The Goodbye Girl

by Angela Verdenius

  “Doing anything today?”

  “Work.”

  “And a hair cut?”

  Bill eyed her a touch sourly.

  “Uh huh.” Picking up the comb, she ran it through his hair. “So, what would Sir like done to his luscious locks?”

  “Trimmed. Without the running commentary.”

  “Just think what you miss out on.”

  “Just think what I won’t.”

  “Okay then. One silent trim coming up.” Not insulted in the slightest, Bree started trimming.

  Voices came from the front bench and then Bella led Harly to the next chair.

  Settling into it, Harly smiled at Bill. “Hi.”

  He grunted.

  Used to him, Harly nodded to Bree while Bella flipped the cape over her and fastened it at her nape.

  “Can’t talk,” Bree told her. “I’m in the middle of a silent trim.”

  Bill didn’t blink.

  “Fortunately, that doesn’t include me,” Bella announced cheerfully, squirting water on Harly’s hair. “Sure you only want a trim and not a totally different cut?”

  “Just a trim.”

  “Are you and Bill related?”

  “Not that I’m aware of.” Harly flashed a smile at Bill.

  Stoically, he kept his gaze on the mirror.

  Amused, Bree shifted the stool around to start a different section of his hair.

  “So, Harly, while I’m giving you the totally boring trim you always have,” Bella said, “tell me about your holiday.”

  “Alex and I are going to the city for a week to visit his parents, and then we’re off on a quiet little week away at the beach.”

  “Nice.” Bella clipped sections of Harly’s hair. “Who’s looking after your animals?”

  “Nick’s staying here.”

  “Whoa. What if he and Bree do the nasty in your bed?”

  Bill cut Bella’s reflection a glance in the mirror .

  “So subtle,” Bree mouthed to Harly’s reflection.

  Harly grinned. “Nick has the guestroom.”

  “So what if he and Bree do the nasty in your guestroom?”

  “I don’t need to know if they do or not.”

  “But how can you ever look at your guestroom the same way again? I’d be wondering what they got up to in there.”

  Bree rolled her eyes.

  “You women cutting hair or gossiping?” Bill growled.

  “Gossiping,” Bella answered, pointing the comb at his reflection. “Something you should do more of.”

  “Women do enough,” he muttered.

  “So do men. Paul’s one of the biggest around.”

  “Boy’s always had a problem.”

  Bella brightened. “Do tell.”

  Sourly, Bill returned his gaze to his reflection.

  After several seconds of silence, Bella recommenced trimming Harly’s hair. “Wow, Bill, you really do know how to run your mouth off.”

  He didn’t answer.

  Grinning, Bree moved to his other side and recommenced trimming.

  “You and Nick have been keeping a lot of company,” Bella combed a section of Harly’s hair down and stared trimming neatly. “Anything serious I should know about?” When Bree didn’t answer, Bella glanced up.

  Bree put one finger to her lips and shook her head.

  “Now there’s a woman can keep her mind on the job,” Bill muttered.

  “Well, it couldn’t happen to a nicer person,” Bella continued, unfazed. “Nice boy, nice girl. Lots of nice shagging.”

  Bill slumped deeper in the chair and Bree tapped his shoulder and used one hand to gesture ‘up’. He complied.

  “Bill, I can’t believe you’re even related to me,” Bella told him. “So shy about s-e-x.”

  “I just don’t think you have to go spreading it everywhere.”

  “I don’t. Surest way to get an STD.”

  Bill scowled at Bree. “You nearly done?”

  “Another few minutes. Hang in there, Bill you can do it.” Taking pity on him, Bree worked as quickly as she safely could, only listening with half an ear to Bella and Harly talk about Harly and Alex’s upcoming holiday.

  Two weeks. And after that, one more week and both Alex and Nick would be going back to camp. Base. Wherever. It had the power to bring her heart down, even though she knew it was going to happen, had known it since Nick first arrived in town and cast his brilliant green gaze her way.

