Last Chance Saloon - Marian Keyes [209]
He hurried even more, wishing he had money for a taxi. It seemed urgently important to see Amy immediately, to tell her how he felt. He’d thought he’d never want to get married again. But he wanted a safe haven with Amy, somewhere to lay his weary (balding) head. Perhaps even finally have a couple of kids. Give up on the acting, it was only a mug’s game, full of shallow egomaniacs. Get a proper job. An honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.
On the empty road a taxi appeared with its light on. Lorcan joyously hailed it. Amy would pay when he arrived.
When the taxi drew to a halt outside Amy’s, Lorcan said to the driver, ‘Just give me a minute. I need to get money from my girlfriend.’
‘Leave your jacket as insurance.’
‘I’ll only be a sec.’
‘The jacket stays.’
‘Oh, all right.’
Amy answered the door on the third ring. She was wrapped in a towel and she’d clearly been asleep. ‘Oh, hi.’ Her voice was flat.
‘Hi.’ His smile embraced her. He couldn’t stop grinning, so happy was he to see her, his sweetie, his angel, the woman he loved.
She made no move of admittance so, still beaming, he gestured. ‘Can I come in?’
‘No.’
‘Oh, baby, I’m so sorry. About the other night, about that girl Katherine. I was only kidding around, flirting. You know what I’m like.’ A rueful I-can’t-help-it grin.
‘I do know what you’re like,’ she agreed. ‘Benjy’s been filling me in.’ Benjy had appeared in the hall behind her.
‘Hiya, Benjy, man,’ Lorcan said absently, then he turned his attention back to Amy. ‘You and I need to talk.’ His smile held a promise of goodies to come. ‘You may, as they say, learn something to your advantage.’ Irritably he noticed that Benjy was still hovering in the hall, so he frowned his piss-off-and-leave-us-alone frown. ‘Amy and I are just having a little confab here,’ he said, with heavy meaning.
When Benjy didn’t leave, Lorcan frowned again. ‘Would you mind, man?’
It was only then that Lorcan realized that something was amiss. It was gone two in the morning. What was Benjy doing in Amy’s? Why were they both wrapped in towels? What was going on?
‘We’re in love,’ Benjy announced.
A honk of mirth-free laughter exploded from Lorcan. ‘I know you are,’ he mocked. ‘You’ve always been into her. But she’s mine.’
‘I’m not,’ she said. ‘I’m Benjy’s.’
The muscles of Lorcan’s face were twitching up and down, in and out, like an accordion. He didn’t know whether to laugh or roar, sneer or question. ‘But I love you, Amy,’ he finally plumped for.
‘And I love Benjy,’ she said simply.
She didn’t really. But she was fond of him and she might grow to love him in time. She was too bruised by Lorcan to be bothered with him any more. All she’d ever wanted was a quiet life with a man who worshipped the ground she walked on. Benjy had promised always to be faithful and to love her for ever.
‘Not all men are bastards,’ he’d assured her. ‘Me, for instance.’
And she believed him.
He wasn’t good-looking enough to be one.
‘Have you actually –?’ Lorcan choked, looking from Benjy to Amy and back again. ‘Have you actually done the deed?’
‘Oh, yes.’ They both nodded confidently.
‘I don’t believe you,’ was the only thing Lorcan could come up with.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘You will in time.’
‘You’re some fucking friend,’ Lorcan turned on Benjy. ‘After all I did for you. After all the advice I gave you on how to get a girl and this is how you repay me. Nice one, you bollocks.’
‘Your advice stank. And I didn’t need it,’ Benjy said smugly. ‘My honest love for Amy was all that was required.’
Amy began to close the door and Lorcan realized in panic that he had yet another problem. ‘Hey,’ he yelped, ‘could you loan me a fiver for the taxi?’
‘No.’
And the door was closed in his face.
The taxi-driver had been robbed several times, and now kept a kango hammer under the seat for such eventualities. He was not afraid to use it.
Lorcan Larkin’s goose was not only cooked, it was served, eaten, the remains put in the fridge, made into sandwiches the next day, fricassée