by Cate Kendall
‘I know, I know.’ Rainbow wailed. ‘I’m sooooo sorry!’
‘Don’t be sorry, you daft thing,’ Jess said. ‘What’s short-term stink for long-term gain? You’ll get a storage facility in place soon enough. We can’t expect you to get it perfect on the first shot.’
‘Yeah, absolutely,’ Des said, ‘it’s all for a good cause. Merle’s got a load of scraps from the fruit and veg section to drop off at your place later today. We’re one hundred per cent behind you love.’
Sarah nodded. ‘Sorry, Rainbow, I didn’t know it was coming from your place.’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ Steve said reassuringly to Rainbow. ‘If anybody asks I’ll just tell them it’s Cat Bayard’s estate and she’s just had it blood ’n’ boned.’
Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Oh thanks so much, guys, that’s fantastic support. I really appreciate it, and I know Songbird does too.’
‘You kidding?’ Jessica said. ‘The whole town’s behind you. It will take more than a couple of strong-winded afternoons to turn us against your project.’
‘It’s very embarrassing that it’s coming from my house, though,’ Rainbow mused. ‘It’s like being stuck in a lift with twenty strangers after eating a bowl of lentils.’
After farewelling the group, Jess headed back to her family’s spot and felt her stomach flip as she saw Nick had arrived.
Bugger, she thought. They had managed to avoid each other entirely since their picnic date a few days before. Oh well, she was going to have to face him sooner or later – she could hardly leave town without saying goodbye.
‘Oh, Jess, you’re back,’ Tori said.
‘Yep.’ She tried to sound bright. ‘Hi Nick,’ she said and forced a smile to her face.
‘Hi Jess,’ Nick said. But his face was a lot softer than hers. He was obviously feeling badly about the other day.
‘Here’s to our Jess, best of luck with your big move,’ Tori said, toasting her.
The others raised their glasses, Richard and Genevieve holding hands, Angus and Caro with hearty ‘hear hears’ and Rainbow and Songbird offering their best wishes. Tori looked downright miserable.
‘Give us a run-down of what you think your first day will be like,’ Rainbow said from her reclining position. ‘Tea lady in the morning and general manager by lunchtime?’
‘Oh, I’m not that sure, really,’ Jessica replied.
Caro piped up brightly, ‘We can ask Jimmy when he gets here.’
Nick sat bolt upright. ‘Jimmy’s coming?’
‘Yes, of course. I thought it would be fitting: out with the old and dreary and in with the new and exciting,’ Caro explained. No one missed the meaning in Caro’s clumsy message. Richard shot her an angry look.
‘Oh, lovely,’ Genevieve said. ‘I’ve known Jimmy McConnell for years. We worked at the same agency. He’s a darling boy, very ambitious. Such charisma.’
‘Well, you’d all better shush, because here he comes now,’ Jess whispered nervously.
Jessica stood to greet her new boss. She smoothed down her straight, white cotton skirt and pulled her grey Tigerlily T-shirt taut over the waistline, quickly adjusting her lime citrine pendant. She didn’t usually dress so plainly but she was practising her more staid city look.
‘Hello Jimmy, it’s nice of you to join us,’ she said.
She had to admit he was damn cool. Very few men could pull off the kind of eclectic fashion that Jimmy achieved with such aplomb. His vintage bowling shirt hung over the top of a pair of loud checked shorts, while a charcoal pork pie hat pulled the two pieces together in a way that said, ‘S’up.’ Both wrists were bound in numerous braided leather bands. The ink that snaked from under the shirt-sleeves towards his elbow begged further examination.
Jessica expected him to give her a polite cheek-kiss, so was quite taken aback when he put both arms around her waist, picked her up, swung her around and mashed her lips with his own.
‘Ahhh, now I’ve got you all to myself!’ he purred.
Rainbow flicked her eyes nervously over at Nick and was sure she saw the blood vessels in his eyeballs popping.
‘Oh, Jimmy, yes, right, hello,’ Jess said, flustered, stammering through the introductions. When she came to Nick, a moment of heart-stopping anxiety made her mind go blank. He and Jimmy were shaking white-knuckle hands and looking at her as she said, ‘This is Jimmy. Jimmy this is ... um...’ The silence was unbearable. Jimmy’s grin got wider as Nick glared at his lifelong friend.
