by Maggie Brown
“And you said nothing to provoke me? Please.”
“How typical, heaping all the blame on me,” Victoria snorted.
“You’ve got a selective memory,” Abby shot back. “I wouldn’t have reacted like I did if you hadn’t been so nasty and patronising. You were too quick to judge me.”
“I’m always the big bad wolf in your eyes. What do you expect me to do, beat my breast chanting ‘mea culpa?’”
Abby opened her mouth to reply, but after a moment’s hesitation, she began to laugh. Great rolling gusts erupted from deep inside her belly. “Oh, get over yourself, Victoria. I’m staying to help Fiona with the shipping costing because there’s a lot to do and that’s that. I’ll see you when you get back.”
As she watched Victoria leave the room, Abby executed a fist pump. Their relationship was alive and kicking. With a spring in her step, she went to find the Scot to start the day’s work. But her euphoria was short-lived.
In the early hours of the morning after Victoria had left for Anshan, Abby was woken by screams from the adjoining bedroom. She hurried in to find Fiona writhing in agony on the bed, her face grey and in a lather of sweat.
Afraid and feeling totally helpless, Abby went into a panic. “What’s wrong? What can I do?”
As the Scot struggled to rise up on her elbow, she gulped out between sobs, “I’ve got a shocking pain in my side and back,” and flopped down again. Another wave of pain lanced through and she shrieked.
Frantic, Abby phoned reception. She prayed the desk was manned all night. When the receptionist answered, she nearly wept with relief. “This is Abby Benton from room 261. My friend has become very sick. Would you call a doctor, please? It’s urgent; she’s in a great deal of pain.”
“We’ll have to ask one to come in, ma’am. If she is really ill, perhaps it would be better to call an ambulance.”
“Yes…yes. Do that…please hurry.”
She dashed to her own room, dragged on jeans and a jumper and ran back to Fiona. Sweat beaded the older woman’s face, now more a dull white than grey. By the time the medics arrived fifteen minutes later, Fiona had started to vomit. Abby felt completely inadequate as she dumbly watched them examine Fiona and load her onto a stretcher. She was grateful that they allowed her to ride in the ambulance. As they sped through the streets to the Chaoyang Hospital Emergency, Abby dialled Victoria’s number.
“I’m unable to take your call. Please leave a message at the tone.” Abby’s heart sank—she was on her own.
At the hospital, after the trolley disappeared down the corridor, Abby plodded over to the nurses station to fill out forms. She brushed away tears as she reached for the pen, which seemed too chunky to hold as she fumbled to write the words. Finally she managed to complete the document, and pushed it across to the woman who was busy with someone else. Abby turned to a line of plastic chairs in the corridor—all she could do was wait. A further attempt to contact Victoria failed, so, defeated, she sent a text message to ring as soon as possible. Abby sucked in a ragged breath to steady herself. At the sight of a drink vending machine down the corridor, her spirits lifted a little. Just what she needed, she was parched. She fumbled in her pocket for just the right change to feed the machine and was relieved to see the can of Coke roll out.
An hour later, a man in scrubs appeared and addressed her in halting English. When she answered in fluent Mandarin, he smiled. “Ah, you speak our language. That makes things so much easier. I’m Dr Chan. Your friend had a large stone in her right kidney which caused the severe pain. Unfortunately, due to the state she was in, we had to remove it by open surgery and insert a small catheter to drain away the fluid.”
Abby peered at him anxiously. “Will she be all right?”
“She’ll have to be treated in hospital for six days. Barring any complications, she should make a full recovery, though she’ll have to rest for a following two weeks. I presume she’s covered?”
“Ms. McPherson is an employee of Orianis Minerals; she’ll be a private patient. I’ll confirm the details of the insurance tomorrow.”
“Good. Shortly she will be in the Intensive Care Unit. We’ll inform you when you can see her.”
