The Secret Ingredient

by Dianne Blacklock

  She reached up and hooked her arm around his neck as she planted her lips directly onto his. He wasn’t expecting it, of course, and he kind of froze on contact, but it only took him a moment to thaw, then she felt his arms slide around her, drawing her in close to him . . . Oh, this was very nice . . . his mouth, the taste of him, his tongue, now tentatively working around her lips, her tongue. It was a very long kiss, perhaps more correctly a series of kisses; their lips did break and reconnect every so often, if only for a second. Andie was becoming faintly, agreeably aroused, but they were standing in the door of the shop, for goodness sakes. This couldn’t go anywhere . . . not right now anyway. It was an appetiser, like the platter they’d just eaten . . . just enough to take the edge off the hunger.

  Andie drew back reluctantly, and Dominic smiled down at her, glassy-eyed.

  ‘I guess we should go.’ She turned again to unlock the door. The bell sounded as they stepped out into the street, and he took her hand in his.

  Bondi

  ‘So what do you think?’ Andie exclaimed, holding her arms out wide.

  Donna and Toby stood just inside the doorway gazing around the apartment. Toby’s face broke into a broad smile.

  ‘It’s awesome, Andie,’ he said, as he walked past her over to the window. ‘Look at that view!’

  Donna was wandering around with a frown on her face. ‘Andie, where’s the bedroom?’

  ‘You’re standing in it.’

  ‘But isn’t this the living room?’

  ‘And the bedroom, and the dining room.’

  Donna looked confused.

  ‘I told you it was a studio, love,’ Toby explained. ‘That’s a one-room apartment.’

  ‘I thought it was a one-bedroom apartment,’ she said. ‘Are you sure you’re going to be all right here, Andie? I mean, how will you get any privacy?’

  ‘Who does she need privacy from, herself?’ said Toby.

  Andie was smiling. ‘He’s right, Donna, it’s just me here. It’s like my own little cosy cocoon, I can do whatever I like, I can have things just the way I want, I don’t have to run it by anyone, or compromise about anything. It feels so indulgent.’

  ‘That does sound pretty wonderful,’ Donna said dreamily.

  ‘Hey, stop giving her ideas,’ said Toby.

  There was a knock behind them, and Andie turned around to see a man in the doorway, wearing a fluoro safety vest and holding a clipboard; if he wasn’t a delivery man he was doing a damn fine impression of one. She had been told her furniture would arrive any time after eight this morning so she had been here since before that, and it was now going on eleven. So she certainly hoped he was the real thing.

  ‘Is there a Ms Lonergan here?’ he asked.

  ‘That’s me. Are you from Ikea?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am,’ he said. ‘I’ll just get you to give me your autograph, and then we’ll start bringing your goods up.’

  ‘I better get out while I still can,’ said Donna, ducking past them. ‘I’ll see you in a few hours. Have fun.’

  She had to get back to Max, but Toby was staying to give Andie a hand assembling the furniture. Everything except the sofa was in flat packs, and Andie had thought she would be able to manage it on her own, the website certainly made it look as though all you needed was an allen key and a free afternoon. But when she mentioned that in front of Toby, he’d insisted on coming over to help.

  ‘DIY is a crock,’ he said. ‘One free afternoon and all you’ll have to show for it is a bookcase on a lean. Leave it to the professionals.’

  Several hours and many more swearwords later, they had managed to put together the bed, the bookcase, one of the side tables, a small drop-sided dining table, and two of the four chairs Andie had bought.

  ‘Oh my God,’ Andie sighed. ‘You were right, Toby, I would never have been able to do this without you.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said. ‘Someone should write an exposé about the myth of the allen key.’

  Andie laughed lazily. They were sitting on the floor, their backs against the wall, having a beer each, after breaking into the case Andie had bought for Toby and chilling a six-pack in the tiny bar fridge that Stan had left for her, for a very fair price.

  ‘I’m going to have to buy you another case of beer,’ Andie said. ‘What am I saying, I owe you a truckload of beer after all you’ve done today.’

  ‘Stop it,’ said Toby. ‘You don’t owe me anything. We’re family.’

