Call Waiting

by Dianne Blacklock

  “I don’t understand. You were calling him your ‘knight in shining armor’ only at Christmas. I’ve always thought that you two were living a fairy tale.”

  Meg paused, thinking. “Maybe you’re right. Except now we’re living the ‘happy ever after’ part. That’s where the fairy tale always ends. The Handsome Prince snoring while Cinderella stares at the telly does not make for riveting storytelling.”

  “Maybe you have unrealistic expectations, Meg. You are a bit of a romantic.”

  “Look, I can’t explain this, I don’t know how to. I realize I have a great job, and a wonderful husband, a beautiful baby, a lovely home…” Meg sighed. “But it’s like climbing to the top of a mountain, and then thinking, ‘Oh, so that’s all there is up here.’”

  “But you’re not even forty yet, there’s so much more you could do with your life, if you want to.”

  “Like what?”

  Ally thought for a moment. “Have another baby?”

  “Oh, not you too!”

  “What?”

  “That’s all anyone can say to me!” she said in a raised voice. ‘Why don’t you have another baby?’ ‘Isn’t it time you gave Harrison a little sister?’ And of course it would be a girl, because that’s just so fucking perfect,” she snapped viciously. “I can’t stand it anymore!”

  Ally just stared at her. She had never really seen Meg in full flight. She was always so level-headed, in control.

  “Meg, I didn’t realize you were unhappy. You seemed to have it all. I always wished I could have your life.”

  Meg looked up from her glass. “I bet you don’t anymore,” she said quietly.

  Ally hesitated. At the moment she wouldn’t give up the restaurant for anything, maybe not even a baby, she realized.

  “I’ve got something to look forward to right now. But I’m still alone.”

  “You think because I’m married I’m not lonely?”

  “Oh Meg…” Ally didn’t know what else to say.

  Watsons Bay

  Blasted phone! Meg kept her eyes closed. She could hear Chris fumbling to reach it on the bedside table. It was still ringing.

  “Hun, I think it might be your mobile.”

  Shit. Meg usually plugged her mobile phone in overnight to recharge. Bloody Simon, she was going to kill him if this was about some meeting. She didn’t have to do this anymore.

  “Hrrmph,” she croaked into the phone.

  “There’s a southerly blowing.”

  “What?”

  “There’s a southerly blowing, a mild one, and it’s a clear day. Do you want to come for a drive down the coast? I want to show you something.”

  It was Jamie. Meg opened her eyes. Now she was awake.

  “Hold on.”

  She almost fell out of bed, and staggered to the door, closing it behind her.

  “What are you doing ringing me here?” she whispered emphatically.

  “I rang your mobile number, like you said. I didn’t know where you’d be.”

  “Where else did you think I’d be at…’She crept down the hall to the kitchen and peered across at the oven clock. “5:58! Why are you ringing so early?”

  “I told you, there’s a southerly blowing and the conditions are perfect. Can you come down the coast with me today?”

  “Where, when? Now?”

  “We should leave soon, it’ll take most of the day.”

  The fog was starting to lift from Meg’s brain. “I work today.”

  There was a pause. “You never take a day off?”

  “Not because there’s a southerly blowing.”

  “Maybe it’s time you did.”

  Meg thought she heard stirring in Harrison’s room. “Just a minute,” she whispered. She opened the door to the deck as quietly as she could and slipped outside. It was freezing. The sun was barely creeping over the horizon, not enough to take the chill out of the air yet.

  “What about tomorrow? I don’t work tomorrow.”

  “There’s no guarantee that the wind will be up tomorrow,” he explained. “Besides, the scupper can’t come.”

  “Who?”

  “Your little bloke. You can’t bring him.”

  “Why not?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Meg was immediately suspicious. “Jamie, I’ve told you I’m not jumping off anything.”

  He laughed. “You don’t have to jump off anything. I promise.”

