by Bree Darcy
“La-la-la,” I sang, stuffing my fingers in my ears. “I can’t hear you. Any of this deep and meaningful stuff, it’s banned for the next four days, do you understand? I just want to have fun, like we did that first summer.”
“Fine,” he said, propping himself up on one elbow. “But if I remember right, back then I had a hell of a stamina. So” – he pretended to look at an invisible watch on his wrist – “it’s been at least five minutes. Get your gear off again.”
* * *
Even in the elevator, on the way to the hotel restaurant, we couldn’t keep our hands off one other. We were meeting Nikki and her new guy, Seth, for a joint birthday celebration.
Yes, Nikki’s “perfect” relationship with Dane had come to an end. She’d given him the flick just before Christmas, furious that he had maxed out her credit card by signing her up, without permission, for a year’s supply of nutritional supplements to help him reach Triple Diamond level. Nikki had promptly cancelled the order and instead forked out five dollars for a pair of ugly Y-fronts, which she strung on the windscreen wiper of his Porsche with a note saying ‘lose my number, loser’.
This dinner was also a way to thank Nikki for helping me organise this trip. She had even graciously handed over the accommodation booking she’d made months ago for her and Dane. I had warned her, though, not to tell Andy where we were going tomorrow – I wanted it to be a surprise.
The hostess informed us our guests were waiting in the bar area. But when we were shown to the booth, only Seth was there. All I knew about him was he was a metallurgical engineer and Nikki was mad keen on him.
“Where’s Nikki?” I asked.
“She’s gone to the ladies,” he replied.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, shaking his hand. Seth looked like the typical hunk Nikki went for. Short cropped dark hair and muscular build with his shiny black shirt unbuttoned to reveal a tattoo across his collarbone. Nikki had definitely broken the cougar rule with this one – he’d be in his early to mid twenties at most. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Seth appeared taken back by my comment. I hoped I hadn’t dropped Nikki in it. Maybe she’d been playing it cool with him, not letting on how besotted she was.
Andy introduced himself and there wasn’t a flicker of surprise on Seth’s face. Either Nikki had told him about my famous ex or he wasn’t a music fan. “So, you’re in mining?” Andy said.
As Seth gave a few monosyllabic replies to Andy’s polite questioning, I excused myself to find out what was taking Nikki so long.
I walked into the opulent marble bathroom to find her drying her knickers with the hand dryer. WTF?
“My garter belt snapped so I came in here to take off my stockings.” Nikki pointed to a twisted pile of stockings on a round ottoman. “Then I wondered if I could go sans-knickers but when I tried sitting down, I realised my skirt’s too short and tight. I want to give Seth a nice surprise, not shock the entire restaurant. So I went to put my knickers back on but dropped them in the sink. Hence why they are damp and I’m having to dry them. Have you met Seth yet?”
“I can see why you’d have damp knickers,” I sniggered. “He’s totally gorgeous.”
“Isn’t he?” Nikki replied dreamingly. “Do you think our age difference matters?”
I shrugged.
“Sooooo … how’s the Shrimp?” Nikki watched me carefully in the mirror before sliding on her toasty knickers. “You’re looking flushed. Not been up to any mischief I hope.”
“We’ve been out in the sun. And Andy’s good.” Real good, I thought to myself, still feeling tingly between my legs. “He’s chatting to Seth about his job. Although I’m pretty sure the only minerals he knows about is gold and platinum records.”
Nikki puckered her lips after touching up her fiery red lipstick. “Seth’s been so preoccupied with work calls tonight. Let’s hope now you’re here he’ll forget about work and you’ll get to see why I love him so much.”
“Love? Wow! It’s rare to hear that four-letter word slip from your lips.”
“I know! It’s crazy! I thought I loved Dane but now with Seth, I realise what we had pales in comparison.”
When we returned to the bar, an older man, with salt and pepper hair, was chatting with the guys. Nikki walked up to him, throwing her arms around his neck.
