Something From Tiffany’s (17 page)

‘Look, I’m not trying to say that the way you’re handling this is wrong,’ Brian began, his tone suddenly serious. ‘I just think you need to figure out what on earth you’re doing and why. Anyway, what’s happening here? You’re usually the advice man and now you’ve got me being the touchy-feely-thinky one. I don’t do this; I save it for the writing. So just get all this sorted so we can get back to our normal roles here, yes?’

Ethan raised a smile. ‘You’re right. I should just go and get the ring back, and give it to Vanessa as planned.’

Brian said nothing, but raised his glass and gave Ethan a look that said he wasn’t quite convinced. They sat in silence for another couple of minutes before his friend spoke again. ‘Actually, I’m not even saying that’s the right thing to do. Get the ring back, yes – hell, if I’d spent that much on a piece of jewellery I’d be
swimming
to Dublin to get it back, let me tell you. But in terms of proposing to Vanessa . . . just make sure it’s really what you want. I know you’re anxious about Daisy but don’t sell yourself short as a parent either. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re on some sort of timeline – there should be no race to the finish when it comes to something like this.’ He paused for a moment. ‘Don’t be afraid to take your time; make sure it’s what you
both
want, and for the right reasons.’

‘Thanks for the advice, but speaking of time –’ Ethan gulped down about half of the newly poured wine, and set the glass purposefully on the bar ‘– I’d better go. Vanessa’s coming over this evening. She’s picking Daisy up from ballet class and then we’re having dinner.’ He checked the time on his watch; it was after six-thirty. ‘They’re probably there by now.’

Brian in turn set his glass on the varnished wooden bar and gave the barman a nod for the bill.

‘Hoofing it or cabbing it?’ his friend asked when they got outside.

‘I’ll walk, actually.’ The two men stood there on the path for a moment, in the glow of red and green neon. ‘Thanks,’ Ethan said. ‘Happy new year.’

‘Same to you. Have a good one. And if you need any help sorting out that other thing,’ he said – referring, Ethan suspected, to the ring – ‘give me a bell.’

‘Will do.’

As Ethan turned to go, he felt something at the edge of his brain. It was that feeling again, but now it was accentuated by Brian’s comment about taking his time. Time was exactly what he
didn’t
have. If he could just make a decision, some sort of decision, and act on it . . .

Yes, that’s what he needed. And Daisy needed it too. Action. Pulling on his gloves, Ethan noticed on his wrist the bracelet Vanessa had given him. He remembered the quote and mumbled it to himself: ‘She loved him with too clear a vision to fear his cloudiness.’

‘No, nothing to fear here,’ he said, trudging towards home in the melting snow, with a warm cushion of alcohol to buoy him. He was going home to make dinner for his two girls. They would have a nice meal, maybe cosy up by the fireplace and watch some television.

Vanessa would stay the night and Ethan would make sure she knew exactly how he felt about her. Maybe he would even bring up the subject of the future. He still wanted the ring to be a surprise, but if they broached the subject as to where the relationship was headed, surely the tension that had existed between them since Christmas would dissipate?

A few minutes later he arrived back at the town house and, opening the door, immediately smelled garlic. The place was strangely quiet considering that Daisy and Vanessa were both there; at least Ethan assumed they were because Vanessa’s Volvo was parked outside. ‘Where are my lovely ladies?’ he called out.

‘Hi, Dad,’ Daisy cried, coming straight from her room. She was still dressed in her leotard and pink tutu and looked adorable.

‘Hi, buttercup. How was dance class?’

‘It was fine. Vanessa was a bit late to pick me up, so I just practised for a few more minutes. Come on. She’s in the kitchen. We’ve been looking at my drawings – and yours too,’ she continued chirpily, leading to where Vanessa sat on one of the three bar stools in front of the small kitchen island.

‘Hi, darling,’ he said, kissing her cheek. Then he noticed she was just finishing some Milanese chicken. ‘Oh! You’ve already eaten?’

‘Yes, we couldn’t wait. Dinner was ready for six, like we agreed.’

‘Oh.’ Instantly Ethan felt wrong-footed.

‘I called your mobile to check how much longer you’d be but there was no reply.’

