‘Have you—’ she waved an awkward hand in the direct of his classroom ‘—got a minute or two? Sorry, Eleanor.’
‘Don’t mind me,’ I dismissed.
‘Are you sure? Just something really quickly.’ She pinched her thumb and forefinger together and looked at me an apology that was as real as her eyelashes.
Marcus followed her from the room.
From my squat seat at the desk, I did my best to look like I wasn’t spending the entire time watching Grace fall about him. If he spoke, she giggled and rubbed at his arm, she twirled dark hair through her fingers like a cheerleader with a baton and threw a sneaky look my way when Marcus hung his head in embarrassment. What began as mild annoyance turned into something incandescent when she tugged at his tie. I tipped my belongings into my bag, shoved my pen back in my hair and walked out.
‘I’m sorry to interrupt.’ I pressed a hand onto Marcus’s forearm. ‘I have to get going.’
‘Oh, no, no.’ He shook his head. ‘Five minutes, just give me five more minutes.’
‘It’s okay, really. I can see this is important, and you both look like you have a lot to talk about. Let’s just do this another time.’ My brows slid up towards my hairline. ‘It’s okay.’
‘What about tomorrow?’ he asked.
‘Can’t do tomorrow, sorry.’ Looking at my phone, another missed call from Mum. ‘Talk soon.’
Shifting on his feet, Marcus pressed his lips into a thin white line. ‘Eleanor.’
‘Marcus,’ I answered.
‘Five minutes,’ he stressed.
Grace fixed me with a look of victory. The corners of her mouth turned up and her eyes squinted into a false smile.
‘I have another appointment,’ I said, before turning and walking away.
Walking away hadn’t just ended our conversation, it also stopped Grace in her tracks. I wasn’t sure that had been my intention. I had no right to. Then again, maybe it had been. Could I not just have someone commit to a group activity and see it through properly? Did he have to run off and flirt with anyone who offered? Maybe I was just being a prude.
‘Manning, wait.’ Marcus skipped along behind me, stopping short when he found me tugging on the library door.
Yep, still locked.
‘What do you want, Marcus?’ My jaw twitched. ‘Huh?’
‘What do I want?’ he asked incredulously. ‘Are you kidding me right now?’
‘No.’ I gave my head a quick shake, lips downturned. ‘Don’t think I am.’
‘What the hell was that back there?’ His arm swung out in the direction of his classroom. Grace slipped out of the classroom, her heels echoing off the brick walls of the hallway.
‘I don’t know.’ I folded my arms across my chest. ‘Why don’t you tell me what that was back there.’
‘It … it was nothing,’ he stammered. ‘She just … wanted a chat is all.’
‘So, just a chat about the weather then? Could’ve waited, don’t you think?’
He rolled his eyes.
‘Oh, for pity’s sake, don’t roll your eyes at me.’ I raised my voice. ‘I’m not blind, Marcus.’
‘What did Jack want?’ he spat. ‘I saw you out there with him before in the car park. What did he want?’
‘This is not about me. This is about you.’
‘How is it about me, Manning?’ he asked.
‘Why is it so hard for you to use my name?’ I asked. ‘I’m not one of your football buddies, I’m not wearing a guernsey around everywhere, so why can’t you just use my name? It’s Eleanor, in case you forgot.’
‘So you keep saying.’
‘Then use it!’ I raised my voice again.
‘You know what? Why don’t we talk about what this is really about?’ he asked.
‘And what do you think this is really about?’ I mocked.
‘You’re jealous.’ He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. ‘You are jealous that she has the guts to ask me out on a date, and you do not.’
‘This may surprise you to realise, but not all women want to date you. I, for one, happen to fall into that category.’ I dug around in my handbag, double-checking I had everything, and avoiding his eyes at the same time, because even I wasn’t sure if that was the truth.
He chortled. ‘Is that so?’
‘Yes, actually, that is so.’ I began to walk away.
‘I’ll go out with her then.’
I shrugged petulantly. ‘Okay.’
‘Fine,’ he said.
‘Fine.’ I threw a wave over my shoulder.
‘It is fine,’ he called after me.
‘Fine!’ I shouted.
