Then he hung up. Helena looked at the screen and the photo of her and Jim. She smiled. He was such an idiot.
Chapter 4
For the second day in a row Jim left the small box in his pocket. All day he planned their perfect evening. He would take Kelly to dinner at the Golden Swan, Perth’s finest, most-expensive restaurant, then, after dinner they would take a stroll along the Swan River, and there, under the stars, he would propose. Except that Kelly had been running late, which meant the restaurant had pushed back their reservation and left them stranded at the bar for two hours until another table opened up.
“What kind of place takes two hours to find a table?” Kelly commented loudly as they were finally seated. The waiter handed them their menus without a word and left. Jim wondered if it would be another two hours before he returned. He already knew the romantic riverside stroll was out and wondered whether he should just propose in the middle of the restaurant. Wasn’t that how it was done in the movies? The crowd would cheer, Kelly would squeal and the waiter would bring them a free bottle of champagne. Except they were seated right in the back corner, next to the kitchen. The nearest tables to theirs were emptying, and all the other tables that were still seated consisted of decidedly creepy older men with their suspiciously younger dates. It was not quite as romantic as Jim had pictured.
“God, there’s nothing to eat,” Kelly complained.
Jim smiled as though she were joking. “What about the chicken?” he suggested.
“I don’t know, it all sounds too strange. Why is there orange with chicken? And the steak has jus. What the hell is that?”
“It’s a sauce, it’s really nice, kind of like thin gravy mixed with herbs and red wine.”
“Why don’t they just say that then?”
Jim took a breath and answered calmly, “I don’t know. I think it’s because they’re a bit fancy here.”
Kelly rolled her eyes, “I noticed. What was with that waiter?”
Jim shrugged. It was going to be a long night. He was relieved when the waiter returned. Kelly eventually ordered her usual, a chicken Caesar salad, though barely touched it as she decided the chicken was too spicy. Jim ate his caramelised pork belly and chilli-jam dumplings, but was unable to enjoy his meal. He kept waiting for the right time to propose, but it never came. Every time he touched the box in his pocket, something felt wrong. This was a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event and it had to be done perfectly. Tonight, nothing was perfect. It was barely okay.
They left soon after dessert and he drove her home. They sat in silence as the car pulled to the curb outside Kelly’s parents’ house.
“What’s with you, Jim? You’ve been acting weird lately.” Jim’s hand went to his pocket. Was this the moment? She continued, “You’ve been acting so serious. Are you going to tell me what the matter is, or not?” Her critical tone stayed his hand.
Jim shrugged. “Yeah, I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
“Like what? Which tie to wear to work?”
He laughed nervously, “Something like that.”
She smiled momentarily and kissed him on the cheek. “Let’s not go there again, eh? I know you are trying Jim, but maybe we could go somewhere with normal food next time.”
He nodded and went to return her kiss, but she had already turned her head away and stepped out of the car. She stuck her head back in the opened door. “Oh, and Jim, I think we need to cool it at school. Some of the other staff are starting to talk.”
“Oh, okay,” he said. Cool what? He was lucky if she looked his way at work. She gave a wry half-smile and then the door was shut and she was gone. Unable to hold his frustration in check any longer he floored the accelerator and raced away down the street. Jim pulled off his tie, unbuttoned his shirt and cursed at himself the whole way home.
By the time he arrived home, he had exhausted his swearing vocabulary and felt slightly better. The lights were on throughout the house, but there was no sign of Hels—not until he got to his bedroom and turned on the light. There he found her passed out in his bed. She looked so peaceful, unlike her conscious self. Hels’ pale skin looked so soft, her vibrant red hair covering half her face. She clung to Reginald, his childhood teddy. He marvelled at just how young she looked. Awake, she was so boisterous and in control, so tough and indomitable, but here and now, as she slept he could see how gentle she was, how delicate and, well, pretty.
Pretty? Hels? He must be tired.