  Was this going to be what it was like every time he left? Man, how did Harly cope with the goodbyes?

  One thing she was determined to be, was not a cry baby. Nick had to be seen off with a smile, kiss and wave, not a blubber, sniffling and very unromantic choking into a tissue. He deserved that, needed it, and she was damned well going to be sure he got it.

  The rest of the day passed in hair cutting, trimming, styling and colouring, until finally the customers were gone, the cleaning up done and she was heading home.

  She’d just walked into the house when the phone rang. Going into the lounge room, she picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Hey, honey.”

  Her lips curved into a smile as those deep tones flowed into her ear and through her body, making it tingle in places that were becoming very familiar. “Hey, Nick.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Aren’t you supposed to be on your way to the computer gaming thing with the blokes, followed by a bloke’s tea of junk food and beer?”

  “I just wanted to hear your voice first.”

  “That’s so sweet.”

  “It makes me hot.”

  “Glad I can be of service.”

  There was a brief pause before he said slowly, “I’ll be of great service to you tomorrow.”

  “Why, sweetie, is that a promise?”

  “You know, I can ditch the computer games and come over right now to be of service.”

  Bree laughed. “Now come on, Nick. You know you and Alex have been dying to take on Paul and Mack.”

  “Yeah, but you top it.”

  “I am so touched.”

  “I could touch you. I can be there in fifteen minutes to touch you.”

  “As much as that makes me feel all happy, I have to be the grown up here and say no. You go and have some fun with the boys, behave yourself, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He sighed. “You’re a hard woman.”

  “Yep.”

  “I’m a hard man.” Another pause. “In fact, I’m very hard now.”

  “Just get your mind out of the gutter and go play.”

  “I could play with y-”

  “Do I have to speak to Harly?”

  “She doesn’t scare me.”

  “Her mother?”

  “She doesn’t scare me.”

  “Sheba?”

  “I’ll be good.” He laughed. “Okay, honey, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “No worries, I’ll bring lunch to you in my break.”

  “Love you.”

  “Love you, too.” Putting down the phone, she thought how easily the term came to them, as though they’d said it a hundred times to each other. A familiar term now, but so very true.

  With a quiet evening of warmed-up casserole in front of the TV planned, Bree headed for the shower. Ten minutes later she was snuggled into her dressing gown and slippers, getting ready to zap the casserole in the microwave, when a knock sounded on her door.

  “Don’t tell me Nick ditched the boys to come here,” she muttered to Bast, who was sprawled on the hallway runner killing a toy mouse. “I don’t know whether I should send him back to the game or drag him inside and strip him.”

  Stripping him sounded like a good idea, she thought as she reached for the door knob. The man was some lover. In fact, he was actually rather insatiable, and he was dragging her willingly along his debauched path. Hallelujah.

  Opening the door, she began laughingly, “Not that I’m complaining, but Nick, sweetie, don’t you think twice a day is enough for any man
to-” She stumbled to a halt on seeing her visitor.

  Charlotte waved to her happily. “Hello, dear.”

  “Charlotte? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. David told me the lights will likely turn up again tonight, so we thought you might like to accompany us on a UFO watch.”

  “You and David?”

  “Yes, dear.”

  “You and David alone?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure that’s wise?”

  “Why not?”

  “He’s a teenager.”

  “A strong one.”

  Bree shook her head. “What are you going to do if you see any lights?’

  “I’m certainly not going to go running through the fields, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  Bree mentally wiped her brow. “Good.”

  “David will be doing that while I film.”

  That didn’t sound any better. “What’s Ted say about this?”

  “He reckons if it’ll get the boy’s head out of the clouds, then the disappointment is worth it. Now, are you coming?”

  “I’d actually planned a lazy night in.”

  Charlotte’s eyes widened. “You’d give up a watch?”

  Leaning against the door frame, Bree nodded. “Gotta have a bit of R & R. I’ve been on my feet most of the day.”

  “But the lights?”

