by Mark Green
‘In a way. Only Rupert’s already had your lump sum – in that suitcase – which you gave away. My fee, by the way, has been added to Rupert’s account.’
‘Finally something he is responsible for in this whole sorry mess.’ Maddie glanced over at Fender.
‘Indeed.’
Rupert bristled. ‘I’m sorry, alright. Look Maddie, this is—’
‘All your fault.’
He dropped his eyes from her glare, shoulders slumping. ‘Yes, okay! But if you’d not taken off, you’d never have known.’ He sighed, folded his arms. ‘I messed up. I’m sorry, truly. I tried to sort it out, wanted to make a fresh start. So we could build a life together.’
‘By rewriting our marriage vows in your favour?’
‘Maddie, come on. Be realistic. The …’ he shot Fender a look, lowered his voice, ‘physical side of things … you can’t blame me for that.’
She bit her lip and looked away.
‘Please Maddie, come home with me. I’ll make it up to you. We can—’
‘No. I can’t, not now. You were good to me, when we lost Stefan. I’ll always be grateful to you for that, but it’s time to move on. For both of us.’
Rupert took a deep breath, contemplating. After a while he nodded slowly, met her flitting gaze. ‘I’m grateful too, for your help sorting this mess out … my mess. If there’s anything I can do …’
‘There is, actually.’
They held eye contact.
‘Before I sign, let me see your wallet.’
He frowned. ‘Why?’
Maddie sat back in the chair and folded her arms. ‘Do you want me to sign, or not?’
Rupert shook his head and fished his wallet out of his pocket. Fender intercepted and plucked the wallet from his fingers. He strolled over to Maddie and handed it to her.
‘Still got some credit cards, I see. And a debit card. Which is more than me, right now.’ She looked up from peering into the wallet’s leather segments to meet Fender’s inquisitive gaze. ‘Victoria, probably. Sneaky cow. Some sort of duplicate bank-card scam. I could use some travel cash.’
She dropped her eyes and emptied the contents of the wallet into her lap. ‘But this isn’t enough. However … that’s a rather chunky-looking keepsake, Rupert.’ Maddie held up her diamond engagement ring, studied the reflections of light in the stone as she rotated it. ‘Beautiful. I reckon it’s worth at least a few hundred. So, these cards … they’ve got to be good for three hundred dollars each, right?’ She tucked the currency into her pocket, then palmed the ring. ‘You can have this back after going to the cash machine – I passed several on the way over. Off you go, time’s a wasting.’ She stuffed the cards inside the wallet, then tossed it back to him, smirking as he scrabbled to stop it heading out the window.
‘I can’t, I’ll be overdrawn – will have to start paying interest straight away on the credit—’
‘Hey, you think I give a shit about your interest?!’ Maddie held up the ring. ‘You can use this to cover it, when you get home. Nine hundred dollars please, in the next ten minutes. Or no deal.’
‘Maddie, for Christ’s sake!’ Rupert turned to Fender. ‘Tell her about the urgency!’
Fender smiled, his lips thin, expression cruel. ‘You’d best toddle off, Rupert. You heard what your ex-fiancée said.’
‘I thought you were in a hurry to get back to England – some sort of family crisis.’
‘I am.’
‘Unforeseen – a game changer, you called it.’
‘So I did. Quite possibly, even a regime changer.’
‘Cryptic.’
‘Necessarily so.’
‘Then why the hell are you—’
‘Take caution in your tone. My birthday cheerfulness and our pseudo-buddy banter were only valid for one day. Ms Bryce has made a fair request, given what she’s about to surrender in order to save your arse. You’ve got eight and a half minutes left, chum, then my Taser trigger finger gets twitchy.’
Rupert stood there gaping for a moment. Then he stomped across the room and hurried down the stairs, slamming the front door as he left.
Fender glanced out of the window, the corners of his mouth creasing upwards. ‘Bravo, Madeline. Adversity overcome. I do believe you’re adapting to a life less plentiful.’
‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’
‘Excellent. Exactly the spirit it was intended. Would you like some tea while you peruse the rest of the agreement?’
‘Sure. It’ll help to take the sour taste out of my mouth.’
