Nobody But Him

by Victoria Purman

  When Lizzie stepped into the house, her jaw dropped. ‘Wow. Just wow. It already looks totally different, Jools. What an amazing job.’ Lizzie handed over the takeaway coffee without taking her eyes of the freshly painted walls.

  Julia sighed as she sipped, waiting for the caffeine to hit her system. ‘Yeah, it’s not too bad is it?’ She regarded it proudly. ‘I don’t know how long it’s been since Mum painted it, so it was way overdue. Stella thought a soft white was the way to go, keep it simple and beachy. And she’s going to lend me some things from her shop, maybe one of those huge framed fabric prints? It would look great on the back wall.’

  ‘The yellow and green one she has hanging behind the counter?’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘That will look brilliant. I can’t believe how much you’ve done so quickly.’

  ‘I did have some help.’ Julia tried to hide a grin. ‘Some manly assistance, if you will.’

  There was silence from her friend and then a splutter.

  ‘Excuse me? Ry was here helping you?’ Lizzie eyebrows shot up and disappeared under her blonde bangs.

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Damn it. I can’t keep up with you two.’

  ‘There’s a little bit of news I need to update you on.’

  ‘I should bloody well think so. I brought the coffee. What exactly has been going on here while I’ve been slaving away at pub?’ There was a glint in Lizzie’s eye that meant she had an inkling.

  Julia took a minute to think about how she should describe it to her friend.

  ‘Well, you might say … the drought has been broken, sister.’

  ‘You and Ry … ?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Julia sighed and then laughed at herself, ‘God, listen to me, I sound pathetic. It’s not as if I’ve never had sex before. Or never had sex with him.’ She felt a heat rise in her cheeks just talking about it.

  ‘You and Ry Blackburn … had sex.’ Lizzie emphasised the words for added effect. ‘The Ry Blackburn who sacked you from the pub the minute he laid eyes on you. The same Ry Blackburn you wanted to stay a million miles away from.’

  ‘Ah … yes.’

  Lizzie sighed and her mouth lost its smirk. ‘Did you really think this through before you got down to the horizontal folk dancing?’

  ‘Yes. No. Not at all. It just kind of happened, really.’

  Lizzie looked around for a chair to sit on and when she realised there wasn’t one, she dropped to the floor, cross-legged. She motioned for Julia to join her.

  ‘Jools, while I’m all for breaking a man drought, self-imposed or not, I don’t know if this will go down in history as one of your smartest moves.’

  ‘Lizzie, we are grown-ups who scratched an itch, that’s all it was.’

  ‘More like picked at a scab.’

  Julia looked over Lizzie’s shoulder to the grey sky outside. She hadn’t expected her friend to react this way, to be this cautious, and it was confusing. She steeled herself to tell her friend the truth.

  ‘Me and Ry … it’s a long story.’

  ‘The best kind in my experience,’ Lizzie said, raising her eyebrows in expectation. ‘Damn, I wish we had some cake.’

  Julia took a deep sigh and cast her mind back fifteen years. To the beginning.

  ‘You were away in London and I met Ry when I was working in the general store. He was so utterly gorgeous. I used to watch the door every time it opened, my heart racing, begging the universe for it to be him. There was something about Ry. He wasn’t as up himself as his mates. You remember what they were like.’ Julia rolled her eyes. ‘Those private school boys, driving their parents’ cars, partying all the time. More money in their pockets than I ever had. And didn’t they used to throw it around.

  ‘One day, when I had a day off, we ran into each other on the beach and that was it really. He was older and I was smitten. It lasted a few months over that summer. It was so nice to feel happy for a change. Dad had died that May and Mum was still so sad. Maybe that’s why it was so intense, so fast. But when I got into university in Melbourne, he was furious at me for leaving. Didn’t want me to take up the offer. Said I should go to uni up in Adelaide and why the hell did it have to be somewhere a million miles away. He tried everything to get me to stay but … I … I couldn’t.’ Tears welled in Julia’s eyes at the memory. ‘So I drove off in my crappy old car and didn’t look back. I just wanted to get out of this town, leave all the Middle Point part of me behind.

