by Sue Shepherd
‘Oh well, as long as you had a good time. Shall we head home?’ Toby slurred slightly, draping his arm casually around Siobhan.
Beth looked behind them, to the side of them, all around them. ‘Uh … where’s James?’
‘James?’ they replied, together.
‘Yes, JAMES. Quite tall, nice smile, great abs.’ She threw her hands open. ‘He’s your bloody room-mate, Miles! Where is he?’
They peered at each other with a genuine look of confusion. ‘Was he meant to be with us?’ Toby asked.
‘Yeah.’ Miles shrugged. ‘We figured he was with you.’
Lisa laughed. ‘The fucking idiot must’ve got lost.’
They searched as much as they were able, but it was a big place and there was only so much they could do. The lads tried all the toilets. The girls tried the bars. In the end, they gave up looking. Toby and Miles were pissed and simply wanted to get back to Bondi, to carry on drinking, and Siobhan was adamant that James was a grown up, and he’d know how to get home alone.
All the way back on the bus, Beth switched between fury and concern. Either he’d buggered off somewhere of his own accord or … or what? He’d been abducted? He wasn’t a child. It wasn’t like they could put a call out for him.
Lisa wasn’t much help. She was of the same mind as Siobhan, and seemed convinced he’d be fine.
Beth ran from the bus stop to the hostel. She kept hoping they were going to find James safe and well, and that he was going to reveal he’d been totally daft and just lost them. There had to be nothing more to it than that, surely?
She didn’t have to look hard, once they were back at the hostel. Rushing into her room, preparing to ask Michelle if she’d seen anything of James, she stopped in her tracks. There he was, as large as life, sitting on the floor of their room, eating toast and drinking beer.
Michelle, too, was munching on a piece of toast. ‘Hi. Was it good? Did you enjoy it?’
Beth took in the empty bottles on the floor, three next to Michelle and four next to James. Trying to keep her voice even, she asked, ‘How long have you been here?’
James kept his eyes on the floor. He seemed unable, or unwilling, to meet her gaze.
Picking up on the tension, Michelle asked, ‘What’s up?’
‘I want to know how long he’s been here.’ Beth was annoyed to see Michelle trying to make eye contact with James before she answered. ‘Don’t look at him. Don’t ask if it’s OK to tell me the truth. Just answer me.’
Michelle blushed. ‘He’s … um … he’s been here a while. He …’
‘Why did you come back here?’
Again, James didn’t meet her stare. Anger and fear mixed in her bloodstream. ‘And why are you here? In my room? WITH MICHELLE?’
Michelle began to answer, ‘He did try to tell you he didn’t want to come. He told you …’
‘Who the hell are you, his representative?’
Now neither of them would look at her. There was a guilty secret hanging in the air, bile rose in Beth’s throat as she considered the dreadful possibilities. She turned on her heels and ran right out of there. It had to have been clear from her face what she thought she’d disturbed. She gave them no further chance to explain.
‘There’s something between them, Lisa. Some reason why James took the first opportunity to leave the race course and rush back to Michelle.’
‘Hmm … I’ve got to admit, it doesn’t look good.’
‘Do you think they spent the afternoon together?’
Lisa was silent.
‘Well? Do you?’
‘I’d say it’s highly likely they spent the afternoon shagging.’
‘No!’ Beth covered her mouth with her hand.
‘But it’s also likely they didn’t.’ Lisa was at her most diplomatic.
Beth didn’t want to give head space to the possibility that they might have spent the afternoon together, blissfully making love. But what else could it be?
‘He did say he didn’t want to go. Michelle was right about that. But you didn’t give him much chance to explain, did you?’
‘Not this again, please? I guess I thought once he got there …’
‘Listen. He’s calling us. Now’s your chance to get to the bottom of it.’
Beth checked, and, sure enough, there he was. Shouting for her to stop. His long strides easily enabling him to catch her up.
Before he was by her side, she just had time to ask Lisa, ‘I don’t know what to say. I’ve never cared about someone like this before. What do I do if he and Michelle …?’
‘Just ask him.’
