by Jane Frances
Chapter Three
In the twilight between sleep and wakefulness shadows of noise entered Lisa’s head then disappeared. As consciousness emerged, the noise became more constant, a drilling buzz. Lisa threw a pillow over her head but still the noise broke through. Rolling out of bed, she donned a long T-shirt and dragged herself into the kitchen.
“Hey girlfriend.” Joel grinned and held out a glass of juice. In front of him were the remains of countless oranges.
“Hey yourself.” Accepting the glass, Lisa threw a filthy look at the electric juicer Joel was putting through its paces, and retreated to her bedroom. Miserable in her hangover, she climbed back into bed, carefully sipped from her glass and cursed the day man invented beer and electric gadgets that made a lot of noise for little result.
A short nap, a long shower and a thorough teeth clean left Lisa feeling slightly more human. She returned to the kitchen, this time to find Joel searching through the fridge. After halfhearted apologies for the lack of produce (how was she expected to go shopping after the week she’d been through?) they fired up Joel’s utility and headed for the local McDonald’s.
“Now this is living.” Joel scrunched up the wrapper of his bacon-and-egg muffin and reached for his sausage-and-egg muffin.
“Hum.” Lisa idly toyed with her hash brown. Having not eaten since breakfast the previous day, she had salivated at the backlighted menu board and ordered profusely. Once the food was in front of her, she hadn’t the stomach for it. Except for the piping hot coffee. She left Joel at their dinky little booth and headed to the counter for a refill.
“Are you sure you don’t want these?” Joel’s eyes focused on Lisa’s untouched muffin and second hash brown.
“I’m sure.” Lisa slid her tray across the table, content with her renewed coffee. “Although, I have no idea where you put it all.”
“A growing man needs his energy.” Joel made quick work of the hash brown and proceeded to demolish his third muffin. “And after last night—”
“Please.” Lisa hid behind her coffee. When Joel had taken so long to make an emergency trip to the bottle shop located just a block away she knew he had finally gotten talking to the “cute” young attendant who worked there. Knowing Joel, and since his return had been long after the bottle shop’s closing time, Lisa assumed his time away had not only been spent chatting. “Spare me the details.”
Joel took the hint and kept quiet, concentrating on the remainder of Lisa’s breakfast. When finished, he peeked into Lisa’s Styrofoam cup. “I’m ready to go when you are.”
“I’m done.” Nearly half her coffee remained, but the dull thump in Lisa’s temples was a sure sign she needed water and not caffeine. The hash brown she managed to swallow was not sitting well in her stomach either. When was she going to learn that day-after cravings for greasy food did not mean it wise to indulge? Still, it was so long since she had consumed enough alcohol to warrant a hangover, she had forgotten the day-after drill. Lisa edged carefully from the booth. “Let’s go.”
The roads were busy with Saturday shopper traffic. Joel thrummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited to pull out of the car park. “Any big plans for the rest of the day?”
“Nope. I’ve got that quote to do in North Perth at eleven, then nothing much.” Sighing, Lisa added, “Although I suppose I should clean the glass from the path and see what I can salvage of the lavender bush.”
With the smirk that crept over Joel’s face Lisa asked warily, “And just what do you find so amusing?”
Joel chuckled. “Think about it. Here you are pleasantly single again and when a low-flying lesbian decides to drop out of the sky, it’s one you’ve already had.”
“You can be such a bitch sometimes Joel.” The mental image his description conjured made Lisa smile in spite of herself. “And for your information I am not pleasantly single. I’m here under duress.”
Joel gave Lisa a pointed look, and quickly diverted his attention back to the road. “If it’s under duress, then take the sniveling little snot back.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Lisa said quietly, her suspicions confirmed, Joel finally voicing what he thought of Janice. She always assumed he liked her, to an extent. At least he hadn’t been as openly blatant as Van and Steph and . . . everyone else. “So it’s true then, everyone saw through Janice except stupid old me.”
