by Mark Stewart
March 3rd 2013
“THE LAST two chapters sounded even better than the previous two,” James confessed.
“Yes, I have to admit they flowed quite nicely,” said Eloise. “I’m feeling a bit drained. I think I’ll call it a day.”
“Can I at least buy you lunch?”
“I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“It’s no trouble. It is the least I can do.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Eloise hinted. “I’m fine. If you’d kindly open the door, I’ll be on my way home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bright and early,” added James. He opened the door, waiting for Eloise to walk past him.
Seeing his puzzled expression, she stopped. “Is there something wrong?”
“I’m not sure. I have a habit of watching people.”
“Yes, I know. I have already mentioned I’ve seen you sitting at your favorite café on numerous occasions.”
James shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Say what you were going to ask.”
“What I was thinking about isn’t a question, it’s what I have observed.”
“Interesting,” said Eloise.
“Your hair seems less grey than when you arrived this morning. Also, your hair seems slightly longer than when I first met you.”
“You’ve probably been looking at the computer monitor too long. I suggest you make yourself a coffee and then knock on Mia’s door. Enjoy her company for the hours that remain in the day.”
Eloise began to walk in the direction of the lift.
“I forgot to ask. Where’s your home?”
“Not far,” replied Eloise. The moment the lift door opened she stepped inside the lift. The last thing James saw was her smile.
Mia opened her apartment door. Seeing James, she said seriously.
“I heard you typing for a long time. I think you might be tired. How about I buy you lunch down the road? The cafe on the corner has a balcony overlooking Port Phillip Bay. The weather’s nice. I’m hoping the idea of food might entice you into saying yes?”
“The idea sounds great,” replied James. Hearing his mobile phone ringing, he was about to excuse himself when Mia interrupted.
“You answer the phone; I’ll get ready. We’ll meet here in the corridor in twenty minutes.”
James rushed back into his room in time to swipe the mobile phone from off the table. “Hello,” he puffed.
“James, how’s the novel progressing? Tell me you’ve at least started?”
“Ms. Amanda Daltry, hi fancy you, ringing me right now.”
“James, tell me some good news about the novel?”
“It’s coming along great. I’m halfway through the second draft.”
“Already?”
“Yes. It’s fantastic. I believe it’s the best novel I’ve ever written.”
“I hope you’re not lying to me, James?”
“I don’t lie.”
“I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.”
“I won’t disappoint.”
“You know what happens if you do?”
“Yes, I know. I can guarantee the novel will be completed on time.”
“Is there a title?”
“Don’t tell my secret.”
“Intriguing,” whispered Amanda. “Tell me, how’s the romance between you and the young lady coming along?”
“How do you know about Mia?” James’ darted his gaze about the room searching for a small camera in a wall or the ceiling. Seeing none he again asked the question, walking to the balcony. He stepped into the sunshine when Amanda answered.
“I keep my nose to the ground. James, someone is always watching.”
“Have you been spying on me?” James glanced at the bay searching for someone standing in a boat looking at him through binoculars.
Amanda started to laugh. “Don’t be silly. I’m teasing. I’ll take your word the novel is under way. Don’t let me down.”
“I’ll have the novel on your desk by the due date.”
“That’s the kind of news I love to hear. We’ll speak again next week.”
James hung up, dropping the mobile phone back onto the table. He showered, shaved and got dressed. On the way to the front door, he snatched up his wallet, phone, and the electronic door card, slipping them into the pockets of his shorts.
He opened the door to Mia’s smile.
“Perfect timing,” she said.
“Yes, it is. Shall we go?”
James and Mia were holding hands long before the lift door opened on the ground floor. They stepped out into the sunshine and walked along the narrow sandy track snaking its way through the tea-trees towards a group of shops down the other side of the hill. They emerged from the scrub when the land flattened out. On their right, they spied the sparkling sea.
“Maybe after lunch, we could have a swim?” mentioned Mia.
“Good idea.”
The café in question was a short three-minute walk further on. The shops seemed busy. The clock hanging on the wall at the entrance to the café read. 12:30pm.
“I didn’t know I had skipped breakfast,” confessed James. “Now I’ve stopped typing I realize I’m starving.”
Mia stepped up to the front desk, asking for a seat on the balcony. The young attractive seventeen-year-old girl didn’t look hopeful.
“As you can see we’re fully booked today.”
“I have a reservation at 12:30pm under the name of Garnett.”
The girl checked the left-hand side of the large book. “Yes, I can see you have. Please follow me.”
