The Crescendo

by Fiona Palmer

  ‘Do you want Pax’s room?’ asked Jaz.

  No one had touched anything of his. Seeing as the place now belonged to them, no one had mentioned cleaning out the house. They hadn’t even gone into Pax’s room.

  ‘No. You take it. You’ll be the one who’ll get to stay here and run the gym. Maybe when I’m twenty-five my parents will let me make my own decisions,’ Anna said with a roll of her eyes.

  ‘If you’re sure?’ Anna nodded. ‘Will both of you help me clean it out over the weekend? It’s not something I want to do alone.’

  ‘Sure, of course. What are we going to do with all his clothes? We have to keep his favourite Hawaiian shirt,’ said Anna.

  ‘How about we get one framed to hang in the gym next to Ali?’ said Tay.

  ‘Oh Tay, that’s brilliant.’ Anna gave him a hug and he almost blushed.

  He cleared his throat. ‘How about we watch the rest of this movie and then make a start on the room before we all go home?’

  ‘I like the sound of that,’ said Jaz.

  ‘Me too.’

  ‘Oh, and Anna, I need a new driver’s licence for a Jeni, for tomorrow, please?’ Jaz said remembering.

  ‘Jeni? Yeah, I guess it will do,’ said Anna studying her. ‘I’ll whip one up while you guys start on the room.’

  ‘It’s a plan. Thanks.’

  They all squished together on the couch and Tay pressed play.

  Jaz pulled out her phone and sent her mum a message saying she may be late.

  Jaz didn’t want to live her whole life at the gym. She had been thinking she would like her own nice house like Ryan, even better would be sharing his house. She sighed. That was a far out pipedream. How could that ever become a reality? Thoughts like this did nothing but make life harder. So with a forced effort she focused on the TV and watched as Mike stuffed his marble bag full of jewels from the pirate ship belonging to One-Eyed Willy.

  Chapter 14

  Jaz arrived at The Duke at fifteen minutes to six. She wore a plain black V-neck t-shirt that was a little snug and denim shorts with her black hi-top Converse shoes. Ted had been wearing black and she hoped it had been a uniform of sorts. She walked in and went straight to the bar. Ted was wiping down the bar top and almost groaned when he saw her.

  ‘Hi, Ted. I’m ready to start. What do you want me to do?’ she asked brightly.

  ‘First let me check your ID so I don’t get caught with an underage kid.’

  Jaz whipped out her new driver’s licence and waited for him to hand it back. ‘Righto, have you ever poured a beer before?’

  ‘Nope, but I’m ready to learn.’

  Ted had her filling glasses with the perfect head on them in no time and then it was onto using the till, where to wash the glasses, and then he showed her the kitchen and said she could help them out in here when things were slow, doing dishes and clearing tables. Jaz took it all in her stride and stayed in the kitchen to finish some dishes before popping back out to the bar to see how Ted was getting on.

  In her absence it had got busier and she quickly ducked around picking up empty glasses, getting them washed and even took a few orders while Ted was busy at the other end of the bar.

  ‘Craig, Bert, you boys made it back,’ she said when she finally saw some faces she knew. ‘What’ll you have?’

  ‘Hello, lass. We’ll both have a middy, thanks.’

  They sat at the two empty stools by the bar, their usual seats she was guessing, and placed a twenty-dollar note each on the bar.

  Jaz shot them a smile as she poured both glasses. ‘Voilà, what do you think? Not bad, hey? Just the right amount of froth?’ she said, as she took their twenties and dumped the correct change back on the bar in front of them.

  ‘Yeah, I’d say you done really good there,’ said Bert, licking his lips.

  ‘You guys are my special lads tonight. Just give me the nod and I’ll be over to fix you up.’ Jaz gave them a wink. ‘Now if you’ll excuse me, there is a lad over there who can’t play pool properly.’

  While everyone seemed happy with drinks, Jaz ducked over to the pool table where two guys in their late twenties, maybe early thirties, were playing a game. ‘No drinks on the table, fellas. Who’s winning?’ she asked as she took the beer off and held it waiting for the responsible owner to fetch it. She plastered on a big smile so they wouldn’t get upset.

  ‘I am,’ said the guy with longish blond hair. ‘Thanks. You any good at pool?’ he asked.