Seeing my puzzled expression, Andy jumped in. “Kell, this is Seth.” The man held out his hand for me to shake. “And you’ve already met his son, Adam. Will you be joining us for dinner, Adam?”
“Nah, just dropped in to see the old man on my way to Northbridge. Got a hot date.”
And as Adam strutted out the door, all the women in the restaurant watched him leave – all except Nikki, who was too wrapped up in his father.
* * *
Seth proved to be a much better conversationalist than his son, coming across as a lovely, genuine guy who couldn’t tear his eyes away from Nikki. I was so happy for her.
She picked up on the spark between Andy and me too. “You two look so adorable together,” she grinned during another girls’ trip to the bathroom. “The chemistry’s just like the old days. And I noticed your wedding rings are conspicuously absent. You sure you’re not being tempted to trade your husband in for a more expensive model?”
Nikki, in typical fashion, homed in on my tender spot.
“It’s not like I’m having some mid-life crisis,” I snapped. “The type where you splash out on a red convertible and pick up a new man.” Nikki had recently bought herself a red Saab, and it was in the car showroom that she had caught the eye of fellow customer Seth. “And I left my rings at Mum’s because I didn’t want them getting wrecked at the beach.”
Nikki looked far from convinced.
I continued to justify my actions. “I’m simply having a break from my normal routine, an interlude, if you like. I’m here to celebrate Andy’s birthday and have some fun. My real life has been temporarily suspended and I am back to being a carefree teenager without baggage.”
“So what happens on Rotto, stays on Rotto?”
“Pretty much. Only you know where I am and who I’m with.”
“Fine,” Nikki said, hooking our little fingers together. “Our secret.” Nikki knew the drill about what to do if anyone contacted her looking for me. “But you will have to go back to your real life next week, and you’re not exactly the type who can pretend this hasn’t happened. You must see this speaks volumes about the state of your marriage.”
“My marriage will be fine. Just as soon as I sort out with Curtis why he lied about his job. I’m hoping getting away from it all will give me some perspective.”
“I don’t know why you didn’t confront him when you first found out. You know what I think? I think you wanted to stay angry with him because it gives you an excuse to come away with Andy. And now look what you’ve done, you’ve gone and slept with him. Don’t look all innocent, miss. I know exactly what a guy looks like when he’s spent the afternoon shagging. But I’m intrigued, all these times you’ve seen Andy over the years and you’ve never done that before. What’s changed this time? If you ask me, it’s because deep down you realise it’s over with Curtis.”
“Well, I’m not asking you. Just because you’ve been in a grown-up relationship for all of two minutes, don’t think you’re suddenly an expert.”
“Fine, if you want to be like that.” Nikki flounced out before swinging back through the door again. “But if you’re not considering a future with Andy, tell him. It’s written all over the poor guy’s face. He thinks this is the real deal, that he’s getting back with you. Just because he’s a rock star doesn’t mean he doesn’t have feelings like a normal person. You shouldn’t be toying with his emotions like this. It’s cruel and it will crush him.” Nikki folded her arms and shook her head in disgust. “If I’d known you’d be like this, I wouldn’t have helped you.”
She hardly spoke another word to me the rest of the night.
CHAPTER 15
Despite intermittent showers being forecast for the next day, the sun was shining in a bright blue sky as we walked to the ferry terminal to catch the boat to Rottnest Island.
“We’re off to Rotto!” Andy exclaimed in delight as we joined the queue for tickets. He obviously remembered how we celebrated his eighteenth birthday there. “Are there still no cars on the island?”
“Pretty much.”
“And what were those little cute critters called again?”
“Quokkas,” I said, giving the name for the marsupial creatures native to the island.
“I can’t think of anywhere else in the world I’d prefer to be. Or with anyone else.” He slung his arm around my shoulders and snapped a photo of us on his phone.
