Better Together (40 page)

Sheridan didn’t let her eyes stray to the alcove where Joe and Ritz were sitting. She focused her entire attention on the Formula 1 race and Peter’s current work with the motor-sports team. But all the time she was listening to him talk about the excitement of the Nürburgring, she was wondering why Joe was here with Ritz and what exactly the relationship between them was. It had been evident at the hotel that Ritz was attracted to Joe. It was impossible she thought, as she allowed herself a very quick glance at the spa manager, that he wouldn’t be attracted to her too. She contrasted Ritz’s sleek good looks and on-trend clothes (she was wearing a
purple knitted dress that clung to her enviable figure) with her own appearance every time Joe saw her – windswept at Josh’s football match, tousled after her freebie at the spa and rain soaked after covering the school story – and she knew that there was no comparison. Ritz won the glamour stakes hands down. Then she reminded herself that there was no point in even thinking about competition between them, because Joe thought she was a snooping journalist and she’d run away and left him sitting on his own in a restaurant.

So, she told herself, there’s no chance of him wanting to know me socially any more, even if I somehow found a glamorous version of myself to turn into. Which I’ve never wanted to do for a man before and I’m not going to do now either. I’m not that kind of person. I never will be.

‘Will we join Shimmy and the gang?’ It occurred to her as she asked Peter this that it would be a good way of getting out of Joe’s sight. It would also (hopefully) prevent Peter from noticing his brother and calling him over or something equally embarrassing.

Peter agreed, and they moved to the end of the bar, where they could neither see nor be seen by people nearer the door. Peter hadn’t spotted Joe as they’d moved and Sheridan allowed herself to exhale again.

She realised, as he started talking to Shimmy and his pals, that Peter was the kind of person who got on with everyone. He fitted right in, laughing and joking with the men, telling them stories about bike races, listening to their own sporting tales and arguing passionately (as the men of Ardbawn always did) about the local hurling team. He was easy to get to know. Easy to like. He was, in fact, her ideal guy. Sporty. Uncomplicated. Fun. So much better for her
than someone who sent shivers up her spine and turned her legs to jelly.

Sheridan was drawn into the conversation with the girls. Laura complained that she hadn’t yet dropped into the shop, and Sheridan apologised, saying that she’d been very busy.

‘Of course you were there at the Great Siege of St Raphaela’s, weren’t you?’ asked Roisin. ‘In fact, according to the
Central News
, you were the one who suggested that Charlie Sweetman climb the tree and bring Conall Brophy down. The heroine of the hour!’

Sheridan laughed. ‘I’m sure they would’ve thought of it themselves,’ she said. ‘It was the obvious route to the roof.’

‘Perhaps, but this way DJ got the chance to say what great staff the paper has,’ Roisin said.

‘True.’

‘And good news for Mr Brophy and his wife, too,’ added Laura.

‘Not entirely,’ protested Sheridan. ‘He was arrested.’

‘That’s not what I meant,’ said Laura. ‘Lorraine was in the shop yesterday. She said that Conall’s been offered a job since the incident.’

‘That’s fantastic.’ Sheridan was pleased for him and for Lorraine.

‘Yes, apparently JJ O’Malley got in touch with him and told him that there was a temporary job in the Carlow plant if he was interested.’

‘Oh.’ Sheridan glanced involuntarily towards the alcove where Joe and Ritz were sitting, even though she knew she wouldn’t be able to see them. When had JJ spoken to Conall? Why? Because she’d talked about it? Hardly. And yet . . .

‘Nice guy, JJ,’ said Roisin. ‘He’s around the offices quite a
lot and he’s always friendly. I heard . . .’ she looked inquisitively at Sheridan, glanced at Peter and then lowered her voice, ‘that you and he were spotted at the Riverview last week.’

‘That was nothing,’ said Sheridan, although she was sure that her face was a fiery red. ‘Interview stuff, that’s all.’ She kicked herself mentally as she spoke. If her comment somehow got back to Joe, he’d think that he was right about her being with him to snoop on his father.

‘Shame.’ Laura’s eyes twinkled wickedly. ‘We were just saying earlier that you were doing a great job of playing one O’Malley boy against the other.’

‘That’s
so
not what’s happening.’ Sheridan’s expression was hunted.

Roisin chuckled. ‘Wouldn’t be at all bad for them,’ she said. ‘Well, not bad for Peter, anyhow. He was desperate when he was younger. Chased everything in a skirt. But you can’t help liking him.’

‘Roisin!’ Laura made a face at her.