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘Take my next shot?’

  ‘Sure. If you keep your beers off the table, I’ll give it a crack.’ Jaz took the outstretched pool cue and indicated to the red ball. ‘You smalls?’ He nodded and Jaz took the shot, only just sinking it. She was a bit rusty. It might be something to work on if she wanted to keep doing this. ‘There ya go. You ready for another drink?’ she asked, indicating to their low glasses.

  ‘Why not. Can we get two of the same, thanks.’ Blondy took out a fifty and handed it to her.

  ‘Be right back,’ she said.

  She got their beers and their change and was about to head back when Ted gave her an appreciative nod. Well, that was a start.

  But getting Blondy to drink more ended up with causing trouble when Jaz deemed him too drunk and cut off his beer.

  ‘Ted? Do you think he’s had enough?’ she said, asking for clarification.

  ‘Yep. Sorry mate. Have a water on the house,’ said Ted placing a bottle of water on the bar.

  ‘I don’t want a fucken water, this is a pub, for fuck’s sake,’ said Blondy, getting agitated.

  His friend backed him up with some supportive words, which didn’t help the situation at all. They were starting to cause a scene. Jaz went to the friend and told him to head outside for some fresh air.

  ‘We will, but with a beer,’ said Blondy, slapping his money down on the bar.

  People turned to watch, waiting, the chatter died down in the otherwise noisy bar.

  ‘Come on, mate. Why don’t I walk ya’s out,’ said Jaz softly. She was hoping her charm would cool the situation.

  ‘Piss orf,’ came his reply.

  ‘Do you want to walk out here on your own steam or do you want me to drag your arse out and embarrass you in front of the whole pub? It’s your call, mate,’ she said harshly. She was using her serious voice. He was in trouble now.

  ‘Who the fuck do you think you are?’ He laughed.

  ‘Ted, do you mind if I remove this man from your establishment?’

  Ted’s eyebrows were working overtime as he tried to figure out how the hell she intended doing that. She could tell he was worried, more for her safety than anything. ‘Um, I better do it.’

  ‘It’s cool. I got it. Come on then, let’s go.’ She reached for his arm and he flicked her off.

  ‘I ain’t moving till I get me beer,’ he growled.

  Jaz was sure he was about to add ‘bitch’ on the end but stopped short. Maybe he was concerned with the look she was giving him. Actually, she was quite happy he needed to be escorted out. Ted couldn’t say no to her if she could handle the drunks.

  ‘Fine.’ She reached for his arm again but before he could flick her off again she whipped it around behind his back and reefed it up to his shoulderblades.

  ‘Hey, oouch.’ Blondy tried to fight her but in his drunken state he was no match for Jaz’s strength, and in the end she felt his defeat.

  She guided him to the door, directing him with the tension on his arm. Ted followed and held out his money. ‘No hard feelings, mate, but rules are rules.’

  Blondy shot Jaz a funny look when she let him go. ‘Who are you?’ he mumbled before taking his money and walking away, with his mate following. He rolled his shoulder and stretched his arm as he went. A smile tugged on her lips. Getting physical was so much fun.

  Jaz walked past Ted, back inside, dusting off her hands, and went back to collecting empty glasses.

  Jaz didn’t know how long Ted wanted her to
work for so she just kept going until they closed up. It was nearly eleven-thirty and her feet were killing her, and she was wondering if she was half drunk on the smell of grog alone. After she saw Bert and Craig out the door, the last hangers-on, she plonked herself down in a chair by the bar and looked at Ted. ‘Are those two always the last to go?’

  ‘Na, I think they just stayed for you,’ he said with a smile. ‘You did good, Jeni. You must be stuffed, you didn’t stop.’

  ‘Told you I work hard,’ she said, pushing her luck.

  Ted just shook his head and poured them both a Coke. ‘You know how to handle the drunks too. Had practice?’ he probed.

  ‘You could say that. My mate back home was a Mixed Martial Arts fighter and he taught me a few things. He loved all that stuff and it’s rather cool once you get into it. Saved my arse a few times from creepy guys who couldn’t handle “no”.’

  ‘Can’t say I’ve had that problem,’ said Ted with a chuckle. ‘Well, you’re full of surprises, Jeni. You will be good for this place, I reckon. You seem to brighten up this bleak old room and the guys like it. A lot of them will be back because you made their night enjoyable, maybe not Blondy but that’s no great loss.’ He let out a big sigh. ‘I guess I better hire you.’

