Christmas in Melbourne was like nothing else I’d ever experienced. As a weathered traveler and citizen of a great American city, I’d been to some amazing urban holiday parties. But here? Celebrations were intense.
Used to riding in cabs and booking with nice resort hotels, I discovered that enjoying the city on a tiny budget could be an amazing experience too. The public transit system was running for free all day, so the vacation group zipped back and forth to catch half a dozen roast dinner deals throughout the city. We giggled over rare kangaroo steaks served with Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes, and washed them all down with pints of lager. Then, stuffed beyond capacity and happily buzzed, we headed to the pier to catch a boat to Tasmania. The water sparkled in the late morning, the water turning a deep shade of blue as the ship moved southward for 10 long, peaceful hours.
We docked at Hobart late in the day. Though most of the city’s inhabitants were inside their homes spending the holiday with their families, there were a couple of eateries, pubs and stores open for us. In the end we loaded our purses and backpacks with snack food and drinks and hiked to the beach.
In Hobart, the main beach was fairly tangled and wild. Instead of wide spans of yellow sand, here we walked across small stretches of mud, sand and grassy inlets. If I’d been visiting as a resort-style tourist, I realized I would have been annoyed at the lack of pristine sand lined with sunbathing lounge chairs. What a snob I could be! This time, however, I truly appreciated the unkempt spectacle. Especially since it was completely deserted.
A member of the group found a simple stand grill abandoned in the weeds, and moved it towards the spot where the water lapped the land. We piled in some dried wood and lit it up for a Christmas barbecue. It was everything we’d come to expect from an Australian Christmas, minus any real Australians.
In the glow of the tiny fire, the six of us sang drunken carols and played silly games. Though everyone was undoubtedly happy in the moment, there was an unspoken, melancholic undertone to the day. After all, none of us had significant others - including, I suspected, myself - and if we had family members they were far away. After a couple of hours of sharing a collection of rubbery, over-charred shellfish with deli-aisle potato salad and beer, we fell into a lazy, amicable silence around the grill. The waves washed ashore rhythmically, and one by one the stars – upside down – revealed themselves.
Pondering just where I had gone wrong with Adam, I suddenly became angry with him. Where was he, anyway? Like, virtually? What kind of person just lets their girlfriend disappear into the night without a word? Fueled by alcohol and loneliness, I took out my cell phone and fired off several quick rounds of text messages.
-Adam? You did get my message, right? About going to Melbourne??
-I’m okay, by the way…
-Merry Christmas?
I decided to give him no more than two minutes to reply before I turned nasty. I was sick of being everyone’s calm, patient, understanding doormat. Screw that. Thankfully for both of us, Adam saw my messages and started to reply immediately. My heart fluttered as I watched the bouncing ellipsis signal his key strokes. Part of me was worried that he was going to be cruel, and tell me to leave him alone. My breath came in quick gasps, but a quick look around told me that everyone else was too caught up in themselves to notice my agitation. Good.
-Why does it sound like you haven’t been getting my emails?
“Um, what?!” I typed the same.
-I’ve sent you like six emails! Don’t you ever check that stuff anymore? I assumed you were ignoring me for some reason?
-OMG. Are u serious right now? My inbox is totally empty of Adam messages?!
-WTF, did you change the address?
-NO!!!!!
-Jesus Christ. I can’t believe this. It’s fucking Christmas, Mel! Are you alright down there?! You should have called when you didn’t hear from me!
-……umm, same to you?
-Right, fair enough
-Anyway yeah I’m okay. How is the household from hell?
I re-thought that last bit and rewrote it.
-How’s the family
-Not good. Julie is making trouble with the sale of the house. It’s ready to go and there is a decent offer but she is pressuring Dave to hold out for more or she’ll leave him. Honestly, we couldn’t possibly get more for it. She’s being unreasonable.
-I’m shocked.
This time, I didn’t rewrite it.
-I’m sure. But we can talk about that another time. Melissa, I miss you.
