Page 41 of The Last Saturday In July
Jess stopped outside the office. ‘Kate, I’m sorry if I’m being pushy.’ Maybe she had been unfair to her. Although itwasjustdrinks.
‘No, I get it,’ Kate said slowly.
Jess tried to read her expression. ‘So, we’re okay?’
‘We’re fine, I’ll see you later.’
Kate went inside, walking straight through the lobby to the loos.
As Jess took the stairs to her office, her thoughts swirled through their conversation, wishing she could understand what was going on. Because whatever it was, it had caused a fundamental shift in their friendship.
Chapter 17
WHY was it, Jess thought, as she headed back to the office, that if one part of your life went wrong, other parts started to follow? What was wrong with a bit of balance? And how exactly did you get it? Kate was a firm believer in feng shui: the tidier your house, the tidier your life. Or something like that. But Simon was tidy to the point of obsessive, so that theory was starting to look a bit shaky.
Ever since that stupid, crazy night on the Isle of Man, her life had gone a bit pear-shaped. Sometimes she even found herself doubting her future with Simon. She hated keeping secrets from him, but she’d heard horror stories about people who’d destroyed their relationships by confessing one-night stands. She couldn’t hurt Simon like that, especially for one awful, drunken mistake. Except … what about that kiss in Ballygobbin? She and Adam had been completely sober. Worse, it had happened in the church where she and Simon were due to marry.
Jess did a few yoga breaths and tried to calm herself down. It should be very simple. All she had to do was to be professional around Adam. She could do professional. And, in her private life, she just had to remember that she loved Simon. Which she did. He was the kindest, loveliest man and, even if he tended to be a bit pompous and was definitely allergic to all her attempts to make his flat a bit cosier and less sterile, she was very lucky to have him.
Her real worry was Kate. Ever since their first day of secondary school, when twelve-year-old Jess’s books had fallen out of her locker and narrowly missed concussing Kate who’d been assigned the locker underneath, they’d been firm friends. Friends who’d always told each other everything. But Kate would never understand any of this, and she didn’t blame her.
All Jess knew was that she’d somehow stepped into someone else’s life that night on the Isle of Man, and even trying to make sense of it was exhausting. Tearing open the wrapping on a Mars bar, she scrolled through her phone, clicking into a short piece on Hollywood gossip site, TMZ.
California Girlfriends star Chelsea Deneuve has agreed to sign a drastic pre-nup, before her upcoming marriage to billionaire casino owner, Leo Dinardia, later this month. The pair are set to wed in a 400-year-old Irish castle, now a luxury hotel on the Atlantic coast. Although 33-year-old Dinardia is reputedly footing the bill for the lavish wedding, he has made sure that if Chelsea is unfaithful, or if the marriage lasts less than 10 years, Chelsea won’t be entitled to any of his wealth.
Jess finished her chocolate and opened Twitter, where celebrity wedding and celebrity pre-nup were trending. After a quick think, she ran some searches for everything she could find about Leo and Chelsea.
Leo had no social media, although details about his casinos and gossipy articles about the break-up of his previous marriages were easy to find. Chelsea, on the other hand, had two and a half million followers on Instagram, and almost as many on TikTok, where, asfar as Jess could see, she specialised in vague, inspirationalsoundbites.
Her phone rang and Carmel’s name flashed up on the screen. ‘Hi, Mam.’
‘Is this a bad time, Jess? I’m just off night duty and I wanted to phone you before I get some sleep.’
‘Grand.’ Jess scrunched up her empty chocolate-bar wrapper as she opened TMZ on her laptop and refreshed the page.The Fairy Tale’s Poison Applegrabbed her attention.
‘I think it’s a bit silly, I know your dad does,’ Carmel was saying, ‘but Finn found out today that his house has been condemned, and the landlord has to evict everyone.’
Jess felt a flash of pity for Finn. ‘It could be an excuse for the landlord to put up the rent.’
‘Well, Zoe’s very upset. I’m relieved, obviously. As I said, the place looked like a squat.’
‘Hmm.’ Jess glanced over the gossip piece, which was accompanied by a photo of Chelsea and Leo, over a caption which readChelsea and Leo spat in Vegas nightclub.
‘Oh Jess, give me a minute, there’s someone at the door.’
Jess heard her mother put down her phone, and she quickly read the article.
California Girlfriendsstar Chelsea Deneuve and her fiancé Leo Dinardia were seen arguing last night outside the Blue Flamingo nightclub on the Vegas strip. And a close friend of Chelsea’s told TMZ that the bride-to-be is furious about the pre-nup. The couple are set to wed at the end of the month, in what should be the ultimate fairy-tale wedding at Linford Castle, a mock-Victorian five-star hotel in the West of Ireland. Chelsea, who has a loyal social media following, has talked about her dream of a wedding in an Irish castle. But some people were surprised that the couple chose Linford Castle, which comes with a curse: a history of wedding-day disasters. Could Chelsea and Leo’s wedding be the latest?
‘Noooooo!’
Carmel came back on the phone. ‘Sorry about that, Jess – that was Mrs McCarthy at the door, asking about the bridal shower.’
‘Mam, if that’s too much for you ...’
‘Don’t be silly.’ Carmel was firm. ‘I told you I wanted to throw you a bridal shower, and that’s what I’m doing. Anyway, where was I? Oh, Finn getting evicted.’
‘Right. Will he move back in with his parents?’
