by C. Fonseca
“Okay Andi.” Ellie spluttered, her body shaking with laughter. “I think you’ve answered my question.” She leaned forward to tug Andi’s hair.
“What question?” Andi asked.
* * *
“Hello, this is Andi’s phone.”
Caitlin was surprised to hear an unfamiliar voice. It was a woman’s voice—husky, a little sleepy, and way too relaxed. She glanced at her watch. It was ten fifteen at night. Why was a woman who was not Andi answering Andi’s phone?
After a pause, Caitlin asked in her most polite voice, “Hi, could I speak to Andi, please?” She hoped she sounded unfazed.
“Andi’s in the shower. May I ask who’s calling?”
“This is Caitlin. And I’m speaking to?” Caitlin realised she must sound supercilious—but who was this damn woman?
“Ahh…” The voice was annoyingly soft and languid. “This is Ellie. I’ll just check if Andi’s dressed.” Long pause. “Oh! No, she’s not.” Ellie seemed to be trying to wind her up, and it worked.
Caitlin hesitated, irritated and trying not to show it. “Okay, no problem, I’ll ring back at a more convenient time,” she said, still in her most polite, sterile voice.
“Hang on, don’t go…here she is. In her towel,” Ellie said, a hint of mischief colouring her voice.
Caitlin heard Ellie murmur. “It’s her.”
Seconds later, she was relieved to hear a familiar voice. “Hello. Caitlin?” Andi asked in an uncertain tone.
“Hi Andi, I’m sorry if I’m disturbing you. I seem to have caught you at an awkward time.” She scowled as she heard Andi’s half-suppressed giggle. “And you’re fresh from the shower.” She pictured Andi wrapped in the fluffy towel, ruffled hair, skin flushed from the hot water.
“No, you’re not disturbing anything. It is just Ellie. I think you met briefly at Birdie’s.” The way Andi said it sounded more like a question than a statement.
Caitlin kept silent, waiting for Andi to continue.
Eventually, she did. “Ellie is visiting for a couple of days for some rest and relaxation.”
“That’s right. Ellie is a doctor in Melbourne, isn’t she?” Caitlin was curious about where Ellie fit into Andi’s life. Friend with benefits? Ex-girlfriend? How close were they? Pretty close, if she was staying at Andi’s small house. With only one bedroom. And only one bed. They’d seemed pretty intimate that night at Birdie’s.
“Yes, Ellie is a paediatrician at The Royal Children’s Hospital.” Andi lowered her voice. “We’ve been catching up, surfing…having a bit of fun.”
Sitting on the sofa in her apartment, Caitlin visualised Andi twisting a short strand of hair between her fingers. With phone in one hand and MacBook balanced on her lap, Caitlin scrolled through the photographs she’d taken on their day at Sheoak Falls. She’d shot a lot of images. In some of the pictures, rays of light beamed through the rainforest. The filtered light, especially near the waterfall, had created almost surreal effects. But the photograph that captured her attention now was of Andi standing in front of the falls, gazing upward to the tree canopy.
She’d been so spellbound by Andi’s face that she’d almost missed the moment. Her instinctive reaction had taken over, and she’d pressed the shutter button as a reflex rather than a decision. The end result was Andi’s beautiful serene face—long dark eyelashes, glowing smooth skin, droplets of moisture from the milky waterfall spray clinging to her dark-blonde hair. Magic.
“Caitlin? Are you still there?” Andi’s voice at the other end of the phone pulled her back to the present.
“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you. Must be a bad line,” Caitlin excused her lapse in concentration. “How’s the painting going?”
“Pretty much on schedule.” Andi hesitated. “The surf’s been great. I’ve had a few distractions…”
“Lucky you,” Caitlin said. “I was actually ringing to see if you’d received that information I sent?”
“I did. Thank you so much for contacting your friend. I was interested to read her paper on Vermeer’s use of ultramarine in his paintings. I sent her an email asking a few questions. I hope that’s okay?”
“Good, I’m glad it was useful. I think Florence would love to chat with you about her research at the Sorbonne. Now, I should let you get back to whatever…I don’t want you standing around in a towel all night,” Caitlin murmured.
