Finding Izzy

by Nanette Fox

Ruth spat, “Well aren’t you seeing David on and off at the moment?” Ruth was looking at Isabella with such anger that Tim was horrified. His mother continued, “You always do just what Isabella wants, you flutter those blue eyes and flick your hair, you play with men’s emotions and you know you do, you twist them around your little finger and then move onto the next conquest. No wonder Isaac hit out!” Ruth bit her lip realizing she’d over-stepped with her last comment.

  Isabella turned and reached out to Tim for comfort. He put one strong arm round her and started yelling at his mother, “Mum, take your coffee and your twisted thoughts and get out of here.”

  “Go and hibernate in your studio downstairs.”

  “It just so happens, Mum, Isabella isn’t with David anymore and won’t ever be again.”

  “What you just said about Isaac was just cruel.”

  “What is your problem Mum?” Tim’s eyes were flashing fire at his mother. He had been tapping the benchtop with his finger to make his points. He took that arm and fully enclosed his Izzy in an embrace.

  His mother picked up her coffee and walking to the doorway to head down the stairs to her studio, had one parting shot, “Tim you have very poor taste in women, why you can’t just settle with Victoria, I don’t know.”

  “It’s because Mum, I don’t love Vicky.”

  “Not enough anymore. Not like I should.” Isabella, clearly shaken by the encounter with Ruth, backed away from Tim and stretching out her arm, touching his chest said, “I think I’d better go.” Tim lent forward, kissed her fleetingly on the lips and said, “I’ll ring you later.”

  Chapter 12

  Not All What It Seems

  Rebecca and Tim locked up at around six pm and made their way to the family pasta restaurant, a short distance away. They were in good spirits, both keen to clear the air after their argument the previous Sunday. Once seated and scanning the menu, Tim whispered to Rebecca, “Hey, Bec, are you feeling like creating some drama?”

  Rebecca looked up at him, frowning. “What?”

  Tim replied, “I’ve scanned the room and Vicky is over the other side towards the back with Brad, a tradie I know, at a table for two.”

  “Not only that, but ‘me old bro, Davey boy’ is hanging out with a gang from his work and paying particular attention to his new and very pretty receptionist, Michelle.”

  Rebecca asked, taking in his wicked grin and gleaming eyes, “Exactly what have you got in mind?”

  “Just thinking, we make it out we are on a date, and madly attracted to each other.” Rebecca felt a little sorry about tricking Victoria but loved the idea of stirring the pot with David.

  Tim reached over and gently holding her chin, gazed supposedly adoringly into her eyes, just as Tanya, the waitress, came to take their order. Laying it on thickly, “Darling, what would you like?”

  Rebecca whispered, “Tim!” The drinks arrived, and he reached over and brushed her hair behind her ear. Getting up from the table, he leant over and gave her a kiss on the cheek as he headed towards the bar to retrieve some water glasses. Rebecca realized David had spotted them and was watching every move.

  Tim had let on that Tanya was a friend of Vicky’s, and Rebecca saw Tanya sneak across to speak to Vicky and Brad. Vicky was on her way across the room, popping over whilst Tim was away from the table, blurting out, “Are you on a date with Tim?”

  Rebecca didn’t miss a beat, “Why yes I am.”

  Tim arrived back at the table, giving Rebecca’s shoulder a little squeeze, “Hello Vic, great to see you?”

  “Are you here alone?”

  Victoria blushed, “No, I am with someone.”

  “Oh pity, you could have pulled up a chair.” At that Victoria made polite apologies and almost ran away.

  The meal arrived, and they ate and discussed work. Tim didn’t mention Isabella. Only to say that he was sorry that he had been difficult last Sunday. It wasn’t really his place. He apologized and hoped all was forgiven. Continuing their charade, they got up to choose desserts, holding hands as they walked over to the display. Rebecca slipped her arm around his waist and did her best ‘look up at him adoringly’ as they made their choices with lots of pointing and discussion. Tim then swung by David’s table, “Hey didn’t expect to see you here Dave. Who is this pretty young lady?” The young lady in question, Michelle, blushed furiously.

