“Those are from Evan.”
“Oh, lucky you to have two handsome men chasing you. Who’s winning?”
“The florists.”
Suzanne chuckled, then gathered up the bouquet. “Let’s put these in a vase too, eh?”
Kate’s first instinct was to toss them in the bin, but Suzanne was right — they were gorgeous. It wasn’t their fault Lawrence had sent them. “Okay,” she said, nodding. “There’ll be something on the shelf in the laundry.”
Suzanne found a vase and began arranging the flowers in it, while Kate continued making her coffee. She was tipping frothed milk into Suzanne’s cup when she noticed her parents’ silver Audi pulling into the driveway. “There you go,” she said, sliding Suzanne’s latte along the counter towards her. Shaking her head, she went to answer the door.
“Who’s that?” asked Suzanne from behind her.
“Mum and Dad.”
“Oh, what a nice surprise.”
Yeah, right.
She opened the door as her parents were getting out of the car. Her mother, elegant as always, wore black boots, a long, navy skirt and a matching cardigan. A white leather handbag was slung over her shoulder and she clutched a plastic shopping bag in her hand. Her father was, as usual, dressed more casually, in brown slip-on shoes, grey chinos and a brown woollen jumper.
“Mum, Dad — nice to see you,” Kate said lightly. “Come in. What brings you over this way?”
“We just felt like a drive, darling,” said her mother. “It’s a beautiful morning, so we thought we’d pop over and see how you’re doing. Whose car is that?”
“Suzanne’s. She turned up a few minutes ago.”
“How wonderful,” said Elizabeth, moving inside. “I haven’t seen her for ages.”
“So, just out for a Sunday drive, huh? On a Wednesday?” she said to her father as he squeezed her tight, kissing her lightly on the forehead.
Malcolm smiled. “Of course, dear,” he said, and stepped past her.
She shut the door and followed him in. Suzanne had placed Lawrence’s bouquet in the centre of the dining table, moving the vase of roses to the kitchen counter. Kate slipped into the kitchen, watching as Suzanne and her parents exchanged greetings, then asked, “Mum, Dad — coffee? I’ve just made one for Suzanne.”
“Yes, please, darling.” Elizabeth took a tissue from her handbag and wiped Corbin’s face. She unbuckled him from his high-chair and handed him to Malcolm, who gave him a bear hug that made him squeal with delight.
Elizabeth leaned over the dining table, sniffing the bouquet. “These are beautiful. Who are they from?”
“Lawrence,” Kate replied, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, how lovely. He always did have good taste.”
“In everything except mistresses.”
Elizabeth frowned but didn’t respond. Instead, she said, “Oh, I almost forgot. I bought pastries.” She hung her handbag on a chair and glided into the kitchen, opening cupboards till she found what she wanted. She placed a large platter on the counter, then removed an assortment of pastries from the shopping bag and arranged them artfully on top. She delivered the platter to the dining table, where Malcolm and Suzanne were now seated, Corbin bouncing on Malcolm’s knee, then returned to the kitchen. “So, dear,” she asked, counting out four small plates from a cupboard, “how have you been?”
Kate forced a saccharine smile. “Good, thanks. You? How’s Wanaka?”
“Busy. Every time we go it seems to get worse. It’s almost as bad as Queenstown, with all the foreigners around. But I shouldn’t complain — we’ve had a lovely week, really. Reading books, going for walks along the lake. It’s so beautiful there.”
“How long are you going to stay?”
“I’m not sure — a few more days at least. I’m in no hurry to go home and for once, your father hasn’t had any calls about work.”
“Maybe it’s time you moved up there permanently?” Malcolm and Elizabeth had bought the crib with a view to retiring there, but in the five years since their purchase neither of them seemed any closer to retiring, at least not officially.
“I don’t know about that. We’re not quite ready to leave Dunedin yet. Wanaka’s lovely, but you know as well as I do that it’s a bit of a cultural vacuum. It’s a long drive to the opera from there. And we’d miss our friends.”