“Err…yes.” There was another slight pause before Andi spoke. “Caitlin?”
“Yes, Andi?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, I wondered if you could send me a couple of pictures from our trip to Lorne, and maybe some from Sheoak Falls?”
“Of course, I can do that. Any in particular?” Caitlin smiled, as she again skimmed through the many pictures she had taken that day.
“The diffused light through the tree canopy was brilliant. I’ll leave it to you… Just a few of the trees—maybe a couple of the waterfall?” Andi asked. “What about that one I took of you by the falls? The light was perfect in that shot.”
Caitlin smirked. “Sure, I’ll email them to you shortly.”
“I am glad you called. Goodnight, Caitlin,” Andi whispered.
Caitlin breathed a slow sigh of frustration. “Goodnight, Andi, and sleep tight.”
* * *
Andi returned the phone to its cradle. “Ellie, what did you say to Caitlin? How come she knew I was wearing only a towel?”
Ellie leaned forward, grabbed the end of the towel and, in a flash, whisked it away from Andi’s body. She held it out of Andi’s reach. “A towel? What towel?”
Andi turned on her heels and walked towards the bathroom to retrieve her clothes. “Michelle Anderson, grow up.”
“Andréa Rey, Caitlin’s still interested,” Ellie called after her.
Five minutes later, when Andi emerged in her Little Miss Chatterbox T-shirt and pink flannel shorts, Ellie grabbed her playfully in a bear hug.
“Aww…Aren’t you cute? Are you still mad at me?” Ellie lifted Andi off the ground, twirled her around in a circle, and then deposited her onto the bed. “I bet she wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off you in these.” She tugged at Andi’s shorts.
Andi pushed her away. “Behave, you goof.”
Ellie feigned rejection and threw herself on the bed beside her friend. “It’s too late for me to start now.”
Andi laid her head on Ellie’s shoulder, and they settled comfortably together on top of the sheets. It was only a matter of seconds before Koda jumped up and maneuvered in between them.
“This is nice,” said Ellie. “Just like old times.”
Andi rose up on one elbow to look into Ellie’s wistful, hazel eyes. “It is, but we’re not teenagers anymore, Ellie.”
“I know.” Ellie tightened her grip around Andi’s waist. “You know I’ll always love you, don’t you? So whatever you decide about this Irish lass…you have my support.”
“Yeah, I do, Ellie. I love you too…and thanks.” Andi held on, enjoying the warmth of her friend’s arms.
They had been inseparable through secondary school. One day, a month before she turned fourteen, Andi opened her locker to find Ellie had put a gay pride magnet inside the door with a note attached. Rowing shed. After school. Ell.
That was the first time she and Ellie kissed. Two weeks and over a hundred kisses later, they shared the happy news of their love with Andi’s parents. Emmanuel and Lina had taken their adolescent outburst a lot better than Ellie’s parents. A whole lot better.
“Are you asleep?” Ellie whispered in Andi’s ear.
Andi turned to face her. “No.” She gently pressed her lips to Ellie’s, then pushed off the bed and jumped to her feet. “Come on, I’m too wired to sleep. How about we just chill out, curl up, and watch a movie? Have you seen the Nicole Conn movie, Elena Undone?” Andi rifled through her DVD drawer below the wall-mounted television.
“No, I haven’t. They don’t show movies like that in the hospital staffroom. I want some h
ot chocolate with marshmallows to go with it.” Ellie pouted.
“Okay. You’re such a wuss. You get the movie ready and make yourself comfortable, and I’ll be right back.”
Andi headed for the kitchen as Ellie called after her, “Don’t forget the marshmallows.”
* * *
The following evening, tired after painting, Andi went to the platform overlooking the beach. She caught sight of Ellie swimming just beyond the reef. She watched her move with strong, even strokes, her body gliding gracefully through the water.
Andi thought about that weekend when they were sixteen and they’d returned from the end-of-year school camp. Ellie’s father picked them up, and on the drive home, they’d sat in the back seat of Doctor Anderson’s Mercedes, Ellie holding on tightly to Andi’s hand.
