Catch Me a Catch (17 page)

“I’ll be
waiting for your call.” If it were up to the tall, dynamic man, the contract
was firmly in Miller Advertising’s hands. Jack quickly stowed his laptop and
strode with Roger to the building’s light and airy foyer.

“Thanks again,
Jack.” Roger shook his hand firmly. “I’ll be in touch.”

Jack climbed
into the car and started the engine. At two hours, the meeting had gone even
quicker than expected. He needed to get back to New York and finalize the new
pitch to Mecredi Cars. Frustration welled up within him at the constraints his
job was placing on him. He’d only just found his long lost grandmother. Now,
without the mental challenge of the presentation to distract him, his mind and
body craved Annie again. There had been such joy in her face in the café. As if
all of her dreams had come true.

He needed to
be in New York. She seemed to think she’d got everything she ever wanted by winning
this competition. He glanced into the rear view mirror, recognizing the
determined look in the set of his jaw. The look Roxie told him terrified
people. With his departure for New York pushed forward, there were things he
needed to do.

He was just
pulling up outside the nursing home when his mobile rang.

“Jack, it’s
Roger, we’ve made our decision. We’d like Miller Advertising to run the
campaign.”

“That’s great,
Roger.” There was always a burst of satisfaction when he nailed a contract, but
this time it was suspiciously absent.

“I’ll talk to
my team and we’ll get things rolling.” Jack ended the call, shrugging off the
lingering feeling of disquiet.

He checked in
at reception and asked to see Dr. Lynch.

“Mr. Miller.”
The doctor met him at reception and walked him into his office. “What can I do
for you?”

“I want to
talk about my grandmother.” He sank down on the hard wooden chair. “I have to
go back to New York, and I want to make arrangements to have her come live near
me.”

Silence.

“I’m not sure
that’s a good idea.” The doctor leaned his elbows on the desk. Steepled his
fingers. “As her doctor I certainly can’t recommend it.”

He needed
family. Needed to belong. His grandmother needed him too. Without him, her last
days would be eked out without any family to comfort her. Couldn’t the doctor
understand how important this was to him?

“I don’t
understand.” There was no way he would abandon her in her hour of need. He had
the financial clout to ensure his grandmother received the best care possible.
“I can provide for her medical care. I’m going back to the States in a couple
of days and intend to thoroughly check nursing homes over there. I’m sure I can
find one which will suit her needs.”

He crossed his
arms. Tried not to glower.

“I’m sorry,
Mr. Miller, but there’s more to it than that.” Dr. Lynch scratched his nose,
his brow creasing as he hunted for the right words to explain himself. “The
issue is not the quality of care, but familiarity. Your grandmother’s
Alzheimer’s means she’s not capable of understanding why she should leave her
familiar environment. Moving her will cause her mental distress.”

“I can’t just
leave her.”

“I understand
your feelings, Mr. Miller, but you must understand Mary is soothed by her
familiar surroundings. The nurses understand her likes and dislikes. Know her
history. Talk to her about her husband, and her daughter. She feels safe and
cocooned here. Moving her would be too much. It would very definitely be to her
detriment.”

“But
physically she would be able for the move?” Jack was unwilling to let her go.
Not without a fight.

“Physically she
would survive it. But mentally…” Dr Lynch didn’t need to finish the sentence.

It wouldn’t be
fair to cause her any sort of trauma. Especially avoidable trauma. Jack’s
spirits sank. He had to think of her.

“All right,
Doctor. I’ll have to think about what you’ve told me.”

“She’s just
had her lunch. Would you like to see her? I know she enjoyed your previous visit,
although I can’t guarantee she’ll remember you.”

“I’d like to
see her.” On stiff legs, Jack followed the doctor to his grandmother’s room.

Chapter Twelve

Annie slumped
on the sofa in her empty apartment with her business plan on her knee. She
flicked it open, and scanned the paragraphs of text that she’d written
detailing the next steps that her fledgling business would take. If she won.
And she had.