Kate finished making her parents’ coffees, plus another for herself. She delivered them to the table as Elizabeth handed the plates around, then both women sat down. They all nibbled their pastries and sipped their coffees, making small-talk, the atmosphere strained but civil. Kate wondered how long it would last. Having the three of them turn up within minutes of each other was no coincidence, and she could practically smell the air of conspiracy hanging over the table. When her mother raised the subject of the flowers again, she got her answer.
“So,” said Elizabeth, “the roses — did Lawrence get you those as well?”
Kate took a bite of her Danish, chewing slowly, and saw her mother’s eyes dart towards Suzanne. She finished her mouthful, then said, “No, they’re from a friend of mine.”
“Oh, yes? Anyone I know?”
Kate wondered how much her mother knew and whether it was Suzanne who had blabbed. She wasn’t about to give either of them the satisfaction of knowing Evan had broken things off with her, at least not yet. “No, you wouldn’t know him. Evan’s his name. Suzanne’s met him though, haven’t you?” She bared her teeth at Suzanne. “Didn’t she tell you?”
Her mother and Suzanne exchanged glances. “No,” said Elizabeth. “Why would she?”
“What about Lawrence’s flowers?” asked Malcolm, entering the conversation.
“What about them?” Kate snapped.
“Did they come with a card? Any message?”
Kate’s eyes narrowed. “Why? Should they have? What exactly do you know?”
“Nothing,” said her father, blushing and turning away. “Now, Corbin, why don’t you and I go to your room and play?”
Corbin nodded his approval and Malcolm slid him off his knee and stood, avoiding Kate’s pointed stare. Holding hands, the two of them trundled out of the kitchen.
Kate watched them go, then turned to her mother, rolling her eyes again. “Well, that was subtle. Look, I know this isn’t a coincidence, you all being here at the same time. What exactly is going on? What was Dad getting at?”
Elizabeth looked at Suzanne again, lips pursed, then let out a heavy sign. “Lawrence has been in touch. We knew about the flowers.”
“Oh, that’s just great. I suppose you put him up to it? I can’t believe—”
“No, no, the flowers were his idea. He asked me if I thought you’d be receptive, is all.”
Kate scowled at her mother. “And what did you say?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I said I wasn’t sure, but that there was no harm in trying.” She reached across the table and took Kate’s hand in hers. Kate stiffened, but didn’t pull away. “Listen, darling, he knows he’s made a terrible mistake. He knows he’s made a mess of everything. But he wants to make it up to you. He wants a second chance.”
Shaking her head, Kate said, “He doesn’t deserve a second chance.”
“To err is human. Forgiveness is divine.”
“Oh, please, enough with the clichés. I’m not divine, Mum, and I don’t want to forgive him.” She could feel the tears welling again and didn’t want to let them come — not now, not here. She withdrew her hands, fighting the tears back, and said, “Since he left, I’ve realised I’ve spent my whole life living for other people. For you and Dad, for the teachers at school, for every boss I’ve ever had. For Lawrence, and now for Corbin. An entire lifetime serving others.”
“There is great reward in service, Kate.”
Suzanne nodded in agreement, looking sincere. Of course she would. Suzanne was always baking cakes and sizzling sausages for fundraisers, and Kate suspected much of the reason she struggled to lose weight was becaus
e she ate half the wares she was supposed to be selling. Kate tried hard not to hold Suzanne’s generous nature against her, but the truth was, it was a little sickening.
Sighing, Kate said, “I’m not saying there isn’t. But I’ve been doing it for so long I’m not even sure who I am anymore. Lawrence leaving has given me a chance to find out. It’s the one good thing to come out of his betrayal.”
Suzanne snorted. “And what have you discovered? That you’re a tramp? Looked to me like you were living your life for Evan, last time I saw you.”
Bristling, Kate said, “Piss off, Suzanne. If you’re going to call me names, you can get out. I’m a single woman — I can do what I like, with whomever I like.”
“Now, ladies, that’s enough!” shouted Elizabeth, raising her hands. “She’s right, Suzanne, there’s no need for name-calling. But, Kate, your language! Really, what’s happened to you? You used to have such a civil tongue.”