The simple statement made my stomach lurch, and I tried to angle myself so that no one would notice the tears that immediately began to stream down my face. The dark of the beach at night saved me from explaining myself to my companions.
-Oh wow I really needed to hear that! <3 :)
-…
-OMG I miss you too, so much! Always! But I had to get out of there. That woman is poisonous, and I didn’t want it to rub off on me :/
-Maybe you’re right. I don’t know. I’m sorry she has you so riled up. I know she really has nothing to do with you and me, and honestly not even Dave if she keeps acting like this. It’s sad for the kids.
I sighed and subtly wiped my face on the sleeve of my long-sleeved shirt, thrown over my tank top like a very light jacket. The night was so beautiful, and here I was in such a special part of the world with great people and love in my heart. It all gave me real hope for the future, and for the first time since I’d come to Australia I felt like I had truly made all the right moves.
Adam and I chatted for some time before calling it a night and making plans to talk the next day. With my friends dozing around me and the thin breeze bringing scents of forest and sea together, my heart felt heavy with good things. Then, suddenly, suspicious arose in my mind.
Why exactly hadn’t Adam’s emails been reaching me? If I could blame anyone for such a thing… well, let’s just say there was only one suspect.
Chapter 20
Flying Back to Sydney
I’ll say one thing for Hobart on Boxing Day: It knows how to shop. Whereas the day before, we’d had difficulty finding a couple of shops open for business, Boxing Day was fully commercial. With little else to do before the afternoon ship docked to pick up passengers headed back to the mainland, most of our group went shopping. Unable to help myself when it came to special sales days, I paraded through the crowded stores in the early morning, curious about what might be on sale following Christmas Day. I found everything from chocolate and cakes to electronics and gift baskets.
My treasure-hunting instincts got the better of me, and I embarked on the return boat carrying several bags full of merchandise. Though I’d actually bothered to write up a budget for my week of vacation, I told myself that things would even out soon enough. Why not do things that made me happy, while I could? Satisfied enough with pushing thoughts of independent inadequacy out of my mind for the time being, I debated whether I should go back to Sydney right away. After all, I’d had a lovely break and perhaps it was time to get business and personal issues settled once and for all.
There was plenty of time to think and make plans during the trip back to Melbourne, so I had a couple of fruit salads and did just that.
“A few of us are going to head to the Golburn Valley once we hit the mainland,” a girl called Tina informed me. “There are some fruit-picking jobs out there with dirt-cheap accommodation, and most of us need to stop for a bit and make some money. What do you figure?”
I smiled, trying not to look horrified at the prospect. Had I blended in so well with the hostel-hoppers that they really thought I needed to labor in the hot sun for 30 bucks a day? For the millionth time, I realized how lucky I was to have some money and “real” job prospects. Politely, I declined. “But I hope it goes well. Will you guys be able to make enough to eventually get out of there? I think it’s harder than it sounds…”
“Aww, we’ll be fine. We can always share cots and pool resources.”
Tina winked at me.
“Okay, as long as you’re sure.” Looking out over the water, we could see a pod of dolphins leaping through the ocean alongside the cruise ship. We stayed silent for a few minutes, resting our chins on our hands and watching them swim.
“Hey Tina? You’re in IT, right? I mean when you aren’t struggling to survive in the wilds of Australia?”
She laughed good-naturedly. “Yep, that’s what the semi-unimpressive resume says. Why?”
I bit my bottom lip, thinking. “Is it possible for someone to hack into your email account, and stop you from receiving messages from a certain address?”
Tina’s pretty, slanted eyes widened. “Basically, anything is possible when it comes to online accounts. Who are you trying to hack, exactly?”
My jaw dropped a bit. “No, no! I think someone did this to me, not the other way around!”
“Oh good, I was going to have to decline politely.” We both laughed and I swatted her on the cheek playfully.