  Meg hesitated. Why was she even considering this? She should have been cool with him. Stand-offish. After all, he hadn’t called her for over a month. But this was the most exciting thing that had happened to her since, well, since the last time she’d seen him.

  “Come on, you know you want to,” Jamie coaxed. “You won’t regret it.”

  She was not so sure. But that only made the prospect all the more appealing.

  “Where will I meet you?”

  Jamie made a whooping sound. “We have lift-off!”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Nothing, nothing. It’s just an expression. Do you want me to come and pick you up?”

  “No!” Meg exclaimed, glancing behind her nervously.

  “Okay, we’ll make a rendezvous,” he suggested.

  “Now you’re making it sound sordid.”

  “I didn’t mean to. How about,” he paused, “the carpark at Bondi?”

  Meg frowned. It might not be the best place to leave her car all day.

  “Too conspicuous. Do you know the supercenter at Moore Park?” It had a huge carpark underneath. The car would be more anonymous there.

  “Anywhere in particular?”

  “The lower floor, outside Ikea.”

  “How soon can you get there?”

  “Ummm…” She calculated driving time, getting ready, making an excuse to Chris. “I think I’ll need an hour.”

  “I’ll see you at seven then.”

  She swallowed. “Okay.”

  “Oh Meg, have you got leather pants by any chance?”

  “What?”

  “Never mind, just wear warm clothes, and covered-in shoes.”

  “Jamie!”

  But he’d hung up. Leather pants? Where was he taking her? Why had she agreed?

  “Another breakfast meeting?”

  Meg jumped, turning around. Chris stood in the doorway holding Harrison.

  “It’s freezing out here,” she shivered. She had to give herself a moment to think. “Hello darling,” she held her arms out to Harrison. He reached for her, and they went inside, Chris closing the door behind them.

  “So, that was Simon?”

  Meg nodded. She didn’t want to lie to Chris, but what else could she do? Jamie would be waiting for her, one hour from now, at the supercenter. She had no way to contact him to cancel, not that she wanted to. The kindest thing she could do for Chris was let him believe something else.

  “He’s asked me to go and scout locations today.”

  “Really?”

  “Mm.” she put Harrison down on the floor, and went to fill the kettle. “Down the coast. I’ll have to leave soon, actually. Will you be right to drop Harrison off at your mum’s?”

  “Sure. Is Simon going with you?”

  “No, one of the photographers, Simon’s too busy. That’s why he asked me.”

  Chris came up behind her and kissed her on the top of the head. “Should be a nice change. At least it gets you out of the office for the day.”

  “Mm.”

  * * *

  Meg was still suspicious about the reference to leather pants, but she did as Jamie directed and dressed warmly. Chris hadn’t suspected a thing, so Meg had almost convinced herself there was no harm in what she was doing. Now she had to convince Simon.

  She pulled up at a set of traffic lights and dialed his home number.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi Simon, it’s Meg.”

  “Hey, what’s happening? You sound like you’re in the car?”

  “I a
m. I’m not coming in today, Simon.”

  “Oh? What are you doing? You’re not sick?”

  “I’m scouting locations.”

  “What?” He started to laugh. “You don’t do that!”

  “Well, I am today.”

  “Who asked you to do that?”

  Meg sighed. He wasn’t getting it. “Look, I’m taking the day off. So if anyone asks, I’m scouting locations, okay?”

  “You don’t need an excuse, Meg. You can have a day off. No one’s going to mind.”

  She took a deep breath. “I mean, if anyone calls for me.”

  “Who would be calling…” his voice trailed off. The penny had dropped. There was silence for a moment.

  “Simon?”

  “I don’t feel comfortable about this, Meg.”

  “I doubt that Chris will call, he doesn’t even expect me to be in the office.”

  “Meg…”

  “Come on, Simon, you owe me.”

  “Why do I owe you?”

  “Oh, okay, then I’ll owe you.”

  “Yes, you’ll owe me an explanation.”

  “One day.”

  “Are you going to tell me where you’re going?”