  David glowered at him, “I didn’t realize Rebecca and you are dating each other,” he snapped. Tim’s response was neither a yes or no, “Well Dave, you don’t always know everything.”

  “See you around bro.”

  After coffees, Tim and Rebecca tumbled out into the night air, laughing at the responses of both Victoria and David. It had been quite funny playing tricks on them both. Rebecca, knowing David quite well, knew he would be on the phone to Isabella later in the night reporting everything. Rebecca knew David was very anxious about Tim being at the gallery and spending so much time with Isabella. Rebecca realized that it had dawned on David that his younger brother was most definitely a man now and Isabella seemed interested. Tim knew Vic had her reasons for being embarrassed about being caught out at dinner with Brad and deserved to think Tim was moving on with someone else. Tim turned to Rebecca, “Thanks for being a good sport and playing along.”

  “Bec, I am going to kiss you, but just on the cheek.” She smiled up at him. He was nice. Tim and Rebecca hugged and with a, “See you tomorrow,” parted company.

  She’d enjoy telling her Paul all about him when they next Skyped. Her partner, Paul, stationed interstate on military service. She had already shared with Paul all the drama between Isabella and Tim that surrounded ‘the Mornington date’. He knew Isabella and David, didn’t really know Tim, but had commented that it sounded like Isabella was playing out a little fantasy yet again. They had laughed over whether it was ‘the jealous lover,’ or the ‘who should I choose triangle’. Rebecca had commented that at some point, Isabella had to grow up, she really didn’t know how to be in an adult relationship. She was still like a school girl.

  Paul had said, “Everyone, including you, has been protecting her for so long, with her personal life that is, she is used to the fussing, and stroking of her ego.”

  “Well thanks Paul,” she had replied, “I’ll remember not to care next time.”

  “Oh, believe me, there’ll be a next time,” said Paul. He had winked at her, said how much he missed her and wished he was there.

  *

  The door to the gallery opened and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Isabella pop into her office and put her things down. It was 7 am in the morning! Tim wondered why she was so early but reflected she didn’t enjoy driving, so it was probably to avoid the traffic. He couldn’t comment as he had been in at 5. He wanted to finish some plans; he was off to Phillip Island on a site inspection later.

  He heard her walk up and got up to greet her, stepping in to give her a kiss and a hug. “Morning, Izzy.”

  She immediately cut him off with, “This is the office, please don’t call me Izzy, and certainly don’t be overly affectionate.”

  His irritated, “No heaven forbid I show that I like you,” nettled her.

  “Please Tim.”

  He stepped back, looking hurt and angry, putting his hands in his pockets, glared down upon her. “It is 7 in the morning, no one else is here, what does it matter?” At that moment, his mobile rang. Dragging it out of his pocket, he looked at it, put his finger up and apologized, “I need to take this call.”

  He turned completely away from her, and stepping over to behind his desk, lent against the side of the window. “Hello beautiful, how are you?”

  “Yeah look, I know it wasn’t a nice thing to do but I was trying to make a point.” He was speaking softly and obviously to someone special. Isabella felt lost and abandoned. Standing rooted to the spot, she wrapped her arms around her waist and listened to a little more of the conversation.

  David had phoned her late last night with th
e big news that Tim had appeared to be on a date with Rebecca. It didn’t seem correct to Isabella because she knew all about Rebecca’s partner, Paul. David went in to detail about what he had seen, and now with this phone call, Isabella was beginning to wonder. She heard him ring off with, “Bye, Vic.” He turned to find her standing exactly in the same spot, her arms wrapped around herself, tears brimming in her eyes. He made no moves to explain, just looked at her darkly, tossing his phone onto the desk. She turned and fled to her office.

  Tim slumped in his office chair and ran his hand through his hair. He would have to go and explain but was irritated to think that she had stood and listened to the call. After 30 minutes or so, in which time he packed the crate with his hard hat, ‘high-viz’ vest, and all the documents and bits and pieces he would need for the site visit, he stopped and purposefully walked across to her office.

