Saturday January 4th

 

“I can’t believe we’re going home tomorrow,” Jean said sadly. “I’m going to miss you all far too much.”

“We’ll miss you too, Granny Jean,” Sierra promised.

Since Remy, Vincenzo and the boys were flying home tomorrow as well; Liv had invited them all over for brunch.

Ben had joined Kian in Fresno but Erin and Oliver were there.

“How do you do it?” Cate asked her sisters as they convened in the kitchen after brunch. “How do you balance being a mum and still being a woman?”

Remy looked like a fifties pin-up in her red pencil skirt, black and white blouse, stockings and black high heels. Her black hair was slicked up in a high ponytail.

“Erin and I have only got one child each so I imagine it’s a little easier for us,” Liv smiled.

“But still,” Cate insisted, “I saw those photos of you and Jax at the AMAs, you looked so fierce in that leopard-print and lace dress.”

“Oh my goodness,” Liv coughed, “that wasn’t me. That was hours of work by the record company stylist, hairdresser and make-up artist.”

“What’s this really about, Cate?” Erin asked kindly.

“It’s nothing,” Cate turned away, trying to hide the tears stinging her eyes. “I just feel so frumpy. Kian…”

“What did he do?” Liv asked, immediately jumping to Cate’s defence.

Cate shook her head, “he didn’t do anything. It’s just… I don’t know, I’m probably being silly.”

“Nonsense,” Remy said. “Turn around.”

Cate reluctantly turned around, focusing her attention on the kitchen tiles beneath her feet. She could feel Remy’s laser-like gaze burning her skin.

“You look like you’ve given up,” she announced.

“Remy, that’s horrible,” Liv yelped. “Don’t listen to her, Cate.”

“I’m not being horrible,” Remy protested, “I’m being honest. If Cate hadn’t wanted my opinion, she would have waited until after I’d gone home to talk to you about this. Besides, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve all been there. I know I have.”

“You have?” Cate blinked.

“Of course,” Remy smiled. “You’re not the only one whose husband works a lot, sweetie.”

“What changed?”

“One of Vincenzo’s sisters did the same thing for me as I’m going to do for you.”

Remy swept past them into the lounge. She looked at Jax and Vincenzo, “you’re in charge of the children, we’re having a girls’ day.”

“Come on,” Remy beckoned Cate, Erin and Liv.

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so Zen,” Cate marvelled when she met up with the others in the lobby of the swanky spa Remy had taken them to. She felt as though she’d been completely transformed. Her inky-black hair had finally been trimmed and now swung like a shiny curtain down her back. Even her toenails had been painted a daring shade of red. “Erik had magic hands.”

Remy raised an eyebrow, “just as long as those magic hands stayed above the towel. I didn’t bring you here to get a happy ending.”

“Remy!” Cate blushed, quickly checking if anybody had overheard them.

“Relax, I’m joking,” Remy laughed, “but you look so sexy right now that I guarantee he definitely would have been tempted.”

“Yeah, right,” Cate scoffed.

“Don’t do that,” Remy said sternly.

“Do what?”

“Don’t put yourself down all the time. You need to believe that you’re sexy and any guy, whether it be Kian or Erik the magic-handed masseuse would be damned lucky to touch you.”

“OK, I’ll try.”

“No,” Remy shook her head. “Saying that you’ll try implies that there’s a chance you’ll fail. There’s no chance of that so say you will.”

“I will,” Cate repeated. Her voice sounded a little shaky but it was a start.

“Good,” Remy nodded, “now get that cute little tush of yours outside. We need to get all glammed up because I’ve got big plans for us tonight.”

 

“I don’t want to be a party pooper,” Cate said as she climbed up on to one of the high, wooden stools in front of the bar, “but are you really one hundred percent sure about this?”

They’d had a fun night at the Playground so far (thankfully they’d steered clear of Cabaret, sparing Cate’s blushes after she’d spent a rather raunchy night there with Kian several years ago) and had ended up at the absinthe bar by the main entrance.

She slipped the faux-leather jacket she’d been wearing off her shoulders and crossed her long legs encased in thigh-high black, suede boots (both purchased during this afternoon’s mammoth shopping trip with her sisters).

“We’ll be fine,” Remy waved away her concerns, “I’ve had absinthe a couple of times before.”

“How are you ladies doing tonight?” Patrick, the hipster bartender asked.

“We’re having a good time. How about you?” Remy smiled.

He was tall and when he leaned over the bar, he could see the strip of bare flesh between the tops of Cate’s boots and the hem of her mini-dress. “I think my night just got a whole lot better,” he chuckled.

He must have picked up on Cate’s fearful expression because his voice turned soft, “you an absinthe virgin, sweetheart?”

She nodded.

“Don’t you worry, I’ll be real nice and gentle with you.”

Cate blushed.

“You might want to think about backing off, buddy,” Remy said, “unless you want to invoke the wrath of my sister’s overprotective, ex-professional athlete husband.”

