Meet Me at Crescent Head

by Kaitlynn Clarkson

  “Then I think we have something that might be of interest to you. If that isn’t going to work for you, we’ll think of Plan B.” More tapping on the keyboard. He wondered what she had in mind.

  “OK. We have a package that we offer to businesses that are getting established. We provide the software for your bookkeeping needs and we send one of our staff up to your place of business to show you how to use it. In your case, that will also involve sorting out your books for you.”

  She named the price and Greg sucked in a breath. Was it really worth it? She sensed his hesitation.

  “If that doesn’t work for you, we can send up the software and you can figure out how to use it yourself. We can also sort out your books for you if you are prepared to spend a bit of time on the phone with us while we go through them with you.”

  Greg thought about it for a moment. He really did need help and computers weren’t his greatest strength. Having someone show him what to do would help him get out of the hole he’d dug for himself.

  “OK, I’d like someone to come up and show me,” he said at last. “Might as well get it right this time around.”

  “Do Thursday and Friday of next week work for you?” she asked. “I can send someone up then if you’re free.”

  “Yes, that will work. I’ll make it work. I need to get this mess sorted out so it’s not hanging over my head any more.”

  “Of course. Well, don’t hesitate to call if you need anything or something changes.”

  “Will do, thanks, Mandy.”

  As he ended the call, Greg felt a great sense of relief that he was going to get some help. He was a builder, not a bookkeeper. At least now he would be getting some professional help with that side of things. His thoughts wandered to Madison. Everything reminded him of her and he wondered if she were doing someone’s books right now. Lucky person. He still couldn’t believe that he’d lost her and despite racking his brains, he had no clue why. She was a beautiful person, inside and out. Why would she just cut him off with no explanation and no further contact? It still hurt to think about it.

  Madison pulled on her jogging shoes. She’d been working all day and needed to clear her head. A good, hard run would blow away the cobwebs and stop her from thinking too hard. She’d been using work as a distraction after her break-up with Greg but sometimes she needed to step away from it. Now was one of those times. She headed out the door with a determined stride. Today had been a work-at-home day and she wanted to get out of the house for a while. A few moments later, she was pounding down the pavement, ignoring the roar of the late afternoon traffic as she pushed her body harder and faster. It was almost enough to mask the ache in her heart.

  Surely four months should be long enough to get over it … But it’s the reminders of what Phillip did to you, too, remember? It’s not just Greg. Let’s face it, you’ve been unlucky in love, girl. Or a poor judge of character. You might never find a decent man to love you. Just ignore them and focus on your work.

  As the argument in her heart raged, her phone rang. She pulled to a stop, breathing hard, and pulled it out of her pocket. It was work.

  “Oh hi, Mandy, what’s up?”

  “I need you to do me a favour. We have a new client up Kempsey way, in construction. He’s opted for the setup package with personal instruction. Jodie was going to go up on Thursday and Friday but she broke her ankle playing hockey on the weekend and she can’t drive. Can you go?”

  “Oh no, poor Jodie!” Madison got along well with her colleague.

  “Yes, we’ll have to rearrange some things until we get back to normal. Anyway, can you do it? It’s all locked in, we just need someone to go up.”

  “Sure, I can go.” It would be good to get out of the city for a while, although memories of Greg would forever be entwined with Kempsey. But she was unlikely to see him and it would give her some good face-to-face client experience.

  “Thanks, Madison, you’re a lifesaver,” Mandy said with feeling. “Write down this number.”

  “Can you text it to me? I’m out for a run at the moment.”

  “Sure. Call it when you get to Kempsey and the client will tell you where to meet him. I’ll text through the details of your accommodation, too.”

  “No problems, have fun holding the fort until Jodie is better!” Mandy groaned.

  “I don’t know if I’m coming or going,” she said. “Anyway, I’ll talk to you after you come back.”

