Quinn glanced to Aisling and she mouthed go for it. What difference, given the vast sums involved with buying a house, would two thousand punt make?
There were a few hurdles to jump before they got to the finish line though. The other couple might come in with a better offer, the building inspection might throw up unseen issues, or Mr Cleary might turn down their application for a mortgage. Niall however was full of bonhomie and as they went left and he turned to the right outside the front gate. Aisling was tempted to look back over her shoulder to see if he was fist bumping the air or doing an excitable shin to shin side kick like in the old movies. She didn’t though, focussing instead on steadying her breathing and wishing Rosi was there with her. She had tricks up her sleeve that would help make you feel calmer and she could have done with her sister intoning, ‘in, and out’ in that irritating hypnotic voice she used. It was only when she was settled in the passenger seat of Quinn’s car once more, she felt able to catch her breath. Quinn was on a high and he talked all the way to Blackrock slapping the steering wheel from time to time, the adrenalin coursing through his bloodstream. She barely heard him as he yapped on about whether they should renovate the kitchen which might generate a better rental or leave it as it was until they’d paid a chunk off the house.
His grin however was infectious as he pulled up outside the charming whitewashed building from which Leila ran Love Leila Bridal Services. Her mouth twitched and stretched into a broad smile. She was pleased he was pleased and she was sure she’d come around to the idea. It did make sense. ‘Right then.’ Quinn slapped the steering wheel once more. ‘I’ll phone Michael and get the wheels in motion.’
‘Who?’ she frowned, her mind drawing a blank at the name.
‘You know Michael.’
She looked at him blankly and he sighed. ‘Ash, you’re so old school. Mr Cleary from the AIB.’
‘Oh, yeah of course. Sorry.’ She’d never get her head around calling a bank manager by his first name.
‘He’ll probably want to check through our accounts to see everything is in order before approving the loan but he seemed fairly confident it wouldn’t be a problem the other day.’
And there it was, the reason Aisling felt sick about this property. It was nothing to do with the weeds sprouting through the cracked pavers, or the ancient oven and old carpets. It was the thought of that old bloodhound, Mr Cleary, poring over her bank statements and realising not only did she not have an outstanding savings record, but she had these last couple of weeks been spending up large. Astronomically so. Bank account draining so. She was frightened as to what Quinn would have to say when he found out exactly what this wedding of theirs was costing because her gut instinct told her, he would not be happy.
She tried to brush aside the sudden panic not wanting him to pick up on anything being amiss. His lips felt papery as they grazed her flushed skin and telling him she’d speak to him later, she turned the handle and clambered out of the car. It was a relief to put some distance between them.
Chapter 26
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee assailed Aisling’s nostrils as she pushed the door open and stepped into the warmth of Leila’s familiar work space. There was comfort to be found, knowing that, in the small kitchenette out the back, there would be a plate with the fresh French pastries her friend picked up for her clients to enjoy on her way into work each morning. She loved the calming and neutral colours Leila had chosen to decorate the office with. They hadn’t been chosen randomly she’d confided to Aisling. The pale pastels adorning the walls and soft furnishings were designed to counteract the nervous tension of her brides. The idea was that Leila’s was a haven where the pressure of trying to keep both sides of the family, along with the bridal party, happy during the lead up to your wedding dissolved once you stepped over the threshold.
Leila’s goal was for her brides to feel confident she had their dream day under control. She wanted them to sink down in the sofa and let her fuss around making them coffee. Then, she wanted to see their shoulders visibly unknot as they forgot their diets and tucked into a well-deserved buttery croissant while she brought them up to date with the planning of their big day. The feminine pink walls were adorned with black and white prints of famous brides through the decades. Aisling’s favourite, and the one her gaze always settled upon, was Audrey Hepburn. Inexplicably, this was because she always felt like she was gazing upon a fairy when she looked at the elegant, timeless beauty.
Now, as she stood in the entrance swivelling in her heels on the mat in case there’d been anything untoward on those threadbare carpets at the Crumlin Road property, she unclenched her jaw. It would take more than the sanctuary of Leila’s to relieve her headache though, it was a constant, dull pressure above her right eye. A little like a hangover
