Page 74 of Such a Good Couple
‘Just “fine”? Anything else to add?’ Mickey persisted.
‘I learned a lot about macros,’ she replied.
‘Hah! Okay, it’s only the first day, you’re probably trying to protect your husband’s feelings. There’s lots of time to get more honest, Clara. We’ll make sure of it—’
‘Excuse me,’ she interrupted. ‘Iambeing honest. I didn’t have a good time. I’m not pretending anything.’ She was suddenly desperate for Ollie to know this. Especially as Mary’s response to her date with Ollie was bringing it home to Clara that he could easily get snapped up out here, SpongeBob SquarePants shorts and all.
Mickey ignored her little outburst – the cast not fancying members of the other couples was clearly not the narrative he was looking for. ‘Over to you, Ollie. Any sparks fly?’
‘Mary and I had a lot in common,’ Ollie began. ‘I really think we connected. We both feel that our partners don’t respect us.’
‘Ollie!’ Clara cut across him but was immediately cut off by Mickey’s voice.
‘Clara, this is Ollie’s truth. Let him speak. This is a safe space.’
‘Ha!’ Clara folded her arms. ‘A safe space with thousands of viewers.’
‘This is whatyouwanted,’ Ollie said, not looking at her. ‘Anyway, as I was saying. Mary’s a really attractive, sensitiveperson and we had a really good time. Lots of laughs and, honestly, it felt like a holiday from my problems.’
Clara was crushed. It hadn’t been the plan for him to get into the competition. Although, this moment was starkly highlighting just how lacking in any plan she really was. She’d been so focused on getting onto the show and calling Ollie’s bluff about wanting to end things, that she hadn’t really considered what the reality of this whole enterprise would be. She didn’t know what the hell outcome she evenwanted– divorce or money – she’d assumed by the end of the three weeks she’d know.
But now, hearing Ollie describe Mary as attractive, she was certain she definitely couldn’t handle him actually liking anyone.
‘That’s really good to hear,’ Mickey said. ‘For the couples who gelled well on the dates, we’re offering to extend the dates in the Intimacy Pods.’
The what?Clara reeled.
Apparently reading her mind, Mickey continued, ‘The Intimacy Pods are quiet spaces for new couples to get to know each other on another level. There are no cameras, but audio is still captured.’
‘I’m sorry, but what are you talking about, “new couples”? “Intimacy pods”? This is the first we’ve heard of this.’ Clara erupted. ‘Where’s all the counselling and trust-building bullshit?’
‘These are trust-building exercises of sorts,’ Mickey replied patiently. ‘The dating of other people and the Intimacy Pod assignations help each couple feel the reality of what divorcing might be like in a controlled, safe environment.’
Ollie spoke up beside her. ‘If Mary’s up for it, I’m happy to take our date to the Intimacy Pod.’
‘Ollie! What?’ Clara turned to him. Their faces were just inches apart and Clara’s eyes swam with angry tears.
‘You wanted to be here, Clara. I’m playing your game.’ His voice was quiet, and Clara knew Ollie well enough to know that, despite what he was saying, he definitely wasn’t happy.
‘This is not what he wants.’ Clara turned to the mirror desperately. ‘This is not fair on Mary. This is … he’s only doing this …’ She turned back to Ollie. ‘This is a Spite Crush.’
Mickey, meanwhile, was jubilant. ‘Congratulations, Ollie. Mary also wanted to go to the Intimacy Pod, making you two our first couple to do so!’ Clara was struggling to fully grasp what was happening.
‘And cut,’ Mickey said. ‘Okay guys, well done, that was perfect –really fascinating. Clara, can you return to the cast villa? And Ollie – Mary will meet you in Intimacy Pod number 1 shortly.’
CHAPTER 18
In the bright morning light of Lime Orchard Road, Maggie’s fingers sped over the keys of her laptop. She was propped up in bed trying to finish a scene that she felt close to cracking. The Medea project had come into sharp focus in recent weeks and that all-consuming drive to create – something she thought had abandoned her forever years ago – had returned. She wasn’t finished the first draft yet but in a burst of impulsive excitement had sent a proposal off to a couple of theatre companies in New York. Incredibly, one producer had got back saying he wanted to discuss. She was meeting him over Zoom the following day.
The alarm on her phone went off, signalling the end of her writing window. She’d been pretty disciplined about working from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. each morning. Now it was time to get the girls up. They were due to go to their Sunday horse-riding lesson in a couple of hours and it was a solid thirty-minute drive to Sunset Ranch in Beechwood.
In the gloom of her daughters’ bedroom, Maggie stepped around the Lego, dolls and Plushies scattered across the carpet and peered into Essie’s bed. As expected, Dodi was snuggled in beside her sister, her thumb in her mouth, while the other hand was tangled in Essie’s hair, which she liked to play with. Love swelled in Maggie’s chest. They’d basically slept in the same bed since they were babies. Even now, though they started in their own beds when Maggie read them their stories before going to sleep, at some point in the night one would migrate to the otheras though by some invisible twin magnetic pull.
Maggie gently lifted the blanket and slipped into the warm bed beside them, pressing her face into Dodi’s unruly hair to inhale the indefinable essence of her baby – even with the tinge of slightly stale morning sweatiness, it was so delicious.
The girls started to stir and sleepily find their way to her. Dodi literally tumbled over Maggie, so that they each got a side of their mother that they could cuddle into. It was these exquisite morning moments that pulled Maggie through the more trying parts of parenting. She wished that thoughts of what her body must feel like to her daughters didn’t snake in to disturb the sweetness. She found she couldn’t help but try to arrange herself so that the loose pouch of her belly didn’t drape so obviously to the side. From when they were little and always seeking Maggie’s warmth and reassurance for hugs and cuddles, Maggie had felt amazed at how her daughters seemed so at home with her body despite its obvious imperfections. She often wondered when they would realise that she was ugly. And would they feel ashamed of her?
She refocused on the day ahead.