  Madison ended the call and slipped the phone into her pocket again. A moment later, it beeped. She pulled it out and checked that Mandy had included the important details. Other than the client’s name, everything was there. A name would have been handy, but she could live without it. Mandy had enough on her plate without having to deal with minor details.

  Madison stretched as she got out of the car at her motel in Kempsey. It had been a smooth trip up but it was good to get out and move around after hours in the car. It was the middle of the afternoon and she planned to get settled then call the client to arrange a time to meet the next day. She booked in to the motel then got out the work phone that Mandy had loaned her to use while she was away. She typed in the number and settled back to wait for her client to pick up. Instead, it went to the message bank. A crackly male voice instructed her to send a text. Oh well, she couldn’t help it. She would have to wait. She typed in the text message.

  Hi from Abacus Accounting! When you’re ready, I can meet you wherever is convenient as I have arrived in Kempsey.

  She hit send, then realized too late that she had forgotten to sign her name at the end. Now he wouldn’t know who she was, either! They would have to make their introductions when they met.

  A moment later, the work phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw that the client had sent a message.

  Cool, you’re here! Can you meet me at Crescent Head? I’ve been working here today and I can meet you at the surf club. I’m driving a white Toyota ute. I have some files for you to look at.

  Crescent Head? That was way too close to Greg’s home turf for comfort. She hoped the client didn’t want to see her there every day that she was here. Surely she wouldn’t run into Greg now though. He would be at work, wouldn’t he? She could only hope so. She was committed to this now; she had to take a deep breath and see it through, even if it made her uncomfortable.

  No, make that somewhat closer to terrified … I’m afraid of running into Greg and all the feelings it will bring back. His eyes, his smile, his fun personality … And the way he hurt me. I don’t want to face all that. God, please don’t let me run into Greg.

  Feeling as if she were about to be eaten by a crocodile, she drove towards Crescent Head. She remembered all the local landmarks that Greg had pointed out on the trip back from the hospital and a turmoil of emotions stirred up in her heart. She didn’t know how it was possible to miss someone so intensely yet be heartbroken and angry at the same time.

  Chapter 6

  Greg guided his car down the hill to the surf club. He hoped the appointment with his new bookkeeper didn’t take too long. He still had to finish up the day’s work on the bathroom he was renovating. He had suggested the surf club as a place to meet because he would be able to dash down and return to work quickly. He was taking the next two days off to learn how to keep his books, so he wanted to leave his current job in a tidy state. He had no idea who was coming to meet him, except that her name was Jodie. He would just have to wait until she turned up. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too long.

  As the white Toyota Corolla turned into the carpark, Greg gathered up his books and papers. He wanted to hand them over to Jodie so that she could take a look at them tonight. With a bit of luck, she would get them in order quickly and it wouldn’t take a full two days. He looked up as she tapped on the window. Except it wasn’t Jodie’s face he was looking at. It was Madison.

  He gasped, feeling winded with the shock. What was Madison doing here? She didn’t look too pleased to
see him, either. She looked more like a scared rabbit about to run for her life. He slowly opened the door.

  “Madison,” he said uncertainly.

  “Hello, Greg,” she said in her most professional tone of voice. Neither of them seemed to know what to say next. Finally, he found his voice.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to meet a client. His message said he was driving a white Toyota ute. Since yours is the only one in the carpark, I’m guessing that it’s either you or he’s not here yet.”

  “It’s me.”

  Greg almost groaned as the reality of the next two days began to sink in. He hadn’t even considered that he’d hired someone from the company she worked for. In fact, he’d had no idea who she worked for in the first place. He’d never asked. What were the chances of that happening? It was more likely that he’d get struck by lightning. It would be torture working with Madison and trying to stay professional for two whole days. Would they manage it without arguing or getting personal? She was even more beautiful than he remembered and all the feelings of hurt came flooding back. Along with the strong desire to kiss her. This was going to be bad.