“You’re not stupid Lisa.” Joel patted her fondly on the knee. “You just fell for the wrong person. You never know, the right one may be just around the corner.”
“Not for me. You know the rule. Strike three and you’re out.” Lisa folded her arms and said resolutely, “That’s it. I’ve had it with women.”
Laughing, Joel turned off the highway to the side street that led to Lisa’s home. “Honey, the day you turn hetero will be the day the Pope turns Protestant.”
“Not hetero silly, even I’m not that desperate.” Lisa held up her hand, placing thumb over bent little finger in the Girl Guide style. “From this day forward I’m the Emily Dickinson of the tiling trade.”
“The what?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Lisa leaned into the headrest and closed her eyes. She quickly flew them back open, the motion of the Ute sending her head spinning. “Joel,” she ventured, “You’d better hurry. I think I’m going to throw up.”
Once back in Lisa’s kitchen, Joel placed a tall glass of water on the table. “Here you are. Drink it slow.”
“Thanks.” Lisa gave a wan smile and followed Joel’s instructions. They had just made it home in time, Joel running ahead to unlock the front door, then standing aside for Lisa to make the dash to the bathroom. Her stomach was now completely empty but the thump in her temples had gotten worse. She needed some Panadol.
Joel preempted her request, pushing two headache tablets from their blister pack into her hand.
“Joel,” Lisa swallowed the tablets quickly. “I take back all the nasty things I ever said about you. You’re the best.”
“Hold that thought.” Joel grinned. “The phone rang while you were head down and bum up, so I took the liberty of answering it.”
“So?” This was nothing unusual. They took and made calls on each other’s phones all the time.
“It was Janice.”
“Oh.” Lisa immediately sat up straighter. “What did she say?”
“Nothing much. I think she was a bit taken aback when I said you were unavailable.”
“You didn’t tell her why did you?” To date Lisa had managed to maintain her dignity with Janice, not budging an inch in spite of the pleadings and protestations on each of her visits. She didn’t want Janice to know she had turned into a blithering, drunken mess in her absence.
“What do you take me for?” Joel grinned again. “I said I didn’t think it was wise to disturb you since you had a big night.”
“Good one Joel,” Lisa said sarcastically. “Like Janice is going to believe I’ve suddenly turned into the party animal.”
“I didn’t say you had a party. I said one of your old girlfriends unexpectedly dropped in for a visit!”
Lisa groaned and placed her hands over her face. “What did she say to that?”
“Well, she went dead silent for a moment. Then she said to tell you she’d called. Then she hung up.”
“Serves her right.” Joel added when Lisa stared at him through parted fingers. “Let her stew for a while. See what it feels like.”
“Well, thanks . . . I think.”
“Anytime.” Joel seemed quite pleased with his twisting of the truth, not realizing it would probably spur Janice into another visit, if only to check out what Lisa was up to. He pulled a piece of paper from his shirt pocket. “I also checked your messages. Steph called, and so did Dee. Both asked you to ring them back sometime soon. Your mum called to remind you about dinner on Wednesday. There was also another request for a quote—”
“Shit!” That reminded Lisa she had one to do this morning. She checked a
bare wrist, her watch still on the bedside table. “What’s the time?”
“Ten thirty.”
Lisa relaxed. It would take no more than ten minutes to drive to North Perth. “Good. I still have time to make myself look human.”
“Girlfriend,” Joel sniffed. “The way you look at the moment it would take an army of cosmetologists to make you look even half human. I think you’d better give me the address.”
“Are you sure?” Feeling a bit guilty, but not enough to turn down the offer, she pointed toward the hall stand. “It’s in my diary.”
Lisa studied her messages while Joel sought the address. It seemed he had already called the person requesting a quote, a person by the name of Tony according to the nearly undecipherable scribble. Along with the name was an address, a day and a time.
Lisa wafted the paper at Joel on his return. “As a return favor I’ll let you do this one too.” She lowered her voice as far as she could, “Tony. Monday. Six p.m. Be there.”
