The Birthday Girls Read online

  * * *

  “I’m dying to see Mel and Angel again,” said Brenda, between mouthfuls of the chocolate mousse dessert. “How are they?”

  “Oh, what can I say? Mel is working far too hard, as always. She doesn’t have a life outside of her work and is stressed out all the time.” Lexi shook her head. “She’s still smoking like a trooper and I worry about her, honestly I do. I would so love her to meet someone nice.”

  “She did have someone a while back, didn’t she?”

  “Yes, but that bit the dust. I don’t know why as she was really crazy about him. They were even talking of marriage. She’s never told me why they broke up but she was very depressed after that which is why she threw herself into her work like a maniac.”

  “Poor Mel! I’m looking forward to seeing her again.”

  “Me too. I do hope she’ll stay for the week. The break will do her good.”

  “And what about Angel?” Brenda asked as Lexi topped up their glasses.

  “Angel? Well, there’s no fear of her getting depressed over a man. She seems to bounce from one to the other like a hippity-hop ball. The latest news from her is that she’s become a cougar.”

  “A cougar?” Brenda looked puzzled.

  “Yeah, it’s the latest phenomenon in Hollywood. It describes an older woman who takes a much younger lover.”

  Brenda looked at her disbelievingly. “Angel has done that?”

  “I’m afraid so. You know she’s quite desperate to stay young and I suppose he makes her feel that way. All the stars are doing it, she tells me. I worry about her a lot too. She’s very fragile, you know, under all that bravado.”

  “Really? I’ve never thought that,” Brenda said, stifling a yawn.

  Lexi stood up. “Forgive me, you must be exhausted. You’ve had such a long day.”

  “Yes, and I was so excited I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I think I’ll hit the sack.”

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Lexi told her as they hugged goodnight.

  “Me too,” Brenda replied, trying but failing to smother another yawn.

  * * *

  The following morning, after a delicious breakfast on the terrace, Lexi headed to her studio and Brenda changed into her bikini. Then, armed with her book, fluffy towels, a sunhat and sun lotion, she stretched out by the pool. It was paradise!

  The sun was very hot but slathered with Factor 25 she toasted her body, slipping into the beautiful pool to cool off whenever it got too much to take. Meanwhile Maria plied her with iced water and cold fruit drinks so that she wouldn’t get dehydrated. She suspected Maria was under strict instructions from Lexi to take care of her. By eleven thirty she felt it was time to get into the shade and it was there Lexi found her, snoozing gently.

  “Come on, lazybones! Time for lunch,” Lexi called out, tickling her feet playfully.

  “Heavens, did I fall asleep?” Brenda jumped up, coming awake with a start.

  Lexi laughed. “Don’t worry! You’re probably still a little jet-lagged and tired after your trip. Come on! Maria has prepared a lovely salad for us.”

  And lovely it was, with succulent prawns and scallops. Brenda had never had scallops before either but didn’t want to appear like a total bog-woman so kept mum about it. They were yummy.

  After lunch they drove across the causeway again to the Clearwater Mall. She’d been expecting a huge indoor shopping mall, like Liffey Valley, but instead she found a series of individual stores spread out over a very large area.

  “What do you do if you don’t have a car here?” she wanted to know.

  Lexi laughed aloud. “Oh, my darling girl,” she spluttered through her laughter, “everybody here has a car. One couldn’t survive in Florida without one.”

  “Amazing!” Brenda observed, dumbstruck.

  The next three hours flew by as Lexi introduced her to Ross, the low-cost outlet store. The price of the clothes, shoes and bags there blew her mind. She figured she would have paid at least ten times more in Dublin for the lovely Ralph Lauren dress she found and the fabulous shoes that were only $12 a pair. Brenda was not a big shopper and definitely not a designer nut but at those prices she reckoned even Mother Teresa would have lost it. She also spotted an emerald-green silk dress on the clearance rack which cost an unbelievable $15. It fitted her to perfection and it too went into her trolley.

  “You’re becoming a true Florida girl,” Lexi remarked as she saw Brenda choose some shorts and halter tops and two bikinis.

