Page 10 of Such a Good Couple
‘Is that for you guys?’
‘Mmmmm.’ Maggie nodded, distracted by notifications on her phone.
Brody: I’ll call you in 20 to explain, okay? No need to get worked up.
In spite of her irritation, she grinned at his timing – how had he guessed that she’d just arrived at this boat-monstrosity?
‘Holy crap, you some kind of high roller?’ The driver wasintrigued.
‘Mmmmm.’ Maggie smiled again. She had learned by now that when you are a celebrity plus-one, the best option was to be as low-key as possible about absolutely everything. To paraphraseLaw & Order: anything you said could be used against you in the court of social media. Drivers, wait staff, shop assistants, people in the street, people on planes, the parents at the girls’ school were all potential ‘sources’ for the media, Reddit forums and blind items. She winced thinking of a recent one on Deuxmoi that could’ve been her for all anyone knew:
What wife of an Irish A-lister has been doctor shopping all over Manhattan for prescriptions she does not need?
Given the small crop of Irish A-listers, both Clara and Annie had been straight on to her to discreetly ask if everything was okay. Sheesh. Though in their defence, it wasn’t the most insane conclusion given Maggie’s past.
Maggie could now see a huddle of boat personnel standing at the bottom of the bridge. She roused her daughters as the driver came around to open their door.
‘So, no luggage?’ He was squinting with curiosity at Maggie. Perhaps trying to place her as someone notable.
‘Nope!’ Maggie shook her head and typed a quick message back to Brody:
K. Just boarding boat now. It’s ridiculous.
‘We don’t need luggage!’ Dodi chirruped breezily. ‘Sylvia has pulled looks for our vacay already!’ She and Essie trooped down the gangplank and were ushered aboard by a young man in a crisp white and navy uniform.
The girls didn’t so much as glance at the boat. Theirblasé attitude to the luxurious circumstances of their lives was unnerving to Maggie. Another buzz from her phone pulled her attention back to the thread with Brody.
Yes! Of course it’s ridiculous!
She dropped her phone back into her bag and paid the taxi driver.
On boardPoseidon’s Palace, Dodi and Essie were soon ensconced in the cinema eating popcorn and being served elaborate mocktails from the extensive menu. Maggie meanwhile was on edge in the vast lounge that was upholstered to within an inch of its life in beige leather. Anything that was not leather was dark mahogany and the whole thing was topped off with an elaborate gold chandelier. Deranged.
Maggie checked her reflection for the tenth time in the glass windows of the boat. It was dark outside now so she could get a good look at herself – she was suddenly hyper-conscious that none of the gang had seen each other in person since skiing. Had she put on weight? It felt like it but she knew she couldn’t trust herself when it came to this. Historically, she hadn’t been a reliable witness when it came to her own body. At least she’d had time to ditch her travel clothes and don a floaty navy kimono dress covered in tiny stars that Sylvia had arranged to be hanging in her cabin. It looked chic but relaxed and was doing a good job of pretty much covering her.
‘Maggie! Maggie! Is there a slag aboard?’ Clara’s unmistakable husky voice was ringing through the still night air.
Maggie hurried out to the deck just as Josh, Tom and Reggie barrelled down the gangplank and into her arms, all talking at once.
‘Aunty Maggie!’ Reggie squealed.
‘Our plane had free drinks and your own TV and bed-chairs,’ Tom yelped breathlessly.
‘That’s cuz it was first class, babes.’ Josh rolled his eyes, apparently already entirely adjusted to luxe living after just one transatlantic flight. ‘The whole plane didn’t have it.’
Coming down behind the boys were Clara and Annie and Conor. Ollie was on the dock still checking and double-checking that the porter didn’t need a hand with the bags.
‘C’mon, Ollie,’ Clara called back to him while Annie and Maggie embraced. Maggie was enveloped by the comforting smell of Annie’s rosewater perfume, a fragrance she’d been devoted to since college.
Clara was still shouting at her husband. ‘They’re grand, Ollie. You’re being a hindrance and they’re too polite to tell you to piss off. You’re holding us up.’
Clara turned back and beamed at Maggie. Clara was dressed in full Clara regalia – a lurid lime green sweatshirt, joggers in a paler green and gold Converse with a chunky heel. Her long brown hair was scraped back into a bouncy ponytail and after hours in the air most of her mascara had relocated to under her eyes. She looked as effortlessly cool as ever but also mildly shattered. Maggie felt guilty for thinking it but she also couldn’t help but feel sorry for her friend. Clara had boundless energy but her life looked unbearably hectic.
Clara pulled Maggie in for a hug. ‘You okay, babes?’ she asked. Over her shoulder, Maggie spotted Annie looking concerned.
‘Me?’ Maggie drew back from her. ‘Of course!’ She looked at the two of them, trying to gauge the slightly off vibe between them. Were they worried about her? They had a tendency to, even though she had been steady for years now (or at least as steady as anyone could be).
Maggie blazed past Clara’s question and smiled big. ‘You bothlook gorgeous! And …’ Maggie turned to Conor, kissing him on the cheek and hugging Ollie, who’d just jogged up, ‘you twolook gorgeous!’