Between his Giants baseball cap, his aviator sunglasses and his hairy whiskers, only the tops of his cheeks were visible, making it highly unlikely he’d be recognised by anyone. Indeed he looked like a typical American tourist in his garish red hibiscus print boardies and clashing orange T-shirt. I also had a baseball cap jammed down on my head since Andy had thrown my wig off the balcony the night before.
As the ferry pulled away from the jetty, I made a resolution. No more stewing about what had happened at the restaurant with Nikki. It was time to do what I said I was here for – and that was to have some fun.
“Now I know you’ve gone all head in the sand about anything remotely serious,” Andy said. “But there is something I need to discuss with you. What’s up with your chin?” He gingerly prodded at my flaky, red raw skin. “Did you get too much sun?”
“No, gorilla man,” I said, rubbing my hand over his bristles. “I am the victim of what the locals call a pash rash. I know your beard is a necessary evil to stop people recognising you but it’s playing havoc with my skin.”
* * *
The next few days were spent in a blissful state of togetherness. Rottnest had this magic vibe which made you forget about all your cares and woes. It was so laidback it felt like you were in the middle of nowhere.
I didn’t receive any emergency calls from Nikki, which presumably meant everything was hunky-dory. Or she wasn’t talking to me. I was also making sure I texted Curtis and the kids every morning and night to check in.
For Andy’s birthday, we looked into activities on the island – snorkelling, a round of golf or a twilight sail – but he decided he was happy just floating around in the sea and snoozing in the shade of the pine trees.
“If you’re this lazy now,” I said, lifting his cap off his face, “imagine what you’ll be like in another twenty years.”
“It’s not lazy, it’s chilled out.” His phone buzzed. “Can you check that message for me,” he said. “I’m too comfortable to move.”
I pulled his phone out from under his scrunched-up T-shirt. “It’s a birthday message from Dom – how do you know when you’re old?” I paused for a beat. “When you don’t smoke any of your house plants!”
He laughed.
“You also missed one from Gerry. “You are so old I can see the flames from your birthday candles from here. Happy birthday, you old fart. And remember the best birth control method for a guy your age is … nudity.”
Dom and Gerry had obviously stumbled upon an old joke book.
I continued scrolling through his messages. “Ryan’s sent you one too. ‘Happy birthday to the guy who inspires me most. Have an awesome day. Hope to see you soon.’
“Give it here,” Andy said, sitting up. “I should message him back.” He tapped away for a moment.
I returned to my book but was itching to know what he had messaged.
“You want to know what I said, don’t you? ‘Thanks. Having an awesome time in paradise.’ I wanted to add ‘with your awesome mother’ but thought better not.”
“Here, I want you to listen to this,” I said, digging my iPod out of my bag. “I’ve chosen a song in honour of your birthday. If I could write you a song, this one would be pretty close.”
I popped one earbud in his ear, the other in mine and switched on Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars. And we lay there on our own, forgetting the world.
* * *
“This has got to be the best donut I’ve tasted. In my life.” Andy scooped up a big blob of jam and sucked it off his finger.
I wiped away the sugar clinging to his beard. “Well, has it made you feel better? Big wuss that you are.”
We had been riding our hire bikes around the island – that’s the main mode of transport – and had puffed our way up a hill to check out a massive military gun from World War II days.
On the way back down, the ever-cocky Andy decided to freewheel without hands. “Whee-hee-hee,” he yelled as he pelted down the hill. That was until he hit a pothole and skidded off his bike. He landed heavily, badly grazing his hip and thigh, and imbedding gravel in the palm of his right hand. I had to take him, moaning and limping, blood seeping through his shorts, to the first-aid post.
I explained the situation to the young male nurse, as Andy sheepishly removed his shorts and lay on the examination table.
“I’ll have you know I have successfully freewheeled down that hill without hands before.” Obviously it was his pride, not just the bike, that was dented.