Jim quickly started getting out of his evening clothes. He took out the ring box. A strange feeling swept through him, and an irrational stupid instinct annexed his entire being as he stood in his boxers, staring down at his sleeping best friend. For the first time in the evening something felt right. It just clicked.
Hels stirred momentarily and turned over with Reginald still cradled to her chest. Jim reacted without thinking; throwing the ring box in his laundry basket, he grabbed a singlet before turning off the light. He listened to Hels’ breathing to make sure he hadn’t woken her, then proceeded through the house to turn off the lights.
Jim took a deep breath, trying to figure out the strange feeling that was running through him. With the final light out, he collapsed on the couch pulling the throw rug over as much of his body as it could cover. It would have to do. He thought about crashing in Hels’ room, but it was such a mess. No doubt that was why she decided to use his.
God, Hels was so annoying.
The thought disappeared as quickly as it had formed. In reality, he liked that she was in his bed and snuggled up with Reginald. He was glad that she felt comfortable with him and his things, that she was a part of who he was and knew him so well. They shared this house because they liked each other’s company. They split everything equally and were completely comfortable around each other. Theirs was a perfect friendship, one that had stood the test of time. She would never consciously let him, or anyone, take care of her, but this was one way he could show he cared, and that was important to Jim. Probably more important than it should be.
*****
Rattling water pipes forced Helena’s conscious mind to wake. She was far, far too comfortable to rise from a soft, fluffy doona that held a familiar musky scent and a mattress that cradled her body just right. She was holding something to her. It was Reginald. She realised she must be home and have snuck into Jim’s bed again. She smiled and nestled into it. She had been so tired. She couldn’t even remember getting home or going to bed. Helena reached a hand out and felt for Jim, just in case she had snuck in at the wrong time. No, it was all clear. He must have slept on the couch. Or at Kelly’s. Yuck. Her hand traced the empty space on the other side of the bed in circles. It was cool and unused. As much as Jim’s neatness and cleanliness drove her mad, it was always nice to sleep in his fresh, cosy bed.
The pipes stopped screeching. God, what time was it? How long had she been out? The door to the bedroom gently opened, Helena kept her eyes shut as Jim crept in the room quietly and began going through his clothes rack and drawers. She opened her eyes just a smidgen, enough to make out a dripping, towel-wearing Jim with his back to her.
He actually had quite a nice back, she admitted to herself. His shoulders were on the stockier side and more muscled now than ever before. He turned suddenly, and she froze hoping the dark room would hide her slightly opened eyes. Jim’s gaze wandered over her, his expression unreadable. She noted his chest hair was increasing, the muscles of his chest and abdomen, though not as defined as a gym junkie, were undeniably apparent and taut. He crept out of the room with a handful of clothes, then turned back as he reached the doorway. She felt something strange in her stomach as he looked over her again, his brow creased. Helena tried her best not to react as the side of his towel slowly began to loosen. His hand grasped for the falling towel, then quickly stepped through the doorway. Helena caught a quick flash of a bum cheek as he closed the door behind him. She stifled the giggle that threatened to burst out of her. He really was such a dag.
*****
Helena tried to time her surfacing as Jim started the coffee machine. Hey, it was one less thing she needed to do. Leaving Reginald on the bed she realised she was only wearing a singlet and knickers, in exasperation she took one of Jim’s blue and yellow West Coast Eagles jerseys off the rack and threw it on.
“Coffee?” Jim asked predictably, as she stumbled into the kitchen area. She gave him a withering ‘like you need to ask’ look and he pulled down another mug. He was dressed in his trousers and shirt now, his hair neatly groomed. His bum was well concealed, but she couldn’t help but grin as he moved it in front of her, pouring the coffee and adding the milk. He turned and handed her a large mug. It smelt good, like home. She tried to say thanks or smile but found herself unable. What is with me today? she wondered.
Jim busied himself organising his lunch. “So, when’s the big date?”
