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Dad kept saying that when I married and got over this romantic idea of working for the company, then I had to give my part of the company back to him. Then he smirked and I could only just make out the words he whispered to Fin, that Aidan’s project would be an epic fail and he couldn’t wait to rub it into his face.
I was hardly able to eat another bite of dinner after that. I pushed the food around my plate as Fin raved about how he would use all the money from the project on a deposit for a house – a house bigger than his friend Declan recently bought. Neither Mum nor Dad chastised my brother abouthisgreed.
Finally in bed, the darkness hid the hot tears wetting my pillow. Even remembering the feel of Aidan’s lips couldn’t take away the hurt in the pit of my stomach.
“I think I know what it is you want to confess.”
Father Murray brings me back from my tortured mind, and I can hardly hide the terror in my voice. “You do?”
Can he see on my face what I’ve done? That I’ve kissed a man, much older than me, and admitted to wanting to hurt my dad?
“Today I want to talk about greed.”
I snap my mouth closed and my folded hands drop to my legs, short nails digging into my thighs through my skirt. Mum has been in Father Murray’s ear again, feeding him what to tell me.
For the next twenty minutes, I listen to his preaching.
Be grateful for what you’ve got.
Don’t be tempted by the devil, wanting what my neighbour has.
Tears are burning in my eyes as I finally push open the curtain of the confession booth, mortified and angry.
I screech as a creature steps in front of me, out from the shadows of the concrete pillars.
“Miss Duffy!You scared me.”
The old caretaker of the church doesn’t immediately reply, her beady eyes scanning my face. Satisfied with the tears hanging from my lashes, she nods. “Young Caitlin. You’d do best listen to our Father’s words. He’s the man of God and youdon’twant to cross him.”
A shiver goes down my back as she again disappears into the shadows, leaving only a musty smell and the sound of her squeaky shoes behind. That old woman gives me the creeps. Mum always praises the wonderful job Miss Duffy does looking after Father Murray, but I’ve never managed to warm to her.
With her warning still hanging in the air, I rush down the streets of southside Dublin. Shaking off her dooming words, I check my watch. Aidan asked me to come in for half ten, and I don’t want to be late for my first proper day of internship at Keenan’s Jewellers. Not with the promise of Aidan’s special lessons. I eagerly skip over the bridge of Royal Canal with a newfound spring in my step.
8
Aidan
Rebecca shifts uncomfortably on her feet. She’s in her late forties and one of the few female workers who’s never tried to catch my attention. That was Finbar’s reasoning for making her our office administrator.‘Your judgement isn’t always on par, Aidan, so it’s best if we remove temptation’he had lectured me, as if I was a child. I had bitten my tongue, devoid of comebacks.
“So, you want me to collate all the orders from the RDS jewellery fair for Fin and Caitlin’s projects?” Rebecca asks, her gaze flicking from Finbar behind his big desk to me in the chair in front of it. She’s good at what she does, but after six years with us, Rebecca still gets nervous being in the same room as the two of us. Our many arguments are legendary.
“That’s right,” Finbar confirms with a condescending nod. If he had any idea what Caitlin is creating, it would wipe that smug smirk off his face.
“And you want all the costs for the two projects gathered prior to the fair?”
“Correct.”
“And do you want your consultancy fee included in thecosts?” Rebecca asks.
The leather squeaks as Finbar shifts in his seat. “Uh, um, no. There will be no consultancy fee this time.”
“What consultancy fee?” I ask carefully, warning bells chiming louder than St Patrick’s Cathedral on a Sunday.
“Oh, Mr Keenan takes a consultancy fee for any intern he’s mentoring.” Rebecca blinks, unaware what she’s just revealed.
“Well, back to the main topic—” Finbar tries, but I cut him off.
“We’ve had quite a few interns – have you taken a consultancy fee for every one of them?”
