Haunted Ever After (13 page)

‘Sally?’ Mel tapped my leg.

‘Huh?’

‘You’ve remembered someone haven’t you?’

‘What? No. I’ve never fallen for a patient. It’s unprofessional.’ His strong, sculpted arms, shaven of course to allow for smoother gliding through water, and that six-pack…it was hard to stay focused on palpating his abdomen when the muscles were so hard I could barely feel any internal organs underneath.

‘Sally!’ Mel said. ‘Earth to Sally.’

‘Oh alright! I do remember feeling…
attracted
to a guy, slightly younger than me, as he recovered from an infection. I was young, a new nurse, I was just getting used to the whole getting close to patients thing.’

‘And?’

‘And?’ I echoed.

‘Tell us more.’

I tightened my ponytail and adjusted my position on the couch. ‘He was hot, alright. That’s it. It was nothing but hormones.’

‘Did you get to know him?’

‘Of course. He told me about his swimming training, and how he had come over to Australia from France when he was a teenager.’

‘He had a French accent?’

I nodded.

‘Swoon,’ Mel said, holding a hand to her head.

‘He taught me some French, but I’ve forgotten now. It was too long ago.’

‘And did you ever think of asking him out, you know, when he was ready to get out of hospital?’

‘No, definitely not. As I said, I was young and new. I had to remain professional and didn’t want to risk my reputation or job.’

‘Oh Sally, there wouldn’t have been a problem once he was discharged. You would have had his contact details on file, why not call him afterwards?’

‘No, that would have been way too embarrassing! You know me; I’ve never been one to take any sort of initiative. Lucky Greg made the first move, otherwise I’d probably still be admiring him through the window of the cafe on my way to work!’

‘You need to learn to take a few risks, girl,’ said Mel.

‘Why? I have Greg now, I don’t need to worry about all that awkward dating stuff anymore.’

‘I don’t mean with that, although it could have been good for you to take some risks back then, but I mean generally, in other areas of your life. Be spontaneous, adventurous, try new things every now and again.’

‘I tried that Pin the Tail game, that was new.’ I crossed my arms.

‘Hey, don’t badger the poor woman,’ said Georgie. ‘She just likes to do things in her own way, isn’t that right Sal?’ Georgie sat on the edge of the couch next to me and draped a friendly arm around my shoulders.

‘Yes, not everyone needs to be outgoing and adventurous to live a fulfilling life.’

‘Don’t you ever wonder, though, what could have been? Like what if you’d asked that patient out? You may have had an amazing, unforgettable love affair.’

‘But in the end it doesn’t matter, because I’m obviously meant to be with Greg, so it would have led here anyway.’

‘True, but it’s sort of intriguing to think about things that could have been, that’s all.’

‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I think it’s your time for truth.’

‘Fire away,’ Mel said, opening her arms to the side.

Forget about waiting till after the wedding, now was as good a time as any. ‘Do you ever regret getting married to Michael?’

There, I’d said it. Asked the difficult question that was playing on my mind for some reason.

‘What?’ Mel flicked her hand. ‘Why would I regret that?’

‘Have you ever?’

She clicked her tongue as though it was a stupid question, but kept evading it.

‘Mel?’ Lorena probed.

She lowered her head and fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt. ‘I love Michael, I do.’ She took a deep breath. ‘But lately, things have been…bland, is the only way I can think to describe it. I’m not talking about the bedroom so much as the overall feeling of our relationship. Maybe it’s just the hard work of the kids, I don’t know.’ She blew air up past her top lip and her wispy dark brown fringe flapped against her forehead. ‘But,’ she said, then an expression I hadn’t seen in a long time creased her face, not since she’d lost her pet dog of fifteen years. Her eyes became shiny and her usual nonchalant confidence disappeared. ‘Someone at work, a woman, wants him for herself. She hit on him after work one day.’

‘What happened, Mel?’ Georgie sat on the floor next to her and touched her forearm.

‘They kissed. That’s all. Just a kiss. I shouldn’t be that upset, I mean he was honest about it and…’

‘He confessed straight away?’ Lorena asked.

She nodded. ‘But I should clarify, it was
her
that kissed him. He pulled back as soon as it happened and told her it wasn’t on. At least, that’s what he told me.’

‘Bitch.’ Lorena shook her head. ‘Do you trust him?’ she asked.