Fender raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching with amusement. He turned to Saru, who withdrew, scurrying out of the room.
• • •
Bozzer glanced up from studying his camera’s screen. He smiled at Maddie, stood resting her hands on the back of a chair opposite him.
‘All sorted?’
‘For now, yes.’ She pulled out the chair and sank down onto it.
‘You look like you need a drink.’
‘Yeah. Later, maybe. Before that, got something for you …’ She plunged her hand into a pocket, pulling out a bundle of notes which she counted out under the table. She folded roughly half the currency and pushed it back in her pocket, then passed the rest to him.
‘What happened – you mug him?’
‘I used what little leverage I had.’
‘So it went okay?’
‘Oh, you know … a sordid drugs deal carried out in a business-like manner. But the deed is done. I managed to screw the cash out of Rupert, so that’s half my flight reimbursed. I’ll settle up the rest once we get to Lima.’
Bozzer shot her a look.
‘Relax. Not literally screwed it out of him.’
Bozzer nodded. ‘Okay, cheers.’ He pocketed the cash and shifted his gaze away. They sat there for several minutes in silence.
‘Want to talk about it?’ he asked eventually.
Maddie slowly shook her head. ‘Not really. The headlines are … me and Rupert, we’re done. He’s putting my stuff into storage, I’ll sort it out when I get back.’ She took a deep breath and sighed. ‘He was good to me, in the early days. I always felt I owed him for that. But thanks to Stefan looking after me, I’ve been able to repay him. I think it’s helped me too, to let go.’ She glanced at him and attempted a sheepish smile. ‘The other stuff … maybe some other time, when it’s not so fresh.’
‘Okay. Whenever you’re ready.’
‘Thanks.’ Maddie stooped down, rubbed her bare ankle. ‘This feels surreal.’
‘Being released?’
‘Being on my own.’
‘Not entirely …’
She straightened up and squinted into the sunshine at him. ‘No. Mind if we get a move on? My head feels fuzzy.’
‘Sure.’ Bozzer stood up and rummaged through his pockets, depositing some coins on the table. Maddie followed him along the side street until it intersected with the main road running parallel to the promenade. ‘I’ll get us a ride,’ he said, lifting his fingers to his mouth, preparing to whistle at the tuk-tuk drivers bunched together on the opposite side of the road.
‘Actually, do you mind if we have a few more minutes? I’d like to sit and watch the river, let all this sink in before saying goodbye to … well, almost everything I’ve ever known, actually.’
He grinned.
‘What?’
‘Don’t look now, but the sleep-deprived and hungover ex-con is learning to chillax.’
She smiled. ‘Maybe so.’
‘Methinks you’re starting to get into this traveller life … either that, or you really are hustling me – playing the long game.’
Maddie looked at him through tired eyes and managed a flicker of an amused smile before she shifted her gaze to the flow of traffic, scanning it for a gap.
‘Time will tell, my reprobate travel buddy, time will – go, go, GO!’ Maddie grabbed Bozzer’s hand and yanked him across the road behind the back wheel of a scooter and the front
of a taxi. They sprinted together, aiming for the wide-paved walkway on the far side.
‘Woo-hoo!’
‘Jesus, it’s too early in the day for that sort of exercise,’ he wheezed, staggering onto the safety of the wide pavement beside her.
‘Over here, okay?’ she asked, leading him by the hand to the low wall bordering the slope down to the river. ‘Isn’t this where we saw the sunrise from?’
‘Pretty much.’
‘Fantastic. I want to remember this spot, commit it to memory.’
‘I can help with that.’ Bozzer removed his camera from its bag. ‘Are you ready to be immortalised?’
Shh-clitch.
Memory Card 3. Pic 582
‘Metropolis metamorphosis. A city rising from the devastation of a generation, bustling again, full of hope and optimism. This spot by the river viewed from night through to noon, lending a changing perspective for this born-again traveller – not a moment too soon. Setting out to discover her place in the world, stake a claim on a beautiful life, so glad she didn’t end up with someone else, as their unappreciated trouble ‘n strife.’