“Uh-huh — too civil. I was so worried about what others thought that I never said what I thought. Well no more — life’s too short. Besides, I don’t think God really cares whether I swear or not.” She didn’t say she wasn’t sure she even believed in God anymore — that would have been a step too far for her mother.
“I can assure you, he does,” said Elizabeth sternly. “But anyway, back to Lawrence. Was there a message with the flowers?”
Kate took a deep breath, calming herself. “Yes, as a matter of fact, there was.”
“What did it say?”
“Just what you said. That he’s sorry.”
“Anything else?”
“Oh, God. Did you tell him what to write?”
Elizabeth frowned. “Language, dear. And no, I didn’t. But I did make a suggestion.”
“That he ask me to dinner?”
“Uh-huh,” said Elizabeth, looking pleased. “Did he?”
“Yes, he did. Are you happy now?”
“When? Where?”
Kate sipped her coffee. “Saturday night. He didn’t say where. He’s got Corbin this weekend so I guess he means his place.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Oh, a nice family dinner. How lovely.”
“If by lovely you mean nauseating, then sure. I haven’t accepted.”
“But you will?”
“Why should I?”
“He’s your husband, Kate. You owe him that much.”
Kate cocked her head. “He’s my ex-husband,” she said slowly, her voice tight. “And I don’t owe him anything. I don’t want to give him the time of day, let alone spend an evening with him.”
Elizabeth cupped her hands together, imploring. “One dinner, Kate. See what he has to say. Please?”
The look on her mother’s face was so earnest Kate had to suppress a chuckle. She looked from Elizabeth to Suzanne, to the flowers on the table, and finally to the vase of roses on the counter, where her gaze lingered.
“If you won’t do it for Lawrence, will you do it for me?”
She turned back to her mother. In Elizabeth’s eyes there was love, and hope too. As irritating as she is, she’s only looking out for me. Suzanne as well, in her way. I just wish they weren’t so goddamn puritanical about it! The ghost of a smile formed on her lips. Could she stomach having dinner with Lawrence? Hear him out? It was pointless of course, but at the very least she could check out his house, and she had to admit she was curious about his break-up with Rachel, assuming he was telling the truth. There was satisfaction to be had in that line of inquiry.
One meal. For her mother. How bad could it be?
As if sensing her indecision, Elizabeth pushed her chair back and said, “Look, dear, I think it might be best if we all got out of here and left you alone. I know it’s a lot to take on board. Just tell me you’ll think about it.”
Kate studied the flowers spilling out of the vase in front of her, luxurious and elegant, in muted shades of cream, pink and green. “Okay,” she said, nodding. “I’ll think about it.”
TWENTY-ONE
Despite the cool afternoon, sweat dripped down Evan’s forehead and into his eyes as he willed his legs to continue pumping the pedals. They were almost at the summit of Bob’s Peak and he caught a glimpse of the Skyline complex through the trees ahead. He glanced over his shoulder at Dwayne, also sweating profusely, his face an angry red beneath his cycle helmet.
“Whose idea was this again?” asked Dwayne, panting.
“Yours,” replied Evan. “I wanted to go to the pub, remember?”
Dwayne grunted, his face contorted in a grimace. “What was I thinking?”
“Dunno. I could have been necking a cold one right now. Instead, I’m about to have a heart attack.”
Evan broke through the trees at the top of the access road and came to a halt at the complex. The gondola fell away below him and he watched the dangling cars making their slow circuit, then allowed his gaze to drift beyond, over the town nestled in the curve of Queenstown Bay, past the twinned peninsulas of gardens and golf course, and beyond to the Remarkables, its jagged peaks a canvas of gleaming white highlights and purple shadows.
Dwayne pulled to a stop beside him. “Still, the view’s not bad,” he said, reaching for his water bottle. “And we’ve got the downhill to come.”
“We could’ve just taken the gondola.”
Dwayne glugged from his bottle, a dribble of water running down his chin. “That would be cheating. There’s no gain without pain.”
They stood in silence for a minute, absorbing the view. Then Evan said, “I’m thinking about asking Yumi to marry me.”
Dwayne choked and spat out a spray of water. “Pardon?”
“I think I’m gonna propose to Yumiko.”