  “Down the coast to scout locations, that’s as much as I told Chris. You don’t need any more information than that.”

  “Yeah, or else I’ll have to tell bigger lies,” he said grimly. “Meg—”

  “Simon, I have to go, the lights have changed.”

  “Then put me on speaker phone.”

  “Sorry, I can’t.” She hung up, switching off the phone so he couldn’t ring back. He was going to be mad. Oh well, she wouldn’t be back in the office till Monday, maybe he would have forgotten by then, or at least calmed down.

  Meg drove into the carpark at the supercenter. It was almost empty, but she parked back a few rows anyway, tucked in close to a wall. She didn’t want the car to be obvious. She locked it up and wandered slowly down toward the entrance to Ikea, checking her watch. It was nearly seven, he wasn’t late yet. She heard an engine noise behind her and glanced over her shoulder. It was just a motorbike.

  Meg stopped abruptly. A motorbike.

  She turned around as Jamie brought the bike to a stop. She assumed it was Jamie underneath the helmet. He lifted the visor and a pair of glassy eyes smiled out at her. It was Jamie.

  She watched him kick the stand out and turn off the engine. He lifted the helmet off his head. “Hiya Meg.”

  “What the hell is that?”

  “Transportation.”

  “I don’t think so.” Meg turned on her heel and pranced off back toward her car. Jamie jumped off the bike and caught her by the arm.

  “Don’t just walk away, Meg!”

  “You should have told me.”

  “Would you have come?”

  “No!”

  “That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

  “Well, what good did that do? I’m here, but I’m still not getting on that thing.”

  He breathed out heavily. “Just come over here for a minute. Check it out.”

  “It won’t make any difference,” she retorted.

  “If you really don’t want to go on the bike, we’ll take your car.”

  She stood looking at him, her arms crossed. Jamie met her gaze, his eyes attempting to persuade her. He looked as sexy as all get out, dressed in leather from head to foot. She tried to imagine Chris in the same outfit. He could never pull it off. Meg sighed and walked back over to the bike.

  “Is it yours?”

  He shook his head. “No, it belongs to a friend. But I’ve got a license,” he added quickly. “And it’s insured.”

  She didn’t say anything.

  “Look, I brought you something.” He opened a bag strapped to the packrack and drew out a black leather jacket. “See if it fits.”

  “Who does this belong to?”

  “Just a friend.”

  Didn’t he own anything?

  Meg took off the coat she was wearing, and Jamie helped her on with the leather jacket. The friend must have been a woman, and it fitted fine.

  “And,” Jamie said, pulling a helmet out of the same bag, “you have to wear this.”

  Meg passively let him fit the helmet onto her head. “This is going to ruin my hair,” she grumbled.

  He laughed, standing back from her. “Well, look at you, Meg Lynch! You look like a real bikie chick.”

  Meg glanced nervously at the bike. “Look Jamie, they scare me. I realize that’s not very cool, but that’s the way it is.”

  “You’ll be okay. I promise I’ll take it easy.”

  “You’re talking to a woman who drives a Volvo cautiously.”

  He smiled indulgently at her. “Just have a sit. See how it feels.”

  She looked doubtful, but she let him help her up to sit on the pillion seat. “How’s that?”

  Meg shrugged. “It’s fine, it’s not moving!”

  “Why don’t I take you for a spin around the carpark? Slowly,” he added, noting the uncertainty in her eyes.

  “Okay,” she said in a small voice.

  Jamie replaced his helmet and climbed onto the bike. “Now, the most important thing you have to remember is to lean with me, even if your natural reaction is to straighten, you have to go with me.”

  He turned the key and revved the engine. Meg’s heart started to race. She inched closer to him.

  “It’s hard to hear anything once the engine’s going,” Jamie shouted over his shoulder. “Out in traffic it’s impossible. Are you alright?”

  She nodded.

  “Okay, hold on.”