  “Do you have something for me to look at tonight?” Madison was saying. Her words jerked him back to reality.

  “Yes, all my paperwork. It’s a mess, I’m ashamed to admit.”

  “I’m sure I’ll get it in order. You’re not the first one to hand me a mess.”

  “I wasn’t expecting you. I had no idea that you even worked for this company. And Mandy told me to expect someone called Jodie.”

  “Jodie broke her ankle on the weekend and can’t drive so Mandy asked me to come instead. Except she forgot to give me the name of my client so I had no idea it was you.”

  What a mess. They both fell silent, thinking about how to establish a working relationship.

  “Look, I know this is awkward, but let’s just stick to business and we shouldn’t go too far wrong,” Greg said at last.

  “That suits me,” she agreed. “I’ll take these back to the motel and look at them tonight and then we’ll catch up tomorrow. Where do you want to meet?”

  “We can use the office at my parents’ place. Everyone is out during the day so it will be quiet. You remember where it is, don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “OK. Shall we meet there at 8.30?”

  That would give him some time to do a bit more work on the bathroom.

  “It’s a plan. See you in the morning.” She tucked the bundle of papers under her arm and moved gracefully to her car. She got in it and drove away without looking back. He knew because he was watching her.

  Steady on, Greg, he reminded himself. She doesn’t want anything to do with you, remember? Keep it professional and don’t do anything inappropriate, no matter how much it hurts. It’s the only way you’ll get through this ordeal.

  Heart pounding from the emotions of the unexpected encounter, he turned out of the car park to go back to work. He couldn’t concentrate on the job and it suddenly didn't seem to matter much. He couldn't stop thinking about Madison, beautiful Madison who no longer wanted him. He was sure he would never be brave enough to ask why. He wasn’t ready for the reality of her rejection.

  Back at her motel room in Kempsey, Madison was shaking with the aftershock of her encounter with Greg. She couldn’t focus on the paperwork he’d given her. All she could think about was the man she’d loved, with his easy-going personality, his fair good looks and his cheeky smile. Her heart had almost melted when she saw him again and she had struggled to even speak.

  At least she’d had about 30 seconds’ more warning than he had. The moment she saw the white Toyota in the carpark, she’d known it was him. She’d had to fight a stern battle with herself not to turn around and drive back to Sydney on the spot. But she wasn’t a quitter and her boss would take a dim view of her abandoning a client in such an irresponsible manner. She didn’t want to lose this job; she would just have to be mature and professional and make the best of the situation.

  But oh, that would be hard. Half of her heart wanted Greg to hold her close and tell her that everything would be OK and the other half wanted to run as far away as she could go. How on earth was she going to manage to remain detached and professional for the next two days?

  Chapter 7

  Madison awoke to sunlight pouring into the room through the high windows above the bathroom. What time was it? She gasped as she realized that she was running late. She’d had trouble getting to sleep last night as thoughts of Greg crowded her consciousness. She wondered what he was doing now. Was he looking forward to seeing her? Was he as wary as she? And what about Josie? Where was she?

  Twenty minutes later, Madison was in the car on the way to Crescent Head. It was a beautiful morning in early spring, the kind that makes you feel good to be alive. Madison felt herself relaxing as she enjoyed the drive.

  Two hours later, she and Greg had established a wary truce. Maybe they could get through this, after all. Not that it was easy to stick to business. Madison had so many things she wanted to tell him about her life since their time together and kept biting her tongue to avoid saying them. Getting personal was simply too risky. She wasn’t ready to deal with the flood of emotions that would inevitably follow. She forced herself to concentrate on helping Greg to learn the basics of the new software she had installed on his computer.

  A few minutes later, he stood up and stretched.

  “This stuff hurts my brain,” he announced. “Let’s have a coffee break. What would you like?”

  “White tea, if you have it handy,” she said.

  “Sure do. One white tea coming up.”

