Page 261 of The Sun Sister

‘In a moment, but why don’t you take one? I can’t eat both.’

‘No, you might want it; I’m a feeder.’ She winked at me. ‘By the way, Mariam was telling me you got mugged in the park yesterday. Have you contacted the cops?’

‘What’s the point? They don’t give a shit if a rich girl’s lost her Rolex, do they? It’s probably them that are buying it for a hundredth of its value from the perps.’

‘I definitely think you’ve got to consider getting yourself some security, Electra. You’re a well-known face, a celebrity. In LA, no one like you would ever step out of their gate without some form of protection. I’m sorry to sound like your mum, but I think you have to consider it. Anyway, I’ll leave you to eat your breakfast in peace. Anything you need, just give me a call.’

I sat there enjoying my coffee and despite my protestations, managed to down both bagels. I thought how nice it was to have a roommate, but also Lizzie had that warm, cosy air of motherliness about her, which made me feel safe and looked after. I so hoped she’d never leave, because I loved having her here. I thought about what she’d said and guessed she was right. Susie had been telling me for years I should have a bodyguard, but the thought of a stranger tracking my every move horrified me. Then I remembered the idea I’d had before, so I showered, dressed in a pair of track pants and a T-shirt and went into the kitchen. Mariam was at work on her laptop.

‘Good morning, Electra, or should I say afternoon,’ she smiled at me. ‘Let me know when you’re ready to have a chat. The woman who runs the ethical materials cooperative has got back to me. She’s very excited at the thought of a possible collaboration with you.’

‘Great. By the way,’ I said as Lizzie came into the kitchen with my breakfast tray, ‘has anyone seen Tommy this morning?’

‘No,’ said Lizzie, ‘there was no one outside when I popped out to the deli.’

‘I’m getting worried – it’s not like him to disappear. It’s got to be a week since I last saw him and I need to talk to him because I want to offer him a job.’

‘As what?’ Lizzie asked.

‘As my bodyguard. I mean, he’s, like, sort of doing it now and I guess he’d quite like to be paid. I mean, he’s an army vet, obviously fit and—’

I stopped talking as Mariam stood up and abruptly ran out of the kitchen into the hall, where she slammed the door to the guest bathroom behind her.

I looked at Lizzie in shock. ‘Did I say something wrong?’

‘Uh...maybe.’ Lizzie was looking shifty and uncomfortable.

‘What?’

‘Nothing, I mean, I think you’d better talk to Mariam about it. It’s none of my business. Right, I’m going into the living room to await the call from the lawyer Miles suggested to me. See you in a bit.’

I stared out of the window confused, but then finally the penny dropped.

‘Electra, you’re a total moron!’ I said to myself as it all began to fall into place. That confession I’d heard at AA that I thought was about me...‘Miss Ego, or what?’ I whispered with a roll of my eyes. Then Mariam’s abrupt reply when I’d asked for Tommy’s cell phone number a few days ago, and the way she’d acted in the last few days when I’d just known something was wrong...

I walked down the hallway towards the bathroom and tapped gently on the door.

‘Mariam, it’s me, Electra,’ I said softly. ‘I’m so sorry if I’ve been insensitive. You should have said something to me before. Can you come out so we can talk about it?’

Eventually, the door opened, and I saw her tear-stained face.

‘Please, forgive me, Electra. My outburst was completely unprofessional. I promise it won’t happen again. I am fine now,’ she said as she passed by me and walked back towards the kitchen.

‘It’s blatantly obvious you aren’t, Mariam. How long has this thing between you and Tommy been going on?’ I asked her, sitting down at the table opposite her.

‘Oh, it was nothing, and it’s over now anyway...’ Another tiny sob emanated from her throat and she swallowed hard. ‘Sorry.’

‘Please stop apologising, it’s me who should do that. I’ve been so wrapped up in Electra world, I didn’t see what was right under my nose.’

‘Honestly, there was nothing to see. It was just after you went into rehab and, well, the two of us got close,’ Mariam confessed, pulling a tissue out of her sleeve and blowing her nose. ‘He’s such a kind man and cares for you so much, and even though we come from completely different worlds, we just kind of...bonded. I was coming by to work at the apartment and even though you weren’t here, he kept appearing on the doorstep. He said he liked his routine. And we started going for a walk in Central Park, just sitting on a bench and eating our lunch together. And one thing led to another and...we realised that we liked each other a lot.’

‘But surely that’s wonderful, Mariam? I mean, I obviously don’t know Tommy as well as you do, but I do know he’s a lovely guy and that he’s had a rough time.’

‘No, Electra, it is not wonderful. Tommy is ten years older than me, he has a child and an ex-wife. He’s a recovering alcoholic, you know, and he lives off his army pension because he has PTSD and’ – Mariam swallowed hard – ‘besides all that, he isn’t of my faith.’

‘I remember you once telling me that your father had said you must embrace the country in which you were born,’ I said.

‘I did, yes, and he meant it too. But that sentiment does not go as far as me marrying outside the faith. It is forbidden for any Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man.’