  “If you can’t beat them join them,” Brenda laughed.

  She saw beautiful towels and bed-linen and would have bought the lot if Lexi hadn’t stopped her.

  “Take it easy. It’s only your first day. You’ve got two whole weeks to shop.”

  Brenda grinned foolishly at her. “Sorry, but everything’s so fabulous and so cheap.”

  She saw gorgeous things for her girls too but Lexi persuaded her to wait a while until they’d visited Burlington and the Ellenton Outlets. They deposited the bags in the car and then moved on to Target. This reminded Brenda of Dunne’s Stores back home except that everything was about quarter the price. She finally understood why hordes of Irishwomen crossed the Atlantic every year to shop. The difference in price between Ireland and the US was ridiculous!

  Exhausted yet exhilarated, she returned home with Lexi to prepare for the evening ahead.

  * * *

  Brenda soaked in another heavenly bath and was so happy she felt like singing. “God, I can’t remember the last time I felt like this,” she said aloud. She’d had a wonderful day – like something out of a movie, she thought.

  Reluctantly dragging herself out of the bath, she towelled herself dry and, sighing with pleasure, rubbed body lotion onto her glowing skin. Slipping on the Wonderbra that Lexi had insisted she buy, she then stepped into the red Ralph Lauren dress that felt like a second skin.

  “Is this really me?” she asked her reflection in the mirror. She had a cleavage for the first time in her life and the silk jersey clung to her body giving her curves she’d never had before. Her skin was already turning a golden brown and her eyes were shining. She looked better than she ever had before and . . . well . . . sexy and hot – her three daughters’ favourite words. She giggled as she twirled in front of the mirror, happy and excited with this new woman she’d become.

  Lexi looked up as she came downstairs. “Wow!” she exclaimed, giving a low whistle, and Brenda was gratified to know that she had not been imagining that she looked great. “You look sensational!”

  Brenda blushed, delighted with the compliment. She had never, ever, been told that before.

  They were sitting on the upper terrace sipping mojitos when Maria came out, accompanied by two handsome men. Lexi kissed them both and made the introductions. Marvin was younger than Brenda had expected, in his mid-forties, she guessed. She had expected him to be older, perhaps because Lexi had said he was an art dealer or perhaps because she had the notion that everyone in Florida was retired and therefore old. Marvin was most definitely not in that category. She found him quiet-spoken and even a little shy which endeared him to her. She noticed his long elegant fingers and wondered if he painted himself. He had the gentle look of an artist and was the perfect man for Lexi, slim with dark, slightly greying hair and . . . well, elegant was the best word to describe him.

  Troy, his brother, was the opposite of the gentle laid-back Marvin. Larger than life, he was very tall and athletically built and exuded an energy that was palpable. He was also extremely handsome, deeply tanned, with longish blond hair and very blue eyes. It was obvious that he spent most of his time outdoors. Lexi had told her that he was a keen sailor and ran a very lucrative yacht business. He smiled at Brenda as he took her hand in a firm grasp. She saw a look of admiration in his eyes that shocked her. It had been a long, long time since any man had looked at her like that. Not since Bob, all those years ago. She pulled her hand away and was mortified to feel herself blush. He smiled at
her, his eyes never leaving hers.

  At that moment, luckily, Maria arrived with a jug of mojitos and they all sat down as she poured.

  “Santé!” Marvin said, as he raised his glass to them.

  “Sláinte!” the two girls replied in unison, both of them erupting in laughter.

  “What’s that?” Troy asked, mystified.

  “It’s the Irish way to say ‘health’,” Lexi explained.

  It took five minutes and lots of laughter before Troy was happy with his pronunciation of it.

  “Sláinte!” he saluted them after the second mojitos had been poured.

  “Sláinte mhaith!” Brenda said as she raised her glass to him.

  He groaned. “Now what does that mean?”

  “It means ‘good health’,” she explained to him and another Gaelic lesson ensued until finally he’d got it right.

