A Beautiful Forever

by Lilliana Anderson

  She shifts in her chair again and sighs, but continues eye contact, “Salon hand.”

  “How old were you when you lost your family?”

  “Fifteen.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “My life changed.”

  Paige

  I feel like we’re playing a game of battleship in this rapid-fire question and answer session, but he’s getting more turns than I am as he moves towards the area of my life I really don’t want to talk about. It’s time for me to focus more on him.

  “Tell me about your family, are they good to you?” I urge him, trying to get him to talk about himself, so I don’t have to refuse him an answer. As much as I’ve had enough of talking about me, I don’t like the thought of him being upset with me.

  He sits forward, taking a drink from his mug now that it’s had some time to cool down. “Does it upset you - talking about other people’s families?”

  I laugh; he is playing me at my own game, “Are we only going to ask questions now?”

  “Are you finished answering questions?”

  “Are you still asking them?”

  “Would you like a Tim Tam with your coffee?”

  “Touché, Elliot,” I laugh, “You just played the chocolate biscuit card, and you won – yes I’d love a Tim Tam.”

  He smiles slightly with only half his face. It's not in any way cocky; I get the feeling he’s been trying to show me what it’s like not to be given answers. I watch him as he rises gracefully from his chair, the muscles in his arms rippling as he reaches up and pulls a packet out of the cupboard, the plastic crinkling loudly in the quiet room as he slides the biscuits out of their packaging and places the tray between us.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” he says quietly. “Does it upset you?”

  “No, it doesn’t. I actually like hearing about other people’s lives – their families, their friends, their interests. It’s part of what I love about my job, these people come in and share so much about themselves, and my gift to them is an understanding ear and little extra confidence in their looks. So please, I’m now begging – tell me about your family.”

  “Well, my mum is fantastic,” he starts. I sit and listen as Elliot gives in and talks about his family, he’s an only child and his parents divorced when he finished school. I can tell from the way he talks that he adores his mother and step dad, but he doesn’t say much about his father.

  “So where’s your father now? Do you have much to do with him?”

  “We don’t talk much anymore. He wanted me to be a barrister and when I threw in the towel and altered my career path – he threw in the towel and stopped caring about me.”

  “Do you miss having him in your life?”

  “I don’t know - he was very controlling. I hated being a solicitor, but he was so intent on having his son follow in his footsteps that he wouldn’t listen to me. We’ve never really had much in common besides work and now that’s gone so…” he shrugs, letting his shoulders drop heavily, as his sentence trails off unfinished.

  “Are happier now though? I can’t really imagine you confined to desk in an office.”

  “I am much happier now. He’ll get over it eventually, or not… I don’t know; it doesn’t really matter I guess. My mum and step dad are very supportive, so I can’t really complain.”

  A squeal of laughter filters in from the stairwell and we both turn our heads toward the door, listening to the noise of everyone else coming home. Bursting through the door, laughing and falling all over each other, they immediately start babbling on about how much fun they had.

  “There she is! The Cock Smasher!” Shane slurs, pointing at me as the others all burst out laughing, I can’t help but smile along with them as I watch their faces all screw up with drunken laughter.

  “I can’t believe you dropped that guy,” Naomi laughs as they all gather round the table. There’s a flurry of hands in front of me as the Tim Tams are snatched up and devoured in seconds.

  “God I love these things,” Petra says through the chocolaty goodness in her mouth. “When I get home I’ll send you some more packets.”

  “You’d better,” Brian tells her. “It’s an unwritten law for a returning Aussie you know.”

  “What is?” I ask. “Sending Tim Tams?”

  “Hells yeah,” answers Naomi. “Every time one of us goes home, they have to send back a box full of things we can’t buy here like Tim Tams, Vegemite, Minties, Milo – stuff like that. Our families send things too but we kind of do it as a farewell gift for each other.”

  “They don’t have Milo here?” I ask surprised. Milo is a staple in almost every Aussie household.

