She barely heard the knock at the door. ‘Brenda, are you okay in there?’

  That sobered her up. ‘Yes, I’m fine. I’m just on the phone to Bernadette. She was telling me a joke.’

  That set the two of them off again.

  ‘Ah Bernadette, you’ve no idea how much I needed that,’ she spluttered, when she regained the power of speech.

  ‘Me too, pet. I know we’re laughing, but I feel for you, I really do. Keeping up any kind of pretence is tough.’ Bernadette knew that more than anyone. She’d stayed in a marriage with a controlling arse for decades, while pretending to the world that she was happy. That took guts. And then it took more guts to leave him. ‘You know you can call me any time if you just need to chat, or to let off steam.’

  ‘Thank you. I’ll take you up on that.’

  ‘Good. So what’s your plan for the rest of the trip then?’

  Brenda turned the taps off and dipped her toes in the water. It was perfect.

  ‘I’m going to pretend I’m having a great time and make the best of it. I think the girls have got some sightseeing planned and maybe a couple of shows. I saw an open-top bus on the way here, so I might give that a shot to kill a couple of hours. I mean, in this heat it’ll probably kill me, but that might be a mercy. Death by open-top bus.’

  ‘Glad you’re being so reasonable about this,’ Bernadette matched her joking tone.

  ‘Absolutely. Only thing for it. I just need to go with the flow.’

  ‘I think that’s the best plan, I really do. But can I just ask one thing, Brenda?’

  ‘Of course. Anything.’

  ‘If those mules get a tremble, can I be the first to know?’

  ‘I’m hanging up now.’ Brenda ended the call with a chuckle.

  After stripping off, she climbed into the bath and rested her head against the cool white surface, letting the memories that had been biting at her all day ease their way into her mind. She’d been twenty-five last time she’d been here. And Colin wasn’t being completely honest when he’d dismissed the couple they’d been with as just old friends that they’d lost touch with. There had been so much more to it all than that.

  Eileen Smith. Gary Gregg.

  The four of them had been inseparable. Joined at the hip. They’d met a few years before, when they all worked together at the Beat House, a nightclub in Glasgow’s city centre. Gary was the DJ, Eileen worked in the ticket booth, taking people’s cash as they came in the door, Colin and Brenda both worked behind the bar. Initially, for them, it was an extra job to supplement their student grants while he was at Glasgow uni studying to be an accountant and she was in her second year at the College of Nursing. But even after they’d graduated and started working, they still kept their club jobs for extra cash.

  Brenda closed her eyes and she could see a snapshot of the four of them when they first formed their little clique of four. Gary was a couple of years older than them, and so tall and handsome that half the girls in the Beat House would make doe eyes at him while he was up there blasting out the latest Simple Minds or Duran Duran tune. And oh, Gary knew it. He loved the attention, lapped it up, dancing in the DJ booth with his white vest and his shirt over the top of it, tucked in to his acid-wash jeans, his dark hair barely moving because he had a fringe flick that was solidified by half a can of hairspray before he climbed up on to the stage at night.

  Colin was shorter, but he had his fans too. He wore little round John Lennon glasses and came across as the smart guy that he was. Kind, too. If there was a crisis – and there was at least one a night in the club – then Colin was the one with the cool head that went out of his way to make sure everyone was okay. And he noticed things. When Brenda had got her first perm, the one that was the size of a beachball, he’d told her it looked great and she would be a shoo-in if they ever needed a fourth member of Bananarama.

  Eileen was the last to join the gang, but it felt like she’d always been there. Brenda had adored her on sight. This gorgeous tall blonde, who had no idea how pretty she was so she was always getting into relationships that were wrong for her.

  The four of them had formed a merry band. What was it that they called it these days? A framily. Yep, that’s what they were – a framily that stuck together for the next few years, a clique that laughed, that lifted each other up, that swore they’d be friends for ever… Until they weren’t. Ouch, that still stung.

