Page 116 of Love like the (Real) Reel Thing
“Oh, no reason.” Sinéad looked flustered now. “I’m sure it was all grand.”
She shouldn’t push it – she was leaving. None of it mattered. But after everything that had happened, a small part of her felt she deserved to know.
“Explain it to me, Sinéad?” Jess met her eyes. “Please?”
“Ah, lookit, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Jess waited.
“Well, I’m sure it’s nothing, really.” Sinéad swept some imaginary crumbs off the countertop with the side of her hand. “He and Afric knew each other when they were in college – they hung around with the same crowd for a while.”
Jess gave a nervous laugh. “Robert and Afric? But he never said anything to me. Hang on, Robert drove Afric to the hospital the day she burned her hand, and she definitely didn’t know him, Sinéad. He didn’t say anything to her either. Are you sure they know each other?”
“They do, yeah. Or they did, anyway.” She sighed and took the photo of the two women with the teenage boy off the wall behind her and handed it to Jess. “That’s Robert there with me and my sister, the day he got his Leaving Cert results.”
“I assumed it wasyourson,” Jess said, looking closely. “It doesn’t really look like him.”
“No, I suppose it doesn’t.” She shrugged. “He changed a lot after college. He got laser surgery for his eyes, and he joined a gym. I think it gave him more confidence too.”
“What about his hair?” Jess asked. “It’s quite dark in this photo.”
Sinéad rolled her eyes. “He gets his highlights done in Kilshanley, I think. Still, no harm in a man looking after his appearance.”
“Is he in a theatre group there too?”
“In Kilshanley?” She nodded. “He used to be anyway. Ah, he was always interested in the acting. I’d say if his dad hadn’t been so dead set on him doing engineering … well, sure, maybe he was right. I mean, how many people make it as actors?”
Jess tried to absorb this. “Who else knows that he was friends with Afric?”
“I’ve no idea, but he plays his cards fierce close to his chest, and I’m sure they were only friends. My sister would have known if there was anything more.” Sinéad’s expression softened. “He was a very intense young fellah back in the day, though.”
Jess nodded vaguely. It still made no sense that he hadn’t told her.
“It all worked out well for him in the end,” Sinéad was saying, “moving back here. He’s very involved in village life, does a lot of work for the residents’ association.”
“Really?” Jess frowned. How had she missed that? “Like what?”
Sinéad looked surprised. “What on earth did the pair of ye talk about at all? Who do you think organises any of those events in The Tin Whistle? That Valentine’s Day one was some craic, I heard. Páidí should be cutting him in for a share of the profits.” She gave Jess an appraising look. “’Tis a pity the two of you didn’t work out – you’d have been good for him, I think.”
Jess wasn’t sure how to respond, so she thanked Sinéad and left the shop, crashing straight into Adam’s girlfriend on the path outside. Today was getting better and better! Why was she even here when Adam had gone back to Dublin?
“Sorry!” Jess put her head down and started to leave, but the other woman stopped her.
“I was hoping to run into you.” She smiled warmly. “You’re Jess, aren’t you?”
She hesitated. “Yes.” Great, she was nice – she couldn’t even dislike her.
“I’m Ciara.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m so pleased to finally meet you. Adam talks a lot about you.”
“Why?” God, why had she asked that? He probably spent his whole time telling Ciara what a bitch she’d been. She just wanted to get back to the cottage. Screw the fish pie and salad – she’d go straight to the wine and chocolate.
“Actually, forget I asked.” She gave an awkward laugh. She spun away and barrelled into a very muscled arm. As she glanced up, she thought for a moment it was Adam.
“Hey, sorry about that.” A deep voice. “Definitely my fault – are you okay?”
He even sounded like Adam, Jess thought, feeling a bit faint.
“Uh, you’ve gone very pale. Are you sure you’re okay, Jess?” Ciara asked now.