  “Could you two excuse us for a moment?” Lexi asked. “I need Marvin to take a look at some lights that are not working down by the pool.”

  They moved off together down the steps to the pool level.

  “Do you live here too like Marvin?” Brenda asked.

  Troy told her that he had lived in New York for most of his adult life but had now decided to relocate to Florida. He was down here house-hunting at the moment.

  “The winters up north are too cold for my liking and I’d also like to move closer to Marvin.”

  Brenda heard his voice soften when he spoke of his brother.

  “Both our parents are dead so there’s just the two of us now,” he explained. “Besides, I like the Florida lifestyle. It suits me better.”

  “I quite like it myself,” she laughed.

  “Have you ever considered moving here?”

  “Good Lord, no, I couldn’t possibly.”

  “That’s a pity,” he remarked, looking deep into her eyes. “Why not?”

  “Well, I have a husband back in Ireland for a start . . .”

  “Would your husband not like to live here?”

  “Bob move here? God, no! Are you mad?” She laughed at this preposterous idea.

  “Are you happy with him?” Troy asked in a low quiet voice. He leaned forward in his chair and steepled his fingers, looking at her very intently, a small frown creasing his forehead. She was a little taken aback by his bluntness and hesitated as she tried to answer truthfully, as much to herself as to Troy. He saw her hesitation.

  “Oh Brenda honey, life is much too short to spend it with the wrong person,” he said gently, shaking his head.

  To her embarrassment she felt the tears come to her eyes. “If only life were that simple,” she replied.

  “It is. It truly is,” he stated with a faraway look in his eyes. “I found that out a long time ago.”

  She wondered what he meant. “How about you? Are you married?”

  “I was. Got divorced after two years,” he replied, his voice sad.

  “Any children?”

  “Lord, no! That would have been a disaster.”

  She didn’t enquire further not wishing to appear nosy but she’d love to have heard more.

  He was very entertaining and easy-going and slowly she relaxed in his company. She found herself drawn to him and when he accidently touched her hand she drew back as if she’d had an electric shock. Troy made her feel attractive and desirable, feelings that were alien to her. She found it very exciting and figured it must be the mojitos!

  She was relieved when Lexi and Marvin came back. Troy was way too disturbing for her peace of mind.

  Shortly afterwards, the taxi arrived to take them to the restaurant.

  As they said goodbye, Troy invited them to spend the following day on his yacht.

  “Sorry, we’d love to but Mel and Angel are flying in tomorrow,” said Lexi. “Maybe another day? I’m sure the girls would love it.”

  “It would be my pleasure,” Troy answered, looking straight at Brenda.

  She felt herself blushing yet again.

  “Just let me know when,” he said as he kissed Lexi goodbye.

  “I really hope to see you again soon,” Troy whispered to Brenda as he took her hand to his lips. The look in his eyes sent a tingle down her spine.

  Chapter 7

  Brenda was very impressed by the Beachcomber and the elegant décor. She was also intrigued by the tray which the waistcoated waiter placed before them when they’d sat down. It contained four small bowls which he said were their special relishes.

  “This one is beetroot,” he explained, pointing to the bowl, “and here you have fig and mango, sweet pepper and onion and some salted herrings.”

  They were accompanied by some salted crackers.

  “How lovely!” Brenda said as she dipped a cracker in the beetroot relish.

  “Don’t they bring you a relish tray in restaurants in Dublin?” Lexi asked.

  “I wouldn’t know,” Brenda replied simply. “We never go to a restaurant as fancy as this. The only time Bob and I go out for a meal is for birthdays and our anniversary and then we always go to the local Chinese. Bob loves Chinese. Eating out in Dublin is just not affordable,” she explained.

  “Yes, I discovered that last time I was home and we went to that place on Stephen’s Green. You remember?”

  “I do indeed. You wouldn’t let me see the bill but I guessed it must have been almost €200 for the two of us.”

  “I was happy to do it but you’re right, the restaurants in Dublin are a rip-off.”

