13
Mum cornered me in the kitchen “Hello stranger. It feels like a week since I’ve seen you.”
I turned and kissed her on the cheek as I pulled myself up onto the kitchen bench “I know, we’ve both been busy.”
“So, Vaughan?” she didn’t even beat around the bush, this was where I got my boldness from, according to Vaughan.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him.”
Mum leaned back on the bench “He seems nice. Very good looking.”
“You’re not turning into a cougar on me are you?”
She rolled her eyes “Don’t be ridiculous. At least he’s better than Tyler. I never really liked him. He treated you like a trophy, what did you ever see in him?” She reconsidered her question and held her hands up “Actually, I’m your mother, don’t answer that question.”
Mum and I had few secrets. Fortunately she knew where to draw the line between mother and daughter, and sex was one of them. As long as she knew I was being safe and responsible, she was happy, and I was happy that was all she wanted to know.
“What are your plans tonight mum? Got a hot date?” I teased as I sipped my coffee.
“Bah, not likely.”
“Why not mum? You’re a beautiful woman with a lot to offer. Any man would want to date you.”
She stiffened her posture and rolled her eyes at me “I don’t have time to date. What are your plans?” the same old excuse. I wished mum would give herself more credit; she deserved to be with a man that would treat her well.
“Bec and I are going to The Ocean Bar for TGIF cocktails.”
“Is Vaughan working?”
“Yes, I’ll probably be staying at his place tonight” I threw in the last part carefully.
“Ok, be careful.”
I rolled my eyes “Yes mum” I droned at her.
“Don’t yes mum me. I just want to make sure you’re playing it safe.”
“I haven’t been there yet, but when I do I will play it safe. I’m going to have a shower now before I die of embarrassment” I added, sliding off the bench.
Justin opened the front door to the Pearson home and stepped aside for me “They’re in the bathroom. They may be a while” he warned.
“Thanks for the heads up” I said as I made my way down the hall.
“Hey Nic” Bec and Cassie chimed in unison from the bathroom.
I stood in the bathroom doorway and leaned against the frame “So Bec, who’s the guy?”
She smiled at my reflection in the bathroom mirror as Cassie straightened her sisters’ hair “What makes you think there’s a guy?”
“You were a little too eager to go to the Ocean Bar tonight, so there must be a reason.”
She smiled “He’s from one of my lectures. Did you bring that red lipstick?”
“Hi Nicola” Bec’s mum called as she passed along the hallway, carrying an overloaded laundry basket.
“Hi Beth.”
“Have you eaten? We have plenty if you’d like.”
“I’m good thanks.”
“How’s your mum? I haven’t seen her for a while. I should give her a call.”
Nodding in agreement “She needs to get out more.”
Beth continued down the hall with her laundry. Heading back to the bathroom I handed Bec the lipstick and continued to the kitchen. Justin was doing the dishes, elbow deep in soap suds; he looked up and smiled when he heard me.
“Need a hand?” I asked as I picked up a tea towel and started drying.
“Thanks.”
“What’s up?” I asked after a few minutes of Justin sneaking sideways glances at me. He had a look that told me he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to start the conversation.
“Bec told me about you and that guy from the bar.”
My hand was frozen in mid air, a glass hovering above its place in the cupboard. I swallowed the lump in my throat “Vaughan? What about him?”
His attention was back on the sink when I turned to him. “She told me you guys are a couple.”
My heart beat loudly in my chest “Yes, that’s right.”
“What’s his deal?”
I leaned against the bench next to Justin and turned my full attention to him. “What do you mean?”
“The night he came here… I don’t know Nic. I got this… weird vibe off him or something.” Justin’s gaze was intense, he was more observant than I gave him credit for.
My breath started to come rapidly in my chest and I felt my neck getting hot. “I don’t know what you mean” I lied as I turned away from Justin, putting another plate in the cupboard.
“Does he make you happy?”
I nodded my head, avoiding his gaze “Please don’t do this Justin.”
“I want you to be happy Nic” I could feel his presence close behind me now “If he ever hurt you…”
“Don’t” my voice was barely above a whisper, cutting off his sentence.
A squeak on the tile indicated that Justin had stepped back, his footsteps getting softer as he left the room. My body remained rooted to the spot. A feeling of nausea came over me and I held the bench for support. I thought this had all been said and done with Justin. The last thing I wanted was to hurt him. My breath was ragged in my chest, taking a deep breath to compose myself as Cassie entered the room “Are you ready to go?”