Abby trembled at the thought of what would have happened to Fiona if she had gone to Anshan. In ICU, Abby sat beside the bed and stroked her friend’s hand. Fiona was still drowsing from the anaesthetic; her face was pale, her grey hair fanned out over the pillow in a knotty tangle and a dribble of saliva trickled down her chin. The Scot looked so alone and lost, Abby gulped back tears. Ten minutes later a nurse entered, changed the bag of IV fluid and went out with only a nod. An acute feeling of isolation swept through Abby—she wanted to get out of the place, she wanted to go home and take Fiona with her. In the lonely room, her emotions stripped bare, Abby thought about what the two women had come to mean to her.
Fiona was a gem; hardworking, stoic, and an enormous support. She had become a very good friend. And Victoria—well—she was now more than a friend. So much more. In a moment of clarity, Abby realized exactly the extent of her attraction to the woman. I’ve fallen in love with her. The epiphany brought a fresh round of anguish. She was under no illusion how different their circumstances were. Even if Victoria returned her affections, would she care that Abby had allowed herself to be bought? She hunched her shoulders, willing herself into a more peaceful state. But the room was stark and sterile; smelling of antiseptic, anaesthetic and the acrid odour of urine. Much worse, however,—broken only by the monotonous beeping of Fiona’s monitor—was the unnatural silence.
* * *
Victoria woke late and jumped out bed at the Anshan hotel, annoyed her alarm hadn’t rung. Her meeting was in ten minutes, which meant no breakfast. In the car, she checked her phone. Still in the silent plane mode. Damn! She scrolled through the missed call list to find three from Abby in the early hours of the morning and a text saying Fiona was taken to surgery. Victoria’s face pinched tight when there was no answer. Half an hour later after four more tries, Abby answered with a weary, “Hi, Vic?”
“Where have you been? I’ve been ringing for ages.”
“Calm down. I had to turn my phone off in the recovery room. Fiona was…”
“She’s all right, isn’t she?”
“Just listen for a sec and don’t interrupt. It’s been a terrible night and I’m completely zonked out. Fiona had a kidney stone. The operation went well, but it involved more than simple keyhole surgery. She’s in ICU. The doctor said she’s doing okay. I…I…” The sound of crying echoed at the end of the phone.
Victoria felt a lump in her throat. She longed to comfort Abby. “Go home for a while and lie down,” she said. “I’ll catch the first plane back.”
Abby sniffled. “I will have a bit of a rest. It’s upsetting seeing Fiona lying on the bed with tubes everywhere. She hasn’t woken up from the anaesthesia and looks awful.” Abby’s voice lowered to a whisper. “And Vic, honey, hurry back. I…I miss you.”
The next available flight wasn’t until midday. The plane ride seemed to move at a snail’s pace, which allowed Victoria too much time to dwell on everything that had happened. Abby was right; her behaviour had been deplorable. She’d cocooned herself in a bubble of invulnerability to disguise her pain about Abby’s rejection. No wonder Abby had sought Fiona’s company over hers. Vic felt sick. Life without Abby, she realized, would be too lonely to endure.
By the time the aircraft landed, Victoria was completely frazzled. At the baggage collection carousel, her heart gave a little skip; Abby was waiting for her. Pleasure flushed through her—she hadn’t expected her to come to the airport. She extended her arms and Abby fell into them. “I’m so glad you’re back. Everything feels better now that you’re here,” she murmured.
Victoria’s arms tightened as she breathed in her familiar scent. “How’s Fiona?”
“I’ve come straight from the hospital. All’s fine. The doctor’s pleased with her progress and she’s awake and ta
lking. Sore, of course, but they’re giving her something every four hours for the pain. She’ll get transferred tomorrow into a private room. We can go to the hotel first if you like, but she wants to see you.”
“Of course. I’m anxious to see her too.”
As the cab sped toward the hospital, Victoria put her arm round Abby’s shoulder and felt peaceful for the first time since arriving in China. “I’m sorry for interfering in your life and for being so mean, sweetie,” she whispered. “I promise not to annoy you with any more advances. I don’t want to lose your friendship.”