  ‘Really?’

  Ted nodded. ‘Really. I’d be stupid not to.’

  Jaz did little fist pumps. ‘Thank you, Ted, you won’t regret it.’

  ‘So tell me a bit about yourself, Jeni?’

  Jaz told him as much as she dared. She’d planned her story out during school today, three pages of notes. More than she did for her study!

  She told Ted how she lived with a friend in a flat, hence she needed a job. Her parents were from a country town.

  ‘Ah, that explains the friendly nature,’ he said. ‘You seem very trustworthy.’

  She took that as a good sign. They chatted for another ten minutes and he got her phone number so he could text her next shifts through. ‘I’m after anything, Ted. Even if you need to be somewhere I can come fill in during the week. Just let me know.’ Jaz wasn’t sure when Jamison’s boys came in, so if she could get work at all different times then she might be able to piece together their times. She had no clue if any of them were here tonight and it wasn’t really her goal. Tonight had been all about impressing Ted so he wanted to hire her, and getting the hang of this job. Getting to know the regulars would come within the next few weeks and that’s when she’d take note of Jamison’s guys.

  Tilly was also getting the intel for her to look at over the weekend so she could familiarise herself with Jamison’s bodyguards. That way she would know them the moment they stepped into the bar.

  ‘Thanks for the Coke, Ted. I better be getting home.’

  ‘I’ll get all the paperwork sorted for tomorrow night. You can come back tomorrow and do this all again?’ Ted raised an eyebrow curiously. He could probably tell how beat she was, but he was testing her.

  ‘Sure can. I’ll be here. Same time?’

  ‘Same bat channel,’ he said with a smile and Jaz laughed. Pax had always said that too.

  ‘Night Ted.’

  Jaz walked outside into the cool night air. Music was beating away in the distance, from a house party maybe. The streetlights lit the way as she walked towards her bus stop. This was now going to be her new routine. She would also have to bring a backpack to put her stuff in, a jumper and maybe a knife for safety in case she was jumped this late at night waiting for the bus. But hopefully not tonight. Tonight she was too dead on her feet for any fighting. If she was attacked she’d make sure to tell them that.

  ***

  Saturday morning Jaz made her parents a coffee and some bacon and eggs. They gravitated towards the kitchen as the bacon started wafting.

  ‘What’s going on here?’ said Paul. ‘You hungry, Jaz?’

  ‘Yes, and I thought you might be too. Pull up a chair, I’ve made you both a cuppa. Eggs won’t be a second.’ Jaz indicated the cups sitting on the breakfast bar.

  ‘Oh, thank you,’ said Paul, taking his and sitting at the table.

  Tasha didn’t move, she was in her weekend wear of Lorna Jane work-out suit, black tights and a matching jumper. ‘What’s happened? Did you crash your car? Failed your exams?’ Tash raised her eyebrows curiously.

  Paul glanced up from the table, only now realising he’d been bribed.

  ‘Nothing like that,’ said Jaz as she put the eggs onto the toast next to the bacon. ‘But I do want to talk to you both.’ She handed Tasha her plate, then carried her own and Paul’s to the table.

  ‘It must be serious for this?’ said Paul. He was still wearing his blue fluffy robe.

  ‘Hey, where’s mine?’ said Simon as he walked into the room in his striped pyjamas.

  ‘It’s still there, everything’s hot,’ said Jaz. Simon rolled his eyes but went into the kitchen to start on his breakfast.

  Jaz and Paul started eating but Tasha didn’t move a muscle.

  ‘What?’ said Jaz with a mouthful of egg and toast.

  ‘Sorry, I just can’t eat until I know what this is about. I’m really nervous now. Are you pregnant?’

  ‘Mum!’

  ‘Ew, gross,’ said Simon from the kitchen.

  Jaz put down her fork. ‘It’s nothing like that. I want to move out.’ There, she’d said it. She watched her parents, waiting for the explosion. When nothing happened, she continued to put her case forward. ‘It’s just that I want to keep the gym running, you know what that place means to me and it would be so much easier if I lived there. And I don’t mean full-time, I could still stay here every second night or less, whatever. But the gym is my life, after school’s done I want to introduce some new classes and work-outs. Like a self-defence one for girls. I could go to other gyms and offer this as well. I’ve been thinking about it a lot,’ she finished in a rush.

