by Nanette Fox
*
David arrived just as Tom collected his daughter. “Hello David, good to see you. How is Veronica?”
“Yes, good to see you Tom. I must say that was a good dinner the other night.”
“Yes, it was nice to meet your Veronica. My brother’s boys go to that school where she teaches, it’s a good one.”
“It has a good reputation apparently. Listen Tom I do need to see you about some financial things.”
“Okay David I will ring your office in the morning. Presume I’ll see you two at the next Small Business Council dinner.”
Vicky interjected firmly, “Dad I need to get out of here.”
Her father looked at her and said, “Well you shouldn’t have had the argument with Tim, don’t be so rude in front of Ruth and David, I am just talking, won’t be long.” Vicky flounced over to her father Tom’s car and got in, slamming the door. Ruth deduced she wasn’t upset and was just angry she hadn’t got her way. Ruth figured Tim had little ways to go with breaking off his relationship completely.
Chapter 24
Evening Swim Party
David looked down at his mother, “So Vicky and Tim have had a row then Mum.”
Ruth looked up at her eldest and said, “Yes, but what I want to hear more about, is you still seeing Veronica.”
“Yes Mum, I am, and she is coming over shortly for a swim, it is so hot tonight.” Ruth looked up at him
“Your brother is in the pool, he is doing laps, swimming to China I think,” she smirked. “Don’t worry he’ll be exhausted later and wander off upstairs, leaving you and Veronica in peace.”
“Are you going to introduce me to Veronica,” she continued. “Mum…” Just then a car drove in and the lady in question hopped out.
Grabbing her bag, she walked over and cuddling into David’s embrace, held out her hand in greeting, “Hello again Ruth. May I call you that?”
“Of course, welcome,” said Ruth. David looked adoringly at her, Veronica equally at him. They moved off around the corner of the house heading for the pool, holding hands, happy to be in each other’s company. Ruth thought, ‘I don’t need a novel I have this lot to keep me entertained’.
About 30 minutes later, perhaps a little more, Ruth was delighted to hear Julia, “Hey Mum, it’s a hot night can we have a swim?” She came around into the hall to see Julia standing with Rebecca and Izzy. Isabella looked very hesitant, ready to flee; she had obviously been talked into it by Julia. They had Basil with them. Julia was holding a small life jacket thing; “we thought Basil might like to try the water.” Ruth looked adoringly at the dog; he was getting quite big and active now.
“Your brother is here with Veronica as they had the same idea about a swim.”
“Oh, Veronica, really, that’s been going on for a few months now.”
“Come on girls, let’s go and meet her again,” Julia pushed on through the house. Isabella trailed behind. Ruth sensed she was wondering where Tim was.
“Izzy, he’s gone upstairs, he and Vicky had a bit of an argument earlier.”
“Well at least I think he has….” Izzy looked relieved.
Ruth called after Julia, “Do you need anything?”
“Yes Mum, if you have got some dips and biscuits or something, we have wine.”
“Okay, I’ll bring them out,” Ruth called back.
David was a bit nonplussed to see Julia and her entourage including the dog. He had hoped for a romantic moonlight swim with Veronica. “What are all of you doing here?”
“It’s a hot night, we all live in places without pools so here we all are. We thought we’d see if Basil can swim, I have a life jacket thing for him,” said Julia.
“Isabella, are you in an apartment now?” asked David. “Rebecca and I have gone into a much bigger townhouse with a yard for Basil. It is good but no pool.”
David said, “I am being rude, this is Veronica, gesturing to the girls Julia my sister, Rebecca and Isabella her friends.”
Isabella spoke first, “Call me Izzy, lovely to see you again.” Julia said, “Hello nice to meet you, again.”
Rebecca said, “I am so pleased to see you.”
Julia said, “Veronica would you like some wine?” David and Veronica picked up their glasses
“We have some bubbles already,” they chorused.
Julia piped up, “I’ve got Mum organizing some dips and things.”