Andi shivered as she remembered Doctor Bob’s cold, hard stare. When Andi glanced into the driver’s mirror, he glared directly at her. She tried to free her hand, but Ellie would not let go. When they reached the farm, Ellie insisted on walking Andi to the front door. Out of sight, she pulled Andi towards her in an emotional embrace.
“Andi, we’re flying to Fiji next week for holidays,” Ellie said.
“I know. How lucky are you? All that sun and swimming, coconuts and mangoes.” Andi wished she could go to Fiji. Her parents would never think of spending their hard-earned money on a family holiday. All their extra cash was ploughed straight back into the farm.
“We’ll be gone for four weeks.” Ellie’s voice was a strained whisper. “Mum, Dad, and the twins are away in Daylesford tomorrow night. Can you come over? Stay the night?”
They would have the entire house to themselves. For the first time.
“Please, Andi.” She lifted Andi’s chin and pressed their lips together.
Surprised and breathless, Andi said, “Yes.” This was what she wanted. The butterflies in her stomach turned into soaring birds.
As the Anderson’s car moved down the long driveway, Andi stared, wide-eyed, at the trail of dust swirling behind it.
That weekend had been the first time they’d slept together.
As the sun set majestically behind her, the sky was reflected in the glassy, tranquil sea—a canvas of strong reds, oranges, and pinks. With the high concentration of salt particles suspended in the air over the ocean, the sunsets at Hakea were often particularly red. This evening the colours were brilliant.
“Andi,” Ellie called from the beach, as she waved her arms. At the sound of her name, Andi stirred from her trance. She watched as Ellie walked towards the stairs, her tall, lean body graceful in motion.
A few minutes later, they stood together on the platform. Ellie rubbed at her arms vigorously to kickstart her circulation. “Might be spring, but the water is bloody cold without a wetsuit. I’ve been trying to get your attention for ages. Where were you? Daydreaming?”
“Just thinking. I saw you out there, bodysurfing. You’re in good form.” Andi handed Ellie her thermal sweatshirt. “Remember our last weekend together before you went to Melbourne for university? We didn’t realise then, did we—that things would change so fast?”
Ellie stared at Andi and then pulled the garment over her head. She used her towel to dry her hair.
“I’d thought that because Melbourne was only two hours away, we would still see each other often,” Andi said. “But once you started, you were so snowed under with lectures and coursework, you hardly had a chance to come home.”
Ellie leaned towards Andi and rested her head against Andi’s shoulder. “And you were busy at college during the week and were expected to help at the farm on the weekends.” Ellie stepped back and looked across the water at the setting sun. “Realistically, even if you’d travelled to Melbourne more often, I really found that first year at med school the most demanding. I was just so tired all the time.”
Andi nodded. “I think we both knew it wouldn’t work…not that we didn’t try.”
“Yes, we tried,” Ellie said, her eyes shimmered in the evening light. “Do you remember that time I snuck you into St. Mary’s Hall for the weekend? If you hadn’t screamed—”
“I beg your pardon. I did not scream.” Andi tried to look indignant—but she probably failed.
Ellie laughed and nodded exaggeratedly. “Oh yes. You screamed. If you hadn’t made so much noise, Sister Laura would never have barged into my room, afraid that a murder was taking place.”
“Why on earth did your parents insist that you board at that particular hall of residence? It was positively archaic…full of old-fashioned rules.”
Ellie slid her arm around Andi’s waist. “Regrets?” she asked.
They stood together watching the light change over the ocean. “No regrets.”
Andi looked down at her paint-splattered clothes. “Hey, I was wondering if last night’s leftovers would do? I don’t feel like cooking tonight, and I need to get rid of this paint on my arms with a hot shower.”
“Look at you—you’re a walking canvas.” Ellie’s laughter was warm, full of tenderness. She used her thumb to wipe at the smudge of paint on Andi’s forehead. “Good idea. I’m happy with leftovers. It’s a cool evening. Maybe we can light a fire and share a single malt?”
“Sounds perfect.” Andi agreed.
In Andi’s studio, the fire crackled in the log burner. She and Ellie stretched out at either end of the large sofa—snug and relaxed, with tapered glasses cupped in their hands to gently warm the whiskey.