  “Sorry, Charlotte. I really appreciate you asking me, but I have to say no.” She peered behind Charlotte. “You picking David up in your car?”

  “He’s not old enough to drive.”

  “And Ted’s really okay with it?”

  Charlotte’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not about to lead the boy astray, Bree.”

  Placatingly, she held her hands up, palms out. “If anything, you’ll be a steadying influence.”

  Only a little mollified, the older woman turned on her booted heel and went down the steps. “Well, if you want to sit inside while we get all the excitement, that’s fine. Good night, Bree, I’m sorry to have troubled you.”

  Belatedly realising she’d offended her, Bree straightened. “Charlotte, wait. I didn’t mean-”

  “’Bye, Bree. Enjoy your telly shows.” Charlotte got into her old Holden sedan, cranked the engine over which whined alarmingly, and took off down the driveway.

  Watching the car turn onto the highway, Bree winced as it backfired. “Oh yeah, Charlotte, that car is so reliable on a watch.” Closing the door, she returned to the kitchen.

  Watching the container of casserole turning in the microwave, she pondered her choices. She could go and make sure the pair was all right, or she could stay home in the warmth and rely on the fact that Charlotte was old enough to be David’s Granny and be a steadying influence.

  The microwave dinged and she took the container out carefully, sniffing it appreciatively. A glance at the growing darkness outside and Bree made her decision. Spooning the casserole into a bowl, she picked up a clean spoon and two little bowls and walked into the lounge room. Placing the bowl on the coffee table, she picked up the remote and plopped down beside Sheba, who sat up and eyed the bowl with interest.

  “Knowing you, girlie, I am prepared.” Bree spooned some of the casserole into one of the little bowls and placed it on the floor, where Sheba jumped down and proceeded to cautiously lick at it.

  Bree repeated the same procedure for Bast as the Blue Pt came wandering into the room, the toy mouse hanging out of her mouth. Bast took one look at the two bowls on the floor, dropped the mouse and came prancing over to sit beside Sheba and sniff the food. Bree could almost swear she could see the cat thinking about it, then Bast gave it a little lick, decided it was actually quite good and settled down to slurp away happily.

  “You’re welcome.” Sitting back on the sofa with her bowl in her lap, Bree flicked on the TV and started eating.

  She tried to concentrate on the movie, she really did, but her mind kept wandering to Charlotte out there with David.

  Thunder muttered in the distance and a light patter of rain started. Whoa. She hoped Charlotte had a heater in that old clunker of a car she was driving, because it was going to get cold. More rain pattered down, a little heavier, and thunder growled again.

  Bree glanced at the closed curtains. What if David had seen something and gone running off into the fields? Did the pair of them have any clue what they were doing? Cripes, it was a sixteen year old boy and an elderly woman. Out in the rain, doing God knows what.

  The rain came down harder. Surely they’d give up and head for home, but this was their first watch and Bree had seen first-timers do some silly things in all the excitement.

  Should she ring the cops? And tell them what? That a woman and boy were out in their car in the storm? That wasn’t against the law.

  Damn it.

  “No.” She turned her gaze to the TV. “I am not doing this.”

  Sheba flopped onto the armchair, rolling onto her back with all four paws in the air as she eyed Bree from an upside down position.

  “I’m not going out there,” Bree informed her. “I’m not.”

  Sheba blinked her approval.

  Bast just sat there and stared at her.

  “Charlotte’s a big girl, a grown woman. And David…” Was a teenager not above playing a joke on someone.

  Bree went cold. Oh shit, would David play a joke on Charlotte? One that could go horribly wrong, especially on a night like tonight?

  It was well within the cards. He’d already done one hoax. What if…oh bugger, what if he led her down to the creek and Charlotte fell in?

  “Okay, Bree, calm down.” She took a deep breath. “You’re just getting carried away. They’re both probably sitting in the car, waiting out the rain.”

  Thunder sounded closer.

