‘God Almighty, I’ll bang yer heads together, so I will,’ Maureen huffed.
Roisin bit back her retort, given she was in her mammy’s close vicinity and would not be able to duck a cuff around the ear.
Maureen waited a beat, satisfied nobody else would be piping up with any smart-arse remarks. ‘As I said, Aisling, is the glamour girl and I’ll hear no more about it, Moira. Rosi, do you think Aisling will fit the yoga pants, she’s after eating a lot on her holidays?’
‘It was a honeymoon, Mammy and I didn’t eat that much.’ Aisling was indignant.
‘There’s plenty of stretch in them, Mammy,’ Roisin answered, as her and Maureen shared a conspiratorial look, both knowing Aisling was prone to stuffing her face in cold weather. It was a natural defence to it for her.
‘Rosi’s our demonstrator,’ Maureen said, giving the nod to her daughter.
‘On how to walk like a cowboy,’ Moira couldn’t resist adding.
‘Enough!’ Maureen thundered. ‘Rosi will be showing our ladies how you can do the bendy yoga in the pants.’
All three sisters rolled their eyes; they were yoga pants after all.
‘And what will you be doing, Mammy?’ Aisling asked.
Maureen took a big breath and puffed up self-importantly. ‘I, Aisling will be taking down orders, networking and, depending how we go for time, line dancing. Rosi will come food shopping with me in the morning. I’ve a list of what we need, and I expect you two here by four o’clock at the latest to help me make the hors d’oeuvres. Are we all clear?’
‘Ten-four, over and out, Mammy,’ Moira said.
‘Clear, Mammy,’ Aisling said.
Roisin nodded.
‘Alright then, early nights all round tonight. I want you all in top form tomorrow.’
‘Tell that to Rosi, Mammy,’ Moira leapt in.
‘Shut up, Moira! She always has to have the last word, Mammy’
‘Don’t shout in my ear, Roisin,’ Mammy said. ‘I’m having the last word because I’m hanging up now.’
Chapter 21
‘Roisin O’Mara, I said crack of dawn not ten thirty. Sure, it’s nearly lunchtime and you needn’t think you’re coming in. We haven’t got time for cups of tea and cosy chats.’ Maureen stepped outside into the corridor and was about to close the door when Pooh shot through, looking as eager for the off as she was. ‘No, you’re not coming. I’ve the Kenny Rogers playing for you, off you go. Your favourite song’s on after this one. He likes Daytime Friends best,’ she told Roisin, herding the poodle back in through the door. ‘He takes himself off to see if Peaches is on the balcony and gazes out at her while the song plays.’
‘Are you saying he’s got a crush on the pom-pom Persian next door?’ Roisin frowned and she rubbed her temples; her head was already beginning to throb at the thought of the day and evening lying ahead.
‘He’s confused as to what he is, or that’s what I think at least. The vet doesn’t agree but sure how would he know? He’s not Doctor Doolittle. I’m going to have to introduce him to some poodle lady friends. There’s a good-looking girl at the obedience class I take him to but we’re always leaving as they’re arriving.’
‘Star-crossed lovers,’ Roisin muttered and then a thought occurred to her. ‘But he’s been seen to. He’s not interested in that sorta thing anymore.’
‘Roisin, get your mind out of the gutter. Men and women can be friends you know. We’re all partial to a bit of company with the opposite sex now and again. And what’s that on your chin?’
Roisin’s hand went to where her mammy was peering to feel the tender skin there, already knowing the redness her eagle eyes had spotted was from Shay’s in-between beard. He’d stopped shaving a couple of weeks ago and wanted her opinion as to his new look. She liked it but not the rash it had given her. ‘I don’t know, Mammy, maybe I’ve an allergy to something?’ She shrugged.
‘Allergy my arse. I wasn’t born yesterday, now come on with you.’ She marched her daughter over to the lifts. ‘I’m glad to see you’re wearing the pants. It’s free advertising so it is.’
Rosi glanced down at her yoga pants and at her mammy’s. They were like the fecking Bobbsey twins only Mammy’s bottom was definitely bigger than hers. She was beginning to rue the day she’d ever worn the fecking things around her.
They got in the lift and pushed the button to take them down to the apartment’s underground car park. ‘You’re not going to go mad with the food and drink are you, Mammy? Because we’re wanting to be making a profit. I don’t want to go back to London empty handed or out of pocket. I’m planning on putting the money we make toward my yoga studio fund. We can still have this evening nice on a shoestring.’
Maureen donned her pained expression. ‘Was I, or was I not the proprietor of a highly respected guesthouse, Roisin?’
‘You were but Daddy did the books.’
Maureen made a pooh-poohing noise. ‘We were a team, Rosi.’
The weather as the car nosed out of the car park and out on to the main street was good, with scudding white clouds chasing the pale blue sky. Roisin stared out the window watching the world go by. The seaside hub of Howth was alive with Saturday morning visitors and locals alike, all after a sniff of the sea air she saw as they headed away from it toward the supermarket in Sutton Cross.
Once there, a drama ensued over who had a pound to put in the trolley with Roisin insisting they wouldn’t need much and sure, they could manage with a basket. Maureen was having none of it and she stopped a passer-by and asked if they could change a fiver for her.
Roisin trailed behind her mammy, who was pushing the trolley like a mammy on a mission, with a sinking heart. She watched as she picked up smelly cheeses, crackers, salamis,