  He took off smoothly and crept at a snail’s pace along the length of the carpark. Meg prepared herself for the corner. Jamie leaned to the right and she closed her eyes, leaning with him, sure they would topple over. But they didn’t. Meg made herself relax and think about what she was feeling. It wasn’t so bad. She knew it was a cliché, but there was something vaguely sexual about sitting astride a throbbing motor, especially with Jamie’s back pressed up against her, her thighs straddling his.

  They did a few laps of the parking lot, and Jamie eventually pulled up near the Volvo. He left the engine running.

  “What do you want to do?”

  Meg bit her lip. She was always such a coward. Neil used to tease her mercilessly when she was a girl. And even though she toughed it out, then as now, rationalizing her fear, there were times when she was secretly frustrated by her own timidity.

  She took a deep breath. “If you get me killed, I’ll never forgive you.”

  Jamie smiled. “I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

  Crossing over a lane of traffic as they left the carpark was enough to weaken Meg’s resolve, but Jamie couldn’t hear her protests. She closed her eyes and locked her arms around him. She was aware they had joined the expressway when they started to pick up speed. Oh God, why did she say yes to this? Meg kept her eyes closed most of the time, only peeking occasionally. They passed a golf course, then the airport. They finally stopped at traffic lights at Brighton beach.

  Jamie twisted around, lifting the visor. “Could you loosen your hold a bit, Meg?” he shouted above the noise of the engine. “I’m having trouble breathing!”

  “Sorry!” she said, letting go.

  They took off again, and Meg tried to keep her eyes open and not crush Jamie. She took deep, calming breaths, but there was no way she could relax perched on the back of a bike traveling at eighty kilometers an hour. She squeezed her eyes shut and hung on for dear life.

  After a while she felt the bike slow to a stop and the engine cut. Meg opened her eyes. They were in a McDonald’s carpark, she didn’t know where.

  Jamie took off his helmet. “Do you want to get a coffee?”

  She nodded. Her legs had cramped into position, so it was a relief to stretch them out. She followed Jamie inside and left him to order the coffees while she went to the ladies’ room. She rejoined him at
a table outside. He was rolling a cigarette.

  “Your hair looks fine,” he commented, glancing up at her.

  She shrugged, sipping her coffee.

  “How do you do that?”

  “What?”

  “You always look so…” He paused before striking a match.

  “What?”

  “I don’t know. Neat?”

  Meg frowned. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing, I just don’t know how you do it.” He lit his cigarette. “So how are you holding up?”

  “Not wonderfully. I suppose we’ve got a while to go yet?”

  “We’re about halfway, but I wanted to give you a break before we hit the park.”

  “The park?”

  He nodded. “The Royal National Park. We turn off soon. The road’s a bit winding, and steep in parts. Do you think you’ll be alright?”

  “Is there an alternative?”

  “We could keep on the highway. But you’d miss some pretty amazing scenery.”

  “I’ve had my eyes shut most of the time anyway.”

  Jamie grinned. “I think you might have broken one of my ribs, the way you’ve been hanging on.”

  “Sorry.”

  “You should try to relax. You might enjoy it.”

  “There’s a concept—relax on the back of a motorbike. You realize there’s nothing between us and the road, another car, a truck, anything we might hit.”

  “You’ve got a very negative way of thinking, haven’t you?”

  “I’d have called it realistic.”

  “The world’s not such a scary place, you know, Meg. What’s made you so afraid of it?”

  Meg contemplated him. “Persuasive men dressed in black leather, riding motorbikes.”

  He laughed. “You’re not frightened of me.”

  Just a little. But she kept that thought to herself.

  The trip through the park was at once beautiful and terrifying. The scenery was superb, but Meg thought she would lose it as they snaked around steep hairpin bends, leaning so far over their knees almost touched the bitumen. From time to time Jamie would loosen her grip around his waist, patting her hand reassuringly.

  When they made it to higher ground the road straightened out, and Meg looked out across the ocean toward the horizon. For a moment she understood the attraction of riding a motorbike. Until they hit the next series of bends.