Detailed
daydreams had sketched out the next step in vivid detail. First, she’d ring her
parents, and tell them. Next, she’d go down to the chocolate shop and imagine
it’s front transformed. A beautifully lettered sign in green and gold, stating
Devine Chocolates would be covered with a matching awning. And below it, a
display of her chocolates set on fine white china would entice the customers
in.

She’d even had
a signwriter work on some sketches. She picked one up, and examined it, as her
heart sank into her shoes. The shop had been the opportunity of a lifetime. Now
the thought of it tightened like a noose. With a premises in Dublin, she
wouldn’t be able to explore other options. Options like going to New York with
Jack, and a possibility of a future with him.

She twirled a
skein of hair between her fingers, tormented.

This is
what I’ve always dreamed of, and now I’ve got it, I want something else
entirely.
She picked up the phone and dialed home, laying the business plan
down on the sofa next to her.

“Mum, it’s
Annie.”

“Well?” She
loved the way her mother got right down to the crux of the matter, not even
bothering with Hello.

“I got it. I
won.” She held the phone away from her ear. Letting her mother’s piercing
scream of delight dissipate in the inches between receiver and ear.

“Oh, Darling,
congratulations! I know it’s everything you’ve ever wanted.”

Annie couldn’t
speak.
It wasn’t, it didn’t even come close.

“Are you
there, Love?”

“I’m here.” It
was impossible to feel elated. Her stomach churned, and her heart was like a
deflated balloon in her chest.

“Is Jack with
you?”

“He’s working,
he has his presentation.”
After which he’s going back to his life
. Her
eyes prickled with unshed tears. She hated feeling like this. So defeated and
unsure.

“Can I talk to
Da? I’d like to tell him about the competition.”

“He’s up in
the pub. You know him, he decided to go in early. Why don’t you call him later?
I’ll let you break the good news to him.”

Annie hung up.
A headache bloomed in her temples, bleeding into her forehead. She’d have to
take a pill; this one wasn’t going away on its own. Her eyes flicked open and
she jumped as the door slammed.

“Hi, Annie.”
Her flat-mate David strolled to the fridge and glanced hopefully inside.
“What’s new?”

“I got it.”

David closed
the fridge and turned to look at her.

 “The competition?”

“Yup, I won
the Chocolate Oscar.” She couldn’t even raise a smile. The pain was spreading
out to poke at the back of her eyeballs.

“What’s up?”
David sat down next to her. He eyed her in concern. “Somebody die?”

“No. I have a
headache.” Her voice sounded flat, which was hardly surprising, considering. “I
always thought I’d be happy when I won. I had my whole life mapped out, the
flat here with you, the shop on Grafton Street…”

“David filled
a glass with water, pressed two paracetamol from the packet over the sink and
brought it to her. He knew all about the shop, she’d dragged him down there
often enough to look into its window, explaining all the changes she would make
when she took it over.

“After I left
Jack this morning I went down and looked at it. It’s just perfect, but now…”

She took the
pills from her cousin, swallowing them with a gulp of water. Jack had brought
the misty fog of Durna with him when he’d walked over and kissed her the first
time in the pub, and now everything was occluded. She didn’t know what she
wanted anymore.

Jack. He was
coming for dinner, and there wasn’t an edible thing in the house.

“What time is
it?” She jumped up from the sofa and searched the cluttered table for her
watch.

“Almost five.”
David looked guarded, she probably had her panicked look on again.

“Jack’s coming
for dinner.”

“Oh. Is this
the guy from Durna? The one with the boat?”

“How do you
know about Jack?”

“Jungle
drums.” David grinned. “My mother was on. Told me all about him. It’s the talk
of the village.”

Nothing new
there then.

“What are we
having, or do you want me to make myself scarce?”

Annie walked
across the room and hugged him.

“It’s time you
two met. Of course you’re included.” She pulled back and grinned at him. “Who
do you think’s doing the cooking?”

“Huh.” He
shrugged. “Oh well, I guess if it’s going to be edible…”

“David!” She
punched him gently on the arm. “There’s no need to be insulting.” Although to
be honest, he cooked a lot better than she did. “I thought we’d go for a
take-away from the deli. Will you come with me and help?”

“Okay.” He
grabbed his leather jacket from the back of the chair. She searched in her bag
for her car keys.

