E for England (7 page)

‘The food's really good,' she said. ‘Let's order a bottle of red between us.'

‘Whereabouts in England are you from, Hugh?' Carla, pretty, dark-haired with big brown eyes, leaned across the table.

‘London. But I spent my teenage years in Adelaide.'

She nodded. ‘I've never been to England but I'd like to go.'

‘It's worth a visit,' he said. ‘If you don't mind the cold.'

‘Are you here long?'

‘I hope so. I've just taken a job at St John's Hospital.'

‘Are you a doctor?' asked Jade. ‘What sort of doctor?'

‘A respiratory specialist.'

‘Really?' Leonie stared, wide-eyed. ‘I had no idea. Annie never said a word.'

‘Why should she?'

‘Doctor's make good money. You're a real catch.' Jade leaned against him and batted her eyelids, purred, ‘Like to check out my chest, Doctor?'

Carla and Leonie grinned. Fortunately the waitress appeared with a notepad and started taking orders.

‘Does Annie know what you do?' Leonie asked.

‘Yes. Why?'

‘No reason.' She gave the waitress her order and said to Hugh, ‘Her husband was a complete loser.'

‘Did you know him?'

‘Not really. I met him once when he came in to the office just after she started working there. They married young. Too young. She was only twenty one when Mattie was born. She finished her Economics degree with a baby and another on the way. Pretty amazing.'

Hugh nodded. He'd thought Annie was young. That would make her well under thirty if the boy was about six or seven.

Leonie went on, ‘She doesn't talk about the break-up. I was thinking it might do her good if she did.'

‘Leonie, if Annie wants to talk, she'll probably talk to you. You can't imagine she'll confide in me, we've only just met.'

‘She might. Who knows? We're not best friends, not that sort, and anyway I'm going away soon.'

‘I certainly won't be asking any questions.'

‘Even if you can see she needs help?'

‘Does Annie need help? She seems to me to be managing extremely well and you're helping her in the best way possible by giving her and the children the security of a home.'

‘Oh! Do you really think so?' To his surprise Leonie seemed quite taken aback.

‘Of course. It must have been terrifying for Annie to have nowhere to go.'

‘I suppose. It's not ideal for children, though.'

‘It's much, much better than living in a car or on the street.'

That shocked her. ‘They wouldn't have ended up like that.'

‘Why not? It happens all the time.'

‘Oh my goodness. That's awful.'

The waitress opened the wine and poured a taster. Leonie sipped and nodded her approval. Someone asked her something. The conversation moved farther down the table.

What sort of loser husband did Annie have? One who didn't give a fig about his children. Unbelievable.

‘This band is really good,' said Jade. ‘My boyfriend's the keyboard player.'

After dinner was cleared away Hugh discovered they
were
good. Very good. When the
gig ended at midnight someone suggested everyone continue on at another venue close by in Darlinghurst where a guitarist most of them knew was playing.

‘You up for more, Hugh?' Leonie tucked her arm through his as they assembled on the footpath outside to discuss options.

‘If you like.'

‘We could go home for a nightcap instead.' The pressure of her fingers and proximity of her body and smiling face left him in no doubt what type of nightcap she had in mind. The invitation shouldn't have been a surprise and wasn't, really.

He hesitated. Spending the night in Leonie's bed, while undoubtedly a pleasurable experience as such, was not the way he intended to finish the evening. They barely knew each other for a start. And Annie and the children were in the same apartment. If he invited a woman to his bed he preferred to make the first move. How would she take a turn down?

‘It's all right, Hugh. No strings attached.'

He shook his head. ‘We don't know each other.'

She tilted her head. ‘That doesn't matter. In fact it adds a certain element of excitement, I find.'

‘It's not that I don't find you attractive and the invitation flattering, but it's not a good idea. We're neighbours.'

‘Okay.' She kissed his cheek. ‘Raincheck.'

Hugh laughed, relieved by her matter of factness. ‘Are you always this forward?'

‘Are you shocked?'

‘Not shocked, surprised. Most women like to be romanced into bed.'

‘Hugh! Who mentioned bed?'

