Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
I settled in next to Debbie, taking off my coat just as I spotted Cathal returning from the men’s room. He didn’t always join us for quiz night, only when he was scheduled to visit Pinebrook on an alternating Wednesday, which, thankfully, didn’t always line up.
“Hannah, your hair looks amazing. Where did you get it done?” Cate asked, noticing Hannah’s freshly topped up highlights. She swept it over her shoulder and preened. “Over at Salon 86. You know the new place that just opened? They have an amazing colourist.”
“Salon 86, you say?” Rina interjected as she arrived from the bar carrying two glasses of wine. “I hear they’re a little pricey.” She made pointed eye contact with me, like Hannah’s recent dye job was indication of her guilt. Unfortunately, I’d need more concrete proof than that. Besides Hannah got her hair done every six weeks like clockwork. It wasn’t in any way out of the ordinary.
“True,” Hannah agreed. “But they do an amazing job. It’s worth the extra few quid they charge.”
“Hmm,” said Rina, taking a sip from her wine. She was dead set on it being Hannah, but I wasn’t so sure. She just didn’t seem the type. If she needed extra money, she’d just ask Cathal for it.
“So, Ada, when are you going to tell us what’s going on between you and the dishy blond who keeps turning up at Pinebrook,” Debbie asked, nudging me playfully with her elbow. As soon as she asked the question, every set of eyeballs at the table turned in my direction. It appeared people were even more curious about Jonathan than I’d thought.
“Dishy blond?” I replied with a smile. “I’ll have to tell him you called him that. He’ll be delighted, I’m sure.”
“Give him my number while you’re at it,” Debbie chortled.
“Hey, now, what will your husband have to say about that?” Rina teased.
Debbie waved her off. “I’ll tell him I need a hall pass.”
“Oh God,” I said, shaking my head. “Since everyone seems to be so curious, what’s going on between us is that he’s the son of my late father’s wife, and we’re working together to organise their shared estate.” It was a small lie. There was no shared estate since Leonora was the only one with property, and she hadn’t changed her will since before she married my dad. I certainly wasn’t going to recite the gory details of how Jonathan and I had found ourselves enmeshed in one another’s lives.
“I’m sorry. We’re all being far too nosy,” said Debbie after being reminded of my recent bereavement.
Sensing someone’s attention, I glanced across the table to find Cathal staring at me. A small frown shaped his lips, and I wondered what brought on the expression. Before I could give it much thought, my phone rang, and I stepped away from the table to take the call.
“Hello?” The pub was too packed for me to check the screen before answering, but I expected it was my sister. She typically called me in the evenings.
“Ada?” Jonathan said, and my heart gave a sharp thump.
“Oh, Jonathan. Hi. What can I do for you?”
A moment of silence ensued, and I could almost imagine him running his hand through his perfectly styled hair, then grinned at the memory of Debbie describing him as a dishy blond.
“I stopped by the apartment to check on you, but it appears you’re out,” he replied, clearly able to hear the noise of the packed pub in the background. “Thought I’d call before barrelling in there to make sure you were still alive,” he went on with a hint of dark humour. Another pause and a clearing of his throat. “Sorry. That was in poor taste.”
“No, it’s fine,” I was quick to reassure him. Honestly, I wasn’t that sensitive. “I should’ve let you know that I’d be out. I attend a pub quiz with some people from work every second Wednesday.”
“Ah, I see. Well, have fun.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling like I should say more. I was touched that he’d gone out of his way to call me.
“Goodbye, Ada,” he said then hung up. I stood close to the bathrooms, staring at the phone in my hand, troubled by how much I liked Jonathan checking in with me.
“Ada,” came a voice, and I turned to find Cathal walking down the hall. “I was wondering if we could talk for a minute?”
“Sure, though if it’s work related, maybe it could wait until next week? The quiz is about to start, and I don’t want to miss any of the questions.”
“It’s not work related, but I’ll keep it brief,” he said, and a faint smile shaped his lips. “I know how much you love the quiz.”
Hmm, why was he looking at me like that? All warm and friendly. It was the way he used to look at me back when we were together, and it made me feel uncomfortable, given his girlfriend was sitting out in the pub.