‘Yes, of course, I mean, he’s my husband, he’s, he’s… Oh God, I feel sick at the thought of someone else with their lips on my husband.’ A tear dripped down her cheek and I leaned forward and wiped it away, then rested my hand on her leg. ‘Every time we get close now, I keep thinking of her and him, and then I lose all interest.’

‘Oh hun, why didn’t you tell us before?’ Lorena patted Mel’s back.

‘I didn’t want to bother you guys with my domestic dilemmas, you’ve got a baby coming,’ she gestured to Lorena, ‘and you’re about to be married,’ she touched my hand. ‘I didn’t want to worry you or spoil your special time.’

‘Mel, we’ve been friends forever, you can tell us anything, at any time. Promise me,’ she glanced around, ‘all of you, promise me we won’t keep secrets from each other if something’s bothering us. We need to be there for each other, help each other make sense of things when problems arise. Deal?’

‘Deal,’ we all said, though I whispered my response. I was all for it, but there was one thing I wasn’t prepared to share. I glanced at Red who sat on the dining table, looking strangely distant.

‘Give it time, Mel, I’m sure things will get back to normal,’ Georgie said. ‘If he was honest and told you what happened right away, then that is what a good man does. He’s a good man. He just got caught out in a situation he probably didn’t see coming. If you believe his side of the story, that he backed away and then told you, then he did the right thing. Don’t let some bimbo ruin things for you.’

‘You’re right,’ Mel straightened. ‘This is exactly what she’d want. But she’s not going to get it. As soon as I get home I’m going to sit down and talk it all out with Michael. We need to work out a solution, a way that they don’t have to interact at work. He’s in a higher position than she is, I’m sure he can arrange something.’

‘That sounds like a plan.’ Georgie reached over to the coffee table and plucked a piece of bread and handed it to Mel. ‘And don’t let her spoil your weekend either. Eat up and enjoy yourself while you’re kid-free.’

Mel smiled and accepted the food offering. ‘You guys are the best, you know that?’

‘Yeah, we know,’ Lorena said, then pulled Mel to standing and hugged her.

‘Anyway, enough of this truth stuff, it’s time for Sally’s dare!’ Mel’s expression brightened, while mine probably darkened in fear. I gulped.

‘We can finish up now if you want. After all this deep and meaningful stuff, why don’t we go for a nice walk?’ I suggested.

‘Not so fast, girly.’ Mel grasped my arm. ‘I called that company about their products, and you can do something challenging too.’

My chest tightened and my heartbeat intensified. There’s no way I could have done what she did, so hopefully they wouldn’t make me do anything similar.

Mel glanced around the room and her gaze rested on the bookcase with the games. She walked over to it and pulled out a game. Twister.

‘I want you to call Ty and ask him to come over for a game of Twister.’

‘Twister? But that’s a game for flexible young kids who don’t mind clambering over each other.’

‘Ty is flexible.’

‘I’m not! And I’m engaged, it wouldn’t be right to get that close to another guy. You’ll have to give me another dare.’

‘Okay, I dare you to walk down the main street and sing
Tomorrow
from
Annie
at the top of your lungs, and hug random people as you go by.’

I had visions of being captured on video and going viral on YouTube. ‘No, no way.’ I shook my head vigorously.

‘Then call Ty.’ Mel handed me back my phone. ‘Twister or
Tomorrow
. What’ll it be?’

I ran a hand over my head. No way could I sing in public, especially after my dance incident. Singing was a completely different thing, and my voice could barely crank out a simple
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
in tune.

‘So I just have to call him and ask, it doesn’t matter if he says no, right?’

‘If he says yes, you have to play Twister with him, but if he says no, well, I guess there’s nothing you can do about that. But you have to at least ask him.’ She shoved the phone into my hand and it shook in my grasp. It was only a simple phone call, but something about being around him made me nervous. Maybe it was his superhuman physique, or the fact that he seemed like some super-caring, kind, too-good-to-be-true angel from heaven sent down to earth to make women swoon and look after those who needed a little extra support. He came from a completely different world to mine, and it felt like I was about to call my teenage celebrity crush.

‘Here’s his number,’ Lorena said, showing me her phone.

I added him as a contact and my finger hovered over his number.

‘Press it, Sally! I want to see this!’ Red was back to her usual self at the prospect of another embarrassing moment for me.

I pressed it.

‘Hello? Ty speaking,’ he answered.

‘Hi, Ty, I…’
Oh God, I’m rhyming!
‘It’s me, Sally.’

‘Sexy Sally?’