  “No, they drink Ovaltine instead,” Petra puts in.

  Brian gets up and starts making coffee for everyone as we continue talking about the differences between Australia and here, laughing and joking together as we do. I look around the table, taking in all the smiling faces and suddenly feel a sense of belonging. I haven’t felt a part of something in such a long time. Smiling inwardly, I think I’m really going to like living here.

  Chapter 9

  Elliot

  Life is starting to feel normal now that I’ve been in London for a month. Although, it’s kind of funny being the guy with the accent for a change, to me, it still sounds like everyone else has an accent.

  Coming here seems to be exactly what I needed to start feeling more like myself again. There’s nothing like having a limited time somewhere to make you see what’s most important, three months isn’t long in the grand scheme of things, and you don’t waste any of it, so I’ve been having fun wherever possible and trying to live each day the best that I can.

  There seems to be a bit of an Aussie culture over here where we all tend to stick together. Sometimes, when we go out as a group, we’ll run into another group of Aussies – then we all start hanging out and acting like long lost friends. I find it funny that we’ve all traveled to the other side of the world just to hang out with other Australians, but it’s fun, so much more fun that it is at home.

  My job is amazing; I'm working at The City Point Club. It's this beautiful up market fitness club and spa that offers everything you could possibly want to take care of your body. I’ve been booked with clients pretty solid since I started so my boss is really happy with me.

  Paige has been living with us for the past three weeks. I love seeing her every day, but we’re still solidly in the ‘friend zone’. I’m not sure if I’m ok with that, because I do really like her. Although I understand where she’s coming from, there’s no point starting with something that has to end by the time I leave. If she was any other girl, I’d be fine with entering a short term relationship just for the fun of it, but she’s not any other girl. I get along with her. I can talk to her. That’s not something that’s easy to come by. The last person I clicked remotely with was Katrina. Jumping into a relationship with her just ruined the friendship we had in the end, and now I don’t have contact with her at all, I don’t want that with Paige, I would rather the friendship… I think.

  Paige

  After a whole month living in London, I have yet to contact my father. He’s aware that I’m here as I contacted him before I left Sydney, but I’ve been so wrapped up working and hanging out with my housemates that I’ve let it slide. It sits in the back of my mind niggling at me to do something, but I guess I’m just erring on the side of being chicken shit. I really am afraid to go and meet him, because I have no idea what to expect.

  Work is great, and my roommates are great. I’m getting along well with Andrea and Naomi; it's really nice to have friends around me - close personal connections are something that I’ve been avoiding for a long time. Living in London, I feel like a new person, no one knows more about me than I want them to, so I am just Paige, the Aussie hairdresser – it’s truly freeing, and I’m finding that I'm relaxing, laughing and enjoying life more and more every day. I exist in a large group of people, all trying
to have a good time and live for the moment – they're all only here for three to six months so every day matters to them, it’s hard not to let their enthusiasm rub off on me too.

  I never thought I would enjoy sharing a room with someone, but Naomi is proving to be very easy to live with – albeit a little untidy. She doesn’t snore. She is careful not to wake me if she comes home later than me, and she’s a great conversationalist. I’m starting to feel a little like her therapist though as she’s a big inner thoughts sharer, but it’s nice for me; I like to listen to her chatter about her own insights on life.

  A hot topic of conversation is Elliot. She has a HUGE crush on him and when she’s around him, the hair starts to flick, and the smile comes out. She finds every joke he makes hilariously funny which in turn is hilariously funny to me – so I try to stay out of the way around them because Elliot is still a little too focused on me, and I don’t want to embarrass her.

  “So you’re pretty close to Elliot aren’t you?” she asks me one night as we both sit in our room preparing for bed.

  “Um, not really – I mean we’re friends, but I wouldn’t call us close…Why?” I ask, looking at her in via mirror on my wardrobe as I rub leave-in conditioner into the ends of my hair.