  The last time she saw Eileen Smith was right here in this city, in a hotel not too far away. In the horror of that moment, Brenda had told her that she never wanted to set eyes on her again as long as she lived.

  Now, back there in her mind, Brenda felt her chest tighten and her brow furrow and she realised that sentiment hadn’t changed.

  15

  AIDEN

  The check-in process at the Bellagio was pretty seamless and Aiden had spent most of the time at the desk scanning the reception area in wonderment at the absolutely over-the-top spectacle of it all. A massive multicoloured glass sculpture hung from the ceiling in the centre area of the lobby, above marble floors and walls embellished with ornate gold décor. The whole place looked like a kaleidoscopic acid trip for people with buckets of money to spend.

  If he’d been travelling on his own, he’d probably have gone for somewhere like the Aria or the Cosmopolitan, a bit less ostentatious than the most grandiose hotel on the strip, but he was cognisant of his audience. His dad liked everything flash and larger than life, while his mum liked classy with a large slice of glam. This suited them both and maybe went a small way to making up for all the duplicity and subterfuge required to get them here. Besides, he’d managed to wangle a full refund for his honeymoon to the Bahamas, so he was cool about spending that money and a bit extra for them all to stay somewhere iconic. Maybe – even before she realised the true purpose of the trip – his mum would forgive him if she saw the effort he’d put in to make this truly special. Although, he wasn’t betting on it. She’d been perfectly nice on the five-hour flight here, but she was also quiet, with an undertone of low-key, well-concealed fury.

  About halfway into the flight, so probably somewhere above Oklahoma, his dad had gone to the loos, so he’d leaned over to his mom. ‘On a scale of one to ten, how mad are you at me right now?’

  She’d sighed, and he could see the resignation in her face. ‘Much as I love you, probably a solid eight. This is going to cost you a sensational Mother’s Day present next year.’

  The fact that she was still joking gave him hope. It also made him feel absolutely crap.

  ‘I know, and I’m sorry. I promise it was done with the best intentions. Maybe it won’t be so bad,’ he’d said hopefully. ‘It might even give you two a chance to start building a friendship.’

  ‘I get that. I guess I was just looking forward to a trip with just me and you. We haven’t done that in years. It’ll take me a minute to get my head around the new plan, but it’ll be fine, don’t worry.’

  He’d spent the next two and a half hours feeling smaller than the packet of pretzels that came with his beer. It wasn’t helped when his dad sat back down on the other side of him, leaned in and said, ‘Good move, son. If your mom calls it a night early, I’m up for hitting a couple of clubs.’

  The man didn’t help himself, he really didn’t.

  Fear that he’d say something else stupid had made the flight feel twice as long as it actually was, so now it was a relief to have checked in and be heading for their rooms.

  As he’d requested, they were all on the tenth floor, overlooking the fountains. Aiden and his dad were sharing a queen suite with two double beds and a sitting area, while his mom was next door in a king suite.

  ‘I’m just going to grab a quick shower,’ his mom said, when they got to their doors.

  ‘Want some company, Eileen?’ his dad offered, thinking he was hilarious.

  His mom delivered a deadpan retort of, ‘Not even if I were drowning and you were the only one that could save me.’

  Aiden was pretty sure he could feel his inner soul curl up and wish for a quick death.

  In the room, he rounded on his dad. ‘What are you doing? Are you trying to provoke Mom, or have you just generally lost your mind?’

  Before he got an answer, the doorbell went, and he let in the concierge, who had brought up their suitcases.

  His dad went to the minibar, pulled out two beers and tossed one to him.

  Aiden tipped the bellman and then went back to his original question. ‘Well?’

  His dad put his hands up. ‘Look, I know. I get it. I hear this stuff coming out of my mouth and I want to punch myself in the face, I really do.’

  Aiden sat down on the orange velvet bucket seat by the window and put his feet on the matching footstool. ‘Why do you do it, then? Because honestly, Dad, it’s not landing well with Mom, and nothing is getting better while you’re coming out with crap like that.’

