Chapter Forty-One
To: tessmcgee
Cc: ellieparker
Lock up your daughters, Onslow!
I'm coming home!
Sender: Adam I can jump puddles Henderson
Adam's grand homecoming coincided with another disco in the beer garden. Okay, so maybe Ellie and I had begged and pleaded with Uncle Eric and Chris to hold one that weekend. Hell, we wanted to celebrate.
The best thing about having inside connections was that we managed to get the disco organised for the Friday night, a non-work night! I even suggested to Chris he could promote Amy from dish pig to fill-in waitress. He begrudgingly agreed to give her a go and that resulted in Amy becoming President, Vice President and Secretary of the Tess McGee Fan Club. No more dirty looks for me!
Amy skidded through the back sliding door to the beer garden where I sat with Ellie in a shady spot where only a small slither of sunlight reached.
"Tess, I heard your phone go off." Amy handed over my bag.
"Ta."
She smiled brightly and ran back to the restaurant to get stuck into her waitressing chores.
"She is the most enthusiastic waitress I've ever seen," Ellie said with a laugh.
My screen was lit up with the words '1 new message'.
Toby.
A smile broke out across my face.
"One guess." Ellie playfully kicked at my chair.
Life was easier now, better. I didn't have to snoop around corners for secondhand information or rely on Ellie to give me the update on when the Onslow Boys would be coming in. Instead, Toby and I texted. We had each other's numbers now. It was officially on, but we were still keeping quiet about it, keeping it on the down low for a while. We hadn't seen each other since that night at McLean's Beach and then his house; he was either at the garage or I was at the caf?.
So I couldn't help but beam when I read the message.
See you at 8
Toby.
"Is he sending you love poetry or something?" Ellie peeked over her shades, shades she didn't really need now that the sun had shifted.
I sighed. "Not exactly, but it's good enough for me."
I went home to change, the thought of arriving at the disco all fresh and clean, instead of stinking of kitchen fumes, my hair shiny instead of limp from steam over the stove and sink was a nice change. A brilliant change. I glammed up some fitted jeans with some fancy heels and a baby blue halter that contrasted nicely against the tan of my skin.
Ellie had arrived early to meet Stan for dinner so I knew I would be making a solo entrance. I made a point of arriving later than eight. I aimed for cool and casual, which I probably wasn't pulling off very well as I weaved through the crowd, ducking and stretching to see a familiar face.
So much for a grand entrance - I didn't know any of these people. Had I gatecrashed a private function? It was then that a pair of hands covered my eyes, and I heard the unmistakable taunt of a familiar voice.
"Look out, lady! I have use of both my arms now."
I spun around and flung myself into the two fully functioning arms of Adam.
"Hey, you!"
Adam crushed me in his grip, but I gave as good as I got.
"I missed you," I said.
Adam smiled. "Tess, stop flirting with me, please. Speaking of, where's Pretty Parker?"
I whacked him in the upper arm. "Don't start."
Adam screamed so loud, people stopped mid dance to glare at us with disapproving stares.
"Stop it, Tess! I have delicate bones."
I went to retort but Adam was body slammed as a squealing Ellie appeared from nowhere and threw herself onto him in a hug.
"Why aren't I a chick magnet like this with all the girls?" His voice was muffled as he tried to blow Ellie's hair from his mouth.
"Because you belong to us!" Ellie declared.
Adam threw a look behind him to Stan, who watched on in amusement.
Adam shook his head. "Chicks! They're just so needy. On the email, the phone constantly. It's exhausting."
"This coming from someone who fingerknitted us friendship bracelets and mailed them to us?" I added.
"Oh wow! Would you look at that?" Adam pretended he saw someone in the distance and waved to a girl. She looked confused and glanced behind her to see who Adam was waving to.
"I'll be right back, better circulate. People get really funny if you don't say hi." He was quickly swallowed up by the crowd.
There was a downshift in lighting and the music slowed as The Cranberries song, 'Linger', filled the night for the lovers in the garden. Ellie and Stan took to the dance floor, to not do the Robot or the Sprinkler but just to hold each other and sway. I smiled, Ellie finally got her Prince Charming.
As my gaze drifted, I saw Toby at the entrance, eyes locked on me. He broke into a broad smile as he weaved his way through the crowd, not taking his gaze from me. Not once.
I folded my arms. "You're late."
"You're beautiful." He smiled wickedly. "Especially when you're mad."
Ringer squeezed past, guiding Amanda through.
"Why don't you ever speak to me like that?"
Toby punched Ringer in the arm.
Ringer turned shrugging his shoulders.
"Incidentally," Sean's voice jolted me. I had forgotten that we stood in a very public beer garden. "Ringer does speak to Amanda like that, when he's drunk. It's not pretty." In true Sean fashion, he was happy and carefree.
Luckily, though, we hadn't talked any more about it or anything. It seemed we were cool. Nothing had changed between us since that night at the Point. Ringer flipped Sean the bird and took Amanda to the dance floor. Toby, Sean and I stood on the edge, watching the couples hold each other close and sway. Guilt spiked through me any time I was with them together. I forced it down, fearful it would seep into my time with Toby. I had to tell him about Sean. I knew I did. But not now. Toby gently rubbed a lazy circle with his thumb on my palm.
A collective scream whooped out of the dance floor and the unmistakable guitar strums flowed through the speakers, as 'Wonderwall' sounded. This song was everywhere and everyone - even, tragically, my dad - seemed to know all the words. Ellie and Stan stumbled over, pulling the three of us onto the dance floor where there was an explosion of smashed bodies pushed together in the cramped space. Nobody cared, as the DJ lights flashed to the beat and everyone swayed and belted out the chorus. Toby held my hands, anchoring me to him in a rare, unnoticed moment in which everyone was lost in the music. We broke eye contact as Adam appeared and slung his arms around our shoulders, forcing us into some bad side-shuffling dance moves. Ringer and Amanda slow danced to our left, Ellie and Stan sang joyfully into their mimed microphones, jokingly serenading each other while Sean played air guitar like no one else. We drowned out the music as the whole disco sang at the top of their lungs. We linked into a chain of slung arms and twisted limbs. A group of friends enjoying a moment.
'Wonderwall' faded out and was replaced by 'Bow River', a real Aussie anthem by Cold Chisel. Non-dancer Toby quickly took his exit from the dance floor and mimed to Sean asking if he wanted a drink. Toby leaned into me, he was warm and smelled incredible.
"You want a drink?"
I shook my head, and he winked and squeezed my hand as he vacated the dance floor, sidestepping a flailing girl. Sean took my hand and started to Rock 'n' Roll dance with me in very uncoordinated moves that eventually just led him into flinging me around the dance floor like a rag doll. He flung me towards him too fast, and so quick that I slammed into him and stopped hard, my nose smashed against his chest. I probably would have been in pain if I hadn't been so winded.
"Sorry 'bout that." He tried to not laugh through his breaths, but it was evident we were both beyond it.
I rubbed my forehead. "That's going to hurt tomorrow." Sean had stopped laughing, instead he seemed distracted by something near the bar. I tried to follow his gaze but my view was blocked by the crisscross of
the dancing crowd.
"What's wrong?"
I wasn't sure he had heard me until he flicked an agitated look my way.
"Nothing, just wait here, okay?"
Okay, Mr Cryptic.
Whatever. I continued to dance by myself, lost in the feel of the music. Suddenly Adam and Ellie flanked me, and my stomach fizzed with excitement. I thought we were about to tear up the dance floor school-social style. Ellie dug her fingers painfully into my arm; I went to shake her off until I followed her horrified gaze and then the music died.