Ellie reached for the bottle of eighteen-year-old Jameson. “Since when did you acquire a taste for Irish whiskey?” She poked Andi’s ankle with her toe.
Andi looked over her glass into the fire. “That’s the bottle of duty-free Ana gave me last Christmas.”
“But maybe it isn’t just your taste in whiskey that’s changed?” Ellie read the description from the label. “On the palate—it has a note of fudge, toffee, hints of wood and leather, vanilla, and a gentle, sophisticatedly spiced finish.” She giggled. “Really Andi, that description could just as easily be Doctor Caitlin Quinn.”
Andi rolled her eyes and lifted her glass.
“Speaking of whom, have you heard from the ravishing Irish woman again?” Ellie asked.
“Not since the other night.”
“What’re you going to do about it? Can you resist her?”
Finishing her drink in one swallow, Andi sighed loudly. “Don’t want to…”
“Don’t want to what? Resist her or go there?”
She rested her head back and closed her eyes. “Resist her. Okay, there I’ve admitted it. I don’t want to resist her. Let’s face it, Ellie, Caitlin is sophisticated, intelligent, stunning, and funny.”
Ellie snickered. “Let’s not forget sexy, beautiful… I agree totally… And she probably has women falling all over her.”
Andi frowned and poked her tongue out at Ellie. “Thanks for that. Exactly. So why would she want anything to do with me? Struggling artist, surfer, country bumpkin, nerd.”
“Take a look in the mirror, honey. You already know why she likes you. You’re beautiful, inside and out. Charming, creative, funny, and hot.” She leaned forward. “Did I mention, fantastic snowboarder?”
“Ha, ha…Won’t let me live that down will you?”
“Well, let’s face it. If you hadn’t been trying to impress Martha with that nose grab, you wouldn’t have landed on your bum in front of all those people.” Ellie snorted.
“Yes, well, the problem wasn’t when I grabbed the nose of the board. It wasn’t even the fall. It was the embarrassment of being carried off the mountain on a stretcher—in front of everyone.”
“It was just a precaution. The paramedics have their instructions from the resorts. Everyone’s afraid of being sued,” Ellie said.
Andi got up from the sofa, extended her body out along the rug on the floor, and did a short set of yoga backstretches.
“Does it still cause you pain?”
“No, none at all. But you, my
friend, can still be a pain in the arse. I try and keep up with my stretching every day.”
Ellie yawned and extended her legs out along the full length of the sofa. “I could use a bit of that myself…and a body like yours.”
Andi sat up and shot her a bemused smile. “Eh?”
Ellie laughed. “That didn’t come out right. What I meant to say was I could use yoga and regular stretching. I spend too many hours on my feet. This paediatric surgery rotation is taking its toll.” She rolled her shoulders and rubbed at her lower back. “Six more months, and I can finally take up that fellowship.” Ellie poured a little more amber liquid into their glasses and handed one to Andi. “To us.”
“To us.” Her heart swelled with pride at Ellie’s achievements, but at what price?
“Ellie?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t you ever miss it?”
“Miss what?”
“Being in a relationship. You know, someone to come home to, share things with—curl up on the couch and watch old movies, discuss your problems—stuff like that?”
“Of course. But most days, I’m so tired, physically and emotionally that I’d never have much to offer anyone. It isn’t always easy, but I’ve made my choices. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the idea of a relationship. But if I take up a fellowship in Seattle, I’ll be gone for two years. Who is going to put up with that?”
“I’ll miss you.” Andi cuddled into Ellie’s side with a sigh.
“And I’ll miss you. Seattle is a fantastic city, and Seattle Children’s covers the widest spectrum of paediatric surgery. This is what I’ve always wanted to do, Andi, what I’ve been working towards. Anyway, you can come over. It has a great art scene, so it is a wonderful place for artists to visit.”
“Two years,” repeated Andi. “Seems like a long time.”
“You know, don’t you, that I will probably eventually come home and work in Melbourne.” She moved her hand to scratch Koda, who was lying across Andi’s midriff. “Mum and Dad are here, and so are the twins.”