Joel poked his tongue out and snatched the paper away. “Toni with an i dummy. It’s a girl.” He opened Lisa’s diary to the coming Monday, passing it and the message sheet to her. “I think we should both go to this one. See the address? From the directions she gave it’s in one of the posh office blocks on the South Perth foreshore.” Joel rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. “Could be big bucks for the right people.”
“The right people being us.” Lisa grinned. “Okay. It’s a deal.”
Later, standing in the driveway next to Joel’s utility, Lisa stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Joel’s cheek. “Thanks for doing this for me.”
“You just take care of yourself Leese.” Lisa was caught in a bear hug before Joel arranged his long legs behind the wheel. “I’ll see you Monday. On site around seven?”
“By the way,” Joel poked his head out of the window as he set the gears into reverse. “When I cleared the machine I also wiped the main message.”
Lisa’s eyebrows shot up. “Why?”
“It’s about time it was changed don’t you think?” With that, Joel blew her a kiss and drove away.
On her return indoors Lisa found Joel had not only wiped the message, but replaced it with his own. Deciding to keep it in case one day the machine had a chew, Lisa ejected the tape and inserted the spare one she kept in her stationery box. There was already a message on the spare, but on listening she realized it had her old mobile number mentioned. Bloody hell. Lisa erased it with a stab of the appropriate button. She wasn’t in the mood for this. She hated speaking into the damn machine at the best of times.
Four times Lisa attempted to record a new message, but gave up, her voice sounding more and more flat each time she gave it a test run. The message Joel erased had been Janice’s, recorded in happier times and done at Lisa’s request, thinking such a bubbly tone would be a good first point of contact for any prospective customers. The garden aside, it was also the last tangible remnant Lisa had of her presence. Janice had moved in with only her clothes, a portable stereo and a hair dryer. Apart from a few odds and ends, all had been removed over the course of the last few days. Lisa had to admit, it was she who insisted on their removal, Janice reluctant as she obviously thought there was a chance they could renew their relationship. That was never going to happen, but the finality of wiping Janice’s voice from her machine had been a task Lisa had avoided.
“Damn you Joel,” Lisa muttered under her breath. The tears she had also managed to avoid finally spilled over as she replaced the tape with Joel’s.
Lisa locked the doors and drew the curtains. In the relative darkness, her private mourning began. She realized she had forgotten to turn the answering machine back on when the phone rang too long, but she ignored it, letting it ring out. The early afternoon knock on her front door was also left unanswered. Finally, exhausted from so many tears, she fell asleep on the rug beside the couch.
Chapter Four
“Great Rod. I’ll see you midday on Wednesday.” Toni placed the handset onto its cradle, fired up her Palm Pilot and transferred the details scribbled on her blotter. That was the last of the tilers slotted in for their quotes. One due soon, in around ten minutes according to her desk clock, one at five on Tuesday and the third at lunchtime on Wednesday. Toni would have preferred to get them all in together and hence explain the requirements only once. But the picture Cathy had drawn of a bunch of blokes crawling around on the floor sparring with their tape measures convinced Toni separate appointments was the way to go, not to mention a lot less messy.
Toni swung her office chair around to face the expanse of window. Outside, the water of the Swan River glinted silver on blue, a cloudless sky providing the perfect backdrop to the city skyline on the opposite bank. There was plenty Toni could be working on, but with the limited time available there was little point starting on anything new. She rested her heels on the low bookcase that housed her volumes of the Master Tax Guide and an array of other accounting and financial texts, clasped her hands behind her head, and admired the view.
God I love this city. Without fail, this was Toni’s first thought whenever she stole more than a fleeting glance from her window. She still remembered catching her breath when Cathy presented her with the office on her first day.
Attempts at acting blasé were all in vain. Her voice couldn’t disguise her excitement. “This is my office?” She vaguely noticed the huge desk, the executive style chair and the other furniture, but she couldn’t keep her eyes off the view from the window.