I nodded, throwing the tea towel on the bench and following her along the hall.
“What’s in the bag?” Bec asked as she held it up.
“Just a few things.”
“Victoria’s Secret kind of things?”
“Toothbrush, deodorant, change of clothes. How was uni?”
Cassie laughed “Nice try Nic.”
“Sooooo, you’re having a sleep over huh?” Bec drawled as we headed out of the house and to the car.
“Maybe.”
“Has he met your mum yet?”
“As a matter of fact, he has” I declared triumphantly.
“And the verdict?”
I cleared my throat and did an impersonation of my mum “At least he’s better than Tyler. I never really liked him, what did you ever see in him? Actually, don’t answer that question.”
“Ha, good call Julia” Cassie agreed.
Vaughan was waiting beside his car as Cassie pulled into the parking lot. He held the back door of Cassie’s red Nissan Pulsar open for me and took my overnight bag from my hand. His hand was on my waist s he kissed me softly on the lips. My legs went weak and my breath escaped. “Where are you going tonight?” he asked conversationally as he looked into my eyes. I felt the world stand still; holding his gaze nothing else seemed to exist but the two of us. I had lost myself in him “We are going to The Ocean Bar for a few cocktails.”
“Can you keep yourself out of trouble for that long?” he teased.
“Will you come and rescue me if I don’t?”
Bec cleared her throat to remind me that she and Cassie were standing next to me. Vaughan didn’t seem to care; he encircled his arms around my waist and pulled me to him, kissing me again “At least try to stay out of trouble, for me.”
“I promise I’ll try.”
Vaughan moved his arms away from me and stepped back, turning towards the bar “Goodbye Rebecca” he said as he followed Cassie.
Bec and I watched Cassie and Vaughan walk away and through the door of the bar. I sighed as the door closed behind him. Bec turned to me “Oh Nic!” she put her arm around my neck and led me through the car park and onto the street.
“I know” was the only response I could give, my head was still spinning.
“Do you think he has a friend for me?” Bec asked hopefully.
The Ocean Bar was attached to a major hotel chain that overlooked the scenic harbour front of Cannon Drive. We walked passed Vaughan’s apartment block and I pointed it out to Bec. “He lives up there?” she asked in awe as she stopped and stared at the building.
“Ye
p, it has the most amazing views of the harbour.”
“He drives a Masarati, lives up there” she indicated to his apartment “he’s totally in love with you. Nic, you are so lucky.”
If only she knew the whole truth about our relationship. That Vaughan was a vampire, that he couldn’t enjoy the spectacular views of his apartment and that he fed on human blood to survive. Would she still think I was lucky?
The floor to ceiling glass windows of the Ocean Bar showed us it was starting to get crowded. Once we were inside we headed straight for the bar, not taking any chances with our drinks tonight. Bec was determined to order her own drinks from now on. We took our strawberry daiquiris and weaved our way through the crowd to an empty table. Everyone was there to unwind after the working week; wearing business clothes, suits and uniforms. The dance floor was empty. Bec was scanning the room until she found what she was looking for. She waved to a guy at the bar, who moved his way to our table.
“Nicola, this is Joel, from uni” Bec introduced, he scanned me up and down and turned to his friend with a smile “Hi, this is Tim” he gestured his thumb in the direction of his friend; they both looked at us, nodding in approval and smiling. This made me feel like a piece of meat in a butcher’s window. Bec had a beaming smile on her face, so I did the only thing a best friend could do. I became her unwilling and unavailable wingman. She and Joel became engrossed in uni conversation and Bec began to flirt. I was left sitting next to the friend. Tim seemed nervous, his small dark eyes continually looked around the room, anywhere but at me and he continually took sips of his drink. “Do you go to uni too?” I asked, trying to break the awkward silence.
“Um, yeah” was the answer I got. I looked at Tim for a few seconds, hoping he would elaborate, it didn’t seem like he was going to.
“What do you study?”
“Engineering.”
“My brother studied engineering.”
“Really?” his answer was unexcited and flat.
“He works in Queensland, for a mining company. Is that what you’re hoping to do to when you finish?”
