If You Kiss Me Like That

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

“Sorry about earlier.” Ash pushed her chair back and leaned a little closer to Gloria. “Being hangry makes me feel very sorry for myself.” She threw in her widest smile.

“Understandably.” Gloria smiled back.

“My belly’s full.” Ash patted her stomach. “I can handle anything now. Even this lot…” She made a sweeping gesture with her arm. She’d have to do the rounds of her family soon, have a chat with every aunt or uncle she only saw once or twice a year. Give them all the same rundown of her life. Work’s busy. No, I’m not seeing anyone new. Yes, yes, yes, I’m doing just fine. She’d stay in her chair a bit longer.

“Look at Mary,” Gloria said. “She’s positively beaming tonight.”

Ash cast her glance to her mother. Gloria was right. Her mother had a huge smile plastered across her face. “She’s officially a lady of leisure now. Wouldn’t you be beaming if you were?”

“I’d be climbing up the walls if I didn’t have a job,” Gloria said. “Wouldn’t have the foggiest what to do with myself all day.”

“Mum will just get on Dad’s nerves, I presume.” Ash turned her chair so she could see more of Gloria’s face. “How long before your retirement party?”

“Oh, decades.” Gloria slung an arm over the back of her chair and fixed her gaze on Ash.

“It was my very convoluted but discreet attempt at trying to find out your age,” Ash said. “But yeah, sure, decades. I can see that. You don’t look a day over forty.” Ash held Gloria’s gaze.

“Nor do you, Ashley.” Gloria narrowed her eyes a fraction.

“I just turned forty-two, so thank you kindly.”

“Oh, gosh. No way, Ash.” Gloria held up a hand at chest height. “Do you remember I babysat you and Adrian when you were this high?”

“I have zero recollection of that, to be honest.”

“Hm.” Gloria crossed one leg over the other. “Must be all the fasting. Are you sure it’s good for your memory?”

Ash enjoyed the mischievous expression on Gloria’s face. “I bet Adrian gave you hell.”

Gloria shook her head. “No, Ade has always been well behaved. You on the other hand. The tantrums. Goodness me.”

“Now you’re pulling my leg. My dad keeps telling me what a good child I was.”

“Maybe Alan’s a bit biased.”

Ash sniggered. “I think you’re making the whole thing up. You never babysat us at all. I think it’s your memory that’s been affected and you’re confusing us with some other children.”

“Ask your mum,” was all Gloria said.

“I will.” Ash truly couldn’t remember any of it. They’d had so many babysitters when they were children, they all blurred into one authority figure, whom, Ash could admit, she probably would have had a problem with. “Excellent deflection technique, by the way. I still don’t know how old you are, but I might be able to figure it out.” Ash racked her brain. She seemed to remember that Gloria was at least ten years younger than her mother, possibly more—or was it less?

“I’m fifty-four,” Gloria said. “It’s really not a secret at all. In fact, I have no idea why women feel compelled to be so coy about their age. I love getting older.”

“No midlife crisis for you, eh.” Ash stuck out her bottom lip and nodded approvingly.

“I am on hormone replacement therapy. Maybe that helps.” Gloria patted her upper arm. “A fresh patch every few weeks keeps me going.”

Ash admired how easily—and lightly—Gloria spoke of her menopause. She remembered the drama of her mother going through menopause, although, truth be told, she hadn’t been present for most of it. She’d been too busy building her career and falling in love with Charlotte.

Ash didn’t immediately have a reply to this and a short silence fell between them. Adrian had left the table earlier to have a chat with the DJ and Lizzie had taken the opportunity to sit with her parents for a bit. Ash had no idea where Karen was. But it was just her and Gloria at the table.

“Now that we’re throwing it all out in the open.” Gloria leaned forwards a few inches. “Do you mind me asking about your divorce? I sense some bitterness around the subject. I take it the whole thing wasn’t very amicable?”

Ash almost did a double take. She hadn’t expected Gloria to ask her that question. “Not very, no.” She locked eyes with Gloria for an instant, then averted her gaze. She didn’t know why her divorce still invoked such shame in her. Maybe because she believed it was all her fault.

“What happened?”

Ash heaved a big sigh. “I guess… we grew apart. We fell out of love and there wasn’t enough to replace it. Although, if you were to ask Charlotte, she would tell you that I was never there when she needed me because I preferred spending time at work to spending time with my wife. Which was true to a certain extent, especially near the end.” Ash reached for her wineglass. She needed a sip. “If I had to sum it up, I’d say it just didn’t work out. We weren’t the amazing match we thought we were.”

“These things are never easy to sum up in a few words. I bet it’s much more complicated than that.” Gloria’s voice was so soft and soothing now, it made Ash want to have another look at her face.

The background music that had been playing throughout dinner was interrupted by a screeching microphone.

“Oh Christ, don’t tell me Ade is going to do a speech,” Ash said. “I swear to God, nobody ever tells me anything in this family.” Because you’re unavailable, Ash. She heard Charlotte’s voice in her head. Because you don’t want to know.

But Adrian just passed the microphone to his mother, who thanked everyone for coming, and urged them onto the dance floor.

Ash pushed her chair a little closer to the table so she didn’t impede any of the older guests who wanted to dance. In doing so, she suddenly found herself sitting very close to Gloria.

“You still owe me some tips,” Gloria shouted into her ear. “For things to do in London.”

“Give me your number,” Ash shouted back. “I’ll text you all you need to know.”