Page 31 of You Lied First
‘Not sure I want to,’ Margot says. ‘The main thing is she’s mended bridges with her daughter and turned things around. Now she’s a counsellor herself. So, good for her.’
‘Hmm,’ Celine says.
‘You have to go through a lot of training, as well as work on yourself, when you get a counselling qualification, I think.’
‘As I said: hmm. I’m not sure it’s possible to train out your natural instincts like that.’
‘Well … what would I know?’ Margot says. ‘I just make toy houses.’
Celine raises her glass. ‘Touché.’
And then, maybe because she’s having the longest conversation she’s ever had with Celine, or simply because thegin has fully kicked in, she decides to jump right in with a question of her own.
‘So, do you have a boyfriend, or partner, or whatever you call it these days?’ she asks.
‘Nah,’ Celine says with a sigh. ‘I’m happy just doing my own thing.’
‘But, you know, don’t you want to settle down at some point? Have kids?’
‘Don’t need to be married to have kids these days,’ Celine says.
In the darkness, Margot’s left eyebrow lifts. ‘Not in Oman,’ she says. ‘I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.’
‘So, I’d leave?’ Celine says.
‘Or just get married, I suppose,’ Margot says. ‘If you love your life here as much as you say you do.’
But Celine shakes her head. ‘Nah. Marriage isn’t for me. Why would I buy the restaurant when I can get all the food for free? From every restaurant, if you see what I mean.’ She chuckles. ‘I’m a free spirit in case you haven’t noticed.’
Margot, mid sip of her drink, tries not to choke.
‘To be honest, though,’ Celine says, ‘I’m not prepared to make the sacrifices I see married women make.’
Over the side of the deck chair, Margot’s fingertips are trailing in the cooling sand. She grasps a handful, squeezes it hard and lets it trickle back out. ‘Oh?’ she says as mildly as she can. ‘Like what?’
‘Margot,’ Celine says. ‘You know what I’m talking about. There’s no shame in it. Horses for courses, as you say. It’s just not what I want for me.’
Margot’s blood is suddenly racing in her temples. She holdsherself very still, not trusting herself to speak. It’s one thing for her to criticise her own marriage, but it’s absolutely not all right for Celine to do so. Celine of all people. How dare she? But Celine carries on.
‘Forgive me – maybe it’s the alcohol. But I’m talking about you moving country becausehefucked up. I know that’s not what you tell people, that’s not the party line. But, come on, I know about the harassment case. Just as I know your dad’s perfectly fine in that assisted living place. You didn’t need to go back for him. You had a good life here, and you were forced to leave because of your husband’s mistake. Well, I’d hate ever to be in that position. I just wouldn’t let it happen to me, to be honest.’
Squeezing that cold sand in her hand again, Margot forces her words to come out calmly.
‘It’s not always that black and white.’
Celine snorts. ‘Well, I wouldn’t have done it. That’s all I’m saying. If it were me, I’d have divorced him and stayed here.’
‘Hey, hey,’ Sara says, suddenly behind them. ‘Everything all right?’ She looks from Margot to Celine and back.
‘Everything’s super,’ Margot says. ‘Celine’s just telling me what it’s like to be married.’
Sara looks baffled for a moment, then says, ‘Well, I came to say that everything’s on the barbecue – great prep, Margot! I was just wondering if you think the kids are ever coming back or if they’ve disappeared off to Timbuktu on that thing.’
‘They’ll be back when they’re hungry,’ Margot says as she stands. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and check my husband’s not “fucking up” the food.’
26
SARA
