She froze, staring up at Simon. She could see the bafflement on his face. She took a calming breath and turned around slowly.
“Hi,” she said demurely. “Jamie, wasn’t it?”
“That’s right. Good to see you again.”
“And you.”
Meg had almost forgotten how good-looking he was. The shaggy hair and the stubble on his chin made him seem free and unfettered. She found that incredibly appealing. And tonight, in a suit, he was positively edible.
Simon cleared his throat.
“Oh, Jamie, have you met Simon Ridgeway? He’s the creative director at Imagine!.”
They shook hands.
“Jamie Carroll,” he added. “I met Meg at the Tusk shoot before Christmas.”
Simon nodded. “Oh right. I must have seen your name on the schedule. You Tarzan?” he quipped.
Meg winced. Jamie smiled politely.
“What brings you here?” asked Meg, curious.
Jamie shrugged. “The agency sends us to these things. I don’t mind. There’s free food, and they provide the suit.”
Mm, they ought to be congratulated.
“I just came over to ask if you wanted to dance? That’s if I’m not interrupting anything?”
“Not at all,” Meg assured him. “I was just complaining because Simon won’t dance with me.”
“Well, if it’s okay…” Jamie glanced at Simon.
“Go right ahead. I’ve got schmoozing to do.”
Meg realized the music had turned decidedly sultry. Good. If she was only getting a dance, she’d rather it was a slow one. And besides, she still had Simon’s orangutan comment ringing in her ears.
Jamie took her in his arms, and they started to sway to the music.
“He’s not your husband, Simon?”
Meg laughed. “No! He’s my boss, and my friend. And he’s gay.”
“Oh,” Jamie nodded. “Where’s your husband then?”
“At home, on babysitting duty.”
“He must be very easygoing.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, if you were mine,” he murmured, pulling her closer, “I wouldn’t let you out of my sight, looking the way you do tonight.”
“Oh, wouldn’t you?” Meg said, arching an eyebrow. “You’d actually think you owned me?”
Jamie smiled slowly. “Bad choice of words. I wouldn’t try to own you, Meg. I might even try to set you free.”
He was gazing unblinking into her eyes, and Meg had to look away. Their bodies pressed against each other, moving to the rhythm of the music. She could feel his hand on her back through the thin fabric of her dress. Her skin prickled, and she felt hot all of a sudden. She stared at his lips, and then closed her eyes. She imagined what it would be like to kiss him. Whoa! She opened her eyes again, startled. Where did that come from?
“Penny for your thoughts,” Jamie murmured.
Meg swallowed, avoiding his gaze. She had the feeling that he knew exactly what she’d been thinking.
The music stopped but Jamie didn’t let go of her.
“Let’s get a drink,” Meg blurted, pulling away.
She walked a little unsteadily over to the bar and asked for a champagne, though she felt like something stronger. Jamie ordered a club soda.
“Are you driving?” Meg asked.
He shook his head. “I don’t drink.”
“You had a beer at the pub the other day.”
“Oh, I have the odd drink,” he said. “Let’s just say that alcohol is not my drug of choice.”
Meg almost snatched the glass from the waiter and took a few gulps. “Well, you don’t know what you’re missing.”
He smiled at her. “I’d rather get my kicks in other ways.”
“Such as?”
“Jumping off a cliff beats a stiff drink any day.”
“Yeah right,” Meg pulled a face. “Until you hit the bottom!”
“Well, maybe not jumping exactly. I meant rappelling, paragliding, bungee jumping…”
“You’ve been bungee jumping?”
“I have.”
“You have to be crazy!” Meg declared, shaking her head.
“No you don’t.”
“Well what would possess a sane person to tie a rubber band around their ankles and leap off a tall structure?”
“I didn’t leap off a tall structure.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Okay, I’ll bite. What did you leap off?”
“I jumped out of a helicopter.”
“You did not!”
“I did!”