  He walked out to the kitchen and she followed. Neither of them spoke, but she watched as he moved easily between the sink and the bench, setting out the tea cups and boiling the jug. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with big builder’s muscles, but his size was no hindrance to finding his way around a kitchen. She wondered if he were equally at home cooking but didn’t dare ask. She hoped he hadn’t noticed her scrutiny.

  When the tea was ready, he handed her a dainty teacup and saucer and placed a platter of homemade biscuits on the table.

  “Enjoy,” he said, and she longed for the old Greg who would’ve made a joke by now. She’d have been laughing and they would’ve been having a great time. This Greg was restrained and wary, no doubt cautious in case he accidentally said or did the wrong thing.

  She wondered where and how Josie fit into his life. There was certainly no evidence of her in his parents’ house. He lived here too, so it would be reasonable to assume that he might have a photo of her on the wall with the other photos. But the wall, though rich with memories, was bereft of Greg with anyone except his sister and parents. She found that a little odd. She pulled her wandering mind back to the present.

  “How has business been?” she asked, for want of something better to say.

  “It’s been great,” he answered. “I’ve been hitting it hard for the last four months and I’m starting to get some momentum going now. That’s why I decided I need help with the books. I’m working ten to fourteen hours every day and I need to do something besides work. My friends think I’ve been gobbled up by some kind of builder-eating monster!” He grinned and for a moment, the shadow of the old Greg appeared. It certainly didn’t sound as if he had much social life at the moment. Josie must be either highly neglected or very tolerant.

  All too soon, the coffee break was over and they were back at work. Greg sat in front of the computer with Madison seated beside him. She was trying to show him something in the program but he was struggling to understand it. Without thinking, she reached over and took the mouse. Her hand brushed against his and she jerked it back. He glanced sideways at her but said nothing, and she felt heat staining her cheeks red. She kept her head down and tried to proceed.

  “This is how you do it,” she explained, in full control of th
e mouse again. What a shame she couldn’t control her emotions that easily.

  By 5.00 pm, they were weary but pleased with the progress they had made, although Madison doubted that they would finish the project in two days. Greg’s phone beeped and he got it out of his pocket. It was a message from Lucas, his old friend from high school.

  Rissa & I are coming over coz u r too busy to talk to us any other way. We are bringing pizza for dinner. U can’t say no!

  Greg laughed out loud and showed the message to Madison.

  “See, told you I’ve been busy. Now they have taken it upon themselves to make me see them!”

  “Who’s Rissa?”

  “She’s Lucas’ cousin. We were all in the same year at high school and we’ve stayed friends ever since. Would you like to join us for dinner?”

  Oh how much she wanted to! And surely it wouldn’t hurt if there were other people around. It would keep things from getting too personal.

  “Pizza?” she asked.

  “Yes, do you have a preference?”

  “Not really, I’m not fussy.”

  “So that’s a yes?”

  “It is.” She smiled at him, relaxing for the first time all day.

  “I’ll let Lucas know.”

  That would be great, bro. My accountant will be joining us too and my parents are out for the evening. See you soon.

  Greg hit send then stood up and stretched.

  “Would you like a drink while we wait?”

  “Yes, please. Water this time, thanks. I’ll just tidy up this file so I won’t lose my place tomorrow.”

  With Greg in the kitchen, Madison had time to mull over their day. It had gone far better than she’d expected. As long as they were able to concentrate on business, they worked well together. Greg was right; he wasn’t great at computers but he was willing to learn and he didn’t quit. They had made good progress. And the guard around her heart was still intact.

  A knock at the door startled Madison as she sat on the sofa in Greg’s parent’s front living room. Greg appeared from behind her and opened the door. A tall, dark-haired man stood there, holding several pizza boxes. Beside him stood a short, curvy woman with long, curly dark hair. She was dainty and pretty, with big blue eyes and a mouth that seemed ready to smile at a moment’s notice. Madison liked her at once.