  She smiled at him.

  ‘Brendan’d be proud of you, you know,’ he said.

  ‘What, for getting my own place, finally?’

  ‘No, for being brave.’

  ‘Because I left Ross?’

  Toby nodded, taking a swig of his beer.

  ‘Brendan would never have been happy that I was with him in the first place,’ said Andie.

  ‘Exactly. So imagine how happy he’d be that you left him?’

  ‘Hm,’ she mused. ‘Do you miss him?’

  ‘Every day.’

  ‘You two were so close, just like brothers.’

  ‘I’ve never had a mate like him, before or since,’ said Toby. ‘It’d feel kind of weird, like I was cheating on him or something.’

  There was a pause as they both took another drink.

  ‘That sounded kind of gay, didn’t it?’

  Andie laughed, elbowing him. ‘No, I know what you mean, how can you replace Brendan? He’s the only brother I’ll ever have,’ she said.

  ‘Except for me.’

  ‘Except for you.’ It was true, Toby was the closest thing she had to a brother, to a sibling even. Meredith had called her during the week, and had even suggested popping over before Andie left the house, to say goodbye. Andie had considered reminding her that she wasn’t moving to another country, but she let it go. They had settled back into a polite rapport, no doubt helped by the fact that the house had fetched a very good price – well above the reserve that had been set for the auction – and that Andie had done all the work to get it there. They were never going to have a sisterly relationship, they never had, so how were they supposed to start now? Meredith had her own family, she didn’t need Andie. And that was okay, because Andie had people like Toby in her life.

  She looked at him now. If Brendan were here, she’d have told him about Dominic by now. Things were right on the verge, teetering on the precipice . . . They hadn’t had any time alone since Monday night, and they hadn’t gone beyond kissing. After dinner Dominic had offered to drive her home to Roseville, until she reminded him that she’d driven herself to the apartment earlier in the day. When he dropped her back to her car, they’d made out like a pair of teenagers, steaming up the windows and leaving them both breathless and wanting. The tension between them was electric. Andie had to admit there was something quite exquisite about it, though she certainly didn’t want to draw it out any longer than was absolutely necessary. He had phoned her this morning to wish her well for the move, and suggested that if she was all settled in by Monday, they should get together. Settled or not, they were getting together, Andie was going to make sure of that.

  So before things went any further, she wanted Toby to at least be aware of Dominic’s existence.

  ‘There’s something I want to tell you, Toby,’ she said.

  He turned side on to face her. ‘Should I be worried?’

  ‘No, no,’ she reassured him. ‘It’s nothing bad. It’s only . . . well, I’m kind of seeing someone.’

  His face broke into a smile. ‘Good for you.’

  ‘You think?’

  ‘Why wouldn’t I?’ he said. ‘Unless . . . he’s not married, is he?’

  ‘No!’

  ‘Then it’s all good.’

  She glanced at him. ‘You don’t think it’s too soon?’

  ‘Nope.’

  ‘You seem very definite about that.’

  ‘Look, Ross was already at it while you were still together,’ he said flatly. ‘If he gets to be w
ith someone, why shouldn’t you? I don’t like thinking of you on your own.’

  ‘I’m fine, Toby,’ she insisted. ‘It’s not an entirely bad thing to spend some time alone, have a little breather.’

  ‘So you’ve had your little breather,’ he dismissed. ‘Who’s the lucky guy?’

  Andie smiled. ‘It’s not serious or anything . . . it’s not even anything yet.’

  ‘It’s something, or you wouldn’t be telling me,’ said Toby. ‘It’s okay, Andie, come on, give it up. Who is he, where’d you meet him?’

  ‘At work,’ she said. ‘See that’s the other thing . . . he’s my boss. I don’t know if it’s appropriate.’

  He shrugged. ‘How old is he?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know, it’s often hard to tell with guys. But I’d say he’s not much older than me.’

  ‘Then I don’t see the problem.’

  Andie frowned. ‘What’s his age got to do with it?’

  ‘Well, it’s not like he’s some old guy taking advantage of a young trainee.’