‘I’m scared.’
‘Do you want me to do it? I don’t mind. Just let me out and I’ll …’
‘NO. I’ll do it.’
‘Will you just stop and let me explain, please?’ James panted.
Beth stopped. Turning towards him, she asked, ‘Explain what?’
‘Thank you.’
‘What for?’
‘For stopping. You’re like a whippet when you’re mad.’
‘Don’t joke. This is serious.’
‘I know. But honestly, there’s nothing for you to worry about.’
She didn’t want to cry, but she was having trouble controlling the urge. Perhaps she should have stuck to ignoring men? ‘You disappeared, and I came back to find you with Michelle. What the hell am I supposed to think?’
‘Not what you are thinking, I can assure you.’
‘Did you sleep with her?’
‘No. Of course not.’
‘But … why …?’
‘We ate toast and drank beer. No sex, I promise.’
‘Hmm …’ Lisa ruminated in Beth’s head. ‘There was certainly more evidence of beer and toast than there was of sex!’
Beth was desperate to believe him. ‘So, why …?’
‘I got lost. That’s all it was. I got lost and I couldn’t find you all.’
‘You could’ve tried a bit harder. You must’ve known Toby and Miles would be drinking somewhere. How did you manage to get lost?’
He shook his head. ‘I don’t know. I just lost my bearings. I wandered about a bit and then I thought, oh sod this, I’ll head home. A bus came along, and I got on it. I thought you’d work it out.’
Beth asked Lisa, ‘What do I do? Do I believe him?’
‘I guess you have to. You don’t want to go with the alternative, do you?’
‘If I don’t believe what he’s just told me, I have to finish with him, and I couldn’t bear that.’
‘There you go, then.’
Turning to James, Beth whispered, ‘I want to believe you.’
‘Do it then. I’m telling you ‒ the only thing I was guilty of today was stupidity.’
‘Promise?’
‘I promise.’
She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer.
He took her in his arms. ‘I’m sorry if I messed up your day, love.’
‘It’s OK. At least none of the horses were hurt. Michelle will be pleased.’
He squeezed her tight. ‘Yep, she will.’
Twenty-one
Christmas Day in Australia was very different to Christmases at home. For a start, lunch was chips, eaten on Bondi Beach.
‘It’s not quite a turkey dinner, is it?’
Beth wasn’t sure if Michelle was saying she was disappointed or pleased at the change. ‘It’s … weird,’ she agreed.
James handed her a stick of sunblock. ‘Can you write something on me?’
‘I’m eating my chips. What do you want me to write?’
‘Like everyone else.’ He pointed at several hundred people swarming around the beach.
Beth looked. People had written messages such as ‘Merry Christmas’ all over their bodies in white or fluorescent colours.
Taking the sunblock, she wrote ‘I love Beth’ on his back.
‘What did you put?’
‘Just “Merry Christmas”,’ she giggled.
Michelle giggled
too. ‘It looks good, James.’
Beth noticed several groups of revellers had brought along small artificial Christmas trees, they were dotted around the beach, stuck in the sand. ‘We should have brought a tree.’
Turning the front pockets of his shorts inside out, James laughed. ‘Um … how were we meant to carry the flamin’ thing?’ Then, from his back pocket, he produced a small box. ‘I may not have got you a tree, but I didn’t forget the present.’
‘Oh no. We agreed we wouldn’t. We both have no spare money.’
‘It didn’t cost much. I just wanted to get you something. I didn’t wrap it … but here you go.’
Beth was a bit embarrassed that she’d not got him anything, but she was still delighted to receive the present. Opening the box, she found a lovely silver watch inside. ‘Oh, it’s gorgeous. I can’t believe it didn’t cost much.’
‘It’s fine, sweetheart.’
Lisa gave her opinion. ‘Of course ‒ it’s got no numbers on it.’
‘I know.’ Beth squinted at the plain watch face in the bright sunlight. ‘I’ll, um, just have to get used to …’
‘Asking people what the time is!’ Lisa mocked.
‘Shush. It’s the thought that counts.’ To James, Beth said, ‘Thank you so much. I’ll treasure it.’
