‘And do you just ask your parents for money or do you have an allowance?’ Jasmine asked, unable to grasp what life would be like without charge accounts and a credit card.
‘I get twenty-five euros and I have to work in Mam’s showrooms some Saturdays and during the holidays,’ Sophie explained.
‘Jeez, you have to work!’ Jasmine was aghast.
‘I work in the local coffee shop on Sundays.’ Leanne took another sip of wine.
Jasmine’s phone rang. It was her mother. ‘I’m on my way back from town and I want to call into Diffusion, that boutique in Clontarf. Cross over and walk up to the shops beside the Garda station and meet me there and I’ll drive you back home. Gran said you were meeting Sophie for pizza.’
‘Aw Mom, can’t I get the DART to Sutton! I’m with the girls,’ she protested.
‘No! You’re supposed to be grounded and I’m not driving back over to Sutton DART station,’ Colette said crossly. ‘I’ll be there in twenty. Be there.’ The phone went dead.
‘That was Mom. She’s like so mad with me, she says I’ve to meet her in some boutique called Diffusion, in twenty,’ Jasmine said dolefully.
‘Aww, just when we were having fun and getting to know each other,’ Sophie exclaimed. ‘Look, why don’t I ring my mam and ask her to ring yours and ask can you stay over. I can give you PJs and we could get a few films in and watch them and we could sneak up another bottle of wine, but we won’t get smashed because my parents would go bananas if they caught me drinking. But Leanne and I do sometimes, when we’re having sleepovers, don’t we, Leanne?’
‘Yeah, sounds good to me,’ Leanne agreed. ‘Ring Mrs Hammond and see what she says.’
Sophie crossed her fingers when she had dialled Hilary’s number. ‘We’re having a really nice time catching up cos it’s been ages since we’ve seen each other. So please ask Jasmine’s mam to let her stay over,’ Sophie said earnestly.
‘Well I’ll do my best but I can’t interfere if they really want to ground Jasmine,’ Hilary said firmly. ‘I’ll ring you back.’
‘She’s ringing back.’ Sophie took a glug of her wine. ‘Fingers crossed.’ She waved her fingers in the air and giggled.
‘I bet she won’t agree,’ Jasmine said gloomily, completely forgetting she had promised to go for a walk on the beach with her grandmother and Nomos. ‘She is like so pissed at me for last night. I haven’t a hope.’
‘It’s nice that they’re bonding, Colette, and it must be boring for her not having any friends to hang out with in Ireland. I’m fine with it if you are,’ Hilary said matter-of-factly. It was no trouble having the teen to stay. Sophie’s room was big enough for the two girls to sleep over. They wouldn’t be in her way.
‘Well we took her credit card off her so that’s a fairly stiff punishment in itself, so OK then, if you’re sure.’
‘We were teens together; it’s nice that our children have a bond too,’ Hilary said cheerfully. ‘I’ll ring them back and let them know.’
‘You are a good friend, Hilary, thanks,’ Colette said gratefully.
‘I know I am,’ Hilary said sardonically but Colette knew she was smiling.
‘She said yes,’ Sophie grinned, conveying Hilary’s message. ‘Let’s go into town for a couple of hours, and then we can stop off at Xtra Vision and rent out a couple of films and stock up on goodies.’
‘Good plan,’ agreed Leanne, finishing off the coleslaw.
For a day that had started off so badly, this was turning out to be a truly awesome one, Jasmine thought happily. After their initial rocky start, and once the awkwardness of the previous night’s episode had been dealt with, she’d found it surprisingly easy to talk to the two Irish girls. In fact she felt very, very comfortable with them. It was amazing. Their lives were so different she felt no need to try and impress them in the slightest. It was very liberating. She actually felt Sophie and Leanne could become ‘real’ friends. Jasmine felt an uncharacteristic frisson of happiness. This was just so cool.
‘Oh . . . well that’s nice for her. It’s good that she’s making friends here. And especially nice that it’s Hilary’s daughter,’ Jacqueline remarked when Colette informed her that Jazzy would not be home that night. She tried to ignore the pangs of disappointment. She had been looking forward to the walk on the beach with her granddaughter.
‘I’m going to bring Nomos for a walk on the strand. Fancy coming?’ she asked Colette, who was sipping coffee and flicking through Hello!
‘Mum, I’m pooped, I think I’ll have a nap. We’re meeting the Osmonds for cocktails in a couple of hours, when Des has finished his round of golf. Do you mind if I skip it?’
‘Not at all,’ said Jacqueline brightly. ‘Nomos and I will entertain each other. Come on, boy, let’s go for a walk.’
It was an irony, thought Jacqueline twenty minutes later, as she flung a stick along a stretch of white sand for her dog to catch, that all those years ago when Colette wanted her company she was too busy to devote a lot of time to her daughter. And now when she had more time to spend with her family, the only one who had time to give her was Nomos. Jacqueline sighed as her dog yelped with pleasure, panting and wagging a sandy tail at her, proud to return the stick and have it thrown again for him to chase.
‘Good God, is that Frances Collins? Look at the size of her! She has an arse like the back of a bus. She’s really let herself go. She needs to get herself a good trainer or go to the gym.’