Mia and James were shown a small table upstairs, overlooking the bay. Several single mast yachts were moving slightly in the sea breeze. In the middle of the channel, a large cargo ship was slowly making its way to the Port of Melbourne. James ordered a white wine and a seafood dish each. Mia waited for the girl to leave before leaning across the table.
“How’s the novel coming along?”
“It’s shaping up to be amazing. If I knew you were awake and I had time to stop for a break you could’ve met Eloise.”
“You should’ve said hold on for a moment so you could call me.”
“I didn’t want to break her thoughts. I tell you something, Mia; the woman makes the story sound true. She’s such a natural writer.”
“Does she still want to give the manuscript to you?”
“Yes. I guess I could bring the idea up again. However, the woman sounded firm about giving me one hundred percent of the royalties.”
“I can’t understand it,” grumbled Mia. “Who’d dictate a whole novel and not want royalties? Don’t you think it’s a bit strange?”
“Yes, I’d have to agree. It sure is a blessing, though,” replied James.
“When she’s close to the end and not around I’ll have a read.”
“How’s your novel coming along?”
“I’ve typed one line,” confessed Mia. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“Maybe you’re tired.”
“I don’t feel tired. In fact, I believe I’m bordering on insomnia. I’ve written twenty novels. All of them have sold well, but I have dried up.”
“It’ll come back to you.”
“I hope so. I miss the keyboard. I feel as though I’m going through withdrawal symptoms from not writing.”
“Eloise told me to tell you to be confident and believe in yourself, so the blockage will evaporate,” blurted James.
Mia gave a skeptic look. “How did she know about my writer’s block?”
James shrugged. “I have no idea. It’s like she knows what’s going on.”
“Ask her?”
“I already know what she’s going to say, suspense! It’s all about suspense. If she says too much too soon where’s the suspense.”
“Maybe she’s a teacher on holidays,” suggested Mia.
“I don’t think so,” replied James. “Though now you mention it, teaching does fi
t her style.”
“Ask her what she did for a career, other than writing novels.”
James had nodded moments before a middle-aged man carried their lunch to the table. A second man much younger than the first brought their wine. James waited for the food and drinks to be placed on the table then looked directly at the younger man.
“Can I please order two flat white coffees?”
“Sure.” He jotted down the order, walking back to the bar.
Mia leaned over the table, whispering. “I’ll take Eloise’s idea of being more confident into careful consideration. It might be exactly what I need.”
They consumed the meal and the wine chatting like old friends. James again felt the love flowing unhindered between them. A cool breeze buffeted James’ shirt. Goosebumps erupted on Mia’s arms. A few couples left their table and walked towards the stairs.
“Let’s finish our second round of coffee then make our way back to the hotel,” hinted James. “Besides, you’ve gone quiet on me.”
“Sorry, I’ve been thinking about what Eloise told you,” said Mia. “The moment I sit down at the keyboard I’m going to believe the words will be on the page. I’ve nothing to lose in trying.”
They stood as one. James led the way down the narrow spiral staircase to the ground floor. He paid for the lunch, took hold of Mia’s hand and followed her outside.
“The sun’s out again, and the cool breeze has gone,” mentioned James.
“Yes. The sun does feel extra hot now we’re off the balcony. I’ll race you to the pool,” squealed Mia, pulling her hand away.
She’d caught James on the back foot. Before he could protest, Mia surged ahead. He sprinted after her. Halfway back to the hotel, his windpipe started aching from him breathing too fast. It had been years since he’d gone for a run. When he got to the pool, he watched Mia dive to the bottom of the seven-foot end fully clothed. James dropped his wallet and phone onto a chair and dived after her, catching Mia swimming along the bottom.
James looked up at the surface. He’d never been so deep. It felt surprisingly good, suspended underwater, not touching anything, just hovering.
Mia reached out, gripping James’ shoulders, reeling him in. She planted two lips against his when he wrapped his arms around her waist. Slowly they floated to the surface. Taking a deep breath Mia and James swam down to the bottom of the pool for another round of kissing.
When they broke surface for the second time, Mia swam to the side of the pool, hoisting herself out. She walked to the closest lounge chair where she sat, waiting for James. They lay in the sun holding hands.
For over two hours they talked, laughed and drank a bottle of wine they ordered from one of the hotel staff walking past. Slowly they both realized they were falling in love. Mia, felt they were a perfect match. They shared the same passions. Both being an author was the best feeling. They even started to plot a novel. The thrill of writing together tickled Mia’s core. She even started to think her writer’s block might be due to the fact she was single. Happiness seemed to make her imagination begin to flow again. James’ presence and his constant smile started to renew her confidence.