“He said he’d message. It’s only for coffee.”
“Sure,” Jim said winking. “Just coffee, eh?”
“Stop that,” Helena growled. “And yes, just coffee, I think.” He’d noticed her hesitation.
“Well, you are the girl you know, you get to decide the parameters of the date.”
“What? In English, please?”
“You get to decide how lucky he gets, from cheek kiss to…”
“Don’t you dare wink! Why do I have to decide?”
“Because you’re the girl, and if it were up to the guy, it would always end in wink territory.”
“I don’t know, Alex is different.”
“Oh that’s right, he’s nice.” There was an edge to Jim’s voice, as though the thought of her dating someone nice offended him. He continued quickly, “Look, you like him, surely he likes you. It will be fine.”
“How do you know he likes me?” she said as she self-consciously pulled her fingers through a bunch of knotted curls.
“Trust me,” Jim said and took a step towards her as though appraising Helena. She felt self-conscious as he did a quick up-and-down. “You’ve got a great look, with your red hair, big blue eyes, sweet-looking face. You’ve got that girl-next-door quality.”
“You’re just saying that because we were neighbours growing up.”
He ignored her, “Look you’re fun, tough, straightforward, down to earth, a girl without the bullshit, what guy wouldn’t want that?”
“Wow that should be my slogan. The girl without the bullshit.”
He shook his head, “You have no idea how good it would be to go out with a girl free of all the bullshit, I’d give my right nut for a girl like you. I mean… well, you know what I mean.” Jim took a long sip of his coffee suddenly finding something interesting out the window.
“Jim, is something wrong with you and Kelly?”
He shook his head, “No, it’s fine. I think there is something wrong with me though.”
“Well, we always knew that,” she joked.
He didn’t smile, “I better go, good luck with your date. The main thing to remember is to arrange another date, like movies or something. It’s like you’re building on slowly. No rush, just enjoy the experience of liking someone and them liking you back, without the assistance of alcohol.”
“But alcohol is my greatest asset, it makes me smarter and funnier and prettier.”
“Oh Hels, it only makes you think that.” He gave her a quick wink and dodged the magazine she threw after him.
“Same difference!” she yelled.
Chapter 5
“Alright, alright, quiet down! I know it’s one week until holidays but you still have your country projects, prime numbers investigation and persuasive text due.” Jim’s reminders were met with thirty simultaneous pre-adolescent groans. “I’ll tell you what, if everyone gets all their assessments in by Thursday, on Friday we’ll have…” Jim felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket. He checked who it was. Bloody hell, what did Hels want now? She knew he was working. He put it back in his pocket. Thirty pairs of eyes stared at him as he turned back around.
“What, sir?” Angus, one of the more energetic boys called out.
Distracted, Jim ignored him. “Right guys, get your workbooks out.”
“But you didn’t tell us what we would get if we finished early,” Angus protested.
“Um, that’s what you’re writing about for English. Everyone is to write me a letter proposing what we should do as a reward. The best-written letter will be chosen and that’s what we do, just keep it realistic. Okay, get to work. I just have to get something out of the storeroom.” He shushed a couple of the more excited students and hid himself in the storeroom.
Jim pressed ‘Hels’ on his phone. She picked up straight away. “Jim, I’ve done something bad,” she confessed.
“What have you done?”
“I panicked okay.”
“What did you do?”
“It was bad, really bad, and I panicked.”
“Damn it, Hels, what did you do?”
“We met for coffee,” she said as though that explained everything.
“And? How was it?”
He could hear her groan. “Bad, bad, bad. He didn’t even drink coffee. He had a herbal tea.”
“Okay. And that’s bad?”
“No, he was all perfect and I sat there not saying a word, just like you said.”
“I didn’t say that.” But she wasn’t listening.
“He told me about his family. You know he believes in God!”
“That bastard,” Jim teased.