Patrick shrugged, “just a little harmless flirting but point taken. What can I get for you?”

While Remy ordered for them, Cate stashed her phone back in her handbag. Yeah, she really didn’t need to read any more terrifying warnings about what she was about to do.

“At least if anything goes wrong, you’ve got Erin with you,” Liv said, which didn’t fill Cate with confidence at all.

“Mm, except that Erin’s going to be drinking it too, which means if we need urgent medical assistance, she’ll probably need it as well.”

Liv winced, “I didn’t think of that. Although she is Irish so she’s probably got quite a high tolerance level for booze.”

Patrick placed three curvy glasses down on the smooth wooden counter and poured a dose of emerald-green absinthe into each of them. He placed a specially-designed slotted absinthe spoon across the top of each glass and then a cube of white sugar on top of each spoon.

He poured a little absinthe over each sugar cube and then reached for a lighter.

“I’ve got a really bad feeling about this,” Cate clutched Liv’s arm.

Liv chuckled, rubbing her soft belly, “I don’t think I’ve ever been more relieved that the condom broke that night than I am right now.”

Remy took in Cate and Erin’s panicked expressions and giggled, “oh my goodness, would you look at the two of you? You’ll both be perfectly fine. You’re such babies.”

Patrick lit the absinthe-soaked sugar on fire, allowing the sugar to begin to caramelize. After about a minute, ice-cold water was poured over the sugar cube turning the absinthe in the bottom of the glass to a milky-green colour, which he explained was the “louche effect”.

Remy slid the glasses towards Cate and Erin. “Don’t wimp out on me now, ladies.”

Cate picked up the glass and took a small sip.

“What does it taste like?” Liv asked eagerly.

“Liquorice,” Erin nodded, licking her lips. “It definitely tastes like liquorice.”

“Do you remember that time…?” Cate smoothed the palms of her hands over the hem of her black, mini-dress. Her head already felt a little cloudy, like her thoughts were there but they weren’t easily accessible. “When somebody put Pot Pourri in a can of soda and dared me to drink it. It tastes like that, fragrant.”

The clouds thickened with each sip she took – she didn’t like the taste but it felt rude not to drink it after lovely, sweet Patrick had gone to such extremes to make it for them.

Liv giggled, “so this is what my baby sister looks like when she’s drunk.”

“I’m not…” Cate sighed, reaching up to poke at her own cheek. “Drunk? At least, I don’t think I’m drunk.”

Liv pulled out her phone and shot a short video clip, “this is your Cate on drugs.”

Cate stopped prodding her face for a second and clumsily flipped her sister the bird.

“How are you guys doing?” Liv asked Remy and Erin.

“I’m OK,” Remy shrugged.

“We should try that,” Erin said eagerly, pointing at the label on one of the glass bottles on the back wall, underneath the brick archway.

“Try what?” Remy asked.

Erin slipped off her stool, “the can-can.” She gathered up the hem of her skirt.

“OK,” Liv quickly intervened when she was in danger of flashing the whole bar her intimates, “let’s get you some fresh air, missy.”

Liv grabbed Cate and Erin and led them through the crowded bar, hoping the cold air outside would sober them both up.

Remy followed close behind. She watched as Erin hummed Jacques Offenbach’s Galop Infernal to herself and half-heartedly kicked up her legs.

“It’s a good job Kian and Ben are out of town or we’d be in big trouble,” Liv frowned. Ben wouldn’t be so bad but everybody knew that Kian was an overprotective Neanderthal when it came to his wife.

Remy rolled her eyes, “it wasn’t even that strong.” She took over helping Erin so that Liv could manage Cate. “Your Irish ancestors would be so ashamed of you right now,” she scolded her sister-in-law.

As they walked towards the main entrance to the Playground where their town car was parked, Remy stopped suddenly. She’d caught sight of a platinum blonde contorting herself around a large metal hoop hanging above the crowds in the bar opposite. “Is she actually naked?”

Liv handed Cate over to Remy and peered through the open doorway. “Nope, she’s got a thong and nipple tassels on.”

“Really?” Erin stumbled forwards. “I’ve always wanted some of those.”

“I’ve got a red, glittery pair at home,” Cate announced.

“You?” They all looked at her in shock. “You seriously own a pair of nipple tassels?”

Cate rolled her eyes and almost bumped into a lamppost. “I’m not a complete prude, you know.”

“You might have bought them as a joke but have you ever actually worn them?” Remy looked sceptical. “Before you answer, let me remind you that as your oldest sister, I can always tell when you’re lying.”

“I’ve worn them a couple of times.”

“Can you make them spin around?” Erin asked excitedly.

Cate nodded, “Kian taught me.”

This time it was Remy’s turn to stumble. “I think the absinthe’s finally kicking in. I could have sworn I just heard my sweet, little sister say that her husband taught her how to spin nipple tassels.”

Cate stuck her tongue out at Remy, something she never would have been brave enough to do if she wasn’t under the influence of the Green Fairy.