The Guest List Read Online Free PDF

known Cara long before she and Shane started going out, he was never shy about voicing his opinion on the relationship, in much the way a protective older brother would. A real straight talker, when you were in conversation with Conor Dempsey few subjects – personal or otherwise – were off limits.
    It was just the two of them in the office, and even though business had been great since the company first opened its doors almost seven years earlier, Conor had no desire to expand and take on additional business, extra staff and thus additional commitment. He had seen too many other small-business owners crash and burn after doing so, burdened by extra debt and responsibilities, especially once the recession hit. Instead, he was happy to simply nurture and maintain Octagon’s strong and long-standing relationship with their existing accounts, which usually kept them busy.
    Conor paid Cara well, trusted in her and, in turn, she trusted him and worked her hardest for him and they had developed a close relationship that many would envy. She loved the job and felt herself very lucky to have a boss who actually appreciated her, as well as being able to consider him a friend at the same time.
    ‘Ah no, nothing like that.’ Cara paused for a moment as she thought again about the topic of her and Shane’s conversation that morning. ‘Conor, how come you never got married?’
    ‘Don’t you start, my mother is bad enough trying to get me married off as it is.’ He jumped off the desk and rolled his eyes, and Cara smiled. She knew Conor’s mum Greta, and thought it was lovely that he still was so close to his mother, even though he very definitely lived his own life in a gorgeous penthouse apartment not far from the office. Or perhaps it was that Conor’s mother took care of him so well that there was no need (or room) for a permanent woman in his life?
    ‘I suppose I just never found the right girl,’ he said in reply, before looking at her closely. ‘Why do you ask?’
    ‘Well, Shane and I got on to the subject of weddings last night, and it sort of carried through to this morning. I feel stupid really. Somehow I had it in my head that Shane wasn’t interested in that sort of thing, you know . . . marriage. Like he was satisfied with how things were between us and didn’t need anything more. And given that you’ve never taken the plunge, I just thought that maybe you had felt that way at some point in life too.’
    ‘Did Shane actually tell you that he didn’t want to get married?’
    Cara shook her head. ‘No, he said he did.’
    ‘Well then, what are you worried about?’
    ‘I’m not worried; I just wondered how some people come to that decision, like, “Yes, I want to get married” or “No, it’s definitely not for me”.’
    He nodded. ‘Well, indeed it’s not for everyone.’
    ‘So it never interested you – not at all?’ Cara pressed.
    ‘Ah, it might have at one point, but I chalk that feeling up to being young and foolish,’ Conor said. ‘It’s probably a good thing it didn’t happen, or that it wasn’t pursued at least. We probably would have just made each other miserable.’
    Cara sat up, immediately interested. ‘Who was she? Someone from when you were in London?’
    ‘Ah, just a girl. That ship has sailed. Look, don’t worry about Shane; I’m sure that when he’s ready, he’ll pop the question. He would be an eejit to let someone like you get away in any case. As for me, don’t you worry, sweetheart – I might not want marriage, but you won’t find me all alone in my old age either.’
    Cara laughed and rolled her eyes. ‘Yep, I can see you still being able to pull them in when you’re eighty, a bit like Jack Nicholson. You will be quite the Don Juan of the nursing-home scene, I bet.’
    ‘I like the sound of that – I think, not sure about the Nicholson comparison. though, I’m not that old,’ he joked, before turning his attention to the phone on his desk, which had