‘Nick Johnson,’ he snarled, then turned and stormed off to the tote.
‘Friendly chap,’ Jimmy said, and accepted a glass of champagne from Tori. ‘Chin chin,’ he said and raised his glass to the group.
The slick newcomer wasted no time in charming them all. He chatted real estate with Caro, promising he’d sell his Richmond loft apartment with her. He and Genevieve reminisced over the crazy advertising days of the nineties. Tori nearly got whiplash from trying to communicate her approval of Jimmy to Jessica through a series of elaborate winks and nudges.
Songbird and her son Taylor, never ones for quick decisions, sat together to one side, two sets of hazel eyes gently observing.
‘Muuuum,’ a nerve-scratching screech in the distance shattered the serenity. Tori rolled her eyes and pulled herself to her feet. ‘Not again, this is the tenth time today. Coming, Priscilla! I honestly don’t know what’s got into them,’ she said, shaking grass from her dress. ‘Dustin lashes out violently at the smallest thing, and Priscilla goes to water if anyone so much as looks at her funny. It’s driving me insane.’
She stalked over to remonstrate with her children and then came back shaking her head. ‘Do you think it’s the separation?’ she asked Jess as she sat back down.
‘Of course that’s what it is,’ Caro said, overhearing the conversation.
Tori rubbed her hand over her eyes, tiredness evident in the lines on her face.
Jessica felt for her friend. ‘Have you talked about it with them?’
‘Yes, I explained everything to them just a few days ago, that’s when the behaviour started.’ She sighed. ‘We had a shopping trip yesterday. I thought it would cheer them up, but they didn’t even seem interested.’
Caro snorted. ‘Well of course they don’t want stuff; they want their parents to love each other and be able to live together.’
‘I know that,’ Tori said angrily. ‘I just thought an outing to the shops might distract them, that’s all. I feel so guilty about all this.’ She watched her children playing on the nearby playground. ‘I think I’ll go and treat them to some fairy floss.’ She jumped up, grabbed her bag and dashed off.
The horses for the next race trotted past to take their places in the gates. The gum trees filtered the hot autumn sunshine perfectly, spilling gentle beams of warmth onto the picnicking punters as the group made their way down to the fence to watch the race. Jimmy rested his arm casually across Jessica’s shoulders. She quite enjoyed the feeling of being taken under someone’s wing.
The horses rounded the bend and everyone cheered as they came into the home straight, all flying hooves and gleaming horseflesh.
‘Here, I got this for you,’ Jimmy said and handed a ticket to Jess. It was for a horse named Gorgeous Girl. She looked up at him with a half smile to acknowledge the compliment and he winked. Suddenly a horse from the back came hurtling down the outside. The race caller picked up the momentum: ‘Gorgeous Girl drops back to second, here’s a surprise from dead last, coming down the outside, over taking the field, it’s the outsider Scorpio! Scorpio is first by a length, Scorpio, followed by Gorgeous Girl, then Mighty Mart...’
Richard looked over at Taylor, who was hanging upside down from a tree branch, and scratched his ear thoughtfully. ‘A wet star...’ he muttered to himself. ‘Scorpio – an astrological water sign, of course. A long way away – well the bloody horse did come from well back to win. I wonder what that kid’s doing next Cup Carnival.’
The aft
ernoon meandered along gently – probably because Nick stayed clear of her, Jessica thought with more than a little guilt as she passed around her mini quiches. Genevieve’s chicken sandwiches were well received and Tori offered her famous homemade sausage rolls (homemade by the local bakery).
Rainbow and Songbird had, of course, brought brownies for dessert but it took some time to convince everyone of their innocence.
‘So, got a place to live, darl?’ Songbird asked Jessica after the fifth race. ‘In town?’
Caro leaned towards them eagerly. ‘Yes, she’s staying with me. I absolutely insist on it.’
‘Well, that’ll be handy,’ Songbird replied, ‘until you get your own joint of course.’
‘No, utterly not necessary, she can stay with us forever if she likes,’ Caro waved a hand in the air. ‘We’ve got a perfectly suitable guest suite. And besides, we’ll be spending so much more time down at Springforth now, she’ll have the place to herself. Hopefully Angus will start to take long weekends so we can spend more time together, won’t you, darling?’ Caro flicked her husband on the knee.