Maddie stared at the camera lens from behind her sunglasses, following it down to where it dangled loose on its strap, by his side. She pushed her sunglasses up onto her head, settled her eyes on his.
‘That was lovely, I think. Thank you.’
Bozzer blinked, breaking his trance. He looked away from her, busied himself with tucking his camera safely into the padded bag. ‘De nada,’ he murmured, shifting his gaze back to her.
Across the wide pavement behind them, the traffic rumbled on relentlessly. Scooters weaved between cars, trucks carrying men in ragged, dusty construction clothing trundled past, tuk-tuks jostled, all vying for a better position. Pedestrians strolled by, overtaken by joggers. Tourists paused to take photographs. People continued with the obligations of their daily chores, oblivious to the stationary time bubble encompassing the two travellers, standing in the sunshine beside the river. Their world decelerating, movements slowing, a deep realisation of being right there, in their moment, that awareness engrossing, completely captivating.
Maddie’s photo smile ebbed away, drawn to him, her heart’s cadence building, a warm tingly sensation spiking deep in the pit of her stomach, prickling her palms, sparking irregular clutches of breath. Their eyes locked together, his no longer shifting away, hers gazing into a future that lacked doubt or apprehension.
Bozzer took a tentative step forwards, holding the intensity of their connection in his unwavering gaze. A boy on a skateboard rattled by, springing his foot down on the pavement, propelling the wheels faster, crouching his body, preparing to scoot his foot down to push again, his effortless mechanical movement sluggish, slowing, diminishing to half-speed, a quarter, an eighth, a sixteenth … super slo-mo. Bozzer flicked his eyes left, transiting in the same super-slow motion as the skateboarder, gliding past, frame by frame. His eyes darted back to find hers. He took another step closer, the vehicle noise ebbing away around them, the traffic’s busy resonance fading, all other peripheral movement slackening in tempo, ebbing to a complete stop.
Maddie eased her sunglasses off her head. She lowered her hand, flingers clutching the folded plastic. Bozzer took a final step to her. He reached out, his fingers slipping into her empty palm, goosebumps tingling her skin as he slid his other hand behind her back. She draped the sunglasses hand around his neck, leaning in. Their lips pressed together tenderly, torsos touching lightly, connecting, their skin warm, energised against each other.
He eased his head back an inch, his eyes searching hers, checking: inappropriate contact, or mutual need? She returned his searching gaze, hesitant, yet slowly leant in again, nuzzling her lips against his, the taste of coffee and alcohol and smoke lingering as they kissed. A long pause before easing apart, so slowly, still cheek to cheek, holding each other close. Outside their frozen time bubble, the boy skateboarding flicked his foot down, connecting with the paving slab, propelling the four small wheels onwards, their juddering, whirling sound resonating through the ground, vibrating up through Maddie’s legs, as though she were a giant tuning fork. Their lips connected again. Energy surged, trembling through her skin, shimmering through their lips for one eternal minute of soul-searching solidarity. Gradually, they eased apart, leaving a delicious lingering tingle that lived on, long after the moment had passed.
‘Mmm … Shutter Stutter at its very best. Will that be in the book – that secret je ne sais quoi?’
‘Yeah, absolutely, but it’s gonna cost extra – you’re a high flight-risk inmate.’ Bozzer sniggered and drew back, a flush of red drawn up to his cheeks, mirroring Maddie’s pink complexion.
‘You’re blushing.’
‘It’s the heat. Mad Aussie dogs and English girls, out in the midday sun.’
Maddie prodded his chest playfully, took half a step back, her hand dropping to her side, finding his, loitering there. Their fingers touched, caressed, entwined. Bozzer drew back, broke away from her touch to stifle a yawn. ‘S’cuse me. Jeez, I’m whacked.’
‘It’s not the company, trust me,’ she responded. ‘Shall we take a walk back to the hotel?’
Bozzer nodded, blocking another yawn. ‘Take me home and tuck me up in bed before I crash and burn right here …’
Maddie slipped her hand back into his, leading him across the promenade towards the main road, heading for the shade of the buildings on the opposite side. She wore a permanent, aching grin, the sensation of his thumb skimming a circular motion on her palm sending tingles of excitement rocketing up her spine.