“Yes.” Obviously pleased with Toni’s reaction, Cathy nodded toward the desk, “Your computer’s due to arrive in around an hour, but I’m sure you can find something to do until then.”
Toni had. In between looking out of the window and counting her blessings, she managed to unpack a few books and her favorite coffee mug. It was only the arrival of the computer that captured her attention. Cathy had arranged a technician to assemble it, install the software and hook it up to the office network. Toni made him a cup of coffee then chatted away as she took over. She let him do the network connection, but was fully conversant with the procedure by the time he was finished. As she waited with him for the lift to arrive, he suggested she consider changing careers to work in the computer field. Toni gave him a derisive look, bade him farewell and rushed back to her office and her view.
Cathy caught Toni staring out of the window at the end of her first day, her head appearing around the slightly ajar office door. “How are you settling in?”
“Great.” Toni swung around, a blush spreading. “I’m sorry. I just can’t get over how pretty the city looks from here.”
“It’s quite something isn’t it?” Cathy sat in one of the chairs meant for Toni’s clients. “When I first took up the premises I had my desk facing the window. I had to change it round the other way because I spent all my time daydreaming.”
Toni found that hard to believe. From her two interviews with Cathy she just didn’t seem the daydreamer type. Daydreamers didn’t have their own accountancy practice in swank office buildings, especially at Cathy’s age. Toni figured her to be in her late twenties at the most, not much older than herself. A covert check during her second interview revealed no wedding ring, hence no rich husband. Unless, of course, she chose not to wear a ring. Hell, who cared? No matter how Cathy got to where she was, Toni was now part of it—as long as she could get her mind on the job. She smiled at her new boss. “I think tomorrow I’ll draw the blinds.”
On Friday afternoon, Toni was greeted with a knock on her office door. “Are you free for a drink to celebrate your first week?”
Toni nodded. A newcomer to Perth, her social calendar was not exactly brimming. “That would be great. Thanks.” She followed Cathy and accepted the champagne flute that Sue, the receptionist, handed her.
It was quite late by the time Cathy and Toni took the lift to the underground car park. Sue was long gone, eager to get home to prepare for some “hot date” she had li
ned up. Following Sue’s departure, Toni found the conversation flowed. They talked of business, of Toni’s previous life in Melbourne, of trivialities. Toni drove home knowing she and Cathy would be more than just business associates.
True to her instincts, they were soon fast friends. Friday drinks became tradition, more often than not followed by dinner. They discovered a local restaurant they liked and made it a regular lunch venue. Cathy was a lively conversationalist, quick to laugh and a good listener. In stages, Toni related her whole life story without even realizing the conversation had turned to her in the first place.
“You should have been a psychologist,” Toni complained after one such episode, her latest revelation including her utter devotion to an actress named Sigourney.
“Why’s that?” Cathy swished the remains of her wine before downing it in one swallow.
“See. There you go again.” Toni held up her hands in exasperation. “Why don’t you tell me any of your dirty little secrets?”
Cathy laughed. “Maybe I don’t have any, Toni.” An almost empty bottle was lifted from the ice bucket. “Would you like another or shall we progress to the lattes?”
“Come on.” Toni was determined to find out at least one snippet. “Everyone has a little secret. What’s yours?”
“Well,” Cathy rested her arms on the table and leaned closer. “Did you ever watch Seinfeld?”
“Every episode.” Toni too leaned forward, her mind sifting through all the possibilities. Given the numerous indiscretions of the cast, something deliciously bad was obviously about to be admitted. She slumped back in her chair when Cathy announced she was guilty of eating the muffin top and discarding the bottom. “Thanks so much for sharing,” Toni said.
Despite four years as colleagues and friends, Toni still found Cathy somewhat a mystery, and reticent to reveal details of the life she led outside work. The insights Toni had into Cathy’s personal life were few. She knew Cathy came from a wealthy family, her offices and home due in no small part to the sizeable trust her parents bestowed when she was twenty-one. She knew Cathy had a brother she adored but rarely saw since he lived in the Eastern states.