  He reached up and knocked on the door, her desk chair was turned away, Izzy seemed to be reading. Without waiting for her to swivel around, he explained, “That was Vic on the phone, we are not together, we’re still friends. After all, we were together for eight years. We can be civil to each other.” More decisively he stated, “I would prefer if you never stand and listen to my phone calls in the future, it’s as if you don’t trust me.” The chair didn’t move. He continued, “I would appreciate if the girl, no correction lady I like, like very much, would stop being a silly little teenager.” His voice raised in anger, brought memories flooding back, of another angry man.

  “Izzy, I am trying to get so much together in my life right now, I simply can’t be bothered with this rubbish you are going on with.” The chair still didn’t move, he knew she was listening by her hand movements. “You need to grow up and react normally.”

  “The vulnerable ‘little girl’ act has to stop.”

  “Respond, damn it.”

  “Say something.”

  The chair swivelled around, “I will not be spoken to in that tone.”

  “I thought you were interested in me, but it appears you still have Victoria on a string, and I was told you were dating Rebecca. You were seen last night. So, you are obviously playing the field.” Then the “I made a mistake, you’re too young” was the final straw for Tim.

  So angry, he just didn’t need this effing crap, his life was just too full of other stresses. “Well Isabella I am out, done, finished.” His parting shot, “I am out of the office all day today; I will be at Phillip Island on a site.”

  She finally spoke again, “Well then, have a safe trip.” She heard him gather his things, take the SUV key, and let himself out, slamming the door shut. She shuddered. Rebecca came in and was greeted with angry looks of betrayal. Rebecca retreated to her desk.

  *

  Rebecca was sitting sipping coffee at home that evening when her mobile rang. Not recognizing the number, she hesitantly took the call. “Hello, is that Rebecca?”

  “Hi, it’s Vicky Michaels here.”

  “I am under strict instructions from Ruth Martinelli not to ring Isabella, which is why I am ringing you.” Rebecca started to worry. "I have to let you know that I’ve driven the SUV back to the Gallery from Ruth’s. Oh, and I popped the keys through the mail slot. It’s a really long story and I am not going into all the details. It’s private, as Ruth said to me, insisting I didn’t tell anyone. Tim’s not okay; he has had to go to hospital. She didn’t realize I had to do something about the car… Rebecca finished the call thanking Vicky and wished Tim well.

  The phone rang again, it was Julia. “I guess you may have heard from Vicky?”

  “Yes,” said Rebecca. “Julia,” started Rebecca, “What is going on?”

  Julia was guarded, “Tim is not well, hasn’t been for some time according to Mum.”

  “It is not physical. He has been so driven of late. Barely sleeping and eating. Look I am sorry Rebecca, but I don’t want to say too much.”

  “But what is important, that it is just between you and I, not for the ‘girl triangle’, Isabella mustn’t know, not for a little while.”

  “I understand she is being particularly ‘precious’ at the moment about how she is with Tim, in private versus the office, the gallery,” said Julia. “He doesn’t need that sort of crap.”

  “He doesn’t really need Vicky suffocating him either, but he does know her, really well, and she is probably better placed to help.”

  Rebecca proceeded to hear from Julia, Tim had returned from Phillip Island, and gone to his mother’s where Ruth had provoked a massive argument about him being involved with Isabella when he had a perfectly good girlfriend in Vicky. Storming out and taking his bike, he had arrived at Vicky’s as he wanted to challenge Vic about what she may or may not have said to his mother about their relationship. He was absolutely exhausted and distressed. He had collapsed, and Vicky had called an ambulance. He had been admitted to Hospital and would be there for a few days.

  Rebecca’s coffee had gone cold. She reflected on her dinner with Tim. He had seemed so happy. Now she realized he had been almost manic, wanting to stir the pot with Victoria and David with their little performance. Rebecca was a very balanced person knowing when to seek help with problems and talk things out. She thought about her two closest friends. Isabella was really quite difficult. A very demanding person, ‘high maintenance’, wasn’t that the term? Julia was strong but could be volatile and argumentative. She hadn’t met Antonio yet, but suspected Julia was the stronger partner in the relationship. She looked at the clock on her kitchen wall; she needed to talk things over with her parents. It wasn’t too late; she would pop over and visit them.