Forty-Four
Beep, beep, beep, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!
Maddie jerked awake. She forced her sleepy-sore eyes open just enough to peer through the tiny forehead-scrunching gap and scan the room for the source of the noise.
‘Arrrrggg!’
She forced her eyes open a little wider, rolled up onto her side and peered over the foot of the bed. Bozzer’s sleeping bag jerked, his hands flapping as he desperately swept them across the floor.
‘Where are you, noisy little sucker?!’ His fingers clasped around his mobile phone. He held it close to his face, squinting at the bright screen, finally silencing the alarm.
‘Fuck me, feels like I shut my eyes twenty seconds ago …’ he mumbled, his arm clamped across his eyes.
‘I know. Horrible.’
Bozzer sat up and squinted at her, attempting a lopsided grin to match his bed hair, flattened on one side.
‘Such a catch,’ she remarked, ‘you always look this good in the morning?’
‘Technically, Princess Madge, it’s early evening.’
‘Last night, this afternoon … whatever. Don’t misinterpret this, but a few hours ago, when we came back here to sleep, well, I’m not saying anything was going to happen, but there was an offer for you not to sleep on the floor.’
Bozzer prised his eyes fully open and grinned. ‘There was the possibility of jiggy jiggy, and I missed out?’
‘No, simpleton. There was the offer of one side of a comfortable bed and your promise of no Mister Tickle wandering hands. But I came out of the bathroom and found you passed out on the floor.’
Bozzer laughed. ‘Hey, get used to that. Start out the way we intend to carry on, right?’ He stood up, flexing his hips to shuffle the sleeping bag down his body. He kicked it off his legs, stretched and groaned, then rubbed his face and shuffled into the bathroom.
‘Cold water,’ he mumbled, ‘is what I need.’
‘We’d better get going,’ she called out over sounds of a tap running and sploshes of water. She pushed the covers off and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, dangling them into her shorts.
‘Yeah, cool. Just putting in my false teeth.’
‘Your what?!’
He poked his head sideways around the bathroom door, looking her up and down, catching her pulling the shorts up over her hips. She spun her back to him, yanking the zip up. ‘Didn’t I tell
you? Same brand as the artificial hip and glass eye.’
She glanced over her shoulder, her face flushing a deep red. ‘Don’t do that!’
‘What – joke?’
‘Jump out! Being in close proximity with someone I don’t know yet, it’s unsettling.’
Bozzer’s sideways head gravitated up and down the doorframe, like something out of a 1960s horror film. ‘The first rule of travelling is don’t be bashful,’ he said, winking at her before pulling his head back and shutting the bathroom door.
‘And the first rule of travelling with me, is – be respectful!’
‘Yeah, see that’s where the problem lies …’ he mumbled from behind the door, ‘you’re travelling with a S’tralian – it ain’t gonna happen.’
• • •
Maddie clasped her hands together, then rubbed her tingling palms on her shorts. ‘This is kinda scary,’ she murmured, dragging her rucksack forwards a couple of paces, closing the gap behind the back of the queue.
‘Nah, it only feels that way because you’re with me. I have that effect on helpless posh English girls.’
‘I, matey, am not helpless.’
‘Foolish, then, travelling with me.’
‘Whatever it is, it beats chauvinistic matrimony.’
‘That really where your old life was going?’
‘Heading that way …’
He nodded, thought on this for a moment. ‘So we agree to a banish-the-boredom treaty. Whatever this is, between us, wherever it goes – develops, fizzles out, whatever – we agree that the moment one of us gets bored, we call it.’
Maddie held eye contact with him.
‘What?’
‘Just making sure you’re being straight.’
‘Hey, I’ll always be straight with you. This is my natural happy-snappy-happy state.’
‘Mmm.’
They shuffled on, another two paces nearer to the check-in desk.
‘Look out South America …’
‘Look out same-name eBay couple.’
‘Think we’ll run into them?’
‘All things are possible … the world of the traveller is—’
‘Minuscule?’
‘Magnetic.’
She turned to face him, an infectious smile twitching on her lips. ‘This is where my journey started, in an airport much like this one.’