James looked upon Mia’s uncanny arrival to be fate. He didn’t care how or why they were brought together he just knew he wanted Mia in his life forever.
“How do you feel about dinner then a dance?” asked James, looking sideways at Mia.
“I’d say it sounds wonderful.”
“I know of a small nightclub up a side lane close to the Melbourne CBD. There’s dancing every night.”
“I’ll be ready in an hour,” said Mia.
“Right, sixty minutes it is.”
At Mia’s apartment, James used her electronic swipe card to open the door. He held it open while she walked across the threshold.
Upon entering his apartment, James ordered a taxi then rang the nightclub to book a table. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, he managed to step into the corridor outside his apartment at the same time Mia opened her door. James gave the young lady a warm greeting.
“Excellent timing,” noted Mia.
“It was. You look amazing,” commented James.
“Thank you. I decided to bring this new dress along for an occasion such as this.”
Mia stood before him wearing a long black slim lined dress. The material hugged the contours of her body. Gold coloured lace lined the sweetheart neckline. She’d twirled the ends of her long black hair which made her hair bounce while she walked. The gleam in Mia’s eyes matched the sparkle in the diamond earrings hanging from her earlobes. Three-inch high heels helped her to look picture perfect.
“You scrub up good yourself. A black suit, white shirt and the dull red tie helps you to look debonair.”
James took Mia by the hand, escorting her to the lift. The door opened before either of them could reach for the call button.
“Someone likes us,” whispered Mia.
“Yes, I’d have to agree.”
Mia got busy kissing James the moment the lift door closed. They moved apart when the door opened at the ground floor level. They stepped out, watching an elderly woman push her way into the lift. Looking at Mia and James, a slight grin deepened the fissures in her face.
“What a creepy old woman,” whispered Mia, after the lift door closed.
“She was just nosy.”
When they stepped outside into the warm evening air, a taxi had turned into the driveway. James opened the rear passenger door, helping Mia to slide to the other side. James slipped onto the seat next to Mia. Leaning forward he tapped the driver on the shoulder.
“Do you know the small nightclub called the Ritz? It’s close to the Melbourne CBD.”
“Yes, I do. Nice place to eat and dance the night away.”
“How long before we get there?”
“Forty minutes if the traffic is light.”
James sat back. The taxi eased out of the drive, heading for Melbourne.
Thirty-seven minutes after leaving the hotel the driver stopped the car outside the Ritz.
James paid the fare and ran around the car to the driver’s side to help Mia out of the car. When the taxi eased away from the curb, they faced a rundown old-style solid red brick building with a torn and faded jutting out canvas canopy. Only a few small lights were working, lighting one side of a narrow bluestone path.
“I have my doubts over this place,” whispered Mia, scrunching her nose at the almost derelict looking nightclub and its surrounds.
James pushed his arm around her waist. “I know this place doesn’t look like much on the outside. However, it’s nice inside. I’m positive you’ll love it.”
James led the way to the rear of a short queue. Mia glanced at the ladies waiting for their turn to go inside. They were wearing long evening dresses which would have kissed the ground when they walked if they didn’t hold the dresses up at their waist. Mia focused on the men, noting they all wore a black suit and tie.
A security guard standing at the entrance to the nightclub yelled at the top of his voice. “Does anyone have a table reservation?”
Mia and James sidestepped out of the queue. Marching to the front, they were given dagger eyes for their unsolicited move.
“Name?” questioned the security guard, seeing them approaching.
“The reservation should be under Mia and James Buxton.”
James studied the man. He stood at least six-foot-four and wore a black creased dinner suit. His square chin made his face look long. His smile never eventuated.
The guard scrolled his index finger down the page, stopping at the names. “You can go in,” he snarled.
Stepping inside the building, Mia felt surprised at the grandeur. The interior resembled a wedding reception. Round tables dotted the perimeter of the parquetry dance floor and stage. Every two-seat table boasted a white lace tablecloth. A small bouquet of red roses around a long tubular glass with a candle in it was set in the exact middle. A full leng
th dull red curtain in prestige condition hung off the wall behind the band’s musical instruments.
James’ pre-booked table for two was located in the rear corner. The few times he’d brought a lady to the place they always mentioned how good the food tasted, adding how relatively easy they could talk.
A twenty something-year-old girl scooted across the dance floor, beckoning Mia and James to follow. Directly opposite the band, she squeezed past two tables on the way to the rear of the nightclub.
“The polished wooden floor makes you feel like a dance,” hinted Mia.
James gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Yes, it does. I hope they play good music tonight so we can get up on the floor.”
Table forty-one at the rear of the nightclub looked elegant. It had been set slightly different than the others. A single long-stemmed red rose in a tall crystal vase sat in the middle of the table.
In a few minutes, a different girl walked over with a computer pad in her hand.
“Are you ready to order?”
“Two chef specials,” said Mia and James in unison.
“Two white wines,” added James.
“Your meal will be exactly twenty minutes,” reported the girl. She grinned before walking off towards the next table.
James noticed the musicians stepping onto the stage. Each muso looked middle-aged and wore a grey suit. James waited for the music to begin before standing. He looked down on Mia, an expectant gleam in his eyes.
“Please say yes to dance?”
Taking his hand, Mia stood. “Yes.”
James led the way to the dance floor. Several other couples, mostly older, joined in on the slow waltz. James navigated Mia around the outside of the floor skirting around the slow-moving couples.
Completing three laps of the floor the band gave up the last note. Mia had just caught her breath when the next song started.
“The elegant swing waltz,” hinted the lead singer through his microphone.
The Tango came next followed by another extra slow waltz to finish off the music bracket.
Mia and James stood in the middle of the dance floor staring into each other’s eyes; neither wanting to say a word. Mia swayed to the melody of the song. James held her firmly in his arms. If there was any light between them, no one could tell.
A woman standing next to table forty-one watched Mia and James dancing. She too swayed in time to the music, lost in a time long ago. When Mia and James stepped off the dance floor and made their way back to their table, the woman blew them a kiss. She turned her back and walked away.
“Did you feel a cool breeze brush your cheek?” quizzed Mia.
“Yes.” James glanced around the room searching for the open door. “I can’t see what might have caused it.”
“Maybe the air-conditioner?” hinted Mia.
James shrugged. He pulled Mia’s chair out, waited for her to sit then slid onto the chair opposite. They were seated just in time to see their dinner being delivered to their table.
After their meal, the couple again walked onto the dance floor. Two hours of solid dancing, numerous coffees, a few glasses of wine each and dessert helped to make 2:00 in the morning come around quick.
James and Mia walked out of the nightclub. The fresh air washed away their tired feeling. James hailed a taxi. Opening the passenger door, he waited for Mia to slide across the back seat. He slid in next to her, pulling the door shut.
“Mt Martha,” instructed James leaning towards the driver.
The car zoomed away from the nightclub.
The roads were deserted of traffic, so they made great progress. Twenty minutes later and James paid the taxi fare.
He escorted Mia to her apartment door. Slipping his arms around her waist, he looked directly into her eyes. James saw Mia gulp.
“What I said to you when I first asked if you’d like to go out for dinner I meant it,” he whispered.
“No strings attached?”
“Yes,” replied James. “I still feel the same.”
“Don’t you want to come in for coffee?”
“I’d love to.”
Mia dragged James inside her room, kicking the door shut. They walked outside onto the balcony, looking at nothing in particular. Eventually, James placed both his hands, on Mia’s hips. She met his gaze. He wore a serious expression.
James whispered softly. “I love you, Mia.”
“If you didn’t say something when you did I’d have said I love you. I’m happy you spoke first. I wasn’t sure how you’d react.”
James gently placed the palm of his hand against Mia’s cheek. He felt her hands slip around his back, dragging him in even closer. Just for a moment, he saw Mia’s eyes glistening. He saw her blink. He felt her smile. Then she closed her eyes.
James pushed his lips tenderly onto Mia’s.
For a long time, they stood on the balcony in a loving embrace. Mia and James had no idea their every move was watched. Perhaps it was a good thing. The love pulsating between them might have been broken. Mia looked to be enjoying the taste of James’ lips. He looked to be just as thrilled.
Somewhere close to the balcony a cricket chirped. Mia and James didn’t hear its love song. However, they subconsciously started to sway. Eventually, Mia moved her head away. She opened her eyes, gazing lovingly at the man who held her in his arms for so long.
The medium sized bush growing out of the pot in the corner of the balcony moved in the cool breeze.
“Did you feel a cool breeze brush your cheek just now?” Mia whispered.
“I did,” replied James. “Uncanny.”
Mia took hold of James’ hand, leading him to the bedroom.
The moonlight shining through the partly opened curtain helped to make the room look semi-lit. James and Mia shed their clothes. While they made love, both could hear the cricket’s constant love song.
At 4:00 in the morning Mia sat on the sofa cuddling James. They were content to sit in the dark waiting for the sunrise.
By 4:30 they were asleep.
CHAPTER EIGHT