Page 51 of Beautiful Losers

‘Thanks. You’re up late. It must be after midnight over there?’

‘Is it? I didn’t notice. Nicole and I were out for dinner. We had the most amazing sashimi in Venice Beach. Any plans for today?’

‘Actually, I’m off to a garlic festival.’

‘Cool, cool. You know garlic increases sexual stamina in men? I’ve started taking two cloves a day. Nicole says she can really see the difference.’

‘Good to know. Nicole’s a lucky woman. Look, I need to shower before I leave, so I’d better head. Thanks for calling.’

‘Just a sec. I have some news and I wanted you to be the first to know.’

‘You’re taking on the Dalai Lama as a client?’

‘I wish. I feel like we could really vibe off each other, you know? Synergise our strengths. Maybe I should get my agent to reach out to him about a collab? Thanks, Fifi. What would I do without you?’

‘Cillian, your news?’ I say, pulling my top over my head. The zip catches in my hair.

‘Oh, yeah. Brace yourself – I’m getting married.’

I freeze, my top smothering my face.

‘Fifi? Are you still there?’

‘Sorry, yes. Wow. That’s news alright.’

‘I know, right? I can barely get my head around it myself. Maybe I got caught up in the moment, but I was sitting across from Nicole this evening and we were eating the freshest hamachi I’ve ever tasted – honestly, it would blow your mind. You have to try it sometime.’

‘I’ve had hamachi. You used to drag me to Musashi every Thursday.’

‘That wasn’t hamachi. Dublin doesn’t know the first thing about Japanese food. Honestly, you haven’t had sashimi until you’ve been to LA. Anyway, Nicole was talking about this massive drugs bust at work. She kicked down the door of this seedy meth house, like in the movies, and smacked some dealer across the jaw with her gun. Knocked out a couple of teeth. They seized something like three thousand pounds ofthe stuff. Anyway, she was fucking glowing, Fifi, talking about it. I don’t know how to describe it – it was like a light had been switched on inside her. And I’m thinking, I could do this forever.’

‘That was the moment you decided to ask her to marry you? When she told you about pistol whipping a drug dealer?’

‘It sounds mad, but it just feels right. We’re thinking September in Santa Barbara. Nothing fussy. An intimate ceremony of around 150 of our closest friends and family.’

I sit down on the bed, abandoning my efforts to liberate my hair from the zip.

‘September?’ I say, the comedown from the maple syrup-high kicking in.

‘Yeah, I know I was supposed to come out to France, but I think it’ll be more fun for you guys if you came here. We can take Ari to Disneyland and he can get to know Nicole. What do you think?’

‘I think it’s an expensive trip and I’ve got a business to run.’

‘Don’t worry about the money, I’ve got you covered. You’re happy for me, right, Fifi? You know how much you mean to me. I can’t be happy if you’re not. Please tell me you’re okay with this.’

‘I’m happy for you, Cillian.’

~

After showering, I moisturise with Sabrina’s cream, appreciating the fragrant smell and the hands caressing my skin, even if the hands belong to me. I throw on a red floral slip dress and makemy way to the car. Jack is coming out of his room with an empty cafetière. I haven’t seen him since he got back. He waves, breaking into a wide smile, and my heart swells a little.

‘Hello,’ he says.

‘Hey there. How was your trip?’

‘Good, I think. Helped clear the head a bit.’

‘Did you get much writing done?’

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