David said, “Jules did you see Tim?”
“Nah and Mum said he’d gone upstairs.”
Isabella grabbed the jacket for Basil, whipped him in to it, pulled off her long t-shirt and was in the pool with the dog before anyone could count to ten. Basil, so shocked by the feel of the water, starting spluttering and trying to get out of Izzy’s arms. She was gently whispering to him “Come on Basil” and trying to get him to dog paddle with his front paws. It took a little patience on her part, and he started to dog paddle.
Julia called out to her, “You should be a swim teacher.”
She called back, “I was during University years in the UK.” She hopped out of the pool and grabbed a towel and started towelling Basil off. He was trying to wrestle the towel, and she was laughing at him. The others were watching her and thinking how happy she looked. They had all been initially a bit shocked to see how thin she was in her one-piece swimsuit and expected her to just sit and watch because she had been so quiet of late.
She shyly said, “I am actually quite an accomplished swimmer; I used to swim for my college swim club.”
“Anyways that’s Basil’s adventure, and I am swimming and went leaping back into the pool. Come on you guys, let’s play Marco Polo.”
Ruth had readied the basket of snacks to take down to the pool. She was coming out of her butler’s kitchen with some mixed nuts when she found Tim hanging over the door of the fridge. “I’m hungry Mum, but I don’t know what I want.” ’What’s going on outside I heard the racket from my room?"
“Your brother David and his Veronica are here.”
“Julia is here too with her friends.” Ruth was careful to mention who Julia was with just in case it mattered.
“The girl triangle’ is here then,” said Tim. Leaning back against the counter, he motioned to the basket, “Do you want me to take that out for you Mum?”
“Do you want to?”
“Yeah Mum, I do.”
Everyone was a little surprised when Tim sauntered up with the basket of snacks. “Hey bro, pull up a lounger,” said his brother. “By the way, this is Veronica.”
“Veronica, this is my little bro Tim.” Veronica’s breathe was taken away by the sight of Tim, so good looking. Her Dave was handsome but his younger brother stunning.
Tim had an edge to him that was quite interesting. “Hello Tim, nice to meet you again.” Tim bent down and kissed her on both cheeks, European style. Standing up, he took stock of who was lounging where and decided he’d share with Izzy rather than pull up a single. He hopped in behind where she was perched and stretched himself out. He immediately put his arm across her lap and grabbed her hand so she wouldn’t escape. Julia watched her friend who had been quite hesitant at Tim’s arrival at their little party but was then looking a little perplexed at his actions at wanting to sit with her. Basil decided he wanted up too and jumped up beside Tim’s feet.
“Why is he wet?” Tim asked. “Izzy turned to face him and looking him in the eyes said,”I was teaching him to swim." Tim grinned in response.
Julia said, “Tim we have found out all this stuff about Izzy. She was swim teacher and apparently a really good swimmer.”
Tim replied, “I knew that, she has all those trophies and medals and stuff.”
“I helped Dad build the first cabinet she had for them and then I rebuilt it just recently for her office.”
Julia said, “Is that what that is all about, I just thought it was, maybe, Izzy’s things from her parents.”
Izzy piped up, “No Julia, all mine.”
Ti
m asked Julia, “Haven’t you ever read all the inscriptions.”
Rebecca said, “I did once, I was amazed.”
Tim’s free hand was pushing Izzy’s wet hair behind her ears. Laughing, he asked, “Julia do you go around with your eyes shut?”
Tim said, “You know you girls amaze me, you walk around spouting your stuff about being ‘a girl triangle’, and you really have little idea about each other.”
“Julia did you know that Paul has asked Bec to marry him and she hasn’t said anything to either you or Izzy?”
Veronica had been sitting listening and watching, David massaging her neck, “Why Rebecca that is lovely, Paul seemed really very nice.”
“Congratulations Bec, I did wonder why he was perfectly content about getting Rebecca tattooed on his inside arm when we were in Bali,” said David. Veronica was left speechless when David pulled his board shorts down slightly on one side at his waist and said, “I got one like Tim’s design, it says Dave and Ronnie.”
