘It’s shit seeing your boyfriend with someone else.’
‘It’s so crap that he’s not my boyfriend any more,’ she said, feeling sadness overwhelm her. ‘I just don’t know how I’ll ever get used to it.’
‘You will,’ said Evie loyally, getting up and bustling about the tiny kitchen area on one side of the large room. ‘I’m making us toast and hot chocolate.’
‘Sure.’ Ever since she was about nine years old, Evie had always believed that hot chocolate was the best drink there was in a time of crisis and this was most definitely a crisis.
‘I hate my life! I hate the way things are,’ Kim confessed as she sat in front of the gas fire with her mug of hot chocolate. ‘Everything is a disaster.’
‘You have to start believing in yourself,’ Evie insisted. ‘Forget Gareth! Forget those stupid wanker bankers you used to work for! You’ve got to find something that you really want to do for yourself – something that makes you happy, like my painting, or Lisa and her running, and Mel and her mania for interior decorating. You’ve got brains to burn, Kim, but you just need tofind the right thing to do in life – no more second bests! You have to change things.’
Drunk as they both were, Kim knew what Evie was saying was true. She was the only one who could change her life – the only one.
She had tossed and turned on the futon before finally giving in to sleep. When she woke it was lunchtime and Evie was in her pyjamas painting.
‘Hey, I’ve got bacon and scrambled egg for brunch,’ she said, standing over Kim.
‘I’m not really hungry.’
‘You hop in the shower and I’ll get it ready,’ Evie said, ignoring her protests. Fifteen minutes later Kim was beginning to feel human again as she sat on the couch in her jeans and sweatshirt eating.
‘It was a great night,’ murmured Evie, ‘except for us seeing you know who!’
‘Yeah.’
‘Do you want to do something today?’
‘Not really … well, unless you count sleeping …’
‘Okay, I am going to paint, but you are welcome to hang out here.’
‘What you said last night – it made me think.’
‘I was probably far too wasted and said more than I should have,’ said Evie apologetically.
‘No, you were right. The only one who can change my life is me. Not a job, not a guy – the elephant in the room is me. I need to sort that out, find out what I want …’
‘Oh Kim!’ said Evie, throwing her arms around her. ‘I just want you to be happy!’
‘I know.’
Later, as she drove back to Liz’s house, she wondered how the hell she was going to even begin to change things.
Chapter 12
GINA SULLIVAN STOOD AT THE COUNTER LOOKING OUT ON THE street. Rain again. God, did it ever stop raining? Heavy rain and showers kept customers away, and heaven knows Cassidy’s Café could sure do with more of them.
Norah Cassidy had put up the day’s lunch menu: vegetable soup, roast pork with apple sauce and potatoes, and ham salad up on the board; hardly the fare to tempt hungry diners. There were also fresh scones and Norah’s famous apple tart, and Gina’s own home-made brownies and cupcakes for those coming to have a coffee or tea and while
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