* * *
Abby snuggled into the warm body, though she heard the words with misgivings. Victoria seemed convinced Abby hadn’t welcomed her passionate embrace in Hong Kong. Was the woman completely clueless? She must have some inkling of the depths of Abby’s feelings by her response. And Victoria had called her naïve. It was on the tip of her tongue to declare how she felt there and then, but what if Victoria didn’t feel the same way? The declaration would wreck everything and make friendship impossible. She knew Vic liked and desired her, but love? She’d given no indication that her affection was seriously romantic. Love was the ultimate emotion, the final surrender. Abby buried her face into the soft neck and murmured, “Oh, honey. You’re important to me too.”
Content to cuddle, the two women maintained a comfortable silence until they reached the hospital.
Fiona’s face lit up at the sight of Victoria. She looked a little better, her skin a rosier colour and eyes brighter. “Hello, Vic, ’tis good to see you, lass,” she whispered hoarsely.
Victoria reached over to tenderly brush the strands of hair back from Fiona’s face. “Well aren’t you the one, frightening us all like that, old girl. How do you feel?”
“Like a truck’s run over me. I feel really bad giving you both so much worry. I canna tell you how much it hurt.”
“Well you’re in the right place and it’s all fixed.” Victoria settled down in the seat beside the bed and stroked Fiona’s hand. “Just lie still and don’t talk. I’m with you now. Close your eyes and go to sleep.”
As Abby watched Victoria lean over Fiona so protectively, she only then realized the full extent of their friendship.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Abby remained in Beijing to look after Fiona while Victoria went alone to Shanghai. They talked each night on the phone, but it was obvious by her wistful tone that Vic was lonely. Fiona’s surgeon had ordered bed rest for a fortnight, which meant most of the business tasks and the caretaking fell on Abby’s shoulders. She’d never worked so hard in her life. Her secretarial and nursing duties left her no time to complete the preliminary designs for the art works in Japan; it had become urgent to submit them. She berated herself for not having spent more time on the proposals while she’d had the chance. Fiercely protective of her art, she’d held back mentioning the commission—she never shared her work until a project was completed.
As they planned a five-day break in Seoul, she figured that would be the ideal opportunity for the work. She surfed the net for a secluded spot in South Korea where she could spend the break, and found a pension at Jangho, a small fishing village four hours by train from Seoul. The simple accommodation looked ideal in the brochure—part of the guesthouse with its own private bathroom and kitchen facilities. Taking the plunge, she booked it. The only remaining obstacle left was finding a way to tell Victoria without it developing into a drama.
Fiona was scribbling on a pad at the dining room table, when Abby decided to enlist her help. “Can we talk for a sec?” Abby asked, taking a seat. “I’ve got something to run by you.” Once she had Fiona’s attention, she launched into her prepared speech. “You understand how important my art is to me, right? It’s only a week until we fly to Seoul and we’re going to take a five-day break. Well…as I haven’t had a chance the whole trip to pick up a pencil, would you mind if I go off by myself so I can do some sketching? I’ve found a little fishing village to stay where there should be plenty of subject matter. And I’ve taken heaps of photos which I would like to get on paper.”
“I can see where you coming from, lass, but I was looking forward to the three of us having a good time together. We’ve been through so much.”
Abby winced as she caught Fiona’s disappointment. “I think that would be great too, but it is the longest I’ve ever gone without doing something art-wise. You’ve heard the expression…use it or lose it.”
Fiona stopped fiddling with her pen and eyed Abby intently. “Do you think you’ll be safe on your own?”
“I can’t see why not. South Korea is a civilized country and I can manage the language. Not as well as Mandarin or Japanese, granted, but enough to make myself understood. I really need this.”
“Will you be alone there?”
Abby sat up straighter and frowned. Now Fiona thought she was going there to shack up with someone. “Who would I have with me?” she asked sharply.
“Chantal.”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Fiona, you’re worse than Vic. If I were meeting Chantal, I would tell you. Why would I lie about it? For your information, I am no longer seeing her. We called it off in Hong Kong.”
The older woman’s face softened and she patted Abby’s hand. “I’m so sorry, lass. You must be very disappointed. I didn’t think she was the type to play with your affections, but it’s for the best to end it before you really got involved.”
“I ended it, not her,” said Abby with satisfaction, annoyed at the presumption.
Fiona blinked. “You did? But she’s a prize catch.”