Christ! Had he completely misinterpreted? But her eyes sparkled with glee despite the horrified expression. She squeezed his arm and relented.

‘Why not get on with it if two people are so inclined? Saves a lot of messing around and wasting time. I'm not interested in anything permanent and I don't want kids, but I enjoy sex.'

He looked into her face, smiling at him now with a complete lack of guile. They could almost have been his words, but coming from an attractive woman that statement was rather confronting. And cynical. Had she really given up on romance and falling in love? Had he?

‘Are you two coming with us?' Carla called.

‘Are we?'

Her voice held no resentment, her arm was still tucked into his. He liked her, he liked her friends.

He nodded. ‘Sure.'

The front door opened and closed. Annie turned her head, ears straining for the sound of voices. Nothing. Glowing green numerals said nearly three. Not unusual for Leonie to come in this late but was she alone? Or had she been downstairs in another apartment?

Leonie's bedroom door opened and closed. A few minutes later the toilet flushed in her ensuite then silence. She was alone. Annie exhaled and pulled the doona up around her ears.

Leonie had been very discreet since Annie moved in. She'd only once brought someone home late one night and he'd left a couple of hours later. In the morning she'd commented casually on the way to work that he'd be the last. ‘I don't want strangers in my home anymore,'
she said to which Annie replied, ‘I hope we're not getting in your way,' while wondering what kind of random weirdo the late night man had been to provoke that statement. Didn't bear thinking about.

‘No, not at all. I just decided I'd rather not.'

‘Probably a good idea.' Which was the understatement of the year.

But Hugh didn't come under the heading of stranger. He was a friend and neighbour. Leonie was smart, fun, attractive and available and didn't play hard to get. Men liked her and as a rule men liked sex, especially when it was offered with no agenda beyond a mutually agreeable experience.

Annie turned over and thumped her pillow into shape. Where could they have been for hours? Was Hugh E for England?

It was none of her business.

Leonie would tell her in the morning if she asked, she wasn't coy. She may even volunteer the information. But the kids would be up hours before Leonie surfaced and there was no chance of private conversation with those ears in the vicinity.

She stretched her legs out and lay on her back. Leonie and Hugh were made for each other. There was no earthly reason why they shouldn't have spent the night together unless he wasn't into one-night stands. But it may not be a one-night stand. They may have been smitten, love at first sight.

He'd smitten
her
. Annie chewed at her lower lip. He truly had. He was her ideal man. In an ideal world. Which this wasn't.

She drew in a deep, deep breath and exhaled slowly. Hugh would have to be her own personal, private, secret fantasy. Every girl needed one of those in the darkest hours of the night, especially single mothers. Fantasy men were so much more satisfying and reliable than the real thing.

Could she sneak a look at Leonie's wall chart to see if E for England was filled in?

Annie sat at the picnic table in the sun watching Mattie and Floss run about with his football. Her library book lay open on the table but she'd only read two pages before the ball went too close to the fence by the road and she had to run to cut it off. Then she'd had to join in for a few minutes to appease Mattie's complaints that Floss was ‘a baby who can't play properly' and assure Floss that she was doing very well even though the ball dribbled along the ground about a metre when she tried to kick it.

Now they were playing happily enough with Mattie seeing how far he could kick the ball and Floss darting around trying to catch it. Thank goodness nothing came of the sore throat. If he'd had to stay home from school tomorrow she'd be in trouble, having used up her allotted days off when the pair of them got chickenpox a few months ago, right in the thick of the financial trauma. At least they'd come down with it at the same time but it took the gloss off Christmas for both of them.

Annie sighed and picked up the book. Who were these people? She had no idea. She turned back the page and started again, glancing up occasionally to check on the footballers. Five pages later, breathless and hot they demanded drinks.

‘Can we have an ice-cream?' Mattie swigged down apple juice.

‘Please?' added Floss. ‘We're hot.'

‘You've been running. Sit down for a minute and cool off. We can have iceblocks on our way home.'

‘Who's that man?' Mattie asked. ‘He's waving at us.'