Dwayne cocked his head to stare at Evan. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. I’m dead serious.”
“But you were shagging Kate last week! Don’t suppose you’ve mentioned that to Yumiko?”
Evan swung his leg over his bike, laid it on the ground and sat down on a nearby rock, hugging his knees. “We never actually shagged, you know. Anyway, being with Kate made me realise that it’s Yumi I really want.”
Dwayne slid off his bike and sat next to Evan, rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Dude, no offence, but that’s pretty fuckin' shallow. I mean, it’s great that you’ve decided you want to be with Yumiko — I love Yumiko, and I thought the whole Kate thing was a bad idea — but to go from wanting to be with her to asking her to marry you? That’s a bit of a leap. Especially for you.”
“Whaddaya mean?”
“Oh, come on, bro. You’re not exactly Mr Commitment.”
Evan focused his gaze on the distant mountains. “Yeah, I know. But that’s just the reason I want to marry her. I’ve spent my whole life avoiding commitment, and for what? I love Yumi — she’s the best girlfriend I’ve ever had. Why not marry her? I could wait forever for someone better to come along.” He turned to Dwayne, wiping sweat from his temple. “Plus, if I don’t marry her Immigration will kick her out of the country.”
“So you’re gonna get married just so she can stay here?” said Dwayne, raising his eyebrows.
“No, it’s more than that. I told you — I love her.”
“So let her go. What better test of your commitment? Do the long distance thing for a while. If she comes back you know it was meant to be.”
“Man, that’s corny, even for you. Is that how you hooked Chloe?”
Dwayne shrugged. “What can I say? Chicks love that sort of talk.”
Evan shook his head, a smile creeping onto the corners of his mouth. “I’ve gotta grow up sometime. You’re only a couple of years older than me, and you’ve got a missus and two kids.”
“I wouldn’t recommend going about it the way I did. I didn’t exactly plan it out.”
“Sure, but it’s worked all right, hasn’t it?”
Dwayne nodded. “For the most part.”
“So sign me up,” said Evan, raising his hands. “I want some of that.�
�
“Yeah, but for how long? So you get married, great, but then what? Your relationship with Yumi hasn’t exactly been plain sailing. What happens when you have a big argument over whether to get a cat or a dog? What happens when she tells you to get a real job so you can afford to move out of your shitty little flat? What happens when she says she wants a baby? You wanna marry her, sure, but do you want to be a dad?”
“I could be a Dad. I was good with Corbin.”
Dwayne gave a derisive snort. “Oh, that’s right — you were good with the kid of the woman you were shagging last week who just happens to be different from the one you want to marry this week! That’s awesome Dad material right there. And what happens when Yumi’s a wreck cos the baby cries all night and she can’t get no sleep? What happens when her belly’s gone to jelly and her nipples are sore and her vagina is off limits and you’re up to your neck in shitty nappies and the next piece of skirt crosses your path? You gonna stick with Yumi and your bawling baby? Or you gonna run off chasing tail?”
“Fuck you!” Evan jumped off the rock, scowling at Dwayne. “I’d hoped you’d be a little more supportive. I’m sorry I even mentioned it.” He picked up his bike. “I’m outta here.” Climbing on, he set his foot on the pedals and pushed off, bouncing over rocks and grass.
Dwayne called from behind, “Don’t go spittin’ the dummy — I’m just providing a reality check.”
Evan ignored him.
Dwayne’s voice came floating on the air again, louder, a hint of frustration in his tone. “See you at the bottom, then!”
Not if you can’t catch me.
The trail veered off to the left and he took it, plunging down the slope, twisting and turning through the scrub and pines. He swerved to avoid a low-hanging branch and felt the tip brush his T-shirt as he whipped past. The trail dropped off in front and he slowed, lifting his bum off the seat and over the back wheel, bumping over tree roots till it levelled out again. He gave a quick pump of the pedals, gathering speed, hit a hump of dirt and gained air, landed and hit another, rising up and giggling.
What the fuck do you know, bro? I’m gonna marry Yumi and it’ll be great, and when the time comes to have a baby that’ll be great too.
Taking the Plunge Page 15