  “No reason, you just seem to be together a lot. You’re kind of attached at the hip, we’re all wondering what’s going on that’s all.”

  “There’s nothing going on Nomes, he goes home in two months – we’re friends,” I say, wiping my hands clean on a moist towelette and depositing it in the small bin by our door and avoiding any eye contact. I can feel her still watching me, but I continue to focus on myself, feeling relieved when I hear her get into bed and open her book.

  I’m going to go right on ahead and admit that I’m attracted to him, Elliot Roberts is by far the most beautiful man I have ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on – there, I said it. I mean who wouldn’t be attracted to him, he turns the head of every female, every single time we go somewhere. But he seems oblivious to all of it, taking it all in his stride; it amazes me.

  That being said, I have lived without the ‘help’ of men for the last eight of my 25 years on this earth, and I’m not about to go all gushy over one now. Truth is, even though I'm trying, I just don’t do well in the ‘getting close to people’ business, there is too much about my life that I don’t want to share with anyone and my lack of sharing, well - it eventually causes problems.

  Rising from the end of the bed, I move over to the light switch, as I do Naomi reaches out and switches the lamp on, so she can continue to read while I go to sleep.

  “Good book?” I ask her as I slide beneath my covers.

  She rests it open on her chest and sighs smiling as she looks at me. “It’s the best,” she says, “so romantic!”

  Laughing a little to myself, I roll over to face the wall and bid her goodnight, leaving her to read her cheesy romance novel and wishing life was really like one. I’d love noting more than a happy ending, but I’m fairly sure people like me don’t get them.

  Chapter 10

  Elliot

  This is one of the rare days when I had a late client, so I didn’t meet up with Paige to walk home with her like I usually do. Once I’m back at the flat, I dump my gear in my room and then head out to the living area. I notice that Paige and Naomi’s names are missing from the whiteboard we write our names on, to say who’s going to be home for dinner.

  “Where are the girls?” I ask Gavin and Brian, who are sitting in front of the television watching the cricket, beer in hand, bag of chips on the couch between them. They let out a loud cheer as the batter gets caught out before they answer me.

  “Nomes dragged Paige out with her for a girly night,” Gavin told me without taking his eyes off the screen.

  Brian laughs and throws a handful of chips into his mouth, crunching down loudly, “Yeah she didn’t look too happy about it,” he says. “Fuck that Paige chick’s hot though, you should have seen her in that dress,” he nods his head thoughtfully and blows out his breath.

  Gavin’s head joins in, “Are you two banging? ‘cause if you’re not…” he asks finally looking away from the tv.

  “Don’t talk about her like that,” I warn them defensively.

  Gavin raises his hands signalling ‘no offense’, “It’s alright mate, we’re just talking. Everyone can see you’ve got a thing for her – no one’s cutting your grass.”

  I shake my head, “Whatever,” I say, moving into the kitchen to grab a beer from the fridge.

  “Hey, Elliot, can you grab us another one as well,” Brian calls out, returning the mood to normal.

  Handing them their drinks when I return to the living room, I take a seat on the other couch, while I stare at the game on the tv, not really watching. I’m busy thinking about where Paige is. I can’t help but feel kind of annoyed that she didn’t text me to say she was going out. Then I kick myself because it’s not like I own her, it’s not like she owes me anything. I guess I’m just used to having her around. I don’t really want to hang out without her… geez… I’ve got it bad.

  Paige

  Naomi has taken me to this Salsa club she’s heard about and has been dying to try out. We've both put on our most flowing dresses, and I helped her curl her hair and pin it back to suit her outfit. I even went a little wild and put some red lipstick on myself – it was under slight duress. Naomi insisted I needed red lips to go with my black knee-length dress. Other than that, I just have mascara on.

  Sitting at the bar, I watch Naomi strut her stuff on the dance floor with a guy who certainly knows his moves, he’s spinning and swinging her around the floor effortlessly, and I have to resist the urge to clap whenever they finish a song.

