Page 52 of Prudence
His eyebrows shot up. Clearly, he hadn’t expected me to enquire about his wellbeing. “I’ve been good. Better. Well, aside from the fact that in addition to Gigi going missing last night, I came home to my son on the couch with his arm around a girl.”
“Oh,” I winced. “They weren’t …?”
“No, thank God. They were just watching television. But I did have to have a somewhat awkward conversation with my son this morning about safe sex.”
“And how did he take it?”
Derek grimaced. “As awkwardly as expected.”
“Ouch, well, I guess that’s the job of parenting teenagers.”
“Yep. I thought it was supposed to get easier as they got older, but experience is proving me wrong on that front.”
I chuckled, reaching out on instinct to softly touch his arm. “Pablo’s lucky to have a dad who’s prepared to go through the awkward conversations for the sake of him being fully informed. I know a lot of parents who’d rather bury their heads in the sand about that sort of stuff.”
“Right,” Derek said, his gaze lowering to where I was touching him.
I quickly dropped my hand and cleared my throat. “Well, I guess I’ll see you at the party.”
“Yes, I’ll see you then.”
“Bye, Derek.”
He stepped outside then turned back, his gaze trailing over me before he responded, “Goodbye, Camille.”
When he left, my stomach wouldn’t quit doing somersaults. There just something about a man who could put aside his pride and apologise when it was called for. Not to mention, he had on one of the many suits he wore to work, and I found it difficult not to drool when he was dressed so smartly.
So, my old crush had come back with a vengeance, but it was okay. I just needed to keep it from going too far. Noticing how attractive I found Derek was one thing, but letting my feelings get involved was another, and I was prepared to steel my heart against him. It was the only way not to get hurt because even if he was allowing himself to be my friend again, I knew he’d never love me like he used to. He’d proposed to me, and I’d said no. That kind of rejection caused people to build walls, to resist the thing that once caused them immense pain. I knew it because even though I was the one who’d rejected him, I felt the pain of losing him right down to the very core of my being.
It was something I’d never forget, and if I knew Derek like I thought I did, he wouldn’t either.
***
A few days later, it was time for Gigi’s party. Deirdre was practically bubbling over with excitement since she’d managed to find a rare vinyl edition of an older Purple Beatrice album for a birthday gift. The weather was nice, which was a relief because it was a garden party, and lots of family and friends had been invited. I wore a flower print tea dress and some leather sandals, with my hair down and blow-dried straight.
When we got there, it appeared that a number of guests had already arrived. Deirdre had asked if it were okay for her to sleep over at Gigi’s tonight, but I needed to find Derek and clear it with him first. Nuala and her mother answered the door and welcomed us in. Deirdre immediately sped off, eager to give Gigi her present, while Nuala led me to the kitchen and poured me a glass of wine.
“It’s already hectic,” she said as we wandered out into the garden that was all set up with outdoor furniture and an area for food. There was even a DJ they’d hired to play all of Gigi’s favourite music, which not surprisingly was mostly Purple Beatrice songs. I sat next to Nuala and enjoyed a bite of a fancy cheese pastry when suddenly there was an audible squeal of excitement that came from Gigi. She dashed towards the patio doors leading out into the garden where a beautiful, dark-haired woman had just appeared. She wore skintight jeans and a flowy, low-cut blouse, her gorgeous face free of makeup and her shoulder length hair in glossy waves.
When Gigi reached her, she threw her arms around the girl and captured her in a feverish hug.
“Wow, I had no idea she was coming,” Nuala said. “She must’ve wanted it to be a surprise.”
And just like that, I knew exactly who the mystery beauty was.
Gigi’s mother and Derek’s ex-wife, Paloma.
18.
Milly
“Mam! I can’t believe you’re here. I’ve missed you so much,” Gigi exclaimed, and my heart squeezed at seeing her reunited with her mother. I suspected it meant a lot to her that Paloma had taken a break from touring to come see her on her birthday.
“I had to come see you when you turned fifteen,mija,” Paloma replied, still hugging Gigi tightly. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Her Spanish accent was light, probably faded from living in Ireland for so many years. Nuala rose and went to greet her, but I stayed seated, not wishing to intrude on the touching family moment. Derek appeared then with his son, Pablo, who was bestowed with a hug from his mother, too, and though he smiled and appeared happy to see her, he didn’t seem as overwhelmed as Gigi was. Then again, the bond between mother and daughter was a special one. I knew it because I had that same bond with Deirdre.
Then Paloma turned her attention to Derek, and they exchanged polite greetings. There didn’t seem to be any tension between them, which was nice to see, but at the same time, I was glad they weren’t overly affectionate. I certainly wasn’t sure how I’d feel if Paloma had hugged Derek in the same way she’d just hugged her kids.