  ‘I can tell,’ said Tasha. She glanced at Paul and he pulled a face that looked like defeat. ‘We were wondering when this would happen.’

  Jaz tilted her head to the side. Had she heard that correctly?

  ‘You are eighteen and who are we to keep you from your life, but I know we both like the sound of you still staying here. We were scared you’d move out full-time, but honey, please know you are welcome to come home anytime. We still want you around, want to see you, and Simon will miss you too.’

  ‘No I won’t,’ said Simon with a cheeky grin.

  ‘Really, so I can sort of move into Pax’s place?’ She half expected them to put up more of a fight, but her mum had always been realistic, unlike Anna’s mum who seemed to think Anna would never want to leave home, nor would she let her.

  ‘It’s not Pax’s place anymore, Jaz. It’s yours and Anna’s. Pax came to me, telling me his wishes and hoped I’d be onboard with what he wanted because he knew it’s what you’d want. And he was right. You have always had a connection with that place, this is your life now. You’re an adult.’ Tash looked like she was at a funeral but she meant every word.

  Jaz got up and hugged her. ‘Thanks Mum. That means a lot. I’m gonna make a start on clearing out Pax’s room today. Tay came up with the idea of framing one of his awful Hawaiian shirts.’

  Both her parents laughed but agreed it was a fabulous idea.

  After breakfast she went to the gym and made a start until Tay and Anna joined her. Pax had a plain room, the floorboards were polished and he had a soft rug by the bed so his feet didn’t get cold. The walls were cream and the furniture was all wood. Old antique cupboards that he’d found were along one wall and his bed was newer, but solid wood frame. Jaz had already pulled down his brown curtains and was going to buy some in a jade with a matching bedspread to lift the room, and maybe a new cream rug and some cream accent pillows. In no time the room would have her stamp on it but remain with a thread of Pax.

  ‘Look at you go, Sadie,’ said Anna when she arrived in denim overalls and a white shirt. A patterned bandana was wrapped around her head.
>
  ‘Long way to go yet.’ She’d only stripped the bed and curtains, dumping them outside, plus brought in some garbage bags to put all the clothes in.

  Tay was right behind her. These two were seriously joined at the hip.

  ‘I hope we don’t find anything, you know, gross,’ said Tay.

  Jaz and Anna pulled a face and shook their heads. ‘Eewww, Tay.’ Anna pushed him away. ‘You can do the stuff under the bed then,’ she teased.

  ‘Maybe you should,’ he said grabbing her around the waist and carting her to the bed where he tipped her upside down. ‘Can you see anything scary?’

  ‘Tay,’ Anna squealed. ‘Tay, put me down.’

  ‘Not until you tell me the coast is clear under there.’ Tay held her tightly as Anna put her hands on the floor and glanced under the bed.

  ‘Hey, it’s actually clean under here, just some shoes.’

  Tay let her down gently. He took his time letting her go and Jaz watched with fascination at her friends. What was holding them back? Maybe they were waiting for her to tell them it was okay if they wanted to be together? Maybe they were scared about ruining a friendship, bit like what Jaz may have done with Ryan.

  Without realising, she’d sunk down into an old leather chair in the corner of the room as she thought about Ryan. Her chest ached like nothing she’d ever experienced before.

  ‘You okay, Jaz?’ Anna was by her side, holding her hand. ‘Tay, can you put the kettle on please?’

  When it was just the two of them in the room, Anna tilted her head towards her so she could look in her eyes. ‘I’m worried about you, my friend. What’s going on?’

  Jaz felt like she was on the edge of a cliff face, the wind pounding at her back inching her closer as she tried her best to keep herself together. Pax. Salvatore. Ryan. Jaz had to share something with Anna before she exploded.

  ‘At Steph’s wedding, Ryan more or less said goodbye.’ Her voice was almost a whisper.

  ‘Goodbye? What do you mean?’

  ‘I guess that he didn’t want me, and the fact he was going undercover and may never come back. He didn’t want me to wait. I don’t know, all of it. Do you think he knows how I feel? Do you think that’s what’s scared him off?’