  ‘I hadn’t seen him or heard anything about him for fifteen years before that night in the pub. When he sacked me.’

  Lizzie’s eyes were watchful and Julia felt as if her entrails were being examined under a magnifying glass.

  ‘Let me get this straight. You broke up with him.’

  Julia nodded.

  ‘You didn’t see him or hear from him in fifteen years.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘That probably explains his reaction when he saw you again.’

  ‘Yeah, it probably does.’

  ‘So I don’t get it. Why did you break up with him if you were so madly in love? Couldn’t you have worked something out? It’s not like Melbourne is the moon.’

  ‘We weren’t madly in love, Lizzie. We were just kids and it was one of those holiday flings you have when you’re young and you still look fabulous in a bikini. Remember what it was like down here in the summer when we were teenagers? If you looked across the road you could see young love blooming in the first week of December and hearts breaking by the end of January.’

  Lizzie still looked as if she didn’t believe Julia. ‘So that’s all it was? Summer lovin’ like Sandy and Danny in Grease?’

  ‘If only I looked that good in black lycra.’ Julia laughed at the comparison. ‘I was young with big plans. I had to get out of here. I didn’t want to be stuck here in Middle Point, or even in Adelaide. I wanted to live in a big city, do something with my life.’

  Julia couldn’t say the truth of it out loud — she had been determined not to turn out like her mother. Stuck in Middle Point. Surrendering to pain and heartbreak. Second-hand clothes and struggle town.

  Lizzie dropped her eyes to the floor. ‘Nothing wrong with here, Julia.’

  ‘Shit, Lizzie, that didn’t come out right. But Dad had died and it was just me and Mum and I didn’t see anything for me here. She wanted me to go too, encouraged me to apply, and when I got in she was so thrilled. It was all too easy for Ry. He’d already finished uni, knew he was going to go and work in the family business. He had everything right there in front of him, his whole life mapped out: the right school, family, money, a job. I didn’t have any of that. I just didn’t fit into that world or that life. So I left.’ It was hard to revisit that time, and just the memory made her stomach flip.

  Lizzie regarded her with wise eyes. ‘And here you are, right back where you started.’

  ‘It’s not like that, Lizzie. We know what we’re doing.’

  ‘Really? Have you told him you’re going back to Melbourne?’

  Julia shrugged. ‘He knows.’

  ‘So what’s your plan? You going to walk away and break his heart a second time?’

  ‘It was just a one night thing. We were struck by nostalgia. By both being here at the same time. By memories. By hormones. That’s all it was.’

  ‘Yeah? A one night thing?’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘Then riddle me this, Batman. When did he leave? Immediately post-shag or was there a time delay? Any all-night snuggling?’

  Julia was taken aback and she felt her brow crease in bewilderment. ‘What does all-night snuggling have to do with anything?’

  ‘Because it does,’ Lizzie replied authoritatively. ‘Confess. How long did he stay?’

  Julia bit her lip. ‘Until this morning.’

  ‘Oh no.’ Lizzie shook her head, grimaced.

  Julia didn’t dare tell her friend that Ry had turned his car around and come back just to kiss her. Because that would give weight to
Lizzie’s theory and Julia just couldn’t think about Lizzie’s theory right now.

  Mid morning the next day, Julia found herself playing tour guide to local real estate agent Kevin Higgins. When he’d knocked on her door, she’d done a double take and grinned. He greeted her with a huge smile and a hug.

  ‘Julia Jones, as I live and breathe.’

  ‘Kevin, you haven’t changed a bit.’ What a relief to know that her first boyfriend hadn’t gone to pot. He was still cute, his body awesomely surf fit. ‘I need your help. I’m selling Mum’s house.’

  Kevin nodded. ‘It was really sad about your mum, Julia. She was a beaut lady.’

  ‘Thank you Kevin.’ Julia took a deep breath to stop the tears. ‘I appreciate that.’

  ‘It was a really nice funeral too. If you can call a funeral nice.’

  She stilled. ‘You were at Mum’s funeral? I’m sorry I didn’t realise you were there.’ Julia couldn’t believe it. No one she knew in Melbourne had been able to be there to support her. Not one. And Kevin, whom she’d kissed once or twice in high school, had honoured her family by paying his respects.