Once back at the hostel, Beth tried to call home. Her mobile phone company would have charged a fortune to call from abroad, so both she and Michelle had left them at home. Queueing up at the payphone, Beth had her dollar coins at the ready.
She soon discovered that no one was able to get through to the UK.
Toby was the first to give up. ‘It’s just a recorded message about the lines all being used up. It says we have to try later.’
He was followed by one of the lads from James’s room, who also slammed the phone down and complained about the message.
Then, it was Beth’s turn. Although, by now, she wasn’t too hopeful, she still carefully pressed all the digits, with her fingers crossed. But no, of course not. She got the exact same message. There were no free lines to the UK. She wouldn’t be chatting to her mum and dad or nanna tonight.
Returning to their room, Beth discovered that, even though it was tiny, Michelle had invited people back. She had produced a bottle of tequila, and was suggesting they all do slammers and Lick-Sip-Sucks.
It wasn’t something Beth would normally do, but she was upset at not being able to speak to her family, so she decided to give it a go.
The first time she tried the tequila, she was shocked. It seemed to take her breath away.
‘Try one with lemon and salt next,’ Michelle instructed.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Please?’ Lisa begged. ‘Let’s have some real fun?’
‘Oh, all right then.’ Beth copied James and licked some salt off the back of her hand, downed a shot of tequila and finished up sucking on a lemon wedge.
‘Hey, over here,’ Michelle called, waving her camera.
They turned their heads and grinned. Michelle took a photo of them with their lemon smiles.
The more shots of tequila Beth downed, the more her head spun. But it was all such great fun, and Lisa seemed to be having a wonderful time.
By 10 p.m., Beth was wasted. Her lips had gone numb and she was finding it incredibly hard to hold a sensible thought in her head.
Turning to James, she babbled, ‘I think I need my … bedbunk.’
‘Pardon?’
‘I know. I know. You’re going to say it’s too late, but I’m …’
‘Too late? You mean too early, right?’
Beth shook her head. ‘See, I can’t even speak properly. I’ve got to …’
Michelle was concerned. ‘You’re not going to hurl again, are you?’
‘No. Absolutely not. I just need a teeny lie down.’ Beth hiccupped and began making her way unsteadily over to her bed.
‘I think we should leave her to sleep. Shall we move this party to the garden?’ Michelle suggested.
And that was that. Within seconds, the evening was over for Beth. As her head hit the pillow, she began to drift off. James kissed her gently on the tip of her nose. ‘Sleep here, love. I’ll try and check in on you later, OK?’
‘Thanks. Oh yeah, James …’
‘Yes.’
‘Merry Christm …’ She was asleep.
Michelle placed the bin next to her bed. ‘Just in case she doesn’t make it to the sink this time.’
Then they were gone. Their party continued in the garden, long into the night. Dreaming of Lisa’s place; Beth slept through it all.
The next morning Beth went to find James. ‘Morning. How’s your head?’
‘Not too bad. Yours?’
‘A bit sore actually. Do you fancy coming to the payphone with me? I want to try calling home.’
Miraculously, there was no queue, and Beth made an excited lunge for the phone. Lining her coins up along the top, she dialled the number. As soon as someone picked up, the coins began to drop. It was frightening to watch how quickly the money disappeared.
‘Hello? Hello? Is that you, Beth?’
‘Yes, it’s me, Mum. Merry Christmas.’
‘And to you. How are you?’ She heard her mum turn and shout, ‘Quick, Don, it’s Beth. She won’t have long.’
Gabbling, ‘I’m fine. I’m OK,’ Beth tried desperately to beat the clock. The coins continued to drop at speed.
Due to the time delay, there were a few seconds when both women spoke over each other. Beth forced herself to stop talking and heard her mum say, ‘We’re all OK here too. I’ll hand you over to Dad.’ Then there was the sound of the phone being shoved towards Don, followed by his familiar voice, ‘Hello, Betty-Boo.’
‘Oh, Dad. It’s great to talk to you.’
‘You too. Are you being careful?’