All he did was shrug his shoulders and look nervously to Joel for help, who was too deep in conversation with Bec to notice his friend’s social awkwardness, then take another sip of his drink.
“So, how do you know Joel?”
“We went to High School together.”
“What school?”
“Condoblin High. Do you come here often?” Tim asked.
My eyebrows shot up at the cheesiness of his line. “No, I usually go to Ivory, my boyfriend is a bar tender there” Adding the last part just to affirm that nothing was going to come of this mind numbingly boring conversation.
“Boyfriend, oh” Tim mumbled.
We continued to sit in silence, looking around the room, occasionally when we looked in each others direction Tim would look away nervously and sip his drink. He tapped Joel on the shoulder and tilted his head towards the bar.
“Isn’t Joel the greatest” Bec gushed as she clutched my arm, a beaming smile on her face.
“Yeah, great” I answered with sarcasm.
“Sorry about Tim. I didn’t know he was coming.”
“You’ve met him?”
“Yeah, he’s really shy.”
I rolled my eyes “That’s a word for it.”
“I hope you don’t mind?”
“Bec, do you like this guy?”
She nodded, how could I deny her this “I know you would do the same for me.”
She put her arm around my shoulder and pulled me to her “You’re the best Nic.”
Joel returned alone, Tim had suddenly not felt well and had to leave. So I sat at the table for the rest of the night listening to Bec and Joel talk about uni and lecturers and what regions they wanted to work in after they graduated. I could see that Bec and Joel had a lot in common and enjoyed each other’s company. I excused myself to go to the bathroom, Bec stood up to come with me “No, I’m fine” I assured her and she sat back down without protest.
The women’s bathroom was hot and crowded. I checked my reflection in the mirror, and stalled by reapplying my lipstick and fixing my hair. When I could dawdle no longer I turned to leave, a woman standing behind me, made me jump. I had not noticed her reflection in the mirror. Her short black hair was bobbed at her chin; she tilted her head to one side and smiled at me, her burgundy colour lipstick stretched over beaming white teeth, which had a gap in between the front two. Her eyes were heavily made up with thick eye liner. Awkwardly I smiled back then maneuvered my way past her. She stepped to the side blocking me, again with the strange smile. I stepped to the right; she did the same, blocking me again. “Excuse me” I said to her frustrated and she stepped aside and bowed slightly at the waist, letting me pass. Freak, I thought to myself. When I returned to the table my attention was on her, she went to the end of the bar where she joined a man. They were both wearing all black, shirts, pants, coats. They seemed to stand out for some reason; their clothing reminded me of the mafia. Their attire almost seemed inappropriate and out of place, from another time. The man had black hair also, slicked back and he was big and muscular, reminding me of Adrian. They both stared at me with familiarity until I broke their gaze and joined in the conversation that Bec and Joel were having. After a few moments I looked back to the bar, but they had both gone.
Joel walked us back to Ivory. The entire way I walked two paces ahead. On the opposite side of the intersection of Main and Crown I noticed the couple from the bar looking at me in that strange acknowledging way again. I turned to Bec, making sure I wasn’t alone. When I checked the road again, they were gone. Had I imagined it? We crossed and made our way to the back of Ivory and into the car park. Bec said her goodbyes to Joel and I waited beside Vaughan’s car. Ten minutes passed, which felt like an eternity, and Cassie appeared through the rear staff entrance “Hey Nic.”
“Hey.”
“How was your night?”
I tiled my head in the direction of Bec, who was now kissing Joel.
Cassie whispered and raised her eyebrows “Oh.”
“Is Vaughan still inside?”
“Yeah, he shouldn’t be too long. I’ll wait with you” and she leaned against her car, facing me.
“I think you’ll be waiting a while” I reminded her as I pointed at Bec.
“Good point. Guess what? Heidi quit.”
I tried to look surprised; I had forgotten that Cassie would have no idea of this, or why she had really left. “Oh, how did Ivan take it?”
“I don’t think he was too happy. He had to work behind the bar tonight.”
Luckily at that moment the back door opened. “Hey tequila girl” Gerri called to me, followed by Vaughan.
“You’re not going to let me live that one down are you Gerri?” I asked as she and Cassie laughed.
“Not for a while. Ask me about Nessie again” she teased.
“Are you ready to go?” Vaughan asked me. I nodded, smiling. Cassie turned to her sister and whistled “Come on Bec.”