The Guilt Trip(3)

Noah exaggerates a fake yawn and Rachel struggles to keep a straight face.

“I’m going to get a coffee,” he says, walking off toward Costa. “Anyone else?”

Paige tuts and smiles. “Honestly, what do we do with them?”

Rachel puts her arm through Paige’s. “Actually, I’m pleased I’ve got you on your own,” she says, following Noah as he free-wheels Ali’s cases across the tiled floor.

Paige stops walking and turns toward Rachel with a concerned expression. “What’s up?”

“It’s nothing really, but do you remember me telling you a couple of months ago that Jack was being really short with Ali?”

Paige nods. “Yes, you were hoping he was going to snap out of it by the wedding.”

“Well, it seems to have gotten even worse and it feels like I’m forever treading on eggshells. I’m worried he’s going to say or do something that’s going to put a spanner in the works this weekend.”

“That’s normally my job,” says Paige, smiling.

Rachel laughs. “I’ve come to expect it from you, but it’s so unlike Jack to have a bee in his bonnet, especially with a woman who’s not done anything wrong.”

Paige raises her eyebrows questioningly. “You sure about that?”

“Not on purpose, at least,” says Rachel. “You know what Ali’s like; she can be infuriating, but she doesn’t mean any harm by it. She’s just one of those people who needs drama to survive.”

“Well, as long as it’s her drama and she doesn’t go sucking any of us into it, then she can live it up all she likes.”

“Exactly,” says Rachel. “But that’s not a reason for Jack to get so riled all of a sudden. She’s always been like this—even when they were working together. He seemed to like her then, so what’s changed?”

Paige shrugs her shoulders. “Maybe he’s pissed off because she left his company to go and work for David Friedman.”

Rachel wonders if that could be what’s getting to Jack. Friedman’s entertainment company is a direct competitor to the record company Jack is A&R director at, but with a much higher profile. Maybe seeing his brother’s fiancée, a member of his own family, changing sides has dented his pride.

She thinks back to the dinner she and Jack had with Will and Ali at the Groucho Club a few weeks ago. Jack hadn’t wanted to go and was unusually quiet all evening until Ali started talking about a new client the company had just signed.

“He’s so talented,” she crowed. “Every one of his songs makes the hairs stand up on my arms. He’s going to be huge.”

“Uh-oh,” said Will, turning to Jack. “Looks like you missed out there, bro.”

“I know who she’s talking about,” said Jack tersely. “It’s no great loss to us.”

“Are you sure about that?” said Ali, tilting her head to the side. “I heard you were going after him with all guns blazing.”

Jack had laughed wryly. “We gave it some consideration, but we decided our roster is strong enough as it is.”

“I can’t argue with that,” said Ali. “Friedman’s may be bigger, but you’ve got a solid reputation for doing the best by your artists.”

Rachel winced, knowing that Jack was likely to take Ali’s well-meaning words as an attempt to patronize him.

“You can’t have it all,” Jack said, while signaling to the waitress for the bill, bringing the evening to a premature close.

“Indeed you can’t,” Ali had agreed. “And anyone who thinks they can, is a fool.”

“You might be right,” muses Rachel to Paige now as they join Noah in the line. “Though, I’d expect Jack to rise above it.”

“I think we’re all going to have to display a modicum of patience this weekend, don’t you?”

Rachel smiles. “She’s getting married,” she says, without needing Paige to elaborate.

“She thinks every day is her wedding day,” says Paige, laughing. “I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn’t realize we’d be treated to The Ali Show before we’d even got on the plane.”

“Anyway,” says Rachel, eager to change the subject. “How’s Chloe? Was she okay about being left on her own?”

“Oh, she thinks this is the best thing that’s ever happened to her,” says Paige. “Don’t you remember being sixteen and having the house to yourself? She gets whipped up into a frenzy when we go out for the evening, so to be left at home on her own for four days has got her spinning like a whirling dervish.”

Rachel can’t help but laugh at the thought of demure Chloe being left in charge. If she knew her goddaughter at all, she’d be sick with excitement at the thought of an empty house, yet end up doing nothing with it. Rachel’s son, Josh, on the other hand, did exactly the opposite. When she and Jack left him home alone for the first time, he’d seemed so nonplussed that they were worried he was just going to stay locked in his bedroom playing video games for the entire weekend. At least they had been until they saw an open invitation on Facebook when they were thousands of miles away in Santorini, and realized he’d arranged the party of all parties.