‘Yes, yes.’
‘You’re being sensible at all times. Promise?’
‘I promise.’ There were only a couple of coins left. ‘Dad, is Nanna there?’
‘Yep, she’s just coming to the phone. Hurry up, Mother, she wants to speak to you.’
Beth’s heart was racing. She now had one dollar left to fall and no more change to call them back. ‘Nanna? Nanna, are you there?’
She heard more muffled sounds of the phone once again being handed over.
‘NANNA?’
The last coin dropped. How much time do I get for one dollar?
‘… Hello, darling. Merry Christmas.’
Beth gave a sigh of relief. ‘Oh, Nanna, it’s you. Hello. I love you all so much.’
‘We all love you too. Have a wonderful time and don’t worry about us. Will you try to call again for Hogmanay?’
‘Yes, I promise I’ll do my best. It’s brilliant here. I’ve met someone, and I can’t wait to tell you all …’ The line went dead.
She stamped her foot. ‘Why does it have to cost the earth to talk to them?’
‘Um … derr … they’re a bloody long way away, idiot.’ Lisa didn’t appear to be as sentimental as Beth.
‘Sorry you’re upset. At least you got to speak to them and they’re all fine.’ James was much more comforting. Taking Beth into his arms, he gave her a warm hug.
A guy appeared behind them, he was a friend of Toby’s, whom they vaguely knew. ‘Sorry to butt in,’ he said, ‘are you still using the phone?’
‘No, mate. You go ahead.’ James gently manoeuvred Beth out of the way.
‘Wait! James, it’s your turn first.’ She stepped back towards the payphone. ‘Don’t you want to call home?’
‘No, it’s fine.’
‘Sorry?’
James nodded his head towards the payphone. ‘You go next, mate. I’m OK.’ He began leading Beth towards the kitchen, and asked, ‘Would a bit of breakfast cheer you up? I’ve got some Cornflakes.’
Beth was confused. ‘Don’t you want to call home? It’s Christmas Day there!’
‘Umm …’
‘Won’t they be wondering how you are?’
‘They …’
‘What’s up?’
‘Nothing!’
‘So, why don’t you want to call home?’
‘I’ve already spoken to them, that’s all.’
‘When?’
‘Last night.’
She stopped abruptly. ‘You called your family, last night?’
‘That’s what I said.’
‘And you spoke to them?’
‘What is this? The Spanish Inquisition?’
She hesitated. ‘No, sorry. I just … I didn’t see you use the phone.’
‘I just nipped out of the room. It was before we went outside.’
‘Outside?’
‘The party in the garden. Blimey, Beth, it’s all questions from you this morning.’
‘Sorry.’ She could see he was getting pissed off. ‘Were your family OK?’
‘They were fine.’
‘Really?’
‘I just said so. They were fine.’ He waited a second, and then asked, ‘Right then, Cornflakes?’
‘Um …? I suppose so.’ Why don’t I believe him?
Twenty-two
On New Year’s Eve, Beth managed a quick call to wish Nanna a happy Hogmanay. It was a little early, but she had promised. Nanna was delighted and seemed in good spirits. Then Beth, James, Michelle and a whole load of others from the hostel headed into Sydney for the evening. There were people everywhere. Beth had never been one for celebrating the New Year. Unlike Nanna, she tended to find it an anti-climax. But this was different. Sydney Harbour was all lit up; people were crowding the streets. It was beautifully warm, not like a British New Year’s Eve when she needed to wear a coat and winter boots. It was a balmy night and they all felt it in the air, it was just kind of magical. The whole place was beautiful.
At the stroke of midnight, Beth stood opposite the harbour and watched the most amazing firework display. Boats tooted as they sailed past. The atmosphere was incredible.
She couldn’t wait to get her hands on James. They kissed for what seemed like ages, but could only have been minutes. They just got lost in each other’s mouths, as always.
When they broke apart, he said, ‘I love it here.’
‘Yeah, me too.’
‘Can you believe it’s now 1999, Beth? This time next year we’ll be celebrating the big one. Like that Prince song.’