He began typing.

  All good here. Tomorrow perfect for getting the olds together. Drink tonight sounds good. Just let me know where and when. Looking forward to meeting you both in person. Ax.

  16

  EILEEN

  This was going to be the longest few days of her life. Eileen let the power of the water jets pummel her body, while she contemplated what the hell she was doing here. This was like one of those reality shows where you got dumped on an island with your ex and there was a chance of survival if you chewed your own arm off.

  The worst bit about it all was the disappointment that it wasn’t the mum-and-son trip that Aiden had promised. She’d been so looking forward to that, so into the thought of taking Aiden’s mind off the wedding disaster by making new memories. How many more times would they get to do that? Even if he did manage to sort things out with Layla – and Eileen was not, under any circumstances, supportive of that scenario – then they weren’t exactly going to invite his mother along for a natty wee weekend break. No, this was it. Her one chance to have some one-on-one time with her son. Gone. Sabotaged by that bloody man she used to be married to.

  And Vegas. Of all places. The one city she would quite happily go the rest of her life without revisiting. Looking over to her right, she caught her reflection in the mirror and wondered what she’d say to that twenty-five-year-old who was here last time. Other than ‘turn around right now and run because you’re about to make the biggest mistake of your life.’

  In some ways, she could still see that young woman. The blonde hair was still exactly the same shade, only now it came from bottles in the salon, slapped on to cover the grey. She was still exactly the same weight too, mostly thanks to Trevon, who was merciless when they worked out together. The boobs were lower and the arse was flatter, but with a good bra and the right jeans she could turn back time – while singing the words of every other Cher song too. Being a teenager in the eighties had many plus points but the wonder of Cher was definitely in the top ten, somewhere between shoulder pads, Malibu and pineapple, and the joys of getting your first Walkman.

  The thought of Malibu and pineapple was like a portal that took her straight back there. That had been Brenda’s favourite drink. Eileen had been more of a vodka and fresh orange girl, with an occasional Dubonnet and lemonade for some variety. When they worked in the Beat House, Brenda used to sneak drinks out from the bar to the ticket office for Eileen, and she’d knock them back before the entrance doors closed and she was redeployed to help the cloakroom staff return jackets at the end of the night. After a few of Brenda’s generously proportioned drinks, it was a miracle anyone went home with the coat they’d come in with.

  Brenda. How long had it been since she’d thought about her? After they’d been here last time, Eileen had put her right out of her mind, slammed the vault of Brenda memories shut and refused to open it again. She was probably sitting in Scotland right now, surrounded by grandchildren and loving her life. She’d probably still be nursing, because even when she was in her first year on the wards, Brenda loved her job and everyone could see that it perfectly suited her personality. Yep, Brenda would be happy. Fulfilled. Would have found a way to overcome a rocky start and make a brilliant success of her life. Eileen hoped that was true, because then maybe, just maybe, it would prove that they’d all made the right decisions back then, even if it didn’t feel that way at the time.

  Climbing out of the shower, she dried off her body, then unclipped her hair, letting her blonde waves fall over her shoulders. Without even thinking, she opened her Chanel No5 body lotion and began slathering it on. Gary had bought her that cream every single year at Christmas because he knew it was her favourite. She’d never have predicted that her love of Chanel would outlast her love of her husband.

  Body lotion on, teeth brushed, and fresh make-up applied, she threw on jeans and a black shirt, then slipped her feet into black Louboutin ankle boots. Now it was a different woman that stared back at her in the mirror. This one was accomplished. Sexy. Confident. Eileen wasn’t sure if that made her good at playing dress-up or a fraud.

  Okay, time to go. She could do this. Stay calm. Don’t rise to him. Ignore him if he’s being a dick. Remember why you’re here. Stay calm. Don’t rise to him. Ignore him if he’s being a dick. Remember why you’re here. Stay calm. Don’t rise to him…

  No matter how many times she repeated the mantra in her head, she wasn’t sure it would stick.

  It lasted until Gary whistled when he opened the door, and followed that up with, ‘You scrub up not too bad for an old bird.’

