‘Hi!’ Tom appeared before her. ‘The two gals are inside.’ He ushered her into the hallway, which was crowded with luggage. It looked like Ailbhe, after everything, was the only one going to make a clean break from Monteray Valley.
Lindy traipsed after him as he continued: ‘They’re talking about some confidence coach you arranged for Roe?’ He rounded on her, dropping his voice. ‘Are you proceeding with The Snag List?’
‘God, no. I just feel like I need to see it through with Roe.’ She’d already emailed Rachel with a terse explanation that she was hitting pause on The Snag List and deleted Rachel’s reply without reading it. She hated that woman. ‘I think Roe needs to getsomethingpositive out of it all,’ she said. ‘I had this confidence coach booked already and so … you know, we’ll go through with it. It might be helpful to Roe. She’s got a meeting with some producers about another show so this will get her in the right mindset.’
‘Maybe you shouldn’t drop The Snag List altogether. It could be an opportunity Optimise could get involved with? There’s definitely something in the idea, even if your execution has been a little bit … haphazard.’
‘Hmmm.’ Lindy searched for something to say to this. How to explain to a cheery, can-do American the extent of her nihilism right now? ‘I feel like I’ve done enough damage, no?’
‘Lindy! A few glitches in early trials is totally normal. After all, the first hundred lung-transplant patients died!’
‘Ehhh … yeah, that’s a totally reasonable comparison!’
He laughed. ‘Have a think about it. In a funny way, I kind of owe you, Lindy. If it hadn’t been for The Snag List, I wouldn’t have … you know … seen Ailbhe’s problems. And we might never have gotten to this great place of radical honesty.’
Oh Jesus. Lindy cringed inwardly. She didn’t like what Ailbhe was doing, but from where Lindy was standing, Ailbhe having to live with the lie was a bigger ordeal than simply being honest. Incredible that, in the midst of everything with Adam, there was still a situation worse than hers playing out right in front of her.
‘Thanks for the offer. I’ll keep it in mind. I’d better get in to Roe and get her prepped for the coach.’
In the living room, Ailbhe was pacing around holding up different outfits pulled from Roe’s open suitcase while Roe moaned despairingly from the couch.
‘What about the pink boiler suit?’ Ailbhe displayed it hopefully.
‘I hate everything I own. If it wasn’t so stupidly hard to get clothes in my size, picking outfits for an audition would actually be fun.’
Lindy shut the living-room door behind her. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll get something mega for when they invite you overto London! Today’s just a Zoom interview.’
‘Yeah.’ Roe shuffled over to examine the boiler suit. ‘They’ve seen the video of my scenes, they’ve heard me singing, so this Zoom is mostly about them getting to know me. Which is fine except that lately “me” has been a complete whack job.’
‘You should tell them the whole thing – it really illustrates your commitment to the business of show!’ Ailbhe chirped.
‘Oh, look who’s advising someone to ’fess up.’ Roe cocked an eyebrow.
‘Now, now.’ Lindy slid between them. ‘No one here is in any position to be lecturing anyone else. We’re all dumb bitches together.’
Roe smiled wanly and pulled out her phone. ‘You’re right … Look, Lindy, my mum sent me a super encouraging text earlier.’
‘What?’ She grabbed the phone. ‘That’s amazing— Oh,’ Lindy blanched as she read the first line.
Rose, I am disgusted with you. Eddie has done everything for you for—
‘Jesus, you need to block her.’
‘Well, for once I am in wholehearted agreement with her.’ Roe was morose. ‘Maybe this is how we’ll end up “reconnecting” – bonding over what a shitbag we both think I am for doing this to Eddie.’ She pulled off her sweatshirt and tried on an orange cashmere sweater.
‘This is very good.’ Ailbhe nodded decisively at the top and started fussing with different jewellery options.
‘What exactly does she know?’ Lindy scanned the rest of the message: she got the gist. It was very generalised ire. Not even imaginative. ‘You always do this.’ ‘You have no ability to commit.’
‘I told her Eddie and I were taking some time apart.’
‘How can she say “you always do this”? You’ve been with the guy for ten years!’
‘I don’t know why I even made contact.’ Roe stuck the chunky gold hoop Ailbhe had handed her in her right ear. ‘Well, OK, I do. I thought she’d be happy about us deciding not to try for a baby any more. So stupid. In the middle ofallof this, some tiny part of me was still, like, “ooooh, maybethis’llmake her happy”. God, I need to be put down.’
‘Roe! Stop it.’ Lindy tossed the phone back on the couch. ‘You are on the verge of a massive breakthrough. A West End director wants a follow-up meeting! This is real. Yes, on a personal level things have,’ Lindy applied her next words delicately, ‘been better. But on a professional level this is the biggest moment of your life. This could be a turning point. Maybe the fact you’ve lost everything is actually liberating. This opportunity is all you have left!’
‘Do you think saying “you’ve lost everything” is comforting me right now?’ Roe asked archly.
