The Carlswick Affair

by SL Beaumont

  * * *

  Stephanie deliberated over her ‘work’ outfit on Sunday night. She still hadn’t quite worked out what passed for casual among the teens of Carlswick and she didn’t want to appear overdressed. Dark blue jeans and a black V-necked t-shirt looked simple enough. Satisfied, she pulled on a pair of purple peep-toe ankle boots. She scraped her hair back into a high ponytail and applied a small amount of makeup – mascara, eyeliner and lipstick. She stared closely at herself in the mirror searching her skin for any early signs of a break out. All clear for now.

  Her grandmother had been bemused when she announced that she had a job.

  “But didn’t you work hard all year to earn money in New Zealand?” she had enquired.

  “It’s more about meeting people than earning money, Grandma,” Stephanie explained.

  “Yes – but does one really need a job to do that?” Ellie had shaken her head in one of those ‘not in my day’ shakes.

  Stephanie pulled into the café’s car park at ten to seven, and walked around to the front entrance. It didn’t look busy yet, but she noticed The Fury members gathered around one of the leather sofas by the makeshift stage, deep in conversation.

  “Hey, Steph.” Andy jumped up to greet her as she walked through the door.

  She smiled at him and said, “Hey, Andy. Great gig last night, I really enjoyed it.” She nodded to James who looked up from tuning his guitar. His gaze lingered on her for a few seconds. She shuffled uncomfortably and looked across at Jack sprawled full length across one of the sofas, tossing and catching his drum sticks.

  “Ah, it’s the Kiwi. G’day, mate,” he said putting on an accent.

  Stephanie raised her eyebrows at him. “You sound like an Australian, Jack.”

  “There’s a difference?” he teased. Everyone knew that New Zealanders insisted on being recognised separately from their geographical neighbours.

  Stephanie glared at him, before breaking into a grin.

  Dave waved at her from his seat beside James, and the fifth member of the band spun around on a bar stool and stood up.

  “Liam,” he said introducing himself. Stephanie recognised him as the lead singer. He was dressed in tight black jeans with a baggy grey shirt and several colourful scarves around his neck. His blond hair was tipped with red and stood straight out all over his head. He carried himself very confidently. Having seen him in action on the stage, she knew that he was an extremely charismatic character and a great singer.

  “It’s good to finally meet you. You’ve certainly made your mark in a few days,” he said looking her over.

  “Really?” Stephanie replied evenly. God – what’s been said? Stephanie felt her heart sink.

  “Yeah – Victoria tells me that you two are gonna be best buds,” he answered slyly, gauging her reaction.

  Stephanie tilted her head and frowned slightly as she studied him. “So you’re a smart arse, as well as a singer?” she said lightly.

  Liam looked slightly taken aback, but quickly recovered, “Wow – I think you just managed to squash every vowel in that sentence,” he said.

  Stephanie opened her mouth to retort, when Andy took her arm and rescued her. “This way – I should probably give you the formal induction,” he said. With a sweep of his hand he indicated behind the counter. “This is where we make the coffee.” She laughed, relieved to be out of the spotlight. When she glanced back at Liam, he was watching her with a ‘don’t take me on’ expression on his face.

  Bring it on, she thought, smiling sweetly at him.

  It was a hectic night, but Stephanie thoroughly enjoyed herself. She was too busy to worry about Victoria and Liam and what people had been saying about her. The band played a couple of acoustic sets and the café was crowded. Andy was right, she thought. This is the hottest venue in the village – although, there probably isn’t anything else on in Carlswick on a Sunday night.

  Michael arrived around eight o’clock and started clearing tables for Stephanie and then sat at the counter chatting to her as she made coffee and served thick slices of cake. Andy had enlisted one of the local ladies to bake for the café and the result was fantastic chocolate brownies, gourmet cupcakes and thick carrot and banana cakes, dripping with icing.

  Matt and Fiona stopped by early on, with a group of friends.