  He patted her shoulder. ‘No worries, it’s a hard day burying a parent.’

  The thoughtfulness of Kevin’s words touched her and she managed a sad smile back at him.

  ‘So, I see you’re slapping on a coat of paint.’ He looked around the room in ways only people in real estate did, seeing things she would never have noticed. He held a clipboard in the crook of his arm and began taking notes.

  ‘It really needed a spruce up so I’m using neutral colours on the walls and I’m going to de-clutter some of the old furniture and personal things.’

  ‘It’ll look great. With a little dressing for the photos, of course.’

  ‘I’m onto that,’ Julia told him.

  Kevin glanced up at the ceilings. ‘No signs of water damage there, so that’s good. And you say the gutters are being replaced this week?’

  ‘Yeah, Lizzie put me on to Shane Hogben. I couldn’t believe it was the same guy from the footy team at school. He played like a Brownlow Medallist, didn’t he? I can’t believe he never left Middle Point for a club.’

  Kevin’s tanned face creased into a smile.

  ‘Our kids all go to school together now. That’s a nice thing. You see, some of us were happy to stay here. I have to surf every day or I get cranky. Ask the wife.’ He winked at her.

  It seemed so simple, she thought. Stay. Get married. Settle down into the summer sun and winter winds routine. Live a life full of simple pleasures, childhood friendships, memory upon memory building on strong foundations in the town. For others it had been enough. It had never been enough for her.

  ‘So, Kevin, what do you think? Will people be whipping out their cheque books when you list it?’

  Kevin scratched his head. ‘Do you want the real estate answer or the mate’s answer?’

  ‘They’re different?’

  ‘As an old mate, I’ll be honest. You’ve got a brilliant location here. But it’s not the newest house around and even the brand-spanking-new ones are taking some time to sell. There are a few other vacant blocks along the esplanade and they’re not moving either. It could take six months or more to shift.’

  Six months? So much for cutting ties with Middle Point as quickly as possible.

  Kevin made a note on his clipboard pad. ‘Pitching the price right will make a big difference. It’s not that people don’t want to move here … they just can’t afford the prices.’

  Julia knew Kevin was right. Fifteen years away and the difference in Middle Point was stark. The place was being slowly knocked down and recreated, built anew, like a theme park instead of a town. All the character and history was being replaced by pop-up homes and fly-by-night residents.

  Julia bit her lip. ‘If we don’t sell, is there any chance we might rent it out instead?’

  ‘Middle of winter? Not right now, but we could look at that as we head towards summer. Look,’ he threw an easy arm about her shoulder. ‘I don’t want you to worry too much. It’ll be great when you finish sprucing it up. What say we put it on the market and see how we go.’ He named a price range and Julia nodded. ‘I’m sorry the news isn’t exactly what you wanted to hear.’

  ‘Kevin, I appreciate your honesty. I really do.’

  ‘I’ll drop by with the paperwork on Monday?’

  Julia threw her arms around him for a hug.

  ‘I like this real estate thing you’ve got going on, Kevin. The suit, the tie. It looks good on you. Although not nearly as good as your old board shorts.’

  They grinned at each other as he stepped out onto the front veranda.

  ‘They were good days, Julia.’

  She sighed and smiled back. ‘Yeah, they were.’ And then remembered she hadn’t asked. ‘Hey, who did you marry?’

  ‘Michelle Eckert, from school.’

  Julia’s mouth fell open in shock. ‘Michelle the maths nerd?’ She’d been the girl least likely to run off with a surfer dude like Kevin.

  Kevin’s beaming face told her everything she needed to know about how happy he was to have won her heart.

  ‘She’s an accountant in Victor Harbor. We’ve got two kids. They’re little grommets, already out there surfing with their dad.’

  ‘That’s fantastic. You must be very happy, Kevin.’

  ‘Too right I am. What’s not to love? I’m married to an angel and I live in Middle Point. It doesn’t get better than that.’ He waved goodbye from the front yard. ‘I’ll see you Monday.’