‘Well he did,’ said Roisin. ‘You. Me. Myra. Jasmine.’

‘Holy Mother of God!’ exclaimed Sheridan.

‘He was – still is – a good-looking guy,’ said Laura defensively. ‘With a tragic background. Plus, of course, the family was loaded. Made him irresistible.’

‘Peter more than Joe?’ asked Sheridan.

‘What d’you think?’ asked Roisin in return. ‘You’ve been out with both of them.’

‘Not out.’ Sheridan’s expression was embarrassed. ‘Not the way you mean.’

The two girls looked at her teasingly, and Peter glanced over at them.

‘Hope you’re not telling tales,’ he called.

‘Would we?’ Laura grinned.

‘Peter was way more irresistible than Joe when we were younger,’ she told Sheridan. ‘He was nearer our ages for starters. I know it doesn’t matter now, but four years is a lot when you’re a teenager. Plus he was always a bit of a rebel. Made him all the more interesting. He went the Goth route for a while – though that’s when he was seeing Myra, so not entirely surprising. She embraces her inner Goth on a regular basis. He had an earring before anyone else too.’

‘He’s not wearing it now,’ observed Sheridan.

‘I guess some men grow out of earrings. It looked good on him, though.’

‘And Joe wasn’t a rebel?’

‘Not really,’ said Laura. ‘He was a nice enough guy, but there wasn’t the same whiff of danger about him as there was about Peter. And, like I said, he was that bit older. He sort of looked down on us.’

‘He was kind of stand-offish,’ Roisin agreed. ‘Though some people said that he was shy. Can’t see that myself; he’s pretty successful now, and you don’t get that way by hiding your light.’

‘Successful in his dad’s company,’ Laura reminded her.

‘Sure, but he still has to know what he’s doing, doesn’t he. And he did give the job to Conall.’

Sheridan decided to meet Lorraine Brophy again and ask her about Conall’s job. It would be a good-news story for the paper, and DJ liked good news. Especially, she reckoned, when it was courtesy of the O’Malley empire.

An hour later, Sheridan decided it was time for her to leave. On one level she’d had a good time with Peter, especially
after meeting Shimmy and his friends again too, but ever since Joe and Ritz had walked in, she’d felt on edge. She’d kept sneaking looks in their direction, even though they were hidden from her view. She couldn’t help thinking that she was behaving like a sixteen year old with a crush. She hadn’t had a crush on anyone when she was sixteen, but she remembered how giggly and silly the girls in school had been over boys they fancied, and she was feeling, if not giggly, certainly a bit silly now. She reminded herself that a crush was a shortlived, intense sort of thing and that she’d get over it. Although she remembered that one of her school friends, Karen Matthews, had spend an entire year swooning over Pierce Mooney, a boy in the year ahead of them, who’d never even noticed she existed.

I won’t spend a year obsessing about Joe O’Malley, she told herself. I won’t be in Ardbawn long enough for that. Besides, Joe isn’t around all the time either, what with his trips to Dubai and looking after different parts of the great Paudie O’Malley conglomerate.

‘You surely don’t want to leave now?’ Peter was saying. ‘It’s just getting interesting.’

Sheridan told him that she was sorry, she was really tired and wanted to go home, but that he was perfectly free to stay until closing time if he wanted.

‘Ah, no. I’ll head off with you. I could probably do with an early night.’

It wasn’t all that early, thought Sheridan, but it was the weekend, and she supposed she was being a bit of a party-pooper. However, she just couldn’t stay in the pub, worrying about being spotted by Joe, any longer. She hoped that Peter would remain unaware of his brother’s presence as she ushered
him out, keeping her face averted from the corner where she knew he and Ritz were sitting, but Peter spotted them immediately and waved at them.

‘Hi, bro!’

‘Hello.’ Joe raised a hand in greeting, and Ritz Boland smiled in acknowledgement.

‘Didn’t see you here earlier,’ said Peter as he walked over to them.

‘We arrived after you,’ Joe told him.

‘You mean you saw me and didn’t bother to say hello?’ There was an amused undercurrent to Peter’s voice.

‘I saw Sheridan,’ said Joe.

‘You never said.’ Peter turned accusingly towards Sheridan, though his eyes were twinkling.

‘I didn’t notice them,’ she lied, knowing that her face was flaming red again.

‘Ritz, you’re looking great as always,’ Peter said. ‘You get hotter every year.’

‘Flattery will get you everywhere,’ she told him with a grin. ‘How’s things? I heard you were back in town.’

‘Flying visit.’

Ritz glanced at Sheridan. ‘Is he introducing you to anyone who’s anyone in the town?’

