3
Well, that was interesting. Aidan leaned back in his chair as Lou closed the door behind her. He opened a drawer in his desk and placed her CV inside. He’d liked her. There was something about her in their brief meeting that appealed to him. He didn’t know if it was her spiky attitude, the surprise of being challenged to an arm-wrestle or their mutual enthusiasm for restaurant work, but he’d enjoyed talking to her and he’d kept her chatting longer than he should have when he couldn’t offer her a job.
She had good experience, and he’d be happy to have her work here if there was an opening. But he wasn’t convinced he’d see her again. She’d said she planned to move here permanently, but what were the odds? It felt like a whim and gave him strong Astrid vibes – and one Astrid was enough for a lifetime. At least Lou had kept her son with her – and he’d liked the way she lit up when she talked about him, her tough facade seeming to melt away, revealing an unsuspected softness and warmth.
But you got people moving to Dingle all the time – bohemian artsy types, New Agers on some sort of spiritual quest who imagined they’d find what they were seeking here – as if it was some kind of magical place. Which granted, it was, but not in thewoo-woo way they seemed to think. Some of them did find what they wanted here or created it themselves, and they stayed. But plenty just passed through before drifting on to the next thing, never settling or committing to anything lasting – not even their own child in some cases, he thought bitterly.
Too many people thought moving to the countryside or living by the sea would change their whole lives and cure whatever ailed them. It didn’t take them too long to figure out that they were still the same person with the same demons plaguing them whether they were living in an inner city tower block or the middle of a forest or here among the rugged cliffs and crashing waves of one of the most beautiful places on earth. No matter where they went, they couldn’t escape themselves. He wondered had Astrid discovered that yet or was she still out there somewhere on her sempiternal quest.
He sighed, pushing thoughts of Astrid aside, and returned to the restaurant to finish closing up.
When everything was cleared away and the restaurant was shut until the evening, he went upstairs to the flat where he and Bo lived. His mother had been babysitting her for the lunch service. They were sitting on the floor making a jigsaw as he stood in the entrance to the living room and he watched for a moment before they saw him. Bo hammered a piece home with her fist, then looked up and squealed with delight.
‘Dad!’ She jumped up and ran over to him to give him a hug. Once again he marvelled at how anyone could walk away from Bo.
His mother stood, brushing off her jeans.
‘Sorry I’m a bit late,’ he said to her. ‘Someone called in about a job.’
‘It’s no bother. You know I don’t mind spending more time with my favourite granddaughter.’
‘How’s she been?’ he asked her.
‘Good as gold, as usual.’
Aidan smiled. Bo could do no wrong as far as his mother was concerned. She had endless patience with her granddaughter. ‘Cup of tea?’ he asked her.
‘I’ll make it. You sit.’
‘Thanks.’ He threw himself onto the sofa in front of Bo gratefully.
‘How was service?’ Sheena asked as she placed two mugs of tea on the coffee table and sat beside him.
‘Hectic.’
‘Just the way you like it.’ She smiled.
‘Yeah.’ He picked up his mug and took a sip.
‘And you’ll do it all again tonight. I don’t know where you get the energy.’
That reminded him of Lou. She got it. ‘What did you two get up to?’ he asked, nodding to his daughter.
‘We went down to the harbour and got ice cream.’
‘I got chocolate,’ Bo said without looking up from her jigsaw.
‘And I made us toasties for lunch.’
‘What do you want to do this afternoon?’ Aidan asked his daughter.
‘Can we go to the beach?’
‘Sure. Whatever you want.’ The idea of an afternoon on the beach appealed to him too. It was a beautiful day and he could do with a swim to destress and iron out the kinks after a busy lunch service. ‘We’ll drive over to Inch and say hi to Owen. Do you want to come?’ he asked his mother.
‘Thanks, but I have a hair appointment this afternoon.’
‘Okay. You get your stuff together,’ he said to Bo, ‘while Nana and I finish our tea.’