  Julia closed the door behind him and leaned against it, suddenly overcome. Tears welled in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. She had no idea where they had come from. Things were going exactly as she’d planned and the place would be officially on the market in a few days.

  She couldn’t possibly be sad about that, could she?

  Julia spent the day hard at work and, by nightfall, the living space had been transformed. All the walls had two coats of fresh paint; everything looked lighter, cleaner and newer somehow. She’d carefully washed out the brushes and rollers and had them drying over the kitchen sink. The drop sheets had been folded into a pile and the empty paint tins were stacked under the carport ready to be taken to the dump.

  Julia resolved to shower, scrub off the paint freckles splattered all over her hands and arms, become re-acquainted with her flannelette pyjamas and her ugg boots, and have a glass or two of wine. A perfect reward for all that work, she figured. Oh, and perhaps some chocolate.

  She flipped on the heating so it would be toasty warm when she returned and stripped off her clothes, leaving them in a pile on the bathroom floor. Leaning in behind the stiff plastic shower curtain, she twisted the hot water tap and let herself think about how good it would feel when the soothing spray ran down her back and her aching arms.

  The sound of the pounding water echoed in the bathroom and she slipped her hand in and out of the spray to judge when it had warmed up enough to hop in and adjust the cold tap.

  And she waited. And waited. There was no change to the icy chill of the water, which had begun to numb her hand.

  Damn it to hell. The hot water system. She imagined it had only been a temporary problem when it ran out of hot water the day before, but this looked permanent. Cursing, she turned off the tap and stomped to her bedroom to drag on some clothes.

  ‘Damn stupid house,’ she muttered. And then felt a pang of disloyalty. ‘Stupid freaking winter.’ She dived into her handbag for her mobile and pressed Lizzie’s number. It went through to her message service.

  ‘Lizzie, are you there? My ancient hot water system has blown and I can’t have a shower. I’m stinky, dirty and covered in paint. Can I come over to your place? Pretty please? Can you call me back?’

  Fifteen minutes later, Lizzie hadn’t returned the call. Julia felt sticky and disgusting and just knew there was no way she could go to sleep feeling like this. She grabbed her phone, her wallet, a chan
ge of clothes and a towel, slipped on her ugg boots and took a chance.

  Barbra Blackburn opened the door to Ry’s house with a glass of red wine in her hand and a question creasing her brow. When she saw it was Julia her face lit up with a huge grin.

  ‘Well hello, darling, come in!’

  Julia gratefully stepped inside and Barbra closed out the cold. The warmth of the place hit her like a gust of north wind, warming her right to her bones. The faint sound of world music thrummed a beat throughout the room and the aromas of cooking wafted towards her. The place felt like heaven on a stick.

  ‘Barbra, I’m so sorry to bother you.’

  ‘Darling, no interruption at all. I’ve got the whole place to myself tonight. I’d love some company. As a matter of fact, I’ve just cracked a bottle. Can I interest you in a glass?’

  ‘Eventually I’d kill for one, but I need to ask a really big favour.’

  Barbra regarded Julia with wide-eyed concern. ‘Of course. What is it?’

  ‘My hot water service is shot. Yesterday, I thought it was a one-off that I’d just run out of hot water. It seems the thing is cactus. Would you mind terribly if I use Ry’s … your bathroom?’

  Barbra threw an arm around Julia and gave her a squeeze, taking care not to spill her wine.

  ‘Of course you bloody well can. Head up the stairs and use Ry’s ensuite. But forget about a shower. Check out his enormous bathtub. Go and have a decent soak and I’ll pour you a glass of wine.’ Barbra eyed her suspiciously. ‘Have you been working on the house all day?’

  Julia nodded, suddenly overcome with a wave of tiredness just thinking about it.

  ‘So I don’t suppose you’ve eaten, either.’

  Julia shook her head, a smile plumping her cheeks. She knew what Barbra was thinking and, in that moment, she fell a little bit in love with Ry’s mother.

  ‘Might you be in the mood for Italian osso bucco and couscous sprinkled with a little lemon gremolata?’

  Julia sighed just at the sound of it. ‘It sounds absolutely divine.’