“No, seriously. My boyfriend says he’s been emailing all week, and I’ve got nothing. And there’s this other woman…she was spying on my emails before I left. I think she maybe did something, hoping to mess things up for me. Does that make sense?”
Tina rolled her eyes skyward. “Unfortunately, yes. Some people are just naturally evil. Can I have a look at your laptop?”
“Yes, please!”
We walked to a set of tables and sat on either side of the computer. I sipped some wine and bought a drink for Tina as thanks for her help, and texted Adam while she explored my computer.
-I’m flying back to Sydney tomorrow, okay? Can I stay in the project house for a couple of nights?
I assumed that we could get the sale of the property wrapped up in that time, and then I could head back home – alone or otherwise.
-That’s fine but we’re doing an open house on Monday afternoon.
-What about the buyer?
-He pulled out.
-??
-Julie.
My cheeks reddened in anger.
-I think this deal is between you, your brother and a buyer. You two can handle it without her input, don’t you think? This is getting more than ridiculous.
-Yeah. The open house is a secret from her. I want to finish this thing up and get some papers signed. Dave will get some seed money for his next real estate project and enough to cover expenses for awhile. That’s all I wanted to do for him.
-Cool babe. Hey, I hope it goes really well. I’ll help of course. But afterwards, I think it’s time for me to go home.
-Well I guess that’s what we talked about, right?
What the hell was that supposed to mean? Did he want to come back with me or not?
-Yep. Job’s done and need to get back to my place and make some money. With the new portfolio! Thanks for everything <3
-Of course, babe. You did a great job. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?
-Sure :) I’ll send you my flight details. Pick me up? We can do a nice dinner and stuff.
He sent me a thumbs-up emoticon. I rolled my eyes and put the phone back in my purse.
Chapter 21
Revenge Schemes
“So yeah, I see what she’s done,” Tina said, glancing at me over the screen of my computer. “Nothing complex, even. Just added your boyfriend to a block list. I’ve taken him off but can’t recover any missed messages. Here, update your password.”
She swiveled the computer to face me. I breathed out forcefully, pressing my lips together. “Stupid bitch,” I said quietly, not caring enough to keep my feelings inside.
“Yeah, no kidding. Put in a strong password and keep your stuff away from whoever did this. I mean, she’s hardly a tech genius but obviously she’s pretty effed-up.”
I nodded. “She’s made my life unbearable complicated, that’s for sure. Thanks for helping, Tina. I’ll be more careful with my stuff from now on.”
“Make sure you do! There are weird people everywhere. Hey,” she added in a sly voice, “you want to get back at her?”
I cocked my head to one side and gazed at the young girl. She grinned. “Well… let’s say I did. What might you suggest?”
Tina crossed her arms and leaned forward. “Tell me about her.”
We spent the next few hours drinking wine and gossiping about Julie, and once I’d run out of information on my nemesis, I spilled my guts about Allen, Cole, Frank and Adam. It felt great to offload all the emotional baggage and be open with someone. She admitted that she was also in an awkward, long-distance relationship with another woman in Canada, and we traded sob stories.
“People say that text messaging is only causing more problems with communication in a relationship,” Tina said. I shook my head vehemently.
“No, that’s crap. Over the phone, people are just as cagey and hard to interpret. I mean how often do people misunderstand each other, or manipulate each other, when they are talking face-to-face?”
“Yeah, good point. I guess it’s just plain impossible to put your own ideas into another person’s head.”
“Or to get their ideas out and into your own,” I affirmed.
“Exactly. Sometimes I feel like staring at my girlfriend silently would have the same effect as a 20-minute conversation.”
“Actually I think that’s the tactic my ex-husband subscribed to”
She giggled. “Okay but seriously, I can fuck Julie’s shit right up if you want me to. Just get me an email address.”
“Thanks, Tina. That’s really cool of you. But I’m trying to do this bigger-person thing, you know?”
