Page 28 of Between Us
They trudged in quiet for a moment.
‘You straight people, you’re a mystery to me,’ Meredith said. ‘Mind you, serious relationships are a mystery to me, so perhaps I should take a seat.’
‘Seems to me this is not actually mere conception admin,’ Roisin said, frowning. ‘This is quite a large and meaningful difference of priorities. If Anita wants a pregnancy more than far-flung weddings she should tell Dev to scale the whole thing down and even consider delaying it until after kids.’
‘Ah, I said that; no can do. Her Hindu family are liberal but not that liberal. Marriage before babies or there’d be hell to pay. If she gets pregnant it’ll be Gretna Green, accelerator pedal to the floor. A lot of pressure to go against wishes of fiancéandfamily.’
Roisin blew out air. ‘If you’ve told Anita it’s wrong, what’s your moral quandary?’ she said.
‘Do I tell Dev she’s not on the pill?’ Meredith said.
‘Good God, NO. Is that even a question?’ Roisin said. ‘Or am I a self-preserving coward? But no. I see only bad outcomes if you break Anita’s confidence. It was unfair of her to burden you with it.’
‘Thank you! That’s the advice I came for. The thing I wanted to hear anyway,’ Meredith laughed.
They stopped to gaze out over the rippled water.
‘Lake Como is the problem, you know,’ Roisin said, once again speaking quietly, as if it was profane to say it at normal volume. ‘It’s wonderful Dev’s been so successful, but the attitude to money is spiralling out of control. I’ve realised what it reminds me of – those nights out where we’d be done, and Dev would bang down a tray of shots no one asked for and announce we were “going on somewhere”. The rapid escalation.’
‘That has occurred to me. That he’s going to end up in high-roller rehab next,’ Meredith said.
‘Alternative approach,’ Roisin said. ‘Someone talks Dev out of Miami and Lake Como. This then provokes a proper heart to heart with his fiancée about the marriage-babies timetable.’
‘Someone?Good luck, Rosh!’ Meredith said and they laughed. ‘I hope you don’t mind me burdening you, too. You’re such a solid person about these things.’
‘Honoured.’ Roisin patted her arm.
‘You know, looking at that photo of us from way back when,’ Meredith said, ‘reminded me of what a superstar you are. I’ve never met anyone who’s such a natural leader, always the centre of things, but who has so little ego to go with it. Dev was our manager but you were too, in an unofficial, HR way.’
‘Wow,’ Roisin said, blushing. ‘Really?’
‘Uh huh. We all thought Joe had won the lottery, the first time we spied you holding hands.’
‘Blimey, Mer, where did all that come from?! But thank you.’
‘I get the feeling you’re not hearing things like that enough,’ Meredith said, with a penetrating look.
Roisin’s mouth opened in surprise, and nothing came out.
‘GIRLS! You waiting to drown yourselves?! Come the fuck on!’ Dev roared in the distance, doing a little Riverdance.
They laughed and moved on, and Roisin was grateful, as she had no idea what she’d have found to say.
17
As the Saturday night meal was in honour of Gina’s recent birthday, Gina chose the menu. She was very enthusiastic about this, taking charge of the cooking. Others were less enthusiastic.
‘Dreading it, if I’m honest,’ Joe had said, a week prior. ‘I’m not being funny, but I’ve seen how much Gina eats, and there’ll be no meat either. I’m hiding Yorkies and a family bag of Walkers salt and vinegar in our room for later.’
‘Joe!’ Roisin had chided. ‘She’s a great cook.’
‘I know. She makes sensational banquets. For a family of MICE.’
‘I’ve been savingVogueandTatlerphotos of dinner parties for inspo,’ Gina had told them. ‘No one cooks any more. Basically, everyone fashionable serves a platter of radishes and shrimps with the tail on, with aioli, and big bowls of cherries.’
‘A radish, a prawn and some cherries. I’ll try not to gorge myself,’ Joe said.
Yet when Gina finally unveiled her full three course concept to Meredith, Anita and Roisin in the kitchen that lunchtime,Roisin did silently ponder that it sounded a trifle on the lean side. Gina must lack the greedy enzyme.
