Sighing, she said, “I don’t know. He denied it. I want to believe him but… something just feels off, you know?”
Jamie nodded. “I saw him. Having coffee. With another woman.”
“Oh, yeah? When was this?”
“Couple of weeks ago.”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time. He said they’d met when he was giving her a snowboarding lesson and they’d bumped into each other in town.”
She propped herself up on the couch, leaning against the armrest. “Well, that seems possible.”
“Yeah, but why have coffee with her? They looked pretty cosy.”
“What did she look like?”
“I dunno.” Jamie shrugged. “Blonde. Hot. She’s older than Evan. Got a kid too.”
“How do you know?”
“She told me.”
“You talked to her?”
Jamie took another swig of beer. “Yep.”
Rubbing her eyes, she said, “So? It’s a bit of a stretch to go from that to saying he’s cheating on me.”
“Maybe, but with the flowers as well? And you said he’s been acting weird lately.”
She tilted her head, staring at him. “You know, I don’t get it. Why are you telling me this? Aren’t you supposed to be his friend? Bros before hos and all that.”
“I am his friend, and I know what he’s like. Before you, he cheated on every girlfriend he ever had. And now he wants to get married?”
“Maybe he’s finally growing up.”
“I doubt it.” He narrowed his eyes, his expression serious. “Look, Yumi… I like you and I don’t want to see you get hurt. I think getting married would be a really bad idea.”
She shrugged, turning her palms over. “What choice do I have? Immigration are going to kick me out and I don’t want to go back home.”
“So don’t. Come to Oz instead.”
“What?”
“Come with me to Australia. It’s the lucky country.”
“Ha, ha. Very funny.”
“I’m serious,” he said, leaning closer. “Come to Brisbane. I can help get you a job. Dad has loads of contacts.”
She gave a nervous laugh. “Jamie, that’s crazy.”
Frowning, he said, “Look, I know this might come as a surprise, but I’ve been thinking about it all week. I… I like you, Yumiko. A lot. I don’t approve of the way Evan’s treating you.” He bent closer again, eyes soft and shining. “I’d never do that — I’d treat you like a princess. Let me take you away from all this.” He swept his arm around the room.
Her mouth hanging open, she tried to recall his behaviour towards her since she’d known him. Had there been any indication he felt this way? It was too hard to tell — he’d always been on the periphery, just another of Evan’s mates. She’d never paid much attention to him, other than as the butt for her and Evan’s private jokes. But perhaps… when she thought about it, there were signs. The cheesy grin that lit up his face when he saw her, the flattering comments, the odd derogatory remark about Evan. Subtle signs — which was surprising, because Jamie was about as subtle as a brick to the face.
She pulled her blanket higher and said, “What are you talking about? We haven’t even… I… how long have you felt like this?”
“Ages. Since Evan first introduced us. I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, but, well, you know how it is. I was torn by my loyalty to Evan.”
“So now that he asks me to marry him you take that as your opportunity?”
“Too bloody right! Fuck him — it was now or never. I can’t let you marry him, Yumiko. It would be a huge mistake. He’s lying to you.”
She struggled to comprehend his words, head spinning. He was a good-looking guy — tall and muscular, his face chiselled and square-jawed, like a Hollywood action star — but she’d never felt any physical attraction to him. The idea of moving to Brisbane with him…
She swallowed, her heart beating a little faster.
“I didn’t know you wanted to move back home.”
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Don’t get me wrong, I love Queenstown, but let’s face it — the pay is shit. I never saw it as a long-term proposition. I can earn way more back in Brisbane. Work for my dad, maybe — he keeps nagging me about it. And you’re cleaning hotel rooms. I mean, come on — surely you want more out of life than that?”
“Course I do. I was only doing it till my visa ran out.”
“Then come with me. Brisbane’s a great city — you’ll love it there.”