  He felt bad going in on his dad like this, but it was warranted. If his mum called it quits and left early because she couldn’t put up with his nonsense, then they’d have achieved nothing and the whole purpose of the trip would be blown.

  ‘I think…’ His dad went quiet and for a moment Aiden thought he was going to come out with some profound theory of self-reflection. ‘I’m just trying to make her laugh.’

  ‘Really? Because I’m pretty sure she isn’t next door splitting her sides right now.’

  His dad lay back on the bed, one arm behind his head, his beer balancing on his taut abdomen. Aiden had no desire to inherit his pop’s sense of humour, or his self-awareness, but he wouldn’t mind his abs.

  ‘She used to find me funny. Back then. Before the divorce. And don’t even say it, because I know that was on me too.’

  ‘What was? What actually happened? You’ve never told me and I guess I didn’t want to rock the boat by asking.’ Aiden couldn’t contain the urge to understand the details of their split. Sure, he knew there were allegations of infidelity, but nothing had been confirmed and he’d never learned the ultimate reason behind his parents’ divorce. They’d just shown up at college at spring break, sat him down and said they were calling time on their marriage. Irreconcilable differences, they’d said. When he’d tried to delve deeper, his mum had just insisted that they’d grown apart and that was all she’d ever said about it. He respected that she didn’t want to bad-mouth his father to him, or force him to take sides, but at the same time, it would help him to broker a resolution to the cold war between them if he actually knew the specifics. His dad wasn’t for giving them up then or now though.

  ‘We were going through a rough patch, I didn’t handle it well, did something that I shouldn’t have and that’s all I’ll say about it. But that was almost ten years ago and I’m still paying for it. I guess I think that if I come out with the stuff that used to amuse her, then maybe there’s a chance—’

  Woah. What? Aiden sat forward in his chair. ‘A chance of what, Dad? Are you saying you want you and Mum to get back together?’

  Shit, this couldn’t be true. His dad had positively embraced single life. There had been the holidays, the flash cars, the long stream of girlfriends twenty years younger. He had never given the slightest hint that he regretted his divorce. In fact, the opposite. He acted like it was the best thing that ever happened to him.

  His dad shrugged. ‘No! At least… no. I don’t think so. Okay, maybe. Sometimes. Yes. Making a right arse of it though.’

  ‘No arguments here. What about Mitzy?’

  ‘Yeah, she’s great, but come on… do you think she’d be with me if I had zero in the bank? I’m not naïve, son.’

  ‘So why stay with her then? Why not look for someone who loves you, not the lifestyle?’

  ‘She keeps me young and shallow as it is, I like having a beauty on my arm. Mitzy certainly gets us noticed and if I’m not with your mum…’ he let that trail off, with a shrug. ‘Look, son, I’ve no idea what I’m doing. There’s this fallacy that you get to my age and you have it all sussed out. Utter bollocks. Your mum cut me dead after the divorce, so, yeah, like a right tit, I’ve probably been trying to get her attention. The jokes. The women…’

  ‘That was to make her jealous?’

  ‘No, not at first. That was just to have a good time, see what I’d been missing. But, son, it’s a shitshow out there. Do you know the effort it takes to keep all that dating stuff going? I mean, it’s all fun and games at the start, but then it’s serious work. Sometimes I just wish I could go back to being married and settled and… you know, maybe go a couple of nights without having to go to the gym and batter this old body into any kind of shape.’

  ‘You’re not old. You’re two years younger than Brad Pitt.’

  ‘Yeah, and he should have stayed with Jennifer Aniston. Look at the royal cock-up he’s made of things. There’s a lesson in that. Just wish I’d learned it.’

  Aiden had never seriously considered the possibility of his mum and dad getting back together – a ceasefire had been the most he’d hoped for. But maybe… Nope, he wasn’t getting his hopes up and he wasn’t interfering. At least, no more than a bit of unsolicited advice.

  ‘You know, Dad, if you really do want any hope of reconciling with Mom, first thing you’d have to do is drop all the other women, drop the fake jokes and the big gestures and just be consistent, be real.’