She nodded emphatically, finishing another glass of wine. “That’s a good thing to do. Good for you. But, like…” she was slurring, but then, so was I at that point. “You’ve got to do something!”
I tugged on her shirt, motioning for her to follow me to an unoccupied couch where we could collapse more comfortably.
“Yeah, but what? I’m really not good at revenge schemes. I tend just to run away from confrontation and let it sort itself out,” I admitted, thinking once more of the anonymous post on my blog.
“Well that’s no good. I mean, I’m not evil or anything, but I have to admit I’ve filled my ex’s mailbox with dog poo before. It’s pretty fun.”
I gave her a shocked face and she tried to conceal a laugh. “What? It wasn’t going to hurt her!”
An attendant came by with two fresh drinks for us, which we plucked from the cart happily. Sipping #Who-Knows, I took out my phone and booked a flight from Melbourne to Sydney for the next day. We would dock in a couple of hours, I’d sleep off my night of drinking in a hotel room, then be fresh and ready to fly back to Adam the next morning…or afternoon. Deciding on an afternoon flight, I made the transaction and ignored yet another unsolicited email from Cole.
Sliding the phone into my purse, I refocused on my companion. “Hey,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Do you think there’s some way to combine two of my problems?”
“Huh?”
An wonderful, nasty little idea began to form in my head. I felt my mouth curl up in a happy sneer. “Cole, and Julie? What do you think we can do there?”
Tina sat up straight and grinned at me. “See, there it is! Your evil side! The part of you that knows you deserve some healthy, creative revenge!”
I glanced around suspiciously, as if Julie herself might be on the boat, spying on me in person this time. I saw only strangers, and all of them out of earshot. Still, I beckoned Tina closer with a crooked finger. We both couldn’t help but giggle at our obviously drunk and silly state.
“The clear answer is that this guy needs to latch onto a woman, and that woman should be Julie. Right?”
I nodded in confirmation. “But how do we connect them in a way that makes sense?”
Both of us thought for several minutes in silence, twisting scenarios in our brains and trying to make the two entities meet in a sensible way. I drank deeply from my wine glass and slid down flat on
the couch so that I could watch the stars grow brighter. Tina did the same on the other side. At this point in the cruise, many people had gone to rooms to nap, or to the dining area, so our area was quiet. I listened to the waves of the Tasman Sea rippling against the sides of the boat. It was hard to believe that life could be such a muddle just then, when everything was simple and physical. The boat, the water, our bodies kept afloat while in transit between land masses. I sighed, contented for the moment.
Suddenly, Tina scrambled up in her part of the seat and tapped me rapidly on the forehead.
“Ah! What?”
“She messed with your emails, so I’ll mess with hers. And work in some creative writing, while I’m at it. It’s a skill I’ve been wanting to develop.”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“I can start an online relationship between her and your guy,” she tried to explain. “And keep the evidence out of her sight until it’s too late, and the dude is calling her. Or better yet, showing up at her door?”
I chuckled. “Maybe too far. But it’s interesting.”
Chapter 22
All About Adam
Once again, Adam helped me carry my suitcases through Sydney Airport. This time, he loaded them into the back of his brother’s ute before asking me what I wanted to eat for an early dinner.
“I’m more interested in what you would like.” I said sweetly. True on multiple levels. He gave me a curious glance.
“You know, I don’t get asked that an awful lot.”
I put a hand on his thigh and squeezed gently. “I’ve been noticing. You’re always focusing on other people. It’s a great thing, and it makes you one of the best people in the world. But how about for the next couple of days, you try focusing on yourself? You make the decisions. Hmm?”
Adam made a surprised sound. “Really?”
“Really.” I knew I was going to return home very soon, and before that happened I truly wanted Adam to have a chance to relax and be a bit selfish. I’d realized that even his ongoing drama with Julie was a symptom of his need to fix other people’s problems. His brother’s, mine, his friends’ in the States…maybe a temporary shift of his focus would do him some good. “You deserve a break from trying to make me happy.”
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