Her mouth felt dry and she took another sip of Coke, studying him. It was like she was seeing him for the first time, the real him, the man who lay beneath the slick facade. There was something vulnerable about the way he looked at her — eyes ablaze, pupils dilated, a drop of sweat trickling down his temple. She wondered if he was on something. The truth was, she did want to travel in Australia — see Uluru at sunset, go partying in Sydney, try diving the Great Barrier Reef. Was this an opportunity?
No, it was madness.
“I can’t just get up and leave everything here behind.”
“Why not? What’s stopping you? Evan? I’m telling you, he’s cheating on you. He’s not worth the time of day.”
“So you keep saying. But let’s just put that aside for a minute. Let’s imagine that I go with you to Oz. Assuming I can even get a work visa, how long will it last? Six months, a year maybe, and I’ll be in the same boat I’m in now.”
Jamie shrugged. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. And I told you, my dad can find you a job.”
She shook her head. “Jamie, I’m flattered, I really am, but… it’s not that simple. I can’t just run away.”
Jamie reached out, taking her hands in his. “Yes, you can. What’s left for you here? Working a shitty job and living in a shitty basement flat with a shitty cheating boyfriend? Come with me — let me show you how much you’re worth.” He leaned over her, closing his eyes and puckering his lips, and for a second she thought about kissing him, wondered what he’d taste like, could feel the air between them crackling — but no, it was just the fire, and she got a whiff of stale beer and pizza.
She turned away.
“I’m not kissing you, Jamie.”
His eyes opened. “Oh, come on, Yumi. I’ve seen the way you look at me — I know you’ve got feelings for me too.” The weight of his body pushed against her, forcing her down, his grip tight on her hands. She felt his lips brush against her cheek and she shoved as hard as she could with her shoulder.
He rolled to the floor and she sprang back, sitting on the arm of the couch.
“I told you, I’m not kissing you!”
He looked up at her, a deer in the headlights, eyes wide with dismay. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought—”
“What? That you could kiss me and I’d be in to it and then we could go to bed and fuck and it would be great and your fantasies would all come true?”
He didn’t reply, staring at her.
She realised she was trembling.
“You’re an idiot,” she told him. “I love Evan. How could you think I’d just toss that aside to be with you? Did you make up all that shit about him cheating on me so you could slide your way into my affections like some kind of fucking snake?”
“No, I swear it’s true. He doesn’t deserve you!”
She breathed deep, trying to calm herself. Her voice tight, she said, “Maybe so, but neither do you.” She pointed her finger at him. “I’m going to bed now, and I swear, if you try anything else I’ll call the fucking cops.” She stood, letting the blanket fall to the floor.
“I’m sorry, Yumi, I didn’t mean to frighten you. But you’re overreacting. I’d never do anything to hurt you. Please, let’s talk about it.”
“Just leave it, Jamie, I’m not in the mood. Help yourself to the rest of the pizza.”
“Yumiko…”
Stomping out of the room, she slammed the door. In the darkened hallway, she took another deep breath. There was movement from the Japanese snowboarders’ room and she wondered if they’d heard her shouting. The last thing she wanted was to talk to them.
She ran down the hall to Noemie’s room and shut the door behind her, wishing it had a lock. Collapsing onto the bed, she buried her head in a pillow and let the tears come.
TWENTY-NINE
It was almost two-o’clock when Evan finally had a chance to eat his lunch. The sun’s heat had melted the snow on the approach to the main chairlift, forming large puddles — much to the delight of younger patrons who flew through them, spraying friends and family with water and sludgy snow.
There were no spare tables on the deck outside the cafeteria so he propped himself in a corner, leaning against the wall. He took a bite of his sandwich, beetroot juice trickling down his chin. Wiping it with his sleeve, he scanned the crowd around him. It had been over a week since he’d heard from Yumiko. Respecting her wish, he hadn’t called her, although he’d come close last night, lying on the couch, alone and depressed, drinking beer and eating a toasted cheese sandwich because that was all he could be bothered making. He’d traced her number on the buttons of his phone over and over again while he tried to think of what he would say if she answered. Finally, fingers numb, he’d gone to bed, sleeping in his clothes.