Julia and Izzy were just looking at Bec, “Why didn’t you tell us?” they echoed each other.
Bec said, “Julia you were having second thoughts about Antonio, and I didn’t want to be happy and you weren’t and Izzy you have been unreachable for weeks.” At which point everyone including David had realized Izzy had stretched out lying on her side and was looking quite contented embraced totally in Tim’s arms. Veronica thought to herself, I am confused, I thought Tim was with someone else. I am sure David said something about them having a fight just before we arrived. Veronica did realize the girls were all very close and seemed to include her Dave in their gang. She’d have a few questions to ask about Izzy in private later as her women’s intuition told her there was more than a simple friendship between Izzy and Dave.
Julia said, “Maybe Mum’s got a chilled bottle of champers in the fridge, we can do a toast.”
“I’ll go and check.” She jumped up and was away inside before anyone could protest.
Izzy asked Rebecca why she was so hesitant to tell them. Rebecca explained to Izzy that she’d had quite a conversation with Julia about getting married and moving to Italy. Apparently, Julia wasn’t sure anymore. And she kept thinking about what had happened between Izzy and Isaac, really concerned about how you can’t know for sure who the right person is. David interjected with something about ‘she should have chosen me’.
Tim told him ‘well mate you would have been wrong too, don’t you think?’
Izzy rolled over and looked up at Tim and said, “It doesn’t matter now, it is past history okay.” He took her head in one hand, brushing her hair and gently kissed her on her forehead.
Basil took it as his cue to move too, crawling up Tim’s legs to sit on his chest. Tim laughing said, “Right that’s it, I came down here clean and what with my wet girlfriend and this smelly damp dog I need another shower.”
Izzy looked shyly at him, “Your girlfriend?”
“Izzy, come to the laundry with me, we have to wash this dog, you can’t take him in your new car like this.”
“How do you know he is going back with me?” said Izzy. “Because I know you,” he laughed again. “When Julia comes back with the champers, tell her we’ll be back with a clean dog in about fifteen minutes.”
Ruth was making a cup of tea in the kitchen when Tim came inside with Basil tucked under one arm and holding Izzy’s hand. “Mum she had Basil in the pool; he is still wet and smells. We are going to wash him in the laundry because she can’t take him like this in her new car.” Ruth smiled. She listened to Tim giving gentle instructions about filling the tub while he had a look around for the shampoo they’d had for the long departed Rusty. She heard him chastising her for getting shampoo in Basil’s eyes and then telling Izzy to dry him as thoroughly as possible while he ran upstairs for his hairdryer.
Ruth grinned to herself when she heard Izzy ask, “You have a hairdryer,” and thought to herself you have no idea how obsessive he is about things.
Izzy and Tim returned to the gathering by the pool. Basil looked fluffy and clean. David said, “So you guys seriously went and washed the dog.”
“Why where did you think we went?” Tim asked him.
“I don’t know, maybe to have some alone time.”
“Ah no,” said Tim looking beside him at Izzy’s embarrassed face. “Dave mate, she has a new car, she couldn’t take the smelly little brat in it.”
Julia also came to Izzy’s rescue with, “Come and sit on my lounger so you can do the whole congratulatory speech to Bec.”
Tim chastised his brother with, “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
David muttered to Veronica under his breath, “He can be so sanctimonious sometimes.”
She whispered back, “I thought you told me his girlfriend was Victoria, I am a little confused.”
“Yes, she is, was, I don’t know,” said David. “Just before you arrived Mum was seeing Victoria out after an argument. Her father, Tom Michaels, was picking Vicky up, remember you met him at the dinner the other night.”
Still whispering, “I am surprised he was being so ‘cuddly’ with Izzy before.”
Veronica whispered back, “He really likes her, Izzy I mean.”