Sure enough, there was a missed-call notice on the screen of Ethan’s phone. ‘I mustn’t have felt it vibrating while I was walking back. I just met Brian for a glass and a catch-up.’

‘
A
glass? Smells like quite a bit more to me,’ she replied, with a smile that Ethan knew belied her annoyance.

‘I’m really sorry. I was sure we’d said seven . . .’

‘It’s OK, Dad. We saved some for you.’ But Ethan didn’t really hear Daisy. Instead, he was surveying the pictures she had drawn of the trip, which were sprawled across the island unit. Just as she’d said, she and Vanessa had been looking through them. ‘I showed Vanessa where she is in this one,’ his daughter continued.

‘Yes, nice to see I am in one.’ Vanessa laughed but he could hear the edge in her tone. She rinsed her plate and put it in the dishwasher. ‘All your favourite memories of our trip – you should put those in a scrapbook, Daisy. Yours, too, Ethan.’ Her voice had enough sincerity in it to appease Daisy, but Ethan knew well that she wasn’t happy. ‘That one of you and Daisy eating cookies is lovely,’ she said, idly picking up the picture of their meeting with Rachel. ‘And this must be the agent you met?’

‘Yes.’ Ethan nodded, non-committally.

‘It was the best trip ever, wasn’t it?’ Daisy said, smiling, and he grasped at the opportunity to change the subject.

‘Definitely. Especially because it was your first real trip, honey; but there will be more. The three of us will take many more trips together,’ he said pointedly. ‘Maybe next time Vanessa can choose the destination.’ He paused, waiting for her to agree.

‘Maybe,’ she replied. ‘Are you finished with this already, Daisy? You didn’t eat much.’

‘No, I’ll have some more now. I just wanted to wait for Dad.’

Ethan helped her up onto the stool and shrugged awkwardly at Vanessa. He grabbed the plate and put it in the microwave to warm it up. Then he warmed his own and took a seat, while Vanessa kept moving about, cleaning the counter and adding more dishes to the washer.

‘Leave those; I’ll get them later,’ he told her. ‘Come and sit with us.’ He reached out and gently rubbed her arm. ‘There’s some chocolate ice cream in the freezer for all of us when we’re finished. I’m so sorry I was late.’

She finally turned around. ‘No, you two carry on. I think I’m going to call it a night, actually. I’m planning an early start tomorrow. Lots to catch up on.’

‘No, no, please stay. I was really looking forward to us having a nice evening, just the three of us,’ Ethan said, dropping his fork and taking both of her hands in his.

‘Ethan . . .’ Vanessa looked straight into his eyes, the bar stool putting them at the same eye level. ‘Not this time. Sorry.’ She pulled away and grabbed her bag off the counter. ‘Goodnight, Daisy,’ she said, rubbing the top of the little girl’s head and planting a kiss on her wavy locks.

‘Night,’ Daisy replied, her focus squarely on the food in front of her.

Ethan jumped up to see Vanessa out and she stayed ahead of him the whole time, taking her coat off the back of the couch and continuing into the hall without missing a beat. He managed to slip in front of her by the door. Holding her face in his hands, he looked at her intently. ‘I’m sorry. I know you’re annoyed with me and I also know I’ve been a little . . . off, lately. It’s not you, honestly. You’re wonderful. I love you and Daisy loves you too. We’re a team, the three of us, aren’t we?’

‘Dad,
Finding Nemo
is on soon! Can we watch it?’ came Daisy’s shout from the kitchen.

Vanessa closed her eyes for a couple of seconds and pressed her lips together.

‘Just a second, hon,’ Ethan called back, exasperated. He turned to Vanessa. ‘Look, I’ll phone you in the morning. Daisy’s going to Tanya’s house so let’s have lunch tomorrow, just the two of us. That’s if you’re not too busy.’

Vanessa hesitated, then nodded. ‘OK, that would be nice.’ She turned to go, and Ethan listened to her footsteps move away from him down the path, just as Daisy’s came towards him from the kitchen.

Chapter 14

At seven p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Terri was running around the bistro making last-minute preparations before everyone started arriving for Rachel and Gary’s engagement party. They’d closed the place after lunch today, as originally intended, Rachel suggesting they should use the night off as an opportunity to celebrate the big event.