* * *
I’d just about ground my teeth down to nubs by the time I’d walked home. My heart rate still hadn’t returned to normal when I strode up the driveway to find a Nicholls Construction pick-up truck had parked me in, and freshly cut lawns.
The sweet tang of red wine pasta sauce with a hint of garlic wafted from our kitchen. It transported me back to cold winter nights, fogged windows, hot baths, fluffy pyjamas, and cartoons on the television before dinner. I almost forgot about Marcus and Grace when I registered a clothing rack and sewing items in the lounge room, and Penny’s mum in the kitchen.
Dad’s eldest sister, Aunty Gwen had been one of many amazing women in life. Not only had she raised Penny and her siblings, she was on hand to pick up my crumbs whenever the need had arisen. To be fair, that had been quite often. Nobody ever heard her complain because, to her, family was life. It was sobering to realise just how much I’d missed her.
As well as being the heart of every home, the kitchen was Gwen’s natural environment. Right now, her home environment was ours. A pasta maker had been attached to the corner of the bench, a dust storm of flour was spread across a workspace, and wire racks heaved under the weight of cupcakes, pancakes, and a suspiciously molasses looking cake.
‘Hello, Aunty.’ I lifted my bag onto the kitchen counter and dropped my keys into a disused fruit bowl.
The oven door slammed shut as Gwen sprang to life and wrapped me in a warm, life-affirming hug. Any wonder Penny was so good at them. ‘Hello, gorgeous girl. I’ve so been looking forward to seeing you!’
‘Same, same. How are you? Are you well?’ I pulled back and held her shoulders as I took her in again. She reflected my cousin back to me, only a little older, a little shorter, with greyer hair, and a murder of crow’s-feet from laughing so often.
‘I’m great.’ She bopped about the kitchen like a much older, wiser Penny. ‘I hope you don’t mind cannelloni with a meat sauce?’
‘Are you kidding?’ I filled a glass with water. ‘I could smell it all the way up the street, there’s no way you’re tearing me away from it.’
‘Good.’ She smiled. ‘Because, after that, we have Guinness chocolate mud cake and double cream.’
‘And on that note—’ I slipped up onto a stool ‘—Penny is officially evicted.’
‘You girls.’ Gwen clucked her tongue. ‘Speaking of your cousin, she’s just ducked back home to grab something for me. Patrick is in the backyard. He’s just fixing a few things on Penny’s list. I can’t be sure exactly what. And those dresses in the lounge are for you to try on.’
‘For me?’ I squeaked. ‘I thought Penny had placed another order.’
‘Well, she did, but for you.’ Gwen pushed me into the lounge, towards the rack. ‘They’ll probably need some finer alterations, but they’ll only take a day or so.’
‘You are … really?’
‘Really.’ Gwen turned back to the stove. ‘Go on, try them on.’
When I’d mentioned to Penny that I’d love some new dresses, I was in no way expecting to come home one night to find a new personal wardrobe waiting for me. But here I was, with Gwen stepping me through the features of each dress. From the Hepburn inspired black number, to the emerald green copy, the grey linen tunic, a satin-lined floral print with hidden pockets, and everything in between, it
looked like Penny had gone through a list of my favourite colours, and Gwen had magically picked out the perfectly styled patterns. I was more than a little bit in love with what was presented.
‘And this?’ I pulled out a dark grey wool blend coat from the end of the rack.
‘That matches this here.’ Gwen plucked out a similarly coloured A-line dress. ‘This one, too, I suppose. Honestly, I was worried they’d be a bit too formal for everyday use.’
‘No!’ I waved an excited hand. ‘These will be great for work. Please, don’t think like that. They’re not casual, but they’re not so formal I should be in a high-rise office. They’re perfect. I grabbed a few pieces from the vintage shop recently, but they haven’t quite been working for me.’
‘I’ve got a pair of trousers here. They’re very Katharine Hepburn, but you’re welcome to try them on.’
There was no way I was going to knock that back; everybody knew Katharine Hepburn was a style icon. I sighed happily as I held the garment out in front of me, high-waisted, wide-legged, and pleated. They were …
‘Astounding. Thank you so much. You don’t have to do all this for me. It’s been an age since I’ve seen you.’