Julia in her usual boisterous way said, “David, stop whispering sweet nothings to Veronica and pay attention, Izzy wants to say something.”
"Rebecca from all of us here tonight, we love and adore you and want you to be very happy together."
She paused for a minute and said, “Have you got Paul on Skype.” Rebecca nodded.
“Paul, you are a very lucky man. Rebecca is a stunning lady and we love her to bits. And guys I would prefer to be a little more prepared for a speech next time at either an official engagement or a wedding party.”
Paul thanked them all and asked to speak to Tim quickly before Rebecca hung up. She handed her phone to Tim. “Hey mate, is everything all good. Did you solve your problem?”
“Not quite but getting there. Will give you a call in a couple of days.”
“Okay mate, will wait to hear,” said Paul and hung up.
Tim handed the phone back to Rebecca. “Thanks, Bec, that was much appreciated.” The others all looked at each other wondering what the conversation was about. Tim suddenly seemed quite on edge. Izzy noticed his facial expressions change, and he became quite guarded.
Tim looked over and said to everyone. “I am calling it a night.” Ever the perfect gentlemen, “Veronica it was lovely to meet you. Julia and Rebecca, are you right to clean up all the glasses and things?”
“Night David I’ll ring you in the morning.” He bent down and gave Izzy a kiss on the cheek and a quick cuddle, “See you in the office pretty lady.” Basil amused everyone by standing at Tim’s feet and looking up at which Tim crouched down and said, “See you little guy,” as he patted him. “Good night everyone,” he said as he walked away.
“Night Tim,” they all said. Veronica looked after him and said to no one in particular, “He’s quite a man.” David looked all huffy and anxious. Veronica smiled the most glorious smile at him and leant over to give him a very passionate kiss. “You’ve nothing to worry about my darling Dave.”
*
Veronica challenged David later that night, “Tell me about Isabella.”
“Why?”
“I am just curious.” David launched into the well recited, her parents died in a car accident when she was sixteen, she lived with Rebecca’s family, and us, the Martinelli’s, on holiday breaks. She went to University in the UK. She married Isaac when she was twenty-four and, he was killed four years later."
“No not about her David, about your relationship with her.”
David who had been looking at her directly looked away and groaned. “Who have you been talking to?”
“Nobody Dave,” she said placing her hand on his chest. I just want to know. I think she is more to you than someone that came to live in your family and your sister’s best friend."
He
looked so tormented Veronica regretted she had started the conversation. “I have had a relationship with her in the past, is that what you wanted to hear?”
“I guess I didn’t want to hear it but suspected you had,” said Veronica.
“Iz and I were girlfriend and boyfriend when she was eighteen and I was twenty. No one except Julia realized. Then she went overseas. When she came back, I was with her, and she dumped me when she married Isaac. Not really dumped me. We just stopped seeing each other. But I made a pretty big deal of her choosing and marrying Isaac. After Isaac died, she and I were sort of on and off.”
“Before Tim?” said Veronica.
“Most definitely before Tim, but how did you know about Tim?”
“It is easy to guess David. I think he doesn’t just like her and her him, they’re in love.” David looked at her. “You only have to look at them,” said Ronnie.
“Was it before me?”
“Yes Ronnie,” before you."
“So,” said Veronica, “should I worry.”
“Izzy has truly gone off with someone else now. You are more important to me.”
“Why David Martinelli are you telling me something like you might be a little in love with me?” He grinned and held up his fingers to indicate “just a bit”. She started tickling him and he her, they were rolling around and laughing so hard they fell off his side of the bed and Veronica bumped her head on his bedside table.
“You ok.”
“I am more than ok Dave I think I might be a little tiny bit in love with you.” He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her passionately. Looking down at his beautiful Ronnie, he said “it’s two am we better get some sleep.”
“Hmm I think so,” as she looked up at him, her brown eyes shining and the beautiful wide smile he was growing to love so much.
Chapter 25
Gallery Business
“Hey Izzy, I am here. Sorry I just had to pop into my office first.”