  ‘And it’s amazing how you managed to get to this age but avoid wisdom or class.’

  Ding ding. Equal points at the end of round one.

  Gritting her teeth, she reminded herself why they were there. This was for Aiden. It was important to him that they got along. Make it happen, Eileen. Focus on the positives. Right now, the only one of those she could see was that there was no denying her ex looked handsome. Charcoal shirt and black trousers, his salt-and-pepper hair brushed back to emphasise his piercing blue eyes, and just enough stubble on his face to be sexy but not scruffy.

  Holding her breath, she waited to see if her body reacted. That was the problem with Gary Gregg. Towards the end of their marriage, when it was clear they were in a rough spot, her brain could be telling her he was an arse but her body still found him deeply attractive. When he turned around to head back over to the chair at the window, she scanned him from head to toe and waited for an internal response from her erogenous zones. Nope, nothing. Clearly her libido forgot to get on the plane back in Charleston.

  ‘Hey, Mom, you look gorgeous,’ Aiden said as he came out of the bathroom.

  ‘Thanks, son. So what’s the plan?’

  He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his black boots on. With his black jeans and T-shirt, most people would be hard-pressed to guess he was a lawyer. If Eileen saw him in the street dressed like this, she’d go with country singer or Tim McGraw’s younger brother. If only he’d stuck at the guitar lessons she’d got him for his tenth birthday.

  ‘I thought we’d go downstairs and eat in Jasmine, that’s the Chinese restaurant here. I’ve heard really good things about it and I know Asian food is your favourite.’

  Eileen wasn’t going to object. Growing up in Scotland, the Saturday night treat had always been a trip to the local Chinese take-away to pick up dinner. Chicken curry. Boiled rice. Spring rolls. That was in the old days, when they didn’t deliver to the house, and anyway, her mum would never have dreamt of wasting money by paying extra for someone to bring it to them.

  An unexpected wave of sadness brushed her heart. It had always just been her and her mum, so when an undiagnosed heart problem took her way too early, not long before Eileen came to Vegas last time, she remembered not being able to explain how she felt. Now, looking back, she could see the right word was ‘untethered’. It still brought a twist to her gut when she thought about how she’d already lived ten years longer than her mum, taken before she could love again, or have some adventure or travel to experience anywhere as beautiful as the lobby that Eileen was walking across right now.

  When they reached the restaurant, Eileen saw it was busy, but not uncomfortably so. They were seated straight away, and of course Gary Big Bollocks ordered a bottle of champagne. He couldn’t help himself, Eileen decided. When the universe was putting together his genetic code, someone took their eye off the ball and doubled up on the hedonism and flash twat genes.

  When it came, Gary proposed a toast. ‘To us. First time together for dinner in… what? Ten years?’

  ‘And thank you for coming,’ Aiden added. ‘As far as parents go, you two are not too bad.’

  Laughing, Eileen raised her glass, reminding herself yet again that this was for their son. And besides, all those Instagram self-help posts always said that letting go and forgiving was the key to moving on to a happier life. Maybe it was time to ditch all the resentments and just play nice.

  ‘To us,’ she echoed.

  If anyone at another table had glanced over at them, they’d have undoubtedly assumed this was a happy family here on a trip. Or maybe a birthday celebration. Perhaps even an anniversary. Or a… hang on. Rewind. Her brain double checked the thought that had just nudged its way to the front of her mind.

  ‘Mum, you okay? You look like you’re in another world.’

  That snapped her back to reality. ‘I’m fine, it’s just that…’ Flustered, she stumbled over her words a little. ‘I’ve just realised the date. It’s the sixteenth of May.’

  Gary’s face remained a picture of nonchalance, so she knew he didn’t remember. Not a surprise. This was the man who’d forgotten their wedding anniversary on at least ten of the twenty years they were married. In fact, on their tenth anniversary he came home late from an impromptu paintballing trip with his mates and couldn’t work out why she didn’t speak to him for a day and a half.

  ‘Last time we came here, we landed on the sixteenth of May too.’