  “Come and dance with me,” she asks breathlessly when she walks back towards me.

  “Oh I don’t know. I'm really not that coordinated,” I laugh.

  “Nonsense! Come with me and I’ll show you.” She grabs my hand and pulls me off the stool and starts to try to show me how to move my feet and swing my hips. I don’t do too badly, but I feel a bit awkward next to the smooth moving Naomi.

  The guy Naomi had been dancing with moves back over to cut into our lesson, and I happily step away, bumping straight into a guy who, when I turn around and see him, is the epitome of tall, dark and handsome.

  As a grin spreads over his face, I feel his eyes drag over my body, “Can I interest you in a dance,” he rumbles in a deep baritone.

  Instantly, I shake my head. “Oh no, I’m not much of a dancer.”

  “Not from what I saw,” he responds holding out his hand for me to take. I look at it and step away from him, refusing his offer.

  “No thank you,” I say firmly, walking directly back to my still vacant bar stool.

  I notice the guy shake his head before he moves on to some other pretty girl who’s smiling and practically swooning the moment he holds his hand out to her. Watching them move for a little while, I start to wish I hadn’t agreed to this as I get restless and wonder when it’s time to go back to the flat.

  Playing with my phone in my hand, I finger the touch screen, trying to decide whether I want to text Elliot or not. I feel lonely without him all of a sudden.

  Hey, what are you up to? I tap out and send before I have a chance to change my mind.

  He responds quickly, like he had his phone in his hand and was waiting on me. Watching cricket with the guys. U?

  Me: Watching Naomi dance.

  Elliot: Y aren’t u dancing?

  Me: I don’t like strangers touching me.

  Elliot: U want me to come get u?

  My thumbs hover unmoving, as I contemplate whether or not I should bail. I jolt my head up and cradle my phone in my lap guiltily as Naomi comes over holding a bottle of beer and smiling. “How’s Elliot?” she asks, nodding at my phone.

  “What? Why would I know?” I reply, feeling strange that she immediately jumped to that conclusion.

  She tilt
s her head and looks at me like she can’t believe I think she’s that stupid. “It’s obvious you two are into each other Paige. It hums in the air whenever you’re around each other.”

  I frown a little, “I thought you were interested in Elliot.”

  She laughs, “I am, of course I am! If he said ‘hey Nomes, you, me in the bedroom – leave your clothes at the door’ I’d say, ‘hell yeah’ and run in there. However, that’s not going to happen - he’s not interested in me; he's interested in you.”

  Laughing, I say, “I don’t really think he talks like that.”

  She shrugs, smiling and taking a sip from her beer. “So what’s holding you back? Why aren’t you making wild monkey love with him every chance you get?”

  “Because, I don’t know – maybe I think he’s too good for me, maybe I don’t want to get my heart broken, maybe I don’t want to ruin our friendship. There’s literally dozens of reasons why it’s a bad idea.”

  “Maybe, but if you like each other, why can’t you have an amazing couple of months together – even if that’s all it is, it’s better than doing nothing, watching him leave and then regretting it for the rest of your life.”

  “He doesn’t really want me Naomi. It’s the unattainable thing that’s making me attractive right now. He'll find someone else to turn his head eventually, and this will all be a moot point.”

  “Paige, have a look around this club,” I do as she says and scan the club taking everything in, “Do you see one guy even remotely as good-looking as Elliot?”

  “Well… no.”

  “Then why would you knock that back?”

  “Because… I feel like I have to,” I say looking down at my phone. Naomi looks down and takes it out of my hands reading the message across the screen. “Hey! What are you doing?!" I grab for my phone as she steps away, keeping it out of my reach as she types out a message.

  “There, it’s done – you’re welcome,” she says smiling and heading back over to her dance partner. My phone beeps in my hand and I look at the message on the screen.