  ‘Hm, Jess said something like that.’

  ‘So now you’ve got a second opinion.’ Toby took a swig of his beer. ‘I suppose it comes down to whether you feel intimidated or uncomfortable, or under any kind of pressure to go out with him?’

  ‘No, not any more. Maybe a little at first,’ she admitted, ‘because I wasn’t sure of him, and in a way I didn’t feel like I could turn him down. But it’s different now.’

  Toby nudged her. ‘So, what’s he like?’

  Andie thought about it. ‘Well, when I first met him I thought he was arrogant, and opinionated, and then he seemed pretty awkward socially . . .’

  ‘You’re not doing a great sell there, Andie.’

  She laughed at herself. ‘Now that I’ve got to know him better, I realise it was never arrogance, more that he’s a little shy, or maybe reserved . . . but I don’t even know if that’s how I’d describe him.’ Composed might be a better word than reserved. There was something very solid about Dominic, Andie decided, he had a quiet dignity that she found very appealing. ‘He’s just very different to Ross, he’s not brash and egocentric.’ She looked at Toby. ‘I think you’ll like him.’

  ‘If you do, I will.’

  Andie raised an eyebrow. ‘That didn’t actually work with Ross, did it?’

  ‘Ah, but you said he was different to Ross,’ he reminded her. ‘Speaking of the devil, does he know you’re seeing someone?’

  She shook her head. ‘I haven’t had anything to do with him for a while now. It’s all been handled by the lawyers.’

  ‘Good, as long as you’re getting your fair share,’ said Toby.

  ‘I am,’ she said. ‘Jess reckons I should have gone for more, but I want to be free of him. And I don’t want any hassle.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ he said. ‘But are you going to be all right, you know, financially?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ she assured him. ‘The shop is mine, free and clear. And he can’t touch my inheritance from Dad.’

  ‘He wouldn’t bloody want to,’ Toby declared.

  ‘But he could have, if I’d gone after more,’ she explained. ‘It’s better this way, trust me.’

  ‘I trust you, I just wouldn’t trust Ross as far as I could throw him.’ He paused, taking a slurp of his beer. ‘The shop’ll give you security. In fact I reckon it could really take off with some of the things Jess has planned.’

  Andie gave him a vacant look.

  ‘What?’ Toby frowned. ‘She said she’d spoken to you, that you gave her the go-ahead. I’ve been there and measured it up for a quote – seriously, she hasn’t talked about it with you yet?’

  Damn, Andie had cut her off the other day. She’d have to find time to go and see her, show some interest. ‘No, she absolutely talked about it, I’ve just been caught up with the move.’

  There was a knock at the door before it suddenly flew open, and Max charged in, carrying a big yellow bucket and spade. He stopped short when he spotted Andie, and gasped, as he struggled to manoeuvre the bucket around behind his back. Donna closed the door and plonked some bags on the kitchen bench. ‘Hey, things are looking good in here, you guys,’ she remarked. ‘Max, show Aunty Andie what you’ve got there.’

  ‘Arnee Andie,’ Max said proudly, ‘I haves a present for your new house.’

  ‘Aww, Maxy,’ she cried. ‘That’s so nice of you.’

  He nodded, standing there, still holding the bucket awkwardly behind him.

  ‘Are you going to show me?’ Andie prompted him.

  He took a step towards her and brought the bucket around in front, presenting it to her. ‘It’s for the beach, because that’s where you lives now.’

  ‘It’s perfect, Max!’ she said.

  ‘Do you haves one orready?’ he asked.

  ‘No, I don’t! And you know what else I don’t have?’

  He shook his head.

  ‘A hug.’

  He smiled shyly and then fell forward into her arms.

  ‘I brought food,’ Donna announced.

  ‘You little beauty,’ said Toby, getting up from the floor. ‘I could eat a horse and chase its rider.’

  ‘Well, you won’t have to. I think I may have brought enough to feed a horse, actually.’

