‘Ah, God, yes. Going to the fair,’ Aisling snorted, ‘I’m sorry, Rosi,’ she choked out as her giggles erupted.
‘Says simple Simon to the pieman let me taste your ware,’ Maureen finished.
‘Mammy, you’re supposed to be on my side.’
‘I am, but it is sort of funny, Rosi.’
Roisin looked from one to the other and felt her own mouth twitch. Ah feck it, she couldn’t beat them so she might as well join them.
Chapter 17
The phone rang and Moira held up her hand, ‘Don’t move, your nails are only just after drying. I’ll get it.’
Roisin stayed where she was on the sofa and admired the natural pink shiny hue of her nails. It was an effort to sit still though when she was such a jangly bag of nerves. She made an O shape with her mouth, her face felt strange. She wasn’t used to wearing so much make-up. Moira had somehow achieved that holy grail of make-up looks. The one that said I’m not wearing hardly any make-up, I’m naturally gorgeous with dewy skin and rosy pink cheeks. A-ha fooled you! Really, I’ve truckloads of the stuff plastered on.
‘Hello.’
She heard her sister’s voice from the kitchen. Was it Nina to say Shay had arrived? Roisin wanted to bite her lip but she didn’t want to ruin the lipstick Moira had carefully applied with a brush. ‘It’s a long lasting one so it won’t come off when you eat and drink. It might come off if you go in for a full-on snog though,’ she’d warned.
‘Oh, hi-ya, Nina.’
Ah Jaysus, it was Nina, he was here!
‘I will do. Tell him she’ll be down in a sec and she’s looking hot to trot. She’s one foxy mama!’
‘Moira, shut up! Do not tell him that, Nina,’ Roisin shouted.
‘No, I was only joking with you. Just say she’ll be down in a tick. Thanks, Nina.’ Moira put the phone down and reappeared in the living room. ‘Prince Charming is downstairs and your carriage is waiting.’
‘So, I gathered.’ Roisin got up and smoothed the skirt of the little black dress she’d borrowed from Aisling. ‘Sure, I couldn’t get my arse in it if I tried these days,’ her sister had lamented, pulling it from her wardrobe and handing it to Roisin. ‘It’ll be looking smashing on you though.’ She’d kept her word too, loaning her the much-coveted Valentino’s telling her she expected everything to be returned to her in the same condition as it had been loaned.’
She’d shot Moira a look and Moira had been indignant. ‘For the millionth time, I did not scratch your Louboutin’s, Aisling.’ Aisling raised an eyebrow and Moira looked shifty. ‘It was microscopic.’ She turned to Roisin, ‘She can’t let it go.’
Aisling had stuck around to see the end result of Roisin’s makeover and had declared her beautiful before spraying a cloud of the bottle of Oscar de la Renta perfume Quinn had bought her and ordering her to walk through it. Roisin felt the tiny droplets of perfume land on her as Aisling proclaimed she was officially hot-date ready. The fringe, she said, gave her the look of one of those pin-up girls of old. It was in the artful pencilling in of her eyebrows and the choice of bold red lipstick. Moira had done a fine job, she’d said, before picking up her overnight bag and heading for the door. ‘Have a good time, Rosi, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.’
‘I certainly won’t be,’ Roisin had replied.
Aisling was staying the night at Quinn’s and Roisin planned on sleeping in her old room. Patrick and Cindy were having dinner with Noah and Mammy in Howth and would stay the night there. She was glad Noah was with his nana because he’d have a lovely time with her and it would give him the chance to get to know his uncle and Cindy a little better. Mostly though it was because whatever tonight with Shay was, Noah didn’t need to be privy to any of it.
‘Right then,’ she said, picking up her purse. She was keen to rid herself of the nervous anticipation that was making her body tingle. ‘I’ll be off. Thanks, Moira, for everything.’
‘My pleasure, but before you go, one quick question. Are you all erm, you know? Spruced up.’
Roisin looked up from where she was checking her purse for her phone and key to the apartment for the tenth time since she’d finished getting ready. ‘No, I don’t know, what do you mean? This is as spruced as it gets. And I thought you and Ash said I looked good.’
‘You do, I did a grand job, if I do say so myself but it’s your bits I’m talking about. Are they in shipshape, presentable order?’ Moira cast a meaningful downward glance.
‘Moira! For fecks sake.’
‘Ah, don’t be such a prude. It’s your best interests I’ve got at heart. It’s just I know it’s been a while and I’m checking it’s not the Amazon rainforest down there. You know in case you lose control of yourself and jump his bones. I could stall him if you need to go and have a quick sort out.’
‘Thank you for your concern, Moira, but I’m perfectly respectable down yonder, not that it matters because last time I checked you don’t drop your knickers and flash your bits when you’re out for dinner. Because, that’s all it is, dinner!’ Her voice went up a notch and Moira held up a placatory hand.
‘Alright, if you say so. Don’t get your knickers in a knot. Now come on let’s get you downstairs.’
‘You’re not coming.’
‘I didn’t give you an hour of my life not to watch your man’s reaction when he sees you.’
‘Stay right where you are,’ Roisin ordered, her eyes narrowed.
Moira hesitated.
‘I mean it.’
Moira looked at her oldest sister’s face and knew she meant business. Reluctantly she picked up the television remote and flopped down on the sofa.
Satisfied she wasn’t going to be followed, Roisin closed the apartment door behind
