‘I might need to take you up on that. I promised Sonya that somehow we’d keep her on.’
Carlo’s face creased into a grin. ‘Now you’re talking. You know she’s my favourite woman on the planet after Yvie. She once bollocked one of my teachers for giving me detention. Told him he was a fascist and that she’d be reporting him for being a dick. She got removed from the school, but it was worth it.’
It was the light relief they all needed.
Carlo went on, ‘And if this is about Dad having a purpose, you know he is always welcome to come hang out at my place. I guess it’s not the same, but the customers would love him.’
Dario didn’t want to say that he didn’t think that would ever happen. This was Gino’s spiritual home, it was part of his soul.That was the problem. It was so much more than bricks and mortar.
‘And the deal? Yes or no?’ Brodie asked Carlo the direct question. His mate had known his brother since he was a kid, so it was pretty cool to see that he valued his opinion.
‘I’d bite their hands off. It’s a no-brainer to me. But then, I’m not Dad.’ Carlo stood up. ‘Listen, I’m going to go check on him, see how he’s doing. The tables will be starting to fill, so I’ll keep everything going while you two speak. And, Dario, whatever you decide to do, I’ll back you.’
Dario thought how proud his mum would be to see the guy that her youngest son had become. ‘Thanks, bro.’
As the door closed behind Carlo, Brodie put his beer down on the desk. ‘How are you holding up? I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this shit.’
‘Me too. Thing is, I know there’s only one answer, but I just need to think some more before I pull the trigger.’
Brodie stood up. ‘I get it and there’s no rush – we’ve got a few hours before the deadline. I’m going to get out of your hair and let you get your head round all this. Just give me a shout when you’re ready to make the call.’
24
MINNIE
Minnie leaned in to get a better look at her reflection in the mirror as she applied her lipstick, ignoring the twinge in her hip from this morning’s fall. She always wore bright red lippy on New Year’s Eve and Henry had always loved it. ‘Here comes Ruby Lips,’ he’d say as she came down the stairs. And it didn’t matter if she was twenty-five or seventy-five, he’d add, ‘The most beautiful girl that there ever was,’ and then he’d pull her close and they’d slow dance for a moment whether there was music on or not.
He was quiet tonight though, ever since she’d come off the phone to Emmy.
‘I know what you’re thinking there, Henry Ryan. I shouldn’t have lied to the lass about staying home tonight. But you know fine well that if I was honest about where I was going, well, it would have caused all sorts of issues. And, let’s face it, you’re not exactly squeaky clean in all this. You were party to the lie we told them last year too, when you and I were sneaking into Gino’s but didn’t want to tell them about it.’
Minnie had felt terrible about that, they both did, but they were caught between a rock and a hard place.
The year before that, two years ago now, they’d been having a wonderful time as usual at Gino’s. Eric and Ailish were there as always, and Emmy too. Of course, poor Alicia had already passed, and you could see the heartache on Gino’s face, but, goodness, he made an effort to cover it up, putting all his energy into being the host that made sure everyone had a fabulous night. Dario was there too, such a lovely man, who made her heart stop when he looked at her because his eyes were the same gorgeous almond shape as his mother’s.
Who else was there? She tried to think. Carlo! Yes, the youngest son was over at the bar, keeping the drinks flowing. And Gwen and Rhonda were providing endless entertainment as usual too. It was before Gwen got sick, and they had no idea what was to come for the poor soul. You just never knew the minute. Anyway, it was all going smashing right up until the early hours of the morning. All the happy new year kisses had been exchanged, there had been much jubilation, a smashing singalong, and then some slower music had come on for another round of dancing. Minnie hadn’t even noticed that Eric had disappeared, because she was too busy having a wee sway with Henry to something by that lovely Celine Dion, if she remembered correctly. Next thing, well, all hell broke loose. Ailish rushed back from the loos, grabbed her things, and she was off, Emmy chasing after her. Turned out poor Emmy had caught Eric with his… Minnie hated the word mistress, but that was the truth of it. Ailish had seen them too and that had set it all off.
Shocking didn’t even begin to cover it. Minnie had been devastated and crushed that a son of hers had acted that way. Henry had been furious. Livid. In fact, she wasn’t sure Henry’s relationship with Eric had ever recovered.
Not surprising then that she’d felt uncomfortable telling the family that they were going back to Gino’s last year, but asHenry said, there was no point in them losing a tradition they’d shared with friends for fifty years, over an act of stupidity by a son who’d been brought up to know better. Emmy was working anyway, Eric was away with that floozy of his, and Ailish didn’t have the appetite for going out. He’d broken her heart, so he had, and the lass didn’t deserve it after being a devoted wife to him for all those years. So yes, last year they’d lied about going to Gino’s because they didn’t want to hurt anyone by admitting they were returning to the scene of the crime. They’d said they were staying home, having a quiet night, but, in truth, they’d eaten delicious food, sang their hearts out and danced until they were breathless, putting another memory in the vault of their lives together. And Minnie would always be glad of it.
Make-up done, she picked up her brush, and styled her hair into the same look she’d worn on special occasions for most of her life: a middle parting, her hair swept back into a low, twisted bun at the back, like a ballet dancer. A chignon, it was called. Alicia had taught her how to do it when they were just young mums, and Minnie had always felt it was so sophisticated, even when they didn’t have a bean to their names.
A blast of Elnett hairspray kept it in place, and then she picked up the atomiser from the dressing table and added some scent to her wrists. Estée Lauder’s Youth Dew. Henry’s favourite.
As he often did, Henry left her to get ready. Her burgundy silk dress was already hanging on the front of the wardrobe, so she swapped it for her robe, glad that it covered her newly skint knees, then, wincing just a little with her aches and pains, slipped her feet into her low-heeled, silver shoes that were smart enough for a party but comfortable enough for a dance. She never did see the point of those towering heels the young ones wore – one wrong move and you could break an ankle in them.
As she came down the stairs, she heard ‘Moon River’ playing and there Henry was, waiting for her, handsome as ever. ‘Herecomes Ruby Lips,’ he whispered. ‘The most beautiful girl there ever was.’
When she reached him, she felt his arms go around her and they swayed to the music, and Minnie knew, as she always did, that this was the most perfect moment of her year. She savoured it for as long as she could, before the beeping horn of the taxi outside interrupted them.
‘Come on, love, time to go,’ she murmured to him, then chided herself for the tears that were making her eyes glisten.
Henry noticed them too. ‘Hey, hey,’ he soothed her, stroking her cheek. ‘This is our happy night, ma darling. Another year. More memories to make.’
‘More memories to make,’ she repeated softly, before slowly pulling her hand away, their fingers sliding apart until only the tips were touching, then letting go.
The taxi beeped its horn again, but she still took her time, careful not to unsteady herself. After her fall this morning, and then that faint this afternoon, she didn’t want to add a ‘third time unlucky’ to the day.