“And when was that, Andy?” I asked.
“The last time we were on the island.”
“And when was that?”
“Um, about twenty years ago.”
“That’s the trouble,” Clinton the nurse said to me as he cleaned up Andy’s wounds. “We get a lot of old people in here who’ve been injured trying to relive their youth.”
Andy winced, I’m not sure if it was from the sting of the antiseptic or the reference to his advancing age.
Clinton continued: “They say you never forget how to ride a bike. But I’m forever seeing people who forget how to ride a bike safely.” The nurse peeled off his plastic gloves and motioned to Andy that he could put his shorts back on. “I must say you look familiar,” he said.
“I sing in a band,” Andy replied.
“Maybe I’ve seen you. Have you played at the Newport over in Freo?”
“Don’t think I ever have,” Andy replied, averting his eyes from mine so we wouldn’t laugh.
“It has some fantastic band nights,” Clinton enthused. “You should pop in and see if you can score a spot.”
“Sounds like a superb idea. I’d shake your hand, mate, but it’s a bit sore.”
As we pushed the bikes towards the shopping precinct, I heard a guy say to his friends: “Hey, that looks like the guy from Danger Game.”
“Good one, Dazza,” his mate jeered. “Why would an American rock star be riding around Rotto?”
* * *
We were booked to leave on an afternoon ferry and after we checked in our luggage at the terminal, we returned to our favourite swimming spot at The Basin. The hot sand blistered our feet as we sprinted for the water, wading through the rocks until we could ease ourselves into the deep pool. Andy winced as the salt water stung his grazes.
Later, as we wandered hand in hand towards the lighthouse, a teenage boy approached.
“Hey mate, are you AJ Dangerfield?”
Andy nodded.
“Can I get a photo with you?” The boy held his phone above their heads selfie-style. He then wandered off, tripping over a pile of seaweed as he tapped away on his phone.
“That’s probably going straight up on Instagram,” I mused. “It’s probably lucky we’re on the next boat out of here.”
But really I didn’t want to go home at all. If it weren’t for our kids, I could have stayed on that island with Andy forever.
CHAPTER 16
Grey clouds rolled in as the ferry glided alongside the dock. Seagulls squawked overhead as we joined the queue snaking along the jetty.
“So, holiday’s over.”
“It is,” I replied. “Did you have a good birthday?”
“The best. And thanks for my didgeridoo. Now I’m just wai
ting for my birthday wish to come true.”
I ignored his comment, instead pretending to be fascinated by the white-uniformed crew tying the ropes to the jetty.
“Will this be another of our ‘what ifs’?” Andy continued. “You know, what if I hadn’t gone back home? What if I had simply smashed Heath’s face in when he claimed he’d been with you; what if Siena never signed the band … what if Ryan was my son.”
“Life’s full of ‘what ifs’. What if I had forgiven you after you’d been with Cassie; what if I had come to London alone; what if I knew when Curtis proposed that he was in love with someone else, what if I hadn’t found out he lied about losing his job. You’d go nuts if you spent all your time thinking about the ‘what ifs’.”
“Hang on, rewind for a second. You lost me around the ‘Curtis in love with someone else and lying about his job’ bit.”
As the arriving passengers streamed off the boat, I filled Andy in on what I’d discovered, how it led to me agreeing to this trip.
“Surely that’s the deal breaker for you,” he said. “Your husband has lied to you big time.”
“As if I’m any better. But I’m going home to clear the air, talk to him about everything and get things back on an even keel.”
“”You’ll tell him about us, about these past few days?”
“No, of course not!”
“So how is that clearing the air? You’d still be lying to him. Why not lay all your cards on the table – explain that you’ve been away with me, that you had to take a paternity test to prove Ryan was his. And see if that changes things for him. You can’t expect to be told the truth if you’re not willing to tell it yourself. You might find that he wants out, which would be perfect timing, because I want in.”