Annie looked to where he pointed. Hugh stood by the low wooden fence separating the grassy sports area from the path and the road. He raised his hand.

‘It's Hugh.' Annie waved, stifling the flood of delight, hoping he'd walk across to join them, knowing he probably wouldn't. ‘Our neighbour. Remember you met him yesterday?' And made such a good impression re-enacting World War Two.

‘He's coming over.' Mattie put his drink down, picked up the football and gave it an almighty kick towards the centre of the field. He ran after it without a backward glance.

Annie smiled as Hugh approached. In grey shorts and a white polo shirt. Fit, relaxed, smiling and way too handsome. Was he E for England? The smile trembled and faded. She hadn't had a chance to ask Leonie about last night, casually and displaying minimal interest. She couldn't possibly ask. Would she be able to tell?

‘Hi.'

‘Hello. Hello, Floss.'

‘Hello.' Floss shuffled uncomfortably, twisting her hands in her cotton skirt, then took off after Mattie, yelling, ‘Wait for me.'

Hugh watched her go. ‘Was it something I said?'

‘Don't take it personally. They've become a bit…protective, no that's not the right word. Suspicious. Distant with people they don't really know. They don't like me to spend time talking to men they consider might be replacing their father.'

Hugh smiled. ‘That's understandable, but you can reassure them on that count
regarding me.'

‘I reminded them you're our neighbour, and they have to learn not to be rude.'

Hugh nodded. ‘Mind if I join you for a minute?'

‘Take a seat.' She closed her book. Hugh glanced at the title but didn't comment on the sexy historical cover which featured a blonde long-haired woman in a backless yellow gown standing on a windswept hilltop, gazing at a shirtless unbelievably musclebound man. Chest hairless as a baby. ‘How was the band last night?'

‘Very good, actually.'

‘You sound surprised.'

‘I must admit I am a bit. I didn't expect quite such a high standard. Don't know why.'

Annie grinned. ‘Because it's Sydney not London?'

Hugh grimaced. ‘Sorry, that was patronising. Leonie knows the musicians.'

‘Leonie knows all sorts of people. She has various different sets of friends. Last night's crowd were from an old workplace and one of them has a bass-playing brother so they go to hear him play.'

‘That would be Nick?'

‘Yes.'

‘He's very good.' He stretched out well-shaped tanned legs and leaned his back on the table. She tried reasonably successfully not to ogle. ‘It was a very enjoyable night. Pity you couldn't have been there.'

Annie shot him a surprised look. Was he just being polite or did he mean it?

‘I need plenty of time to organise a night out.'

‘Do you have a regular sitter?'

‘No. Leonie is the only person they'd agree to be left with now. I did have several girls, teenagers, before. But they live halfway across town, across the harbour.'

‘You must make sure you don't neglect yourself, Annie. You deserve a break every now and again.'

‘You sound exactly like Leonie.' Childless people never understood parenting. They thought children could be farmed out hither and yon to anyone who would take them for a few hours — like having a dog or cat minded, or pot plants watered. The animal's opinion didn't count, plants didn't care, and they assumed children were the same. ‘Some people might be happy off-loading their children any chance they can get but I'm not one of them. And my two need me at the moment.'

‘I'm not suggesting you off-load your children at random, all I'm saying is surely you can have a night out occasionally.'

‘I don't like asking Leonie. Anyway I'm happy staying home. I'm usually so exhausted by the end of the week it's nice not to go out.'

Hugh nodded. He watched the children in silence. Annie tried to sneak a look at his face without being obvious then almost groaned at the schoolgirl-like idiocy. She was twenty nine, married, separated and with any luck soon divorced, and a well seasoned mother of two. Not fifteen and innocent, trying to impress a boy.

Why was it that even though the thought of starting up with someone new gave her the shudders and Hugh wasn't the slightest bit interested in her as a woman, her hormones didn't understand? Why was it hard to breathe when he sat so close beside her and why did she say
stupid things and talk too much when he was around? Brain said no way, body went happily along lusting and desiring and malfunctioning in his presence. Ridiculous. She tossed Mattie's empty drink container into the nearby bin.