For some reason, Terri felt that tonight seemed to mark a huge shift in her and Rachel’s shared history; it was a separation of paths, as such. It was inevitable, of course, and deep down Terri always knew that Rachel would be the first one to settle down, but the engagement had happened so suddenly that she felt rather . . . bereft.

With a guilty pang, she tried to shake these negative (or were they envious?) thoughts out of her mind. Rachel adored Gary and, given this engagement, the feeling had to be mutual, so really she should be happy for them.

And she had to hand it to him for surprising Rachel in New York like that, and paying out so much for that whopper of a ring. Her eyes had nearly popped out of her head when she’d seen the size of it, and she felt bad for having clearly misjudged Gary Knowles, whom up to now she’d taken for a tightwad. She could hardly be blamed for it, given that the guy took advantage by routinely eating (and drinking) in Stromboli and yet never putting a hand in his pocket.

In preparation for tonight, Terri had spent the morning in a corner of the kitchen (much to Justin’s chagrin), baking various breads and pastries to accompany the savoury canapés for Rachel’s New Year’s Eve-cum-engagement party.

Just then the chef walked through the swinging kitchen door, closely followed by an excited-looking Rachel.

‘You still here?’ he teased. ‘Everything’s organised and ready to go, so you girls should just go off and get ready and, more importantly, get out from under my feet.’

Justin had been with Terri and Rachel since the beginning and was practically a part of the furniture at Stromboli now. Besides his talent in the kitchen, they also appreciated Justin for his rapid-fire wit and good humour and for keeping the waiting staff smiling when the place was filled to capacity at weekends.

‘Terri!’ Rachel gasped and she could tell that her friend was already flustered. ‘Why are you still doing things in the kitchen?’

‘I know, I know – I’m going now.’ She wiped her hands and put some fresh blinis in the fridge. ‘Just wanted to make sure we have enough of everything.’

Rachel paused then, and by the look on her face Terri suspected she was about to go all emotional on them, as she was prone to do.

‘Look, just in case I don’t get to say it tonight,’ Rachel began, tears shining in her eyes, and Terri smiled, ‘thanks for helping me pull this party together so quickly. I know it was a lot to ask you to do, to give up your night off, and I want you to know how much I appreciate not just your efforts tonight, but the two of you as friends, and . . .’ She paused, waving her hand in the air as if this would somehow stop her from blubbing. ‘This is such a huge and truly unexpected step in my life, and thanks for helping me celebrate it.’

The sincerity in her voice merely made Terri feel worse for thinking badly of Gary before.

‘Have you been on the vino again?’ she joked, by now well used to Rachel’s emotional outpourings. Her friend was an unbelievable softie and had this unyielding ability to remain positive and see the good in everything; it was something that Terri envied. ‘You silly goose, of course we’re going to help you celebrate! It’s not as though we need much of an excuse, and anyway we’re thrilled for you – aren’t we, Justin?’

‘You deserve every happiness, Rachel, and this is going to be a great party.’

Rachel beamed. ‘Thanks, guys. And you’re right, I’d better make a move, otherwise I’ll be wearing my kitchen whites in all the photos. Back in ten?’

When she exited the kitchen Terri met Justin’s eye. ‘Nice dodge,’ she said sardonically.

He shrugged. ‘Unlike some people, I’m not going to lie and say I’m
happy
about it.’

‘What do you mean? She’s my friend; of course I’m happy for her.’ Although Justin largely shared her opinion of Gary, Terri was horrified to think that the chef might have picked up on any misgivings she felt about the engagement. Or worse, that Rachel might have done.

‘You’re happy that she’s marrying a Neanderthal? Some best friend you are.’

Despite herself, Terri had to smile. There had never been any love lost between Justin and Gary, who typically avoided each other like the plague. It was patently obvious that Gary was hugely uncomfortable about their chef’s sexuality and, devil that he was, Justin camped it up to the hilt whenever Gary was around.

She shrugged and leaned against the kitchen worktop. ‘What do you want me to say? If she’s happy that’s all that matters, isn’t it?’