As hard as it was to get out of bed in the morning, work at least offered a distraction. He noticed a man seated at a nearby table, dark sunglasses perched on an aquiline nose. The man’s face looked familiar, and as he tried to place it, a woman pushed her way through the crowd and sat next to him. She was wearing a brilliant white ski-jacket with a fur collar, her sleek brown hair pulled back and tied in a ponytail. The man pushed his sunglasses up onto his head, and Evan caught a glimpse of a gleaming smile as she leaned into the man and they shared a lingering kiss. They parted and she shifted on the seat, resting her head on his shoulder. The man wrapped his arm around her, turning his head as he did so and Evan suddenly realised who he was.
Lawrence.
The last time Evan had seen him Lawrence’s face had been twisted with anger. Now it was serene, the corners of his thin lips curving in a contented smile.
Lawrence turned away and the woman lifted her head from his shoulder. She stood and said something to him, the words lost in the noise of the crowd, then took his hand and pulled him from his seat. She pushed her way through the throng, towing Lawrence behind her. Evan watched as they moved off the deck and collected their skis from the racks embedded in the snow beyond, then joined the queue for the chair-lift.
Clearly, the situation in Kate’s life had changed in the last week too. He was glad — although he’d told her Lawrence’s renewed interest in her was a good thing he hadn’t really meant it. He’d wanted to get her off his back, to simplify his life, but even as the words had slipped out he’d been troubled by them, his throat constricting, stomach knotting. Lawrence may have been Corbin’s father, but there was something about him — something he’d glimpsed that day at the playground, lying coiled, snake-like, beneath the anger. A kind of sneering arrogance, contempt even, not just for Evan but for the world. Whatever her flaws, Kate didn’t deserve that.
An image of her popped into his head — the piercing green eyes, the infectious smile, the way she folded her hair behind her ear when she was nervous. His mind travelled back to the day at her house, making out on her couch, her glorious body briefly revealed, and he felt a stiffening in his ski-pants. He shifted, shaking himself, and tried to push the image out of his head and replace it with one that wasn’t R-rated. He wondered what she was doing now. Maybe she was in the garden, or perhaps playing with Corbin.
The thought of Corbin made him smile. She’s better off without either of us. Corbin’s the one she needs to focus on.
After his lunch, Evan clomped down the metal stairs to the underpass below, wincing as he stepped onto the concrete, a hangover from his bike crash. Heading for the staffroom, he passed the photo-booth, eyes skipping over the array of images on display — smiling faces and brightly-coloured clothing against a snowy mountain backdrop. Moving on, he stashed his backpack in the staffroom, then returned to the assembly point at the bottom of the learners’ slope for his next lesson. A small group of people were waiting there. He introduced himself and called the names on his schedule.
“Emily?” he said, his pen poised beside the last name on the list.
“She’s just gone to the loo,” said a bearded man with a strong Cockney accent. “She’ll be ‘ere in a minute.”
To the left of their group a couple were having an argument. The man was dressed in a blue jacket and baggy snow pants and had his front foot clipped into the binding of his snowboard. The woman, in crimson ski-pants and a lime-green jacket, both of which were several sizes too big for her, held her snowboard upright with one hand and pointed at the man with her other, waving her finger like a pistol.
“I’m tellin’ you, I’m gettin’ a fuckin' lesson! You might think you know what you’re doin’, but I have to disagree. I’ve spent the entire day’ fallin’ on my arse in cold wet snow an’ if I hear you say Just keep your weight forward one more time I’m gonna fuckin' deck you, all right?”
Evan didn’t catch the man’s reply, but whatever it was the woman wasn’t placated.
