Aisling's Summer Diary

Chapter 27 | Breaking the Bank

So we weren’t going to win the bet, and there was a very good chance that Ciaran would have to sell up to cover his loses.  You would think he’d be an absolute wreck, but he’s not!  Ever since Siobhan broke the news to him about the counterfeit booking, a strange calm has come over him... 

4 p.m.

And I wanted to find out why.  I tracked him down in the office, wrapping something up in fancy foil paper.  A gift?  For whom?  “It’s actually an apology,” Ciaran told me as he tied a note to the package.  I put a finger in the center of the bow so he could tie it.  “For Celia.”  Pffft!  “What do we owe her an apology for?” I asked.  “It’s a long story,” he sighed.  “Let’s just say, she was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  And I took her for granted.” 

Soooo, what does that have to do with our warring hotels?  Ciaran said this whole mad scene has finally shown him what’s important to him—and it wasn’t necessarily winning.  “I’m selling the hotel, Aisling,” he said, “And I’m giving the money to Celia.  She may not have won it fair and square, but then she’d say it’s karma come back to haunt me.” 

But what about the business school?!  I thought this was Ciaran’s big chance to “give something back.”  “It’ll have to wait,” he said.  “This is something I have to do.”  He slipped out of the front door, the package under his arm.  I couldn’t believe it!  After everything, Ciaran was just to roll over and give in to Celia?!  

I was halfway up the stairs, near blind with frustration, when something clicking inside my head.  Ciaran was going home to Celia, even if he didn’t quite realize it yet, sort of the way Murphy had come back to me.  He cared that much about her he was willing to put his pride AND his career on the line to put right a mistake he made ten years ago: walking away from the woman he loved. 

5 p.m.

That night we had an unexpected guest: Mrs. Murray!  And she was NOT happy to see us, especially Ciaran and Siobhan.  She yanked them both into the office and slammed the door shut behind them.  Her muffled howls echoed through the corridor, and Ali and I crept to the door and pushed our ears flush to listen. 

It was bad news—VERY bad news.  That mystery sponsor turned out to be Siobhan!  She’d spent her entire college savings on fixing up this place!  That’s like €6,000!  “No wonder she was freaking out about the bet,” Ali whispered.  She stood to lose everything!  And now her mom was here with an ultimatum: Ciaran had one week to pay Siobhan back, and in the meantime she’d be going home to Dublin.  “We’ll see what your father has to say about all this!” Mrs. Murray bellowed.  

“Denise,” we could hear Ciaran pushing back from the table.  “Don’t go.  Not until you’ve seen what Siobhan’s done.”  There was a heavy pause.  “I know exactly what she’s done, Ciaran!  And it is BEYOND me how you didn’t have a clue!”  There was a sharp clomping sound and the door swung open.  Ali and I spun round, pretending to be very interested in a painting on the rear wall.  Mrs. Murray clicked her tongue at us and stormed off.  

What were we going to do now?!  We couldn’t run this place without Siobhan, and even if the bet was off, I wasn’t packing it in, not yet!  Siobhan shuffled out of the office, her eyes red with tears.  She had bet the bank on this place—on us—and now we had to figure out a way to save Siobhan!

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