Putting Out the Stars Read Online Free Page A

blah blah. What could I say?’
    Laura considered. Andrew and Breffni hadn’t been going out for long – six, seven weeks? – but when Laura had seen them together, she’d have sworn that Andrew was just as
taken with Breffni as she seemed to be with him. And hadn’t everything been fine when Breffni had gone to dinner with Brian and Cecily the other week?
    Cecily, of course. Laura could have hit her, the way she ran Andrew’s life. Or hit Andrew, for letting his mother dictate to him. There was no doubt in Laura’s mind that Cecily was
responsible for this latest development. She took Breffni’s hand. ‘Look, maybe he’s just got cold feet; maybe I could talk to –’
    ‘No.’ Breffni pulled away from Laura. ‘Absolutely not. I’m not having you begging Andrew to take me back. Anyway, I’m quite looking forward to heading back to the
States – especially in this weather.’ She got up and walked to the window. ‘And the job was driving me mad, you know it was. Nothing to do all day except answer the phone and
smile at the few people who came in – deadly boring.’ She kept her back to Laura, looking out into the dark garden.
    Laura was still struggling to gather her thoughts. ‘But you could have just got another job here in Limerick – you don’t have to go halfway around the world.’ It was the
first time either of them had made a decision without talking it over with the other; and now Breffni was doing this huge thing all by herself.
    When she didn’t respond, Laura tried again. ‘Look Bref, why don’t you wait a while? Maybe we could go back in the summer – I’ll be off for three months. We could do
a bit of travelling, maybe go up –’
    But Breffni shook her head, still looking out. ‘Sorry Laur – I’ve my mind made up; and I have the ticket bought. But do come out in the summer – I’d love
that.’ She turned around and leant against the window sill, smiling gently. ‘You know, the more I think about it, the more I can’t wait to go back – remember the buzz of San
Francisco? I bet you could be tempted back yourself right now if you weren’t up to your armpits in arty-farty stuff.’
    Laura considered. ‘Well, yeah, I’d love to go back for another holiday – but I don’t know about living there . . . you might start doing daily yoga and eating bean
sprouts and chanting.’
    Breffni shook her head again, made a face. ‘Can you see me doing daily anything, except eating? I might do the odd yoga class, but no bean sprouts unless they’re in a big fat
stir-fry – and definitely no chanting.’
    ‘You might start saying “have a nice day”, and talking about your feelings.’
    She smiled faintly. ‘I won’t, honest. No nice days, no feelings.’ She turned and looked out into the night again, and after a minute Laura knew, by the way she bent her head
slightly, by the subtle change in her breathing, that she was crying.
    Laura went over and put an arm around her shoulder. ‘I could kill him.’
    ‘Ah no.’ Breffni rubbed a sleeve across her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘These things happen; don’t blame him. I’ll survive.’
    ‘But what’ll you do there? How will you make enough to live on?’
    ‘Ah, there’s plenty of work there. I’ll probably look for house-cleaning – remember all the notices we saw in the supermarkets? Looks like they’re crying out for
cleaners. Or I could babysit, couldn’t I?’
    ‘And where’ll you stay?’
    ‘With the cousins to start with – I’m sure they won’t mind having me back. And then I’ll look around for a place once I’m settled.’
    ‘Rents are sky high there – you’ll never afford it without a proper job.’
    The ghost of a smile flashed across Breffni’s face. ‘Well, I suppose I’ll have to sell my body then. That should make up the shortfall.’
    ‘Bref, be serious.’
    ‘I am serious – about going back, I mean.’ Breffni squared her shoulders, and Laura thought that maybe she