  ‘Be boring?’

  ‘Nope, not what I said.’

  ‘Yeah, but that’s what I heard, son. Look, we’ll see how the next few days play out. I’m just gonna be me, and hope she sees that life with me could be a lot of fun again. And if she doesn’t… well, that’s her loss.’

  Aiden sighed. He’d never learn. There was no hope. ‘You know, Dad, for a smart guy, you’re hiding it well.’

  His dad pulled another can from the minibar. ‘Yep, son, but that’s why there’s beer.’

  Aiden caught the Bud that was tossed in his direction, laughing as he shook his head. There was no point trying to change this man. This was who he was and whether Aiden approved or not, if he wanted his dad in his life, he just had to roll with it and try to soften the edges. But if he ever had a son, the kid was getting nowhere near Granpa Gary and his messed-up perspectives on life.

  His dad picked up the remote for the TV and switched on a ball game, putting an end to what was probably the most open, honest and emotional exchange they’d ever had. Gary didn’t do depth. He didn’t do feelings. He only did living in the moment and planning the next good time.

  Aiden sighed. Great. One parent bailed out to another room. Another one watching football. It was going so well. He really hoped Zara had a plan to get them all together soon, because otherwise this was going to be the longest, most stressful few days of his life. And that was coming from someone who had been jilted on his wedding day.

  His dad’s focus on the TV gave Aiden the opportunity to check his texts. Just one from Trevon.

  Did your mom knock you out?

  Aiden typed back a quick answer.

  Not yet, but still time. If I stop replying, come identify my body.

  He sent it then checked his WhatsApp, his emails… nope, nothing from Layla. He wondered what she’d think about all this. She hadn’t had a chance to get particularly close to his mum, but they seemed to like each other, and she’d only met his dad a couple of times. How weird was that? He was getting married to someone who barely knew his parents. But then… they’d only been together for ten months, and he tended to go to sports events with his dad, or drop in on his mom alone, so it wasn’t a huge surprise. Layla hadn’t really been into the whole family gathering thing. It was something that he’d hoped would grow over time.

  Aiden felt his jaw start to tighten at the thought of her. Where was she? Was she sitting somewhere right now thinking about him? Was she ever going to give him an answer as to why she’d ditched him, why she’d bolted at the last minute? Was there ever, in any world, going to be a way to come back from this? And was it pathetic that there was a part of him that still wanted her, that would listen to her and try to forgive?

  ‘Yasssss! British football. Son, I might be here all night,’ his dad joked, settling back now that he’d found a channel with his favourite sport. His mum used to say his dad would watch anything that involved kicking, throwing, catching or chasing a ball, although, she and Aiden weren’t far behind him. That said, when it came to participation, his dad enjoyed reminding him that it was the saddest day of his life when Aiden chose to focus on basketball instead of soccer. His mum said it was the happiest of hers. Much as she enjoyed all sports, it thrilled her that she got to spend the next few years sitting on bleachers in the sports hall instead of standing outside in the heat all summer.

  He was about to toss his phone to the side and watch the game with his dad, when a new text popped up. Zara.

  Welcome to Vegas! How’s it going your end? All okay here I think. My parents are knackered though – jet lag – so was thinking we should wait and ambush them with the surprise tomorrow? Me and sis going out for drink later though. Want to meet and hatch a plan? Zx

  It wasn’t the worst idea. His mum wouldn’t be up for a late night and there was no way he was going to hit the Vegas clubs with his dad. Everything he did over the next few days had to be with the objective of making both parents happy, not favouring one over the other, or doing anything that would piss one of them off or make either of them feel excluded. This must be what parenthood felt like. Right now, it was like having two kids and trying not to show favouritism, even though one of them was mad at him, and he wanted to put the other one in a time-out.

  That would all change tomorrow, though. As soon as they met their old friends, hopefully all the petty bullshit between his mum and dad would be forgotten and they could just all enjoy every minute of the rest of their trip.