‘Don’t be silly, it’s my pleasure.’ She wrapped a reassuring arm around my shoulder. ‘After all, life throws all kinds of things at us. Sometimes, new clothes help shed old skins.’
Now, there was some quality life advice if ever I’d heard it.
‘Let’s wait for Penny,’ I suggested. ‘Should we? We should.’
Gwen wrinkled her nose and gave me a shrug.
We didn’t. Within minutes, I was being pinned into a gorgeous lavender shift and racing to the nearest mirror to glimpse my changing reflection. I hated being that walking, talking, makeover cliché but, with each new dress, more pieces of the new me were falling into place. When Penny finally arrived, cradling a few bottles of wine and a fresh bread stick, she appeared flustered and a little lost.
‘Can you please, please tell my father that it is absolutely not okay to walk around the house naked. I learned way too much about my creation today.’ She shook her head over and over, disappearing into the kitchen. ‘Where’s Patrick? Maybe he’ll be naked, that’ll cleanse my eyes.’ Penny returned. ‘And ohmigod that dress is gorgeous. Do you love it?’
‘I do.’ I flattened the material against my front. ‘I feel very spoilt.’
‘I keep telling Mum she needs to turn this into a business.’ Penny appeared in the doorway. ‘We could go to markets with our little Thermos of coffee and some sandwiches, sell some dresses.’
‘You really should.’ I looked at Gwen. ‘Think of all the custom orders.’
She frowned and gave her head an embarrassed shake. ‘I’m really very happy just doing this. Look how good you look.’
‘Mum!’ Penny disappeared again.
Much to her disgust, Patrick had no need to get naked in our backyard, no matter how covered in dirt he was, or how many suggestions Penny made. He’d checked the hot water service, pottered around the backyard, fixed fence palings, and restrung the clothes line, all before mowing the lawn. I had to wonder whether he was avoiding going home, or just making work for himself. I mean, it wasn’t as if this was something we paid for on top of the rent. At least I hoped it wasn’t.
‘Just waiting for a dinner invite, actually.’ Patrick appeared in the kitchen, sliding the side door shut behind him. ‘It smells amazing and I figure if I hang around long enough, you’ll feed me.’
‘Lordy wordy,’ Penny laughed. ‘Are you kidding? Of course you’re staying for dinner. Do you want to take a shower? You stink.’
‘Can I?’ he asked. ‘And hello, Eleanor.’
‘Patrick.’ I smirked. ‘Good to see you wearing some pants today.’
‘In case you forgot, you actually own this house.’ Penny looked at him like he was stupid. ‘Honestly.’
‘Whether I do or not doesn’t preclude me from using manners, does it?’ he asked.
Penny spun him around and pushed him towards the bathroom. ‘Just go and wash. There are clean towels in the cupboard.’
At first, I found the landlord and tenant friendship strange, because hell hath no fury like a Penny without a hot shower or a broken fence paling, but I was starting to come around to it. The more time I spent with Patrick, it was becoming easier to see exactly why she held him on a tiny pedestal.
With Patrick tucked away in the bathroom, I returned to the safety of the lounge, where I was being pinned in and out, measured, and spun about like an Adjustoform. We dithered on the decision of whether to keep the skirt of one above or below the knee and, in the end, above the knee won out. Gwen shuffled about on the floor, measuring tape around her neck and pins in her mouth, mumbling about how much she loved the fabric, which was satin backed and felt altogether sexy.
‘I love this one so much.’ I pinched at loose emerald-green fabric around my middle, hoping we could remove another inch or so. Then again, it was extra space for a food baby.
‘It suits you so much.’ Penny folded herself into the recliner and held her phone in my direction. ‘I’m totally Facebook-ing this.’
‘Next time I get married, you’re making the dress.’
‘It makes me happy to hear you say that.’ Gwen rested back on her feet and clapped her hands. ‘Go look in the mirror.’
As I passed the front door, I spotted a familiar four-legged friend sitting outside on the landing. My stomach wibbled. She tossed her head back excitedly and barked as I approached.