“What are you
looking for?”

“Keys.”

“There.” He
pointed to the counter where she’d discarded them.

“Let’s get
going,” he said, “Before it closes.”

****

Jack climbed
into his car, tossing his jacket onto the backseat, and drove down to the
seafront. He parked so he could look out at the grey waves breaking on the
shoreline. Dialed Roxie.

The phone rang
for a couple of moments before she answered.

“Roxie, it’s
Jack.”

“Hi, how’s it
going?”

There were no
hidden tensions in her voice, no undertones of concern. Of course Roxie had no
need for concern, she’d no idea what was going on in his life, he’d never
confided in her.

“I’ve
discovered a relative I never knew I had.” It was time. The secret would be out
soon enough. Roxie should know. There was silence on the other end of the line.
For the first time in their relationship, he’d managed to strike her dumb. “A grandmother.
You’ll like her.” In his grandmother’s room there was only one thing that was
truly hers: the table of photographs. She picked them up often. Stared into the
faces of the people that she’d loved who had left her. She lived with them.
Lived for the past. She didn’t have anyone alive who cared about her anymore.
Jack had a decision to make. Was he destined to end up as a series of
photographs on this table too, or would his presence in his grandmother’s life
be more physical than that?

Roxie was breathing,
but not speaking. Not typical Roxie at all. Maybe confiding in her wasn’t such
a good idea.

“I need you to
organize some flights for me.” He gave her the details, briskly putting things
back on a business footing. His phone chirped and he glanced at the screen.
Dammit, he’d forgotten to charge it last night and was running out of juice.

“Just organize
it for me, will you Roxie? I’m running out of battery.”

He tried
turning it off and on again, but the screen flickered and died.

Damn, I
wanted to call Annie to let her know I’m on my way
. He stuffed his useless
phone into his pocket. He would be early. If she wasn’t there he could wait for
her in the car. He started the engine, and pulled out. Black clouds threatened,
and the smell of rain hung heavy in the air. He turned up the heat, and closed
the windows. When he got to her house, they could settle down and enjoy dinner.
And the champagne he’d bought.

We’ve got a
lot to celebrate.
His spirits rose at the thought.
And celebrating can
be fun.

It had started
to rain slowly and steadily the way it did in Ireland. He searched for a
parking space, soft drops misting his windscreen. Her car was idling by the
curb. Jack’s heartbeat quickened. In moments, he’d be kissing her again. As he
watched, Annie climbed out of the car, holding her jacket over her head and
turned to the stranger who was clambering out of the passenger seat.

She was
laughing, the way she laughed when she was with him. Acid burned his gut and
his fingers clenched convulsively around the steering wheel. The stranger was
tall, with longish dark hair, and a battered leather jacket. He grabbed a
handful of bags from the back seat as Annie splashed through a puddle. He
draped his arm around her and they dashed up the steps towards the door.

A yellow car
pulled out in front of him. Jack pulled in to the now vacant spot, watching in
his rear view mirror as the stranger slipped a key out of his pocket and deftly
opened the door. He screwed his eyes up tight to banish the image of Annie’s
face tilted towards the stranger.

No, not a
stranger. A stranger wouldn’t have a key.
He opened his eyes again. They’d
gone inside. He pulled his fingers over his eyelids from inner corner to
temple, sliding his palms over his cheeks. His mind returned to an earlier
conversation. A conversation where their faces were so close together he’d felt
her warm breath on his face as they’d talked.

I’m not
just small village Annie, I’m also a Big City Venus.
Her words echoed in
his head, and even with the image of the man’s arm around her shoulder burned
into his retina, he couldn’t force his stunned brain to accept it. A big city
Venus with a separate life than the one she had in Durna.

Jack’s
knuckles clenched white against the black leather steering wheel. Anger and
pain rose up like lava, and filled him with molten pain. He’d asked her to come
to New York but she hadn’t said yes. She’d told him her future was in Dublin,
how stupid did he have to be, not to realize she had her eyes firmly set on a
future that didn’t include him? All the conversations they’d had slammed into
him, like bullets.