“I don’t care how much it costs! Two years we’ve been living here and this is the first fuckin' time we’ve been up the mountain. Hallelujah! Now I want to make the most of it by havin’ a lesson with someone who actually knows what they’re talkin’ about. That way I might have somethin’ to show for all the aches and pains I’m gonna have when I wake up tomorrow!”
She stomped towards Evan, dragging her snowboard along behind her, and for the second time that afternoon, he was struck by sudden recognition.
“Tracy!” he said, smiling warmly. “Howzit going?”
She scowled at him, craning her neck. He lifted up his goggles and the scowl disappeared.
“Oh, Evan, hi,” she said, flashing a smile in return. “Now, that’s handy.” She called over her shoulder, “You can fuck off now — I’ve found myself a proper instructor. I’ll see you when I’m done.”
The man shook his head, but did as he was told, melting into the queue for the chairlift.
“I take it you want a lesson?” asked Evan.
“Yes, please,” said Tracy, beaming at him. “I haven’t booked though.”
He laughed. “No problem, we’ll sort it out afterwards. Rough day?”
“Don’t even ask.” She pointed up the learners’ slope. “All I want is to get from up there to down here, without falling on my tits or my arse. Can you teach me that?”
“I reckon so.”
A woman joined the group, slipping in beside the bearded Englishman.
“Emily?” Evan asked, and she nodded.
“Right, everyone, listen up.”
By the end of the hour most of the group had managed to string together a series of turns on their way down the learners’ slope. Despite her words to the contrary, Tracy was the standout. More aggressive in attitude, she had made several runs from the top to the bottom without falling, carving graceless but competent turns along the way and thereby achieving her goal. If a turn looked like it might go awry she would scream abuse at both her snowboard and the snow beneath her feet — a strategy that seemed to work, for more often than not she was able to correct her stance and regain control.
On the last run of the lesson he went ahead and waited for the others, offering advice and encouragement as they made their way down. At the bottom they thanked him and went their separate ways — some back up the learners’ slope, some to the cafeteria for a rest, and the English couple into the queue for the chairlift, prepared to brave the challenge of steeper terrain.
Tracy was the last to come down. Neglecting to turn during her descent, she gathered speed, rushing towards him.
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“What are you doing?” he called, scowling, and bent to gather his snowboard, preparing to move out of her way.
As the slope flattened out she dug in her backside edge, spraying snow in Evan’s direction. Bending down had been a mistake — a blast of cold sludge smacked him in the face. But the stunt was also Tracy’s undoing, for she overbalanced and fell flat on her bum, crying out and skidding the last few metres to stop in front of him, her face contorted in a grimace.
“Ow!” she said. “My arse is on fire. It’s worse than being sodomised.”
He wiped snow off his face with a wet glove. “Ha, ha, serves you right. What was that for? I thought I’d been a good teacher.”
“Oh, you were,” replied Tracy, unclipping her bindings. “Better than Davy, that’s for sure. No, that was for breakin’ up with Kate.” She looked up at him, slowly shaking her head. “What were you thinkin’? Sure, she can be a little uptight, but underneath that prissy exterior lies a passionate woman. You could do a lot worse, you know.” She reached out a hand. “Here, help me up.”
“I know,” said Evan, pulling her onto her feet. “It’s just… I guess I wasn’t feeling it.”
Brushing snow off her behind, Tracy said, “Looked like you were feelin’ it that night at the pub.”
“Yeah, well, maybe I was. But then she went and ruined it by saying she loved me.”
Tracy put her hands on her hips. “So? What’s the big deal? Poor woman was just horny after a couple of months of celibacy.”
“A couple of months?” queried Evan.
“Well, it might have been longer. Before he moved out, she said she wasn’t even talkin’ to Lawrence, let alone havin’ sex with him.”
He looked Tracy in the eye. “She told me they split up last summer.”
Tracy paused, wrinkling her nose. “She did?” Then she shrugged. “Oh, well, no biggie. I guess she just didn’t want you thinkin’ she was on the rebound.”
Taking the Plunge Page 21