She ignored his sarcasm, “He’s smart, he’s actually been to uni, not to do dumb stuff like you, he’s actually got an economics degree and has a major in business management. He’s got shares and plays the guitar.”
“He doesn’t sound that bad, actually Hels, he sounds alright.”
“Alright!?” she shouted. “Alright? He’s fucking perfect.”
Jim could hear the rising noise in his classroom and decided to try to speed things along. His talking on his phone at work was a bit of a risk and if she was just ringing to tell how amazing this Alex guy was, she could save her breath. “So, what’s the problem then?”
“The problem, Jim, is that I said something stupid. I panicked okay. Things were kind of winding up and I had hardly said a word and we walked to my car and I didn’t want that to be it. And you said I should make a second date. It would have been so much easier if we were drunk, it is easy to kiss someone when you’re smashed.”
“Did you kiss him?”
“No, he’s too tall and he seemed happy just talking and then I said, now don’t be mad, I said, we were having a small gathering on Saturday night and that he should come.”
“But I’m… doing something on Saturday.” Jim had already planned out his next proposal attempt, he was going to take Kelly to a restaurant after the football, provided they won. He could already see the shimmering sunset behind them as he got down on one knee.
Hels’ scolding snapped him out of his reverie. “What? You can go out with Kelly anytime. Please Jim? I need your help.” Jim frowned at the thought. Why should he help her with this Alex guy? “Come on Jim, I’ve been your wingman for years. You owe me.”
He shook his head, “You’re a terrible wingman. You always make me sound like a complete loser.”
“Girls respond to honesty,” she scoffed.
If she thought ripping into him was going to help her cause, she had another thing coming. “And I should help you because?”
“Because you’re my best friend and I’ll be forever in your debt.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Come on Jim, please. Even if it’s just you, me, Kelly and Alex. We could have like a dinner party or something.”
“You want a double date?”
“What could go wrong?”
“Jesus, where do I start? What do you know about dinner parties?”
“I know it’s like dinner and a party, all in one.”
“Will you cook?”
; “Of course.”
He couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows. This he had to see.
“Okay, but as long as I don’t have to do anything. Kelly might not be too keen.”
“Oh come on Jim, grow a pair and just tell her. You’re the man.”
“Sorry, I forgot what an expert you are with relationships.”
“We’ll just pretend it’s my birthday.”
“I’m not buying you a present.”
“Spoilsport. Thanks for this.”
He shook his head, he hadn’t meant to agree, then he shrugged. What was one more ruined proposal?
Chapter 6
Dear God, what had she done? The enormity of her mistake occurred to Helena as she returned home. What would Alex think? He would take one look at their prehistoric house, at her messy room and realise she was a slob, a loser. While Jim went through university and she worked various jobs, it had been ideal to have this rickety old house, but now they had real jobs and they could afford their own places, why had they stayed? Stupid, stupid, stupid. She mentally chastised herself and Jim—well it was his fault too.
She spun around the living room trying to decide where to start. What was the most visible thing? Clothes. She had left her work clothes scattered throughout the house, even in Jim’s room. Trekking around, she gathered tops, trackies, bras, and began stuffing the old washing machine to the top. Helena emptied her washing basket onto the laundry floor and, on a whim, decided to do Jim’s clothes too. She grabbed his basket and sprawled the contents next to her own. There was an on odd clatter as a small object rolled away from the clothes. It was a box, green with a gold line running horizontally across the middle. Helena bent over and picked it up.
“Holy shit!” she exclaimed as she opened it. That fucking idiot, what was he thinking? He could not be serious. Helena took an involuntary couple of sharp breaths. The viciously pointy diamond ring gleamed sinisterly up at her, making her want to puke. It didn’t make sense. He didn’t love Kelly; the girl was a boring snob. She wasn’t right for Jim. Only he was too pig-headed to see it. Why hadn’t he told her? She couldn’t let him do it. She cared too much for her dim-witted friend to let him make such a monumental mistake.
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