Heat rushed up my face. ‘Well, the one from the guest house.’

‘Yeah, as I said: Sexy Sally. What can I do for you? Would you like to book another performance?’

‘Oh goodness, no, not at all.’

‘Gee, thanks. Glad you’re so keen.’

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean…I just meant, anyway, I’m calling to ask something,’

He was silent for a moment, then: ‘You’ll have to speak up, sunshine.’

I cleared my throat but my voice remained croaky. ‘I was wondering if you’d care for a game of…’ I cleared my throat again at the same time as uttering the word, ‘Twister’.

‘Sorry? A game of what?’

‘Twister,’ I said more loudly, the painful embarrassment like a red-hot burn on my cheeks.

Mel tipped her head back with a sudden laugh.

Ty’s voice held a hint of a smile. ‘You want me to come over to play Twister?’

‘I guess so.’

He chuckled. ‘You girls are an entertaining bunch.’

‘It’s okay, you don’t have to, I know you’ve had a busy day and you probably have other things to do with your brother, or a job to go to, or — ’

‘Be there in ten.’

‘Huh?’

‘The guest house. Ten minutes. I’ll warm up on the way there.’ And then he hung up.

I kept the phone next to my ear and furrowed my brow, my mouth agape.

‘Sal?’ asked Mel.

‘He hung up.’

‘He hung up on you?’ Georgie asked.

‘No, he hung up after saying he’d be here in ten minutes.’

‘Woohoo!’ Mel exclaimed. ‘I only wanted you to ask him, I didn’t think he’d actually agree to it! Ooh, this is going to be fun to watch!’

‘Watch? But you have to play too, I can’t play it on my own, with him.’

‘Nope, the dare was for you to ask him over to play.’

‘And I’m definitely out of this game,’ Lorena said, holding her belly and convenient excuse. I was sure, though, had she not been pregnant, she wouldn’t have minded playing Twister with a stripper.

‘And as much as I’d love to get up close and personal with His Royal Hotness, I’d much rather see you in action on those coloured spots.’ Mel grinned, and I looked towards Georgie for moral support.

She held her palms up. ‘Sorry, I’m needed in the kitchen.’

‘But we’re eating out tonight.’

‘Yes, but someone has to marinate the lamb for tomorrow night’s dinner.’

‘But — ’

‘Too late for an appeal, Sal, you better get ready. Warm up and stretch or something. I’ll set up the mat. Tick-tock!’ She tapped her watch.

Oh my goodness gracious me. I felt like I was about to betray Greg. What had I got myself into?

As Mel prepared the game, I swung my arms around in circles. Probably best if I did warm up a little, it would make it easier to manoeuvre around the mat and avoid bodily contact. Why did he agree to play Twister anyway? He knows I’m taken, so it’s not like he’s seeing it as an opportunity to hit on me or anything. Probably just wants to show off his…bendiness.

Red jumped on the mat and bent her body in awkward angles, placing her hands and feet on different coloured spots. ‘Wow, I’m so much more flexible than I was when I was alive. This is cool!’ She moved around the mat and collapsed into a tangled lump. ‘Your turn, your turn! Hurry up, Ty.’ She checked the clock on the wall.

Ding-dong!

I tucked my t-shirt into my jeans and tightened my ponytail. Thank goodness I was wearing a bodysuit underneath so nothing would hang out. Not that I had much in the dangly department. And then I felt slightly exposed anyway, remembering that Ty knew exactly what I had on underneath my clothes after the gemstone predicament.

He walked into the house and eyed me and the mat with enthusiastic anticipation. ‘Well, what are we waiting for? Let the twisting begin!’

‘Bride-to-be first.’ Mel ushered me to the mat and spun the wheel. ‘Okey dokes, put your left foot on a red spot.’

Easy enough. I kicked off my shoes and did as I was told, choosing a red spot in the corner.

Mel spun the wheel again. ‘Ty, right foot on a yellow spot.’

Ty’s shoes were off too, and he placed his uninjured foot on a spot in the middle. Why didn’t he pick the one furthest away? Less chance for us to get tangled.

‘Sally, left arm on a yellow spot.’

Rightio, I’ll just lean over here
… I bent sideways and put my hand on the yellow spot at the end of the mat, aligned with the row my foot was on.

Ty’s next move had him put his bruised foot on a red spot like me, but he chose the one right next to mine, so now our toes were touching. I inched mine back a little. My arm ached a bit and I urged Mel to hurry up.