Angus, with his face buried in a racing form, looked up distractedly. ‘What’s that, darling? Yes, absolutely, as soon as this next case is over.’
‘So my darling sister-in-law will have that lovely Malvern home to herself all weekend, which surely beats some cramped little South Yarra rented apartment.’
Jessica wondered if it even mattered what she might want. But, she reasoned, Caro was just trying to be helpful, and besides, living with family did make sense – although she certainly intended to get her own place by the end of the year.
‘You won’t want to be mollycoddled for too long in the big smoke, Jessica,’ Jimmy interrupted. ‘You’ll get yourself a trendy warehouse space in Richmond before too long and throw fabulous cocktail parties. You’ll have a blast.’
Nick, after a couple of hours’ absence, had returned from the tote and overheard Jimmy’s comment. He glowered. ‘Jessica’s not really the “trendy warehouse” type, Jimmy.’ He practically spat the man’s name out.
‘Course she is. Well maybe not today, but the city will weave its magic. You guys won’t recognise her before long.’ Jimmy ruffled Jess’s hair playfully. ‘We’ll get her all citified and she’ll never want to come back. In fact–’ he grinned at her – ‘she’ll be far too good for all of you.’
‘Check out the next race, Shutyeruglymug is running,’ Songbird said, looking at the racebook.
Jimmy was oblivious to the dig that had Nick and Rainbow in giggles.
Jessica stood to top up the drinks. ‘Well, let’s just see how it goes, shall we? I’m sure I’ll be comfortable wherever I am. In fact there’s always Dad’s place, isn’t there Dad?’
‘Absolutely, Princess, whenever you like,’ Richard said, smiling, holding out his glass for a refill.
‘You’re always welcome for a visit,’ Genevieve said.
‘I’m off,’ Jimmy suddenly said, leaping to his feet. He picked up his shades, keys and hat and bid his goodbyes to the group. ‘Walk me to the car, Jess?’ he said.
When they reached his convertible, Jimmy leaned inside and plucked out a bag with Kinky Gerlinki’s unmistakable logo emblazoned on the side. ‘This is for you,’ he said with a smile.
‘Oh wow! I love that shop,’ Jess gasped.
‘I knew you would,’ he said.
Jessica removed the enormous chartreuse bow and opened the bag to find a portfolio satchel covered in a vintage fabric of 1940s Parisian women. It looked like an oversized lunch box with a chunky Bessemer handle.
‘It’s vintage,’ he said.
‘Oh, Jimmy, I can see that. It’s gorgeous, I love it.’ She gave him a peck on the cheek. ‘It’s wonderful. Just perfect.’
‘I take pride in knowing exactly what a lady likes. I know how much you love Chanel, but I thought I’d go for something different this time. It’s a “welcome to the team” gift.’ He leant in for another kiss, but she turned her head at the last second to ensure it remained on a professional level.
She waved the convertible off and returned to the party. She smiled fondly when she saw that Richard’s hat was tipped over his face, his lean body stretched out in the captain’s chair and gentle snores filling the air. Genevieve was at the car park two spaces over, chatting to some friends.
Caro stood and dragged Angus to his feet. ‘Your two hippie friends are floating over there somewhere near that ragbag of people,’ she told Jess, flittering her manicure towards the rear of the racecourse. ‘I’m off to see if I can’t get a decent decaf cap. Come, Angus, let’s bond.’
Nick looked over at Jessica and smiled shyly. ‘Well, this is as good a time as any, I guess,’ he said and rummaged under the checkered tablecloth.
He dragged out a large timber box and, rubbing his large, labour-roughened hands over it, he collected his thoughts. ‘Good luck, Jess,’ he said. ‘I know I haven’t been your most enthusiastic backer, but I really wish you well and all the best.’ He handed the gift to her with an uncertain smile. ‘It’s from your beach – just a memory,’ he said.
She opened the lid and lifted the pink tissue that lay beneath. A collection of her favourite beach pieces lay inside: a piece of driftwood, a sea urchin – purple, the most rare – and a piece of sea glass – again in a rare purple.
‘I couldn’t let you go without a goodbye present,’ he said looking at the ground.
‘It’s wonderful,’ Jessica whispered. ‘Thank you, Nick.’ She took his hand and gripped it tightly.