  Gary reacted with something between wonderment and puzzlement. ‘We did? How do you remember that stuff?’

  ‘Because it was exactly six months after my mum died. It always stuck in my head. Still does. And that makes it…’

  ‘Exactly thirty years ago,’ Gary finished for her. She wouldn’t have been more surprised if he’d said it in Cantonese. He remembered when her mum died. There was no one else in this whole world who would have known that. To Eileen, someone with no other family, and no friends from her younger life, that suddenly mattered. Someone knew her. All of her. All her history. She’d been on her own, totally independent and fighting her own battles for so long, she’d forgotten what it felt like to have someone who knew where you came from.

  Tonight, it felt like that mattered. She didn’t know why. But she did feel the swing of a wrecking ball to the wall she’d built up since the divorce, just enough to take down some of the bricks, to see a ray of sunlight through the hole and temporarily stun her resentments and furies.

  Enough bricks were down to make her relax, allowing them to spend the next couple of hours eating fabulous food, chatting about a whole load of neutral subjects, laughing and generally having a good time. It felt… great. Familiar. Almost a relief. Hating someone as much as she’d loathed Gary was exhausting so it was lovely to suspend hostilities, even for a brief moment in time. Eileen had no idea what was in that champagne but she was taking a bottle of it back up to her room. Although, her memories of the last ten years hadn’t been completely erased, so she was definitely putting it on Gary’s tab.

  ‘Right, chaps, I’m exhausted, so I’m going to call it a night,’ she announced, and got a tiny fizzle of pleasure that Gary’s brow betrayed a flinch of disappointment.

  ‘Yeah, I think I’ll turn in too,’ he said.

  Another surprise. She’d have bet her last fiver that he’d stay out most of the night and party like a man half his age.

  ‘What about you, son? Turning in?’

  Aiden shook his head. ‘No, not quite yet. Think I’ll go out for a walk. Clear my mind. Get a bit of exercise.’

  It had been so long since she’d seen it, that she almost missed it. The slight flush of the face. The split-second glance to the right. Both tells when he was younger that he was being slightly economical with the truth.

  They were in Vegas. Her ex-husband was here. Her son was hiding something, and the bricks were suddenly jumping right back up onto her wall.

  She had no idea what Aiden was up to, but she had a sinking feeling that she was going to find out. And if it was anything like his last surprise, she’d really much rather that he kept it to himself.

  17

  ZARA

  ‘I really need a drink,’ Zara announced, blowing out her cheeks for uncharacteristic dramatic effect.

  ‘I need the whole bottle,’ Millie countered, completely characteristically taking the dramatic effect one stage higher.

  Zara was so discombobulated that she didn’t even notice the gorgeousness of the ivory padded chair that she’d just plonked herself down on at the Chandelier bar in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The bar had come up loads of times when she’d done her research on the best venues in the city, and it was just across the road from Planet Hollywood, and next to the Bellagio, so it had seemed like the perfect place to suggest for their rendezvous with Aiden.

  A waitress who could very well have just sashayed off a catwalk was by their sides in seconds to take their drinks order, temporarily suspending their conversation.

  Zara didn’t even have to look at the drinks menu, given that there were only two options for her – a gin and tonic or a glass of Prosecco. That was as far as her alcohol tastes went. Tonight, circumstances narrowed her choice to the hard stuff. ‘I’ll have a gin and tonic, please.’

  Millie read from the menu. ‘And I’ll have a Whiskey Business.’

  ‘What’s that?’ Zara asked, intrigued.

  The waitress’s Southern drawl was perfect for this one. ‘Knob Creek bourbon with bitters, Amaro Meletti, that’s a caramel and chocolate liqueur, and “Old Time Rock ’n’ Roll” syrup.’

  ‘Wow,’ Zara exclaimed. ‘That sounds like it would either knock me out, or I’d require hospitalisation to have my stomach pumped. Cancel the gin and give me one of those too please.’

  ‘I have no idea who you are, but I like you a whole lot more than my usual sister,’ Millie decided.

