Page 38 of The Last Saturday In July
Jess blinked. ‘Like what?’
‘Well, some of the hotels in your group are really fancy and the guests might love some performance art in the foyer as they’re checking in, or I don’t know …’ Zoe cast about wildly. ‘Lots of hotels have art exhibitions so why not performance art? You’re the marketing manager, Jess. You must have loads of ideas and this would be totally different!’
Jess spoke carefully. ‘It would be different.’ Despite what had turned out to be a surprisingly skilled performance, Jess wasn’t sure if Finn and his troupe would be a fit for the Charleston Group’s very traditional hotels. ‘I’ll see what I can do, okay? I can’t promise anything, but I might talk to a couple of people.’
Zoe flicked her hair off her face. ‘Thanks. He’s feeling a bit shite after last night.’
‘Did he notice Úna and Edward leaving halfway through? Because you should just explain that Edward has something weird going on with his ears.’
‘Yeah, I told him. He’s just a bit down, it’s his creative temperament.’
Which was a nice way of saying that the guy could be as moody as hell. Poor Zoe. Following your dream was one thing, but Finn had barely made a cent from the career he was hell-bent on pursuing.
‘So, when are you moving?’
‘After dinner.’
‘What?That’s a bit sudden, Zoe. No wonder Mam’s upset.’
‘I told her two months ago, that we were thinking about it.’
Carmel came into the sitting room. ‘If you mentioned it before, I certainly didn’t hear you. This is a big thing, Zoe. Something you consider properly and discuss. You don’t just announce it before dinner and move out after you’ve had your apple tart.’
‘It’ll be really late to start moving in tonight, Zoe,’ said Jess. ‘Why don’t you wait until tomorrow? I’m sure Dad would help.’
‘God almighty, Jess, have you seen the place?’ Her mother gave her a disappointed look. ‘It looks like a squat from the outside. You’re worse than her!’
‘Thanks, I guess,’ Zoe said, when Carmel disappeared back downstairs again.
Jess leaned back against the sofa, resting her head against the faded floral fabric. ‘Maybe I’ll move back in until after the wedding.’
Zoe put down her phone and gave her a hard look. ‘What happened?’
‘Nothing happened. It’d just be nice to spend a bit of time with Mam and Dad.’
‘Bullshit!’ Zoe’s blue eyes glittered. ‘Did you have a huge row?’
She’d forgotten about Zoe’s inbuilt lie-detector. ‘No! God, I can’t open my mouth around you. You always think the worst!’
Her sister’s expression softened. ‘Jess, it’s not too late to pull out of the wedding. Think about what you’re doing. This is the rest of your life.’
The memory of the Isle of Man, and Adam’s pretty spectacular kiss only hours ago, flashed to mind and panic surged through her. She’d never let anything like that happen again.
‘You’ve never liked Simon, Zoe, so let’s drop it.’
‘Chill, Jess, I don’t hate the guy. Just because he’s not my favourite person doesn’t mean I can’t see things clearly. He won’t make you happy.’
Jess stood and pushed her feet back into her shoes, avoiding Zoe’s eyes. ‘Of course he makes me happy. And we’ve been together for nearly three years, so it’s not like we don’t know what we’re doing. Now leave it alone. I’m going to say hi to Dad.’
The doorbell rang.
‘Is that Finn?’
Zoe shrugged. ‘It might be. I wasn’t sure if he was coming for dinner.’
Jess said nothing. As far as she knew, her mother always made extra food in case Finn turned up.
As Zoe went to answer the door, Jess wandered out to the garden and followed the cobbled path down to the greenhouse. Tom Bradley was wearing baggy brown shorts, an Irish football T-shirt and an old pair of runners, as he staked his tomato plants.
