Page 52 of Such a Good Couple
‘Bro, you are so sweaty,’ Josh told him, sounding unnervingly teenage for a ten-year-old.
‘Can we watch TV?’ came Tom’s adorably high-pitched voice.
‘For fifteen minutes,’ Ollie answered. ‘Then you’re leaving to go to summer camp.’
Clara heard the boys thunder next door to the TV room as Ollie came in.
‘Hi,’ she said tersely. ‘Good run?’ She didn’t look at him.
Ollie didn’t even acknowledge her question. ‘You’ve to bringthem to camp this morning. I need to do a pretty thorough warm-down after that distance.’
Ollie filled a glass at the sink and began chugging it.
Anger ripped through her. ‘I’ve to get to work, Ollie. Coming in late and then taking early lunch to go to this ridiculous, not to mentionexpensive, therapy would not look good.’
He continued to drink and gave a maddening shrug.
‘Fine.’ Clara marched out, stepping on a Lego as she went.
‘Fuck off.’ She shouted, kicking the piece away.
In the living room, she heard Tom squeak, ‘Muma said “fuck”!’
‘Ugh, fuck,’ she said again quietly to herself and carried on up the stairs to get dressed.
In Dr Evans’ spartan waiting room, she sat in her most ‘I’m not a bitch’ outfit – tapered khaki joggers with leather sliders and a long loose tunic-style top. There was no sign of Ollie yet and she was glad – being alone together was something they were, by silent mutual agreement, avoiding since returning home. She opened up Slags For Life to see what they were planning to wear to the party Maggie was hosting for her brother Donal’s birthday.
Clara: So what are we wearing tomorrow?
Annie: Nothing new. Borrowing a dress from Rachel, she’s my plus one. Or as she puts it: my ‘conjoined twin in spinsterhood’.
Maggie: Oh God, with all the organising/getting the Dublin house ready, I haven’t had a minute to find anything.
Clara x’d out of the group and over to her side-chat with Annie.
Clara: I’m sure the stylist will be curating something fab that costs more than my car loan …
Annie: Don’t be bitchy. If we learned NOTHING in Provincetown, it’s that her life is pretty … well … crap.
Clara felt bad and hastily typed back.
Clara: You’re right. I’m being catty cuz my own life is a literal shitemare.
Back in Slags For Life, Clara could see Maggie typing.
Maggie: Have ye figured out what to do about the guys? Fionn will be there, but obviously he gets that Conor and Ollie might not be …?
Annie: Conor is coming. We already discussed and agreed to do everything in our power not to so much as stray into each other’s eyeline.
Clara: Me and Ollie flipped a coin to see who could go and I won. He’s working late anyway so my mum’s covering the hour with the boys. I can’t believe you and Conor are having ‘discussions’, Annie. How does it feel to be so disgustingly emotionally healthy?
Annie: Lol. Well, discussions are kind of unavoidable when you’re trying to divide up your stuff … as long as I don’t let myself think about how he has fucked up any chance I have to have a family, I can tolerate it.
Clara frowned. Jesus, poor Annie. If she could donate one of herkids, she would, but, as annoying as they could occasionally be, she was pretty attached.
Maggie: Maybe it’s not the end of that though, Annie.
Annie: Thanks so much for having Rachel btw.