  “Steph,” he boomed over the music. “I heard you were working here. Whatever for? I thought you were here for a holiday before uni starts.”

  “Just for fun, Matt,” she said. “Can I get you guys a coffee?”

  “Hot chocolate would be good,” he said as he slid onto a bar stool in front of her. “Are you okay? I was worried about you last night – did something happen at the end?”

  Stephanie shook her head. “Oh no, just tired – still a bit jet-lagged – I guess it caught up with me. Thanks again for taking me though,” she smiled brightly at him.

  “Any time, cousin,” he said, sounding unconvinced as she started making their drinks, and added, “Steph – Knox is an arse – you don’t want to waste your time on him.”

  Stephanie held her too bright smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not,” she said. “Tell me, is Liam always a dickhead?”

  Matt straightened his shoulders and glared in Liam’s direction. “What did he say?” he growled.

  “Nothing Matt, I just wondered,” she replied quickly. The last thing I need is to have Matt fighting my battles for me.

  Andy wandered back and forth between playing his bass and helping behind the counter for the rest of the evening. He jokingly called ‘last orders’ at nine forty-five pm and shooed the remaining customers out at ten-fifteen.

  The band continued jamming as Stephanie wiped down the tables and countertop for the last time and reset the tables and chairs. She loaded up the dishwasher with all the coffee-making equipment and switched it on.

  Satisfied, she hung up her apron and retrieved her bag. She waved to Andy and mouthed, “See ya boss,” above the music.

  He stopped playing and called to her, “Stay for a drink, Steph?” Dave had produced bottles of Heineken from one of Andy’s fridges and waved one at her. Liam stood swaying slightly, leaning his arm over the microphone stand, and watched her. He was clearly already several beers down.

  “No thanks – gotta get home,” she declined quickly, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with all the attention.

  James looked up from where he was perched on an amp and caught her eye. After the humiliation she felt on Saturday night, letting herself think that he was actually interested in her, she was determined to not pay him any special attention.

  But now he jumped up, putting his guitar on a stand.

  “It’s dark out – I’ll walk you to your car,” he offered.

  “No it’s okay,” she replied hastily. Being alone with him was the last thing she wanted. What she really wanted was to get in her little car and go straight home to bed. In some ways it had been quite a stressful evening with all these egos bouncing around. She could feel her head beginning to pound.

  “Since when have you been so chivalrous?” Jack asked, amused.

  James pulled a face at him.

  “Stephanie is immune to his charm, so she’s safe,” Andy added grinning at James.

  “I’d be more worried about his hands than his charm, if I were her,” offered Liam.

  Stephanie smiled at the light-hearted banter and looking out into the dark night decided that maybe would be good to have someone with her until she was safely in her car. Perhaps I’ve been watching too many episodes of Midsomer Murders, where the most gruesome slayings seem to always happen in a little English village at night.

  “Okay, thanks,” she conceded. “But keep your hands where I can see them,” she added in jest. The others laughed. James gave an insouciant shrug and held his hands up as if in defeat. He walked backwards in front of her to the door, once again giving her his trademark lazy smile.

  The door banged behind them and they walked into the dark
night and around the side of the building to the car park.

  Stephanie glanced at him. “Hey, Andy’s café is going to be a great live venue, eh?” she said. “You guys sound good acoustically as well as, you know, the other night.” Shut up, Steph. You are babbling, she told herself. She didn’t feel nearly as confident as she had the night before, teasing him at the pub. She unlocked the car and jumped in before he had the chance to say anything.

  “Well, see ya,” she called through the closed door, as she started the car and drove quickly out of the car park.

  “Bye,” he said to the back of her car, a bemused expression on his face.

  Stephanie let out a shaky breath. Stop it, she told herself firmly. He is with someone else.

  However, her heart betrayed her by thumping excitedly when she glanced in her rear view mirror and saw James standing with his hands shoved in his pockets, watching her drive away.