  After the relish tray they both had the Gulf shrimp which came with delicious fresh-baked assorted bread. Brenda saw the prime rib beef being served at the table next to them and her eyes were out on sticks when she saw how enormous it was. Lexi ordered the sole and suggested Brenda order the house speciality of deep-fried chicken and when it arrived she swore it was a whole large chicken and, delicious as it was, could only eat less than half of it. What with the salad and vegetables that were included, she couldn’t attempt any of the desserts. When she asked for a doggy-bag to take the chicken home, the waiter looked at her not knowing what she was talking about. Laughingly Lexi explained that what her friend wanted was a ‘to-go box’ and he promptly brought her a Styrofoam box into which she put the chicken and the remainder of the delicious walnut bread.

  She insisted on paying and when she asked for the bill, Lexi intervened and grinning said, “She’d like the check, please.”

  “I’d better swot up on American jargon as they don’t seem to understand me at all,” Brenda laughed.

  She was completely shocked at how little the meal had cost. She marvelled at how they could produce such a wonderful meal for so little money. If only they could do the same in Dublin!

  * * *

  Lexi was seated at the table the following morning when Brenda came down for breakfast. She could see that Brenda was truly blossoming in the Florida sun and already had a lovely golden glow that had been missing when she’d arrived two days before. She’d never seen her look so vibrant in all the years she’d known her and she could see from Troy’s reaction the previous night that he had been very taken with her. Even Marvin had noticed that which in itself was unusual as he was not normally aware of male/female interactions.

  There was no doubt that Troy was very attractive and charismatic and she could see how Brenda responded to him. Lexi knew from what Brenda had said the evening she arrived – or rather from what she hadn’t said – that things were not going too well with Bob. They had been so much in love and devoted to each other that Lexi had thought their marriage would always be rock solid but life was not always straightforward, was it? Angel and Mel had both been convinced it wouldn’t last and were surprised that it had lasted as long as it had. Lexi hoped they were not going to be proved right as it looked like there might be trouble on the horizon.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by Brenda who appeared on the terrace wearing a pink halter top over a pair of cute white shorts.

  “Beautiful morning,” she greeted L
exi as she came over to her.

  “It’s always a beautiful morning here,” Lexi laughed.

  “Happy birthday!” Brenda said, bending down to kiss her. Lexi was the oldest by one day, then Mel, then Brenda and finally Angel.

  “Thank you, dear,” Lexi beamed. “Another year older!”

  “‘What’s another year?’” Brenda sang the line from the Johnny Logan song. They both laughed. They were only eight years old when he’d won the Eurovision with that song and they’d watched it together in Angel’s house. It had been a favourite of theirs ever since. Today was Lexi’s birthday but they’d decided that Monday would be the joint celebration.

  Brenda drank the orange juice that Maria had just squeezed and declared that she’d never drink orange juice out of a carton again.

  “I’m telling you, if this keeps on, I’ll definitely be looking for my green card.”

  “You’d never leave Ireland!” Lexi exclaimed, shocked.

  Brenda sighed. “I don’t see how I could. Bob certainly wouldn’t entertain it. He’s very set in his ways. But if I was on my own I would certainly be tempted.”

  Lexi heard that note of unhappiness in her voice again. “You know I’m here to lend an ear if you want to confide in me,” she offered.

  Brenda pressed her lips together but said nothing. She’d expected Bob to call her that morning to apologise but he hadn’t.

  “Now to work! I’ve only got about another couple of hours to do before I wrap up this painting. I’d like to know what you think of it.” Lexi checked her watch. “I should be finished about noon. Why don’t you work on that tan and I’ll get Maria to bring you down to my studio and we can have lunch there.”

  “Oh, that would be lovely.” Brenda clapped her hands. “I’m dying to see where you paint.”

  “Great! See you then, honey.”

  * * *

  As arranged, at noon Maria and Brenda made their way down to the studio which was tucked away in a corner at the bottom of the garden.

  “Good timing – I’m just finished.” Lexi smiled as she wiped her brushes. Maria set the lunch down on the small table on the shaded patio which was nice and cool.