‘Oh, I think I’ve met all the important people already,’ Sheridan replied, hoping her face had calmed down. ‘How did the advertorial work for you? Were you happy with it?’

‘Business is booming,’ said Ritz. ‘So I guess it was worth it.’

‘I’m glad to hear it.’ Sheridan turned to Peter. ‘I’ve got to go.’

‘Off to cover another major scoop?’ asked Ritz. ‘I believe
you were in the thick of it when that loony tried to burn down St Raphaela’s.’

‘I was there,’ said Sheridan, who noticed that Joe’s jaw had tightened at Ritz’s words. ‘He was just a very distressed man.’

‘I get very distressed from time to time, but I don’t stand on rooftops and threaten to blow the world to hell,’ said Ritz.

‘It ended up OK,’ Sheridan said. ‘Which is the main thing. And –’ she turned to Joe – ‘I believe he’s got a job in one of your father’s plants. That was really good of you . . . of him.’

Ritz turned to look at Joe too.

‘Are you being a bit of a bleeding heart again?’ she asked.

‘Of course not,’ said Joe. ‘The man needed a job, and we needed someone to do it.’

‘C’mon, Sheridan,’ said Peter. ‘Given that you were foolish enough to drive, you can drop me home.’ He put his arm around her shoulder. ‘See you later, bro. Ritz.’

‘My car’s over here,’ said Sheridan.

She unlocked the Beetle, and Peter got into the passenger seat.

‘So,’ he said as she put it into gear. ‘What’s the real story with you and Joe?’

‘I told you.’

‘You told me you’d left him sitting alone in a restaurant. You didn’t say anything about the electricity.’

‘What electricity?’

‘Between the two of you,’ said Peter. ‘Definite electricity.’

‘Don’t be silly.’

‘I’m a man!’ he cried. ‘And even I felt it. Both of you crackling at each other. Communicating without saying a word.’

She shook her head. ‘We weren’t communicating at all.’

‘My brother is one of the good guys,’ Peter told her, his voice suddenly serious. ‘Don’t mess with him.’

‘I promise you, there’s no chance of that.’

Less than five minutes later, she pulled up outside the big double gates of March Manor.

‘I don’t have my zapper,’ said Peter. ‘But if you wait, I can key in the number and you can drive up. Come in for coffee.’

‘I don’t think I’d be very welcome in your house,’ said Sheridan.

‘Sinead isn’t home,’ Peter told her. ‘She was only here the day you called because Josh was having a sleepover while she went to a fund-raiser. So she’s back in her own house tonight. Dad isn’t around either. Cushla is in London. And you know where Joe is.’

‘I’m not coming in, thank you all the same,’ said Sheridan.

‘Sorry, you’re probably getting the wrong impression because I’m pointing out we’d be alone together,’ said Peter. ‘I’m not going to try anything on with you, honestly. There wouldn’t be any point anyway. Not now that I know about you and Joe.’

‘There’s nothing . . .’

‘In that case, what are the chances of you and me?’ asked Peter.

She stared at him and he grinned.

‘I had hopes,’ he said. ‘You seemed to be my sort of girl. But you’re not. You’re Joe’s.’

‘I really don’t think so.’

‘D’you want to be?’ asked Peter.

Sheridan said nothing.

‘I hope it works out,’ Peter said. ‘And you don’t have to worry about me. I’m heading back to the UK next week – just as well, otherwise I’d have to nurse my broken heart when my brother does something about you.’

‘That’s not going to happen.’

‘He’s difficult, is Joe,’ Peter said. ‘But worth it.’

‘Look . . .’

‘I’m absolutely certain he’s not going out with Ritz Boland, in case that’s what you think. Lovely girl, but definitely not Joe’s type. Far too high maintenance for him. They’ve worked together once or twice on things for the Spring Festival and stuff like that. But there’s no romantic entanglement.’

Maybe not as far as Joe’s concerned, thought Sheridan. But it’s different for Ritz.

‘Your brother is a lovely man,’ she told Peter. ‘I like him. But I’m not going to be staying in Ardbawn for long myself either. When I met him for dinner, it was just for socialising. Like with you.’

‘If you say so,’ said Peter. ‘Though I think it’s very unfair of you to come down here from Dublin and try to win the hearts of two country boys.’

‘Get over yourself.’ Sheridan poked him gently in the side.

‘Good night, Sheridan Gray,’ said Peter. ‘May all your dreams come true.’

‘Good night, Peter O’Malley,’ she said. ‘See you around.’