‘Daisy, are you lost?’ I teased as I stepped out onto the landing. She wriggled backwards, yipped and did an excited little dance with her back legs, and tried to bury her head in my crotch. It was a dog thing, I got that much, but with a dress covered in pins, I did my best to push her away. ‘Or are you walking your dad?’
‘She is … that’s exactly what she’s doing,’ Marcus said, bemused.
He waited at the bottom of the stairs, his arm strained with the tension of a retractable lead. Seeing him stabbed at something soft and spongy. I’d lost my cool at him earlier, yet, here he was, and I didn’t know whether to feel relieved that he wasn’t on a date or confused that he was here instead. What I did know was that I felt sad for how I’d behaved earlier, and it sat on my chest like a … well, like a Daisy. A big heavy dog that was excited but not sure what to do with itself.
‘Hello.’
Marcus shifted on his feet. ‘Hey.’
‘How are you?’ I asked.
‘I’m okay.’ He stuffed his spare hand in his pocket and leaned against the railing at the bottom of the stairs. ‘What are you up to? Are you busy?’
‘Oh.’ I flapped my hands at my sides, jerking away just as quickly when I hit a rogue pin. ‘Just a wee wardrobe malfunction.’
Marcus blew out his cheeks and climbed the first step. ‘I can assure you, that does not look like a malfunction at all.’
‘Looks like you’ve had an accident.’ I drew a finger across my neck. ‘Tie’s gone.’
‘You know how it goes.’ He fiddled with a button. ‘Once I get changed, it’s all over for the night. I have to get her out for a walk before that, so then we both get some exercise.’
I continued to look at him, my brain playing hopscotch with all the alternative endings to this conversation. Coming in for dinner? Going out for dinner? Let me race inside and get changed? My heart tumbled and fluttered about. I took a steadying breath and waited.
‘Is that yours?’ He pointed to my car.
I nodded. ‘It is, yeah.’
‘Nice.’
‘Thank you.’
Wringing my hands, I looked at the street around us, taking in the darkened sky and white glow of street lamps, the whiff of damp sea breeze, wheelie bins on kerbs, and a discarded bicycle on the lawn across the road. Headlights swung around the bend, and Daisy’s ears pricked at the sound of a dog barking somewhere in the distance.
‘Why are you here?’ I asked,
as if we didn’t know.
‘Uh, I wanted to talk to you about this afternoon. I owe you a massive apology.’ He looked down and frowned, mining the depths of his mind for his next words. ‘I do need to pull my socks up and be more involved. And I wondered if you had a bit of time now to sit down and get this thing sorted. By that, I mean really get things moving. Let’s get the invites out and step out everything we need to do, because we don’t seem to be communicating particularly well. I think that’s where we’re going wrong.’
‘It’s not just communication that’s important,’ I said. ‘I need commitment, too. This won’t work without it. It’s the three Cs: communication, commitment, consistency.’
‘I understand that.’ He lifted a lazy hand to point at the door behind me. ‘That’s why I’m here.’
‘You can’t just flit about with other women while we’re trying to achieve something.’
‘I don’t want other women.’ He climbed two more steps. ‘You know that.’
‘You’re either in or you’re out. People have let me down in the past and, honestly, I don’t want to go through that again.’
‘Can I say I’ll do my best not to do that?’ he said.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the blinds shift. We both turned towards the disturbance at the same time, laughter threatening to break the surface tension as our spies ducked in an uncoordinated retreat. The blinds swung in their absence.
‘They’ve been watching the entire time,’ Marcus said with a huff.
‘Who’s they?’
‘All three of them. Patrick, Penny, and … someone else.’
I rolled my eyes as I watched him take another step forward. He was close enough now that I could lean down the next step and kiss him – if I wanted to. Instead, I reached out and folded over a wayward lapel that danced in the breeze. ‘I can’t very well send you away now they know you’re here, can I?’
‘Technically you could,’ he whispered, his eyes searching mine. ‘But you’re right, it would be terribly rude.’
‘In that case,’ I said. ‘Have you eaten? Would you like to stay for dinner?’
‘You’re so romantic, Eleanor,’ he whispered, a twinkle in his eye as he stepped past me and opened the front door. ‘My only plan tonight is to be here, and I’m staying until we get it right.’
Lessons in Love Page 16