Meg considered him for a moment. “So, you’re actually trying to kill yourself?”
“There’s more chance of getting killed driving a car.”
“Oh I get sick of hearing that argument,” Meg groaned. “Here’s the thing. You need a car in the society we live in, especially when you have a baby, just to get on with normal, day to day life. And yes, there’s a risk, but you take every possible precaution—”
“Don’t tell me, you drive a Volvo?”
“I do, as a matter of fact, and I’ve heard every single joke so you needn’t bother repeating any,” said Meg airily. “As I was saying, you need a car to get on with normal life. You don’t need to fling yourself off mountains or out of airplanes.”
“Except to have fun,” Jamie suggested.
“I’d rather play Scrabble.”
He laughed out loud. “Wow, that’s living on the edge.”
“I just don’t need that kind of thrill.”
“How do you know if you don’t try?”
She looked at him. “I just know.”
He leaned against the bar, scrutinising her.
“What?” Meg said.
“Well, you realize you’ve given me a challenge now.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve got to get you over this irrational fear.”
“It’s not irrational!” Meg insisted. “It’s sensible, life-preserving—”
“Fear.”
She sipped her champagne. “Personally, I’ve always felt that fear is very underrated. If we didn’t feel fear, early man would have jumped off cliffs willy-nilly, walked right up to woolly mammoths and done a lot of other foolhardy things. And we would have become extinct as a species. But we had fear,” she went on, warming to her topic. “And we invented seat belts, and helmets and insurance policies and we survived! And thus we mastered the planet!”
Jamie looked momentarily startled, before bursting into laughter. “You’re a funny chick,” he said.
Meg hadn’t been called a “chick” in a long time, and she decided she didn’t mind at all.
“So, do you eat lunch?” Jamie asked.
“Pardon?”
“Is there time for busy advertising executives to eat lunch?”
Meg shrugged. “Usually.”
“Will you have time next week?”
“Why, what are you suggesting?”
“Maybe we could have lunch one day.”
She paused, trying to quell the urge to say yes immediately. “Have you forgotten I’m married?”
“Don’t married people eat? Besides,” he said, leaning toward her, “I thought nobody owned you?”
She considered him suspiciously. “They don’t. But how do I know you’re not going to whisk me away to some secret location and make me jump out of an airplane before you bring me back?”
He laughed. “I won’t do that to you. Promise,” he said, one hand on his heart. “So, how about it?”
Meg hesitated. This was dangerous, she knew it. She should say no. “What day did you have in mind?”
He shrugged. “This is next week we’re talking about. I don’t even know what I’m doing tomorrow.”
Meg sighed. She knew what she was doing not just next week, but for the whole month. And most of next month.
“I’ll call you, okay?” He was smiling at her. Those eyes. Penetrating. Just say no.
“O
kay.”
Saturday
The rain had cleared, thankfully, and Ally stood on the platform at Bowral Station under a cloudless sky, waiting for Lillian’s train. She had woken with a start at ten last night, curled up on a settee in the conservatory. She’d tried to call Matt earlier, but he was out of range, probably holed up in his mountain shack, she’d decided grimly. She didn’t call him again, and it was too late at ten o’clock. So that was the end of that.
Lillian looked tired when she stepped onto the platform. It was a long trip by rail, but apparently she couldn’t be persuaded to take a plane, she hated flying. Ally rushed over to her when she saw her trying to lift her suitcase.
“I’ve got it, Lillian,” she said, before heaving it onto the luggage trolley. “What on earth have you got in here?”
“Half my wardrobe, dear. Melbourne,” she rolled her eyes, “has no regard for the seasons.”
They started to walk back along the platform toward the exit.
“How was your trip?”
“Alright, it was alright,” she replied. “Let me look at you.”
Ally turned to face her.
“Have you lost some weight?”
“I’m not sure.”
“You are eating properly, aren’t you?”
“Of course. Thanks for leaving me all that food.”
