The Life Daisy Devlin Designed

CHAPTER 8

@Deuxmoi : Kayley Lynch spotted at the exclusive Paris nightclub, Bonsoir Gigi, after her sellout concert in the French capital.

“Why don’t you just say what’s on your mind, Laura?” Daisy saved her changes on the 3D model of the interior of Granary House.

Laura frowned and leaned back in her chair. “Nothing. Okay – these dimensions are wrong. They have to be. I’ve inputted everything, and there should be room for a double sink!” She waved a hand at the screen. “I’m pitching to a potential client in Wexford.”

Fionn cleared his throat delicately. “Mind if I take a look?”

“Do you think I’m not capable of drawing up a kitchen plan?”

“You’d be helping me,” he said mildly. “I’ve got my final assignments coming up, remember? They could throw everything, including the double kitchen sink, at us.”

Laura fixed Fionn with a hard stare. “I’ll send the model to you now, but if I catch you gloating I’ll bloody kill you.”

“You’re the reason I love interning here,” Fionn said brightly.

Daisy snorted in amusement. She gave Laura a moment to send the model, then turned to her. “Forget the kitchen design for a moment. You haven’t asked about Matt. Why not?”

“The visit on Tuesday?” Laura shrugged. “Fine – how did it go?”

“Great, no issues at all! We got a lot done, and I think he’ll be easy to work with.”

Laura arched an eyebrow, before turning back to her screen, and Daisy shifted uncomfortably as she caught Fionn’s eye.

“What shape is the house in, Daisy?” he asked.

She flashed him a grateful smile. “Great, to be honest. A bit shabby after lying empty for two years, but there’s no huge structural work needed. We seem to agree on the broad strokes, so once he signs off on the designs, we can get stuck in. And the crew I’ve working on Freya’s house have had a cancellation, so they said they can start next week.”

Laura pushed her glasses onto her head. “What did James say?”

“About what?” Daisy frowned. “About the new job?”

“Yes, babes.” Laura’s tone was crisp. “About the fact that your ex-boyfriend is your new client.”

“I haven’t mentioned it,” Daisy said casually. “I mean, I don’t talk about the tiny details of my job, Laura. James wouldn’t be interested.”

“Matt is hardly a tiny detail.” Laura smirked. “Or maybe he is. He was your boyfriend, not mine.”

Daisy wished she could laugh but she found it difficult to joke about Matt. Especially now he was back. And she couldn’t risk Laura and Fionn knowing just how much ... her breath caught painfully for a moment and she had to force herself to relax.

“James and I don’t talk about work, that’s all,” she said more firmly.

“ Hmm. ” Laura tapped her fingernails on the desk. “Fine! Changing the subject – do you fancy a spa weekend for your thirtieth?”

“Spas aren’t really my thing, Laura – you know that.” Daisy flashed her a look of apology. “Thanks, anyway.”

Fionn cleared his throat and Laura glared at him.

“You haven’t figured that double sink out already surely!”

“ Um , no, actually.”

Laura looked mollified. “What is it then?”

“I’ve been studying your horoscope.”

“Telling you my birthday was a big mistake.”

Fionn tugged on his shirt collar. “If I have a problem I work out a horoscope. It rewires my brain so I can sort out the problem later. Like this double sink!”

Laura folded her arms. “I’ll indulge you for one minute.”

“So, I did a reading for you,” Fionn said, “and you’re approaching a crossroads in your life where you’ll have a big decision to make.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “As if that doesn’t sound like every single horoscope I’ve read in my life.” When Fionn didn’t reply, she added, “Why do you believe this stuff?”

He shrugged. “Why do people go to church? They believe in God though they can’t actually see God. But we can see the stars! We know when our ruling planets align for us. It’s all there if you know what you’re looking for. And it’s way more tangible than anything else I’ve come across.”

“I suppose it doesn’t say what this major decision is, does it?”

“That’s not how it works.”

“Of course it’s not.” Laura looked pointedly at her watch. “Time’s up. Back to work: the bills won’t pay themselves.”

Daisy’s phone buzzed. It was a message from Matt.

Hey, I have to drive up to Dublin this afternoon to pick up a few things. Fancy meeting for a quick coffee? You can show me some early plans if you have any. And I’ve something to tell you.

She studied the message. ‘Something to tell you?’ That couldn’t be about the house, not when they’d already met and discussed everything. He obviously wanted to talk about them. Or maybe he wanted to tell her something else? Something that had nothing to do with them. Maybe he was about to get married. He could have a child! No, she’d have heard, wouldn’t she? Although she hadn’t heard anything at all. Still, it was way more likely that he wanted to talk about the two of them. Oh my God, this was happening! This was what she wanted, right? To find out why he had stayed in the States. To find closure. She could do this! She had to do this! She took a deep breath and texted : Meet you at Grey’s Tea House at the end of Merrion Square, say 3.30pm?

A moment later Matt sent a thumbs-up.

She put her phone away and tried to calm the nervous fluttering in the pit of her stomach. She wouldn’t say anything to Laura. Laura had made her feelings very clear, and she didn’t want any more angst between them. She just hoped Laura didn’t think she was being rude about her birthday offer. The truth was, she’d gone up two dress sizes in the past few years, and she’d prefer to have freezing cold showers every day for a year than lie half-naked on a bench while somebody kneaded her cellulite. Sometimes she wished she was more like Rosie, who had fit back into her jeans within weeks of having her babies, even the twins.

God, she really hoped James would agree to come down with her to the birthday party this weekend! Although he’d probably hate it. He liked her family, and he’d always been good with Rosie’s kids, but knowing Rosie, half of Galway would be there, including most of the gang they’d both gone to school with. Why couldn’t she have a small family party? Her nieces were only in their first year of primary school!

“I figured out your double sink,” Fionn said.

Laura shot him a look of disbelief. “Already?”

“I’m sending it back to you now.”

Laura said nothing as she peered at her screen. Finally, she nodded. “Well done.”

He shrugged modestly. “It was just a small miscalculation.”

“Maybe I should take up astrology,” Laura grumbled.

Daisy caught Fionn’s eye and sent him a tiny wink.