“So? She was getting too serious and I didn’t feel the same way. I’m not going to hook up with someone just because they’re rich and good-looking. That’s not the basis for a lasting relationship.”
The eyes behind the spectacles blinked again. “Ye never cease to amaze me.”
Abby let out a sigh. “I guess I’m a romantic, just hangin’ out for true love. I want the happy ever after. And even if everyone tells me differently, I’m not going to be satisfied with less.”
“Good for you. One day someone will come along who takes your eye.”
Abby clasped the edge of the chair firmly. If only you knew. “Okay. Now that that’s out of the way, can we get back to my art break? Will you support me with Vic? She may be a bit cheesed off about it.”
“I will if that’s want you really want to do.” Fiona shook her head. “I don’t understand why, but when it comes to you, she’s not her old self. You’re both so volatile with each other.”
“We can annoy the crap out of each other sometimes.” Abby gave an apologetic look. “We must be hard to live with.”
“I’m fine. I’m very fond of you both so it doesn’t matter. I can switch off. Though I’m puzzled how Vic has changed. I’ve never seen her like this in all the years I’ve known her. She’s always been so placid. If someone annoys her, she rarely loses her temper, just becomes aloof as though they’re not worth the time of day. She’s cut many a competitor down that way.”
“Has she ever been really keen on a woman?”
“Not that I’m aware of. Not for years anyhow.”
“Maybe she’s feeling stressed with the pressure of the trip.”
Fiona heaved her shoulders. “Perhaps. I hope once she’s home, she’ll be back to normal.”
Abby sized her up; now that they were being frank, perhaps she’d tell Abby more about Victoria. “What about Vic’s father? She mentioned him in Perth. She seemed upset so I didn’t like to ask any more.”
“I’ve never met him, but from all accounts he was hard on the family and deserted them. Vic was in her teens. But if you want to hear any more, she’ll have to tell you. She doesn’t talk about it.”
Abby nodded, aware not to pry further though she was consumed with curiosity. “Of course. I wouldn’t expect you to betray her confidence.”
They chattered on for a while, Abby confident Fiona would support her trip to Jangh
o. She thought about Victoria. Fiona’s words had given her ego a giant boost. Victoria had never been really interested in a woman as far as Fiona knew.
* * *
Victoria arrived back in Beijing two days before they were due to leave for South Korea, the last country on their business agenda. Abby’s pulse hitched when she entered the apartment. Victoria looked tired, with new stress lines around her eyes, not unexpected with the load she’d carried. Abby, with an urge to smooth Vic’s wrinkles away, pulled her into a hug. “Hello, Vic. I’m so glad to see you.”
The embrace was returned with gusto, and they remained pressed together until the sound of Fiona’s door opening broke them apart. “Hi Vic,” called out Fiona as she made her way to the fridge. “I’ll be with you in a minute. I’m supposed to drink plenty of water. Can I get you something?”
“Bring two cans of that Hite beer for Abby and me, and then come into the lounge. I’ve got something to tell you both.” She fluffed up the cushion on one of the seats. “Sit here.”
Fiona handed over the beers and lightly rubbed her scar through the material. “There no need to fuss. I’m nearly better, thanks to Abby’s nursing skills.”
“You’ll be glad to know we’ve exceeded contract expectations in both Japan and China. Malcolm’s sent an email of congratulations. The last order was the icing on the cake, sooo, he’s giving you both a bonus. Ten thousand dollars each when we get back to Australia.”
Abby stared at Victoria, astounded. “That’s a lot of money.”
Vic draped her arm over the back fabric and gave Abby a compassionate, tender look. “You deserve it. It hasn’t been much fun lately. I’m taking you out to the Capital M restaurant tonight to celebrate.”
“That sounds wonderful. We’ve been eating in-house since you’ve been away. We’re getting sick of their menu, aren’t we, Fiona?”
“Aye, we are. I’d give half that lovey bonus for a plate of sausages and mash.”
“Don’t worry, all that’s going to change. I’ll make sure we have an exciting time in Seoul before we start again. I’ve organized some great tours,” announced Victoria with a smile.