“I only hope you ate enough of it. You’re not heartbroken, are you?”
“No,” Ally frowned. “Why should I be?”
“Didn’t you just break up with your long-time boyfriend?”
She reddened. “Yes, of course. Don’t worry about me, Lillian, it was quite amicable and civilized, I’m fine.”
Ally didn’t like the way Lillian was looking. She was noticeably pale, and the walk to the car left her a little breathless. Ally pulled up in front of the house when they arrived home. She didn’t want Lillian to have to walk any farther than was necessary.
“I’m getting the royal treatment today,” Lillian remarked.
“It’s only because I don’t want to have to carry that thumping big bag of yours any farther than I have to!”
They went inside, and Ally watched Lillian gaze fondly around the place.
“If you don’t mind, Ally, I might just rest in my room for a while,” she said. “You know how no bed is quite like your own?”
Ally wandered thoughtfully back out to the car. She hoped Lillian was alright. She knew she wouldn’t want to be fussed over, but Ally decided she’d keep a close eye on her over the next few days, to make sure she wasn’t overdoing it. She was probably just tired from a long trip, it was nothing unusual.
Ally contemplated the suitcase wedged firmly into the compact boot of the Laser. She started to heave and pull and generally wrestle with it, until she had it balanced on the edge of the boot. Now how was she going to get it up the stairs and into the house?
She remembered Matt carrying things on his back, and thought that was probably the safest bet. She crouched down and backed up to where the bag rested, levering herself underneath it, and taking the weight of it as she straightened up again. Ally could feel every kilogram as she started to climb the steps. She thought she was going to have to settle it down somewhere when suddenly it was lifted off her back. She turned abruptly.
“You looked as though you needed a hand.”
She peered up, way up, at a very tall man with ruffled sandy hair and a serious expression.
“Oh, thanks,” she said, flustered. “It was a bit heavier than I realized.”
“Obviously.” He set the bag down and looked at her calmly, but Ally detected a glint of curiosity in his eyes. Who was he anyway? And what was he doing here? The guesthouse was not opened for business until Wednesday.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I was just about to ask you the same thing.”
Ally frowned. “My name is Ally Tasker. I’m a friend of the owner.”
“Of course,” he said, picking up the suitcase again. “I should have realized.”
He started to walk up the stairs, past where Ally stood watching him, and toward the front door.
“Hold on,” she cried. “And you are?”
“Rob,” he said simply as he opened the door and walked through into the foyer. Ally ran up the stairs and followed him in, closing the door behind her.
“Rob…?”
He turned around to look at her. “Rob Grady, I’m the chef. Where do you want this?”
“The chef!” Ally repeated, feeling stupid. “Oh, it’s Lillian’s suitcase.”
“I’ll put it in her room, then?”
“No, she’s having a rest. I think it’s best not to disturb her.”
He didn’t say anything, he just walked down the hall and left it beside the door to Lillian’s rooms. He came back into the foyer.
“Can I help you with anything?” Ally said weakly.
She thought one eyebrow lifted slightly. “No, I’m fine, I know my way around.”
He crossed to the reception desk and flicked over a few pages in the register, jotting notes on a pad. Ally wondered what he was doing, but he didn’t seem the type for small talk.
“I’ll be in the office if anyone is looking for me.”
She nodded. Just then the phone started to ring. Ally dashed to answer it, not wanting Lillian to be disturbed. “I’ll get it!”
She thought she saw his eyebrow lift again as he walked off in the direction of the office.
“Hello, Birchgrove. Can I help you?”
“Yes, it’s Richard Ellyard here. Could I speak to Mrs. Ellyard please?”
“Oh hello, Richard. It’s Ally.”
“Sorry, Ally, I’m never sure who my mother has working there, I wasn’t expecting you to answer the phone.”
“That’s okay.”
“I was just ringing to see if she arrived home alright.”