  Zara feigned disdain and sat back in her chair, exhaled and tried to bring her heart rate down to normal, which was no mean feat in the corset dress Millie had insisted she borrow for the night. It was bright red, showed a fair crack of cleavage, cinched in like a vice from hips to under the bosom, and made her walk in six-inch wiggles because the below-knee skirt was way too tight. Zara had no idea how Millie could wear outfits like this for a whole night. She’d only changed into it after dinner and already her cardiovascular system was shutting down in protest.

  Thankfully, she had a prime subject to take her mind off the lack of oxygen.

  ‘Is it just me or was tonight the weirdest night ever?’ she asked, already knowing what Millie’s answer would be.

  ‘Definitely weirdest night ever. And I once had a date with a bloke who wore a gimp mask and told me his safe word was garlic mayonnaise.’

  ‘That’s two words,’ Zara pointed out.

  ‘Exactly! Weird, right?’ Millie agreed, but her mischievous grin gave away the joke.

  The waitress reappeared with their drinks, and Zara threw at least an inch of it back in one go.

  Millie watched her, eyes wide. ‘Yep, I definitely like you better than my other sister called Zara.’

  ‘Don’t judge me,’ Zara warned. ‘I’m feeling highly thrown by this whole bloody thing. I mean… I don’t know where to start, really.’

  ‘The cardigan. Let’s start with the cardigan,’ Millie suggested. ‘And yes, I know that’s shallow, so you can judge me all you want.’

  Zara would usually give Millie the ‘don’t form judgements about people because you don’t know what they’re dealing with in life’ speech, but that didn’t necessarily apply here, because the only thing that her parents were dealing with was an all-expenses trip to Las Vegas.

  Yet her mum had celebrated that fact by showing up at the restaurant in the kind of cardigan she’d wear to walk the dog. If they actually still had a dog, that was. Their beloved old golden retriever had passed away about five years ago. Maybe Mum had been saving that cardi since then.

  ‘I mean, in fairness we didn’t tell her exactly where we were going before we left home this morning. Was it only this morning? It feels like a week ago. Thing is, though, she knew it was somewhere nice and I did emphasise the glam nights, but it’s like she absolutely doesn’t care.’

  ‘Would a bit of lippy have killed her? Or, you know, a brush.’

  Zara ignored that, naturally resistant to criticise any woman on the basis of her appearance, even if Millie was right. However, that wasn’t even close to being the strangest thing about the night. That acclaim was awarded to both parents, for their performances as a couple who pretty much couldn’t stand the sight of each other. When had that happened? True, it was a couple of months since they’d all sat down for a family dinner, but the change was so palpable that only three possible explanations came to mind. Either they’d been pretending that everything was fine back then, or they’d had a huge fight today, or…

  ‘Do you think Mum has discovered Dad is, like, a serial killer or something?’ Millie adjusted the neckline in her pink, off-the-shoulder minidress.

  ‘It wasn’t my first thought, but you might have something there. I just feel like…’ Zara paused to try to put it into words. ‘This isn’t turning out how I thought it would so far. I honestly expected Mum to be thrilled and excited. I thought we’d blow her socks off, but I’ve never seen her so absolutely fed up. Am I overreacting? And, yes, I get the irony of asking you that question, given that you haven’t under-reacted to anything since we were in primary school.’

  Even as she asked, Zara knew that she wasn’t imagining anything. Her mum really had come down for dinner in PF Chang’s, the Asian restaurant on the ground floor of Planet Hollywood, in trousers and a cardi. She really had struggled to raise a smile. Her eyes had been red-rimmed and she had played with her food but not eaten more than a couple of mouthfuls. She’d barely said anything despite both Millie and Zara trying to start a dozen conversations. And for the first time in living memory, she hadn’t so much as glanced at their father from the minute they got there until the minute she said she was tired, excused herself and went back up to bed, leaving Dad to throw back what was left of his beef and broccoli and follow her ten minutes later. It was bizarre. Their parents never fought. They never acted strangely. If Mum was ever upset with Dad, she never showed it. She was always just… well, Mum. Happy. Calm. Reliable. Dependable. Mum.