‘So I guess you’ll be home most weekends?’ he asked.
‘Well,’ Jessica started awkwardly. ‘I don’t think I’ll be giving the move my best shot if I keep racing home every minute.’ She saw hurt register on Nick’s face. ‘But you could always come and visit?’ she continued hurriedly.
‘Yeah, I guess.’ Nick said unconvincingly. ‘What about this Jimmy character, will he be a part of your new life?’
‘Are you kidding?’ Jess laughed a little too loudly. ‘Why would you even say that?’
‘Oh come on, Jess, you’d have to be thick not to see the bloke’s keen on you,’ Nick said roughly.
‘Okay, well, you’re wrong.’ Jessica stood to leave. ‘I have to go if I want to make the city before nightfall.’
‘I’ll walk you to your car,’ Nick offered.
En route, Songbird and Rainbow swept her up in a monstrous group hug and made her swear to keep in touch. ‘Keep it real,’ Songbird said, holding Jessica’s face in her two hands. ‘And pretty!’ Rainbow said with a pirouette.
Tori threw herself into Jess’s arms. ‘What will I do without you and your advice?’
‘Here’s a tip,’ Jessica said. ‘eBay: designer stuff at a fraction of the price.’
‘You rock, Jessica Wainwright,’ she said and gave Jess another hug, ‘I can’t wait to get a new computer so I can start saving!’
Jess shook her head and laughed with Nick. They continued on to the car and too quickly had reached the old Patrol. ‘Well, this is it!’ Nick declared and opened his arms for a bear hug. She stepped hesitantly into his embrace, then awkwardly banged her head on his chin, and pulling back, stood on his foot.
‘Sorry,’ she said.
‘No, my fault,’ Nick answered, stepping forward to open the car door for her. He noticed the other gift sitting on the passenger seat. ‘What’s this?’
Before she could object he was reading the gift tag. ‘ “Can’t wait to work with you every single day. Jimmy.” ’
Nick exploded with anger. ‘This ... this satchel is perfect for you. He knows you so well. I can’t believe I thought you’d like this crappy thing ... this box of beach junk. Shit, I’m a moron.’ He walked away without looking back.
‘Nick, don’t go, please,’ she called after him. But he kept walking. Fine, let him act like a fool. I’m going to the city, she thought defiantly, kicking her car tyre.
She watched the angry set of hi
s shoulders as he disappeared into the distance.
28
It was too good to be true. Once this council nuffer got back on the line and confirmed the final information, they were in. It would be a goer. Fantastic! On paper it looked as if it the land was Rural Farming Zone or Rural Conservation Zone, given the annoying large wetlands bordering the property, but it turned out it wasn’t protected at all. The property’s rear border butted against land that had recently been rezoned as residential, and now this property was included in the new zoning – albeit as a Rural Living Zone, but that would be easy to circumvent. Excellent!
Of course it would cause controversy among the neighbours, but they’d get over it eventually.
29
Jess checked her reflection in Caro’s guest suite mirror one more time. Her new Trelise Cooper dress was an ultra-feminine, mid-calf taupe chiffon frock with black-tipped ruffles around the bust and collar. She knew the French Provincial look of the dress suited the curls that escaped her loose ponytail to frame her face. She did a spin, admiring the way the lightweight fabric floated out around her knees. Black leather cage lace-up stilettos gave a chunky anchor to the look but were a shock after several years in Blundstones and riding boots.
‘Okay, world,’ she said, turning away from the mirror, ‘here I come.’
A wall of hot January air hit her as she stepped onto the street. A zephyr whipped leaves and litter into tiny cyclones, stinging her bare legs as she walked to the tram stop.
She planned to buy her ticket on board and had crammed her purse with gold coins to make sure she had the right change. She had checked the tram timetable and knew she had to catch the eight a.m. to Church Street, which conveniently stopped at the bottom of Caro and Angus’s street.
Swinging her new portfolio with pride, she felt buoyant as she walked past groups of schoolkids with overloaded backpacks and corporate workers in their tailored urban uniforms. It felt good to be on her way to the office on a Monday morning; part of the city’s busy landscape. There was something exciting about the early morning buzz of traffic and the clang of trams, the office workers gulping from cups of take-away coffee or shouting into their mobiles as they dashed along the street.