Ally was tempted to tell him of her concerns, but Lillian wouldn’t appreciate her blabbing to Richard.
“She was fine, just a little tired. She’s having a rest now.”
“Oh? Are you sure she’s alright?”
“Yes, of course. I could check to see if she’s awake?”
“No, no, don’t bother her. Just ask her to call me later.”
Ally walked out into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. She thought she could hear someone out in the pantry, and stuck her head around the door to investigate. It was Rob.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, embarrassed. She turned around back into the kitchen.
A moment later he appeared at the doorway. “No need to apologize.”
Ally looked at him and smiled awkwardly. Her eyes traveled to the notebook he was holding.
“I’m just doing the ordering,” he explained. “The first of the guests arrive Wednesday.”
Ally nodded. “I’m making coffee. Can I get you one?”
“No thanks.”
He turned and stepped back into the pantry. So, that was the extent of his conversational skills. Ally sighed, pouring the water into the coffee plunger.
“Are you making coffee, Ally?”
“Lillian, you’re up! That wasn’t a very long rest.”
“I only needed a short nap. I feel fine.”
Ally thought that maybe she did look a little better, though she was still pale.
“Hello Lillian.”
“Robert, I thought I could hear your voice,” Lillian smiled at him as he came into the room. “Now sit and have a cup of coffee with us. You’ve met Ally, I take it?”
He nodded. “How are you, Lillian? How was your trip?”
Ally opened the cupboard to get extra cups. She noticed a slight smile on Rob’s lips as he listened to Lillian, and what do you know? His face didn’t even crack.
Ally sat next to Lillian, opposite Rob, and poured the coffee. She pushed a mug over toward him, and he nodded slightly, barely acknowledging her.
“How is Nicola, Robert?” Lillian was asking.
He shrugged. “Fine, last I heard.”
“So she’s not coming back any sooner?”
“Why would she do that?”
“I can’t imagine,” said Lillian, winking at Ally. “So, we’ll have to get by without her for another three weeks?”
“Looks like it.”
“Then I’ll have to contact the agency. Gail is away for a couple of weeks as well, I believe. And besides, it’s school holidays, she can’t take on all of Nicola’s shifts with the children home.”
“I could help out,” Ally offered.
Lillian glanced at her. “I wasn’t saying any of this for your benefit, Ally. You are my guest.”
“But I’d like to, really. I’ve been getting so bored. I’ll go stir crazy if I don’t have something to keep me busy.”
“But you have to sort out about the property. That’s why you’re here, after all.”
“That’s nothing. I’ll call the real estate agent later and make an appointment.”
Lillian paused and considered her for a moment. “Ally, it’s your holiday, you need to have a break.”
“What do they say, ‘a change is as good as a holiday?’” Ally insisted. “Please, Lillian, you’d be doing me a favor.”
“Do you have any experience?” Rob interrupted.
Ally looked squarely at him. “No, I don’t. But there are a few days yet. Lillian can show me the ropes.”
“Still, you’ll need someone experienced with you at first,” he remarked, matter-of-factly. “Lillian, we could call Michelle.”
“Good idea, Robert,” she agreed. “That’s if you’re sure you don’t mind, Ally?”
“Who’s Michelle?”
“She’s a local, a potter. She’s always happy to earn a bit of extra cash. If she’s available for a few nights, to get us over the weekend, I think you might manage after that, until Gail’s back.”
“I’d love the chance, Lillian. Really, I’d much rather keep busy.”
Rob stood up and took his cup to the sink to rinse it. “I’ll phone in the orders now, Lillian,” he said. “See you on Tuesday, Ally.”
Ally was slightly taken aback that he had addressed her directly. “Okay.”
She turned back to Lillian after he had left the room. “Is he quiet, or is it just that he doesn’t like me?”
Lillian smiled. “Why, Ally, he doesn’t even know you! You were always a little sensitive.”
Ally frowned. She was sensitive?
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