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Unconditionally Yours
by Ciara McMahon
Format: Paperback
Publication date: 15th December, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-907179-46-4
Price: €14.99
Matthew is married a year and besotted with his wife in whom he invests all his energy hopes and dreams, she is the final piece in the jigsaw of his life.
Justine is a business woman who opened a travel agents just as the bubble burst and the Celtic tiger got distemper.
Claire is Matthew’s wife she feels suffocated and bored and longs for excitement. Along comes Dave, Matthew’s best friend and the answer to Claire’s prayers… or is he?
Join them on their journey in this debut novel unconditionally yours.
Extract from Unconditionally Yours:
Claire stared from her desk through the frosted glass of the door that opened into the accounts office. She could see the man in the helmet climbing the stairs. Sweet Jesus no not again she thought. Please let it be a package from DHL or something. The man opened the door and she could see the huge display of flowers he carried in his hand in the plastic bag of water.
“She’s there”, said Adrian, pointing to Claire before the delivery man could ask.
“Can you sign there,” he asked passing a clip board to Claire.
“What’s this”, said Ashley “lads come look he must have been paid again today”. Catriona came out of the office. “See that there Tom how come you never send me flowers at work”?
“Because I work with you love, said Tom, and live with you I must be a saint”.
“The cheek of you”, said Catriona.
“So what does he keep doing wrong that he keeps sending you all these flowers, or what are you doing to keep him on his toes like this”? asked Adrian.
“What sweets do we have today”? said Ashley, oh Lir ok but tell him that I preferred the whole basket of muffins thing. Tell him to do that again”.
“So, said Tom, you still haven’t told us how you keep all these gifts coming have you a gold pussy or what”?
“Oh shut up said Claire you dirty bastard”.
“Yeah you tell him, said Catriona, see what I have to put up with”.
“You’re so lucky,” said Ashley.
“Yeah,” said Adrian, “he treats you like a princess.”
“He’s a keeper for sure”, said Catriona.
“Jesus”, said Claire, “ye can have him the thick fucker even at work I can’t get away from him I’d swear he is out on that building site sniffing the fumes from the glue or the petrol or oil or something”. “Either that or he is on the whacky backy without me knowing”. “Here”, said Claire, “who wants those flowers or will I throw them in the bin”?
“It’s my turn”, said Tom. “Here Catriona love”, he said handing them to her. “Don’t ever say I don’t give you flowers at work again”.
Catriona laughed, “cheap skate”, she said poking Tom with the flowers.
Claire passed the sweets to Adrian. “Do you want one”?
“Help yourselves”, she said opening the box and placing it on the desk.
“Claire”, said Ashley, “does Matthew never ask why you don’t ever bring the flowers home”?
“No”, said Claire, “he thinks it’s sweet of me to give the flowers to people with no one to give them flowers”. “I told him I donate them to people in hospital with no one to visit them he thinks I’m next in line to mother Theresa”.
“Wow”, said Catriona, “what do you say to that”? “Awe”, said Adrian, “listen to the card”.
“What does it say”? Tom asked. “It says counting the hours until evening love as always Matthew”.
“So what’s that we have now”, said Adrian as she pulled the other cards from the top drawer of her desk. “I love keeping these cards do you know what they remind me of those little sweets I can’t remember their names but they had little love notes on them”. “Oh, I know the ones you mean”, said Ashley, “love hearts”.
“Oh yeah I loved those sweets to”, said Catriona, “I wonder can you still get them were those the ones that fizzed in your mouth when you sucked them?”
“I don’t think so”, said Tom. “You know what I loved was those apple jacks”.
“Shush”, said Catriona, “I want to listen to the cards”.
“Go on Adrian”, said Ashley.
“Ahem”, said Adrian, clearing her throat. “Just to brighten up you day”, love Matthew. “Thinking of you every second I breathe, love always Matthew”.
“That there is my favorite you know”, said Catriona. “No keep going”, said Ashley, “I like the one about the lilies”.
“Oh that’s my favorite to,” said Adrian, as she rooted through the hundreds of cards in the drawer. “Ah here it is cream lilies white and pure just to say I’m always yours know that you are my better part, love always Matthew”. “You’re so lucky”, said Adrian. “I’d do anything to find someone like that who lives to make me feel special”.
“Yeah”, said Ashley and Catriona.
“Well”, said Claire, “ye are welcome to the thick fool he wrecks my head take those flowers out of my face Catriona if you want them before I throw them in the bin”. “Bitch”, said Catriona, picking up her bunch of irises lilies and red roses, and taking them into her office for safe keeping.