  Sunday

  Andie lay in her bed, staring out the window to the arc of blue sea, visible beyond the rooftops. She had been woken at some ungodly hour by the sun as it rose up out of the ocean, above the rooftops; to shine right onto her face. She would have to close the blinds in future if she had any hope of sleeping in, but she couldn’t bring herself to close them last night when she had finally fallen into bed, exhausted. She wanted to gaze out at the sky, and listen to the faint roll of the waves, just audible above the hubbub of the surrounding bars and restaurants, doors slamming and cars coming and going, voices in the street, loud, laughing, sometimes even singing – it was a Saturday night, after all, and this was Bondi. It was a lot noisier than Roseville, but Andie didn’t mind. She felt a deep sense of contentment, of being home, that she hadn’t felt in a very long time. And although she’d woken at daybreak, she had drifted easily back to sleep, after burying her head under a pillow to block out the light.

  She rolled over and looked around the apartment. She loved that she could see it all from this vantage point – well, all but the bathroom. It was little more than a cubicle comprising a sink, shower and toilet, but it was clean and functional and it was all she needed. A bath might have been nice, but Andie was not going to dwell on what she didn’t have. What she did have was a place of her own, finally. She supposed the apartment she shared with Ross should have felt like hers, but it never really had. Ross had always had very strong opinions about what went in it, and Andie had never quibbled, he was paying for it all, what right did she have to impose her taste on him? But sometimes it felt like she was staying with Ross in his apartment . . . That had never really occurred to her until now, gazing around at this space that was totally hers. She felt like queen of her very own, very small castle.

  Toby had insisted on finishing the rest of the furniture last night, and fortunately, they did not run into any more allen key glitches. Two more dining chairs, a coffee table, and the second bedside table had all been assembled with a minimum of fuss, and not one swearword, probably because Max was within earshot. The dear little boy had eventually fallen fast asleep on Andie’s new bed, giving Toby time to take all the cardboard packaging down to his ute to dispose of later.

  ‘You’ve done enough,’ Andie had tried to protest.

  ‘Job’s not finished till the cleaning up’s done,’ was all he said in response.

  They finally left, a sleeping Max slung over his father’s shoulder as they whispered their goodbyes, and then made their way down the stairs to the street. Although she was bone-tired, her brain was too revved up, and Andie couldn’t think about sleeping. She unpacked her clothes into the built-in wardrobe, arranged her things in the bathroom, an
d put away the few kitchen items she had brought with her. Along the way she found a couple of Stan’s things, a jumper stuck right up the back of the top shelf in the wardrobe, and a plastic container in the kitchen cupboard. She could drop them off to him tomorrow; she would have to go shopping for more crockery and glasses and cutlery, food of course, and she might just check out some of the funky little homewares shops in the area, buy some scatter cushions, storage baskets . . . whatever took her fancy, really. It was going to be fun.

  Finally, when there really was nothing left to do, Andie had collapsed into bed and slept like a dead person.

  Her phone started ringing now, and she shimmied over to pick it up from the bedside table, where it sat beside two framed photos, the one of her and Brendan, and the one of Ross’s children. Andie smiled when she looked at the screen of her phone. It was Dominic.

  ‘Good morning,’ she said.

  ‘Good morning to you,’ he replied. ‘I was just about to leave for work, thought I’d call to see how the big move went.’

  ‘It went great, thanks,’ she said. ‘Toby was amazing, he put together every stick of furniture, and even took away all the packaging. The place looks almost normal.’

  ‘Great, so maybe you can make it into work after all?’

  ‘Oh . . .’ Andie hesitated. ‘I do have a few more things to organise . . .’

  ‘I was joking,’ he assured her. ‘So do you think you’ll be ready for a break tomorrow?’

  ‘Why, what did you have in mind?’

  ‘I wanted to ask you over for dinner.’

  Her heart skipped a beat. ‘Over where?’

  ‘Over to my house.’

  ‘Oh.’ His house . . . the two of them alone . . . he wasn’t mucking around.

  ‘I thought you might enjoy having dinner cooked for you after all your hard work,’ he said.

  ‘But you have to cook all day every day,’ said Andie. ‘You don’t want to do it on your day off.’

  ‘I haven’t cooked for you. And I’d like to have you over . . . here.’