  Lucy and Michael were very happy to see their daughter and elderly Rufus too. Rebecca chatted for a while, inconsequential stuff, about work, about Paul, but they could see she had something on her mind. Over supper, she told them the unfolding story, going back to the day Tim had arrived at the gallery in Isabella’s wake. In great detail, she told them about the ‘date’ to Mornington and its aftermath, she had them laughing over the whole what to call Isabella thing. They had often incurred Isabella’s wrath if they forgot and called her ‘Izzy’ or ‘Bella’. Lucy, with her lovely soft ways, had often fallen into the trap. Michael listened and commented that it sounded as if Tim had many of his own worries.

  It sounded as if he was very similar to his father Marco, a proud and self-sufficient man who found it difficult to ask for help. They did discuss how emotionally fragile Isabella was but thought it sounded good that she was being challenged to step out of her own little ‘Isabella’ world. Very carefully choosing their words, Lucy and Michael touched on Ruth’s attitude to Isabella. Ruth was a lovely person, but she had some ‘bee in her bonnet’ about how David had been so hurt when Isabella had married Isaac. David was known for his unsettled ‘new girl every week’ behaviours. Ruth was their friend, and they didn’t want to disparage her.

  For Rebecca, it had been lovely to sit with her parents and talk everything out. Paul was also a good listener and she could always talk things over, but he wasn’t here right now, and this needed a face to face chat, with warm hugs. The hot chocolate was nice too.

  Two weeks passed by quite quickly. In the first week, Rebecca was able to head Isabella off as regards Tim’s whereabouts as firstly Isabella had a buying trip to Queensland, and secondly, she was playing the angry and hurt ‘I can’t talk to you’ friend. So, the few, actual hours she was in the office, she could cover with ‘Tim is with clients.’ The second week, Isabella had been informed he was sick with a virus and he was recovering at home. Rebecca knew enough about Isabella’s relationship with Ruth to know she would stay away. She really didn’t know if Isabella had tried to reach Tim by phone or even perhaps vice versa, but suspected maybe not, as after their last disagreement, Isabella would expect Tim to contact her. Rebecca would have been very surprised to learn of the very long conversations way into the night.

  Rebecca hadn’t seen or heard from David. Not unusual, Julia was back in town,
so he would contact her first about Isabella, or contact Isabella direct. Julia and Rebecca talked often and long about Tim and Isabella. Their loyalties lay with protecting Isabella. Julia was conflicted as she was Tim’s sister and wanted what was right for him and if it was her difficult but fragile friend he was interested in, then she would support the relationship. The one thing they were in agreement about, David needed to find his own person.

  Tim returned to work. Quiet and a little withdrawn, he wasn’t back to his super-human hours, just some half mornings, the occasional full day. If he wasn’t out with clients, he was preparing drawings and plans. Rebecca heard him on his phone talking with Victoria at least once a day. He was ‘to the point’ and careful to be very professional in Isabella’s presence. If he was still holding a candle for her, you couldn’t pick it from their interactions. Rebecca knew Isabella. She was an impatient person and waiting for Tim to break the impasse would only happen for so long. It was a few weeks of calm before quite a storm blew in.

  Chapter 13

  Is There a Romance?

  Isabella wasn’t amused the day Victoria came with Ruth to pick Tim up for a lunch. She was very polite but excused herself as soon as possible, leaving Rebecca in the role of hostess. Isabella was complimentary of Tim’s carpentry to both ladies before going back to her office as she could see Ruth was proudly amazed. It was an eye-opener for Ruth to see that Tim had created a Marco-like space at one end of the office area. She was well aware of his carpentry skills but hadn’t expected such a creative space. She could see his handiwork elsewhere too. Marco had spent many hours with his hobby of carpentry and had taught Tim well. One of the many things they’d shared as father and son.

  *

  A day or so later, Tim was leaning over Rebecca’s desk talking on the phone to a client of the gallery. He was by himself as Rebecca had gone to do some banking, and Julia and Isabella were out for several hours. The entrance doors opened and an attractive lady with lots of curly black hair walked in. She was a little different, some facial piercings and all the colours of the rainbow tipping her hair. She walked up to Tim putting her hand in his back pocket and cuddling under his arm, waited, until he’d finished talking.