  Calling the police would only embarrass Charlotte, and make Bree look like a paranoid idiot if they were innocently sitting in the car. For all she knew they could be on their way home…if they hadn’t broken down in that old clunker, it had sounded like it was on its last wheels when Charlotte had left.

  But then they had a mobile, right? They could ring for help if…if they had reception. If they’d remembered to bring a mobile.

  Rain came down harder. Cursing, Bree got to her feet. “Damn it all to hell.” Crossing to her phone, she risked getting struck by lightening and dialled Ted’s father. Irresponsible, yes, but if he’d been dumb enough to let his kid go out on what had been brewing up to be a stormy night, he deserved a bit of sizzling.

  “Make it fast,” Ted barked.

  “Hi to you, too.”

  “Who is this?”

  “Bree Ford. Do you have David’s phone number?”

  “David? He’s right here. You want to speak to him?”

  Relief swept through Bree. “Good, he and Charlotte gave up. No, don’t worry.”

  “Charlotte? That crazy old biddy isn’t here.”

  “She’s gone home?”

  “Look, if this is about that stupid UFO watch, I stopped David as soon as I saw the storm brewing. Now look, I gotta go. It’s dangerous being on phones during storms.” The line went dead.

  Did Charlotte go home? Bree checked the phone book, got Charlotte’s number, and steeled herself for a possible fatal zap by being dumb enough to use the phone once more on a stormy night.

  Charlotte’s phone rang several times before the answering machine kicked in. “You’ve reached Charlotte Burguny. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”

  Shit, shit and double shit. Cursing, Bree stomped out of the lounge room to the bedroom. Looked like her lazy night in the warmth was shot right out the window.

  Chapter 11

  Trying to spot Charlotte’s old car, Bree peered out into the driving rain. Nothing but rain. Through the slap of the windscreen wipers the guideposts on the sides of the road were visible, the lines in the middle of the road, and nothing else but darkness and driving rain surrounding it.

  She drove out a
good ten miles on her side of town, before cutting back to the other side. Still no sign.

  Oh, this was not good.

  Then she spotted something, and carefully she approached, breathing a sigh of relief when saw that it was Charlotte’s car, the front angled into a ditch.

  “Oh crap.” Pulling in behind the car, she kept her headlights on high to see through the pouring rain, and taking a deep breath, she flipped the hood of her coat over her head and opened the door, dashing out into the rain.

  Slipping and sliding, she came up to Charlotte’s door, peering in and reaching for the door handle.

  Near on shit herself, too, when Charlotte’s head popped up, her pale face staring at Bree through the rain-streaked window.

  Yanking the door open, Bree yelled above the pouring rain, “Are you all right?”

  “Car went into a ditch, dear.” Decidedly pale, Charlotte struggled out of the car.

  “Are you hurt?”

  “Just a little shaken, nothing more. Can you help me push it out?”

  “Not happening. This thing needs a tow truck.”

  “But what am I going to do?”

  “I’ll take you home.” Bree ushered her over to the van, opening the door and practically shoving the woman inside before they both drowned in the teeming rain. Running back around the van, she got into the driver’s seat and pushed back the hood of her raincoat. “Crikey, Charlotte, how long have you been there?”

  Looking decidedly pale, Charlotte wiped her face with a hanky she’d pulled from somewhere on her person. “About an hour.”

  “Why didn’t you phone someone for help?’

  “One must never use a phone when there’s a storm, dear. You could be struck by lightening travelling down the lines. Don’t you know that?”

  “I know.”

  “So why would I phone someone?”

  “Because you ended up in a ditch?”

  “And I’m very lucky you happened to come along.” Charlotte tucked her hanky into a pocket. “So, you changed your mind and decided to catch me up.”

  “Yeah, about that. Did you really decide to do this watch on your own?”

  “Well, you do.”

  “But I’m experienced, I’ve done it heaps of times.”

  “And you’re unscathed.”

  “I never drove my car into a ditch on a stormy night, either.”