Page 45 of The Book of Irish Secrets
Claire went out the front door and walked down the street to where she had parked her car.
‘Hey, Claire,’ someone called.
She turned around and discovered Pierce and Jo. ‘Hi, there. I’m off home.’
‘We’re going for pizza,’ Pierce said. ‘Would you like to join us? It’s the brand-new pizzeria on the Strand. Their pizzas are supposed to be amazing, according to the first reviews.’
‘Well…’ Claire started, her stomach rumbling at the thought. ‘I don’t want to ruin your father-daughter evening.’ She felt awkward about having brushed him off on the phone earlier. Maybe she should join them just to make him feel better? She looked over at Jo, who appeared relaxed at the invitation.
‘We’d love you to come,’ Pierce insisted. ‘I bet you were just having leftovers for dinner or something anyway.’
Claire laughed, forgetting her misgivings. ‘Well, yes, I was. But okay, I’ll come with you, if that’s all right with Jo.’
Jo smiled. ‘Sure, that’ll be great,’ she said.
‘Brilliant,’ Pierce said, looking a lot brighter.
‘It’s only pizza, not dinner at the Ritz,’ Jo said. ‘Where is the Ritz anyway?’
‘London and Paris,’ Pierce said. ‘But I bet the food isn’t as good there. And I’d say the waiters are pretty snooty. I prefer dinner at Luigi’s Pizzeria. Much more fun.’
‘And we’d have to dress up at the Ritz,’ Claire filled in. ‘Such hard work to look glamorous if your name isn’t Christina.’
Jo laughed. ‘Oh, yeah.’
‘Who’s Christina?’ Pierce asked.
‘You wouldn’t know her,’ Claire said.
‘Whatever that secret code is, I don’t want to know,’ Pierce said. Claire mentally crossed her fingers that Jo would stay positive towards her.
When they arrived at the restaurant, they were greeted by a handsome young man who introduced himself as Marco, Luigi’s son. He showed them to a table in the restaurant that had the vibes of Italy with checked tablecloths and straw-covered Chianti bottles turned into lamps on every table. An Italian ballad wafted from the sound system and the walls had posterswith photos of Rome, Naples and other Italian towns and villages. There was a mouthwatering smell of garlic and herbs all through the restaurant.
‘I suddenly feel very Italian,’ Pierce said as they sat down. ‘Even though I’ve only ever spent two days in Rome on a school trip when I was fourteen. But now I feel I’m back there.’
‘That’s the idea,’ Marco said he handed them their menus. ‘How about a drink before dinner?’
‘I’m driving, so I’ll just have a Pellegrino,’ Claire said.
‘And my daughter is under-age and I’m a responsible father,’ Pierce said. ‘So Pellegrino for me, too and Coca-Cola for my daughter, please.’
‘Ah, and I thought thebella signorinawas over eighteen,’ Marco said with a grin at Jo. ‘My mistake,scusi.’ His accent was a mix of Italian and Irish.
‘No problem,’ Jo said, blushing. ‘I wasn’t offended.’
‘Oh, great,’ Marco said, shooting her a wide smile. ‘It’s hard to guess anyone’s age, really. Your mother looks very young to have a daughter your age, though.’
‘I’m not…’ Claire started.
‘She’snotmy mother,’ Jo snapped. ‘Just my dad’s friend and they only just met.’
Marco looked at once uncomfortable. ‘I put my foot in it again, didn’t I? I’m really sorry. Shouldn’t have tried to second guess who you all were. My dad will kill me when he finds out. We only arrived recently, so we don’t know that many people yet. And I’m studying for my Leaving Cert, so I only work here in the evenings.’ He drew breath.
‘Hey, it’s okay,’ Jo said, her eyes softening. ‘Of course you couldn’t know and I won’t tell your dad, I promise.’
‘Phew,’ Marco said. ‘Thanks. You’re a star.’ He stepped back. ‘I’ll get your drinks and let you take a look at the menu.’
They studied the menu in silence while Pierce looked at Claire and rolled his eyes. ‘Well, that was a little awkward,’ he said. ‘Poor lad. But you were nice to him, Jo.’
