But Sharon would not let her speak. ‘I don’t understand you, Lena. Why would you do this to me, especially after all that rubbish you sprouted about how great Gavin and I would be together?’
‘It wasn’t rubbish. I meant every word.’ Lena came forwards and laid a hand on her shoulder.
Sharon rolled her shoulder violently, displacing her hand. ‘Well, then that just makes you a two-faced bitch, doesn’t it?’
Lena reeled back. Her voice was barely a whisper when she finally found it. ‘I can’t believe you have so little faith in our friendship.’
‘What friendship?’ Sharon retorted. ‘Friends don’t betray one another. Friends don’t trick each other.’
‘Are you suggesting I planned this?’ Lena’s sympathy was slowly evolving into anger. ‘What possible gain could I have for hurting you in this way? You are the best friend I have out here, Sharon. You’re the only one I can count on.’
Sharon snorted cruelly. ‘Not any more.’
‘Sharon –’ But there was nowhere else to go. No other way Lena could explain it.
Sharon dashed away fresh tears. ‘I was just fine before you came along. Better actually,’ she amended. ‘Didn’t have to deal with an up-herself city girl always knee-deep in trouble.’
A lump the size of an apricot lodged inside Lena’s throat. ‘That’s . . . that’s what you think of me?’
Sharon tossed her hair and straightened. ‘Come on, Lena, you’ve been a disaster zone since you got here and somehow I get the impression it’s not a new thing.’
Blood receded from Lena’s face and her lips went numb. She couldn’t respond. Couldn’t say anything to a fact she now knew was ingrained into everything she did. Sharon seemed satisfied with the effect of her bullet because she hitched the strap of her shoulder bag with the confidence of one who knew she was leaving and added, ‘You and Gavin deserve each other.’
It took a second for Lena to recover and in that time Sharon departed. When Lena finally turned around, the only evidence of her friend’s presence was the still-swinging bathroom door.
Tears smarted behind Lena’s eyes in the wake of Sharon’s parting. She caught her reflection in the mirror. The festive nature of her outfit mocked her. She was in a dirty toilet in a pub full of drunks and her only friend in town had just dumped her.
She felt like Bambi after his mother was shot.
How could this have happened? Was their friendship so fragile that it could be broken by a single mistake – a mistake that wasn’t even hers? Tears spilled over and trickled silently down her face. She didn’t bother to brush them away. Instead, she reached into her handbag and pulled out a hair elastic. With jerky hands, she arranged her usual dumpy site ponytail. It was mildly comforting, like putting her mask back on. Her stomach twisted as she pushed open the door and went in search of Carl. All she wanted to do now was go home. Back to camp would have to do.
Lena found Carl and Gavin drinking together on the balcony. They had a score of shooters lined up on the bar and were taking it in turns to tip them back. She could see Fish down the opposite end buying jugs and five guys waiting rather impatiently beside him.
‘Sharon’s taken the car home,’ Gavin offered by way of greeting. ‘Wasn’t feeling well or something and Carl thought it’d be a good idea.’
‘The bird looked upset if you ask me.’ Carl gave Lena a look that was way too knowing for a man half tanked. ‘Everything all right?’
Lena looked away. ‘Fine. Fine.’
‘Anyway,’ Gavin continued, clearly unconcerned about Sharon, the rat that he was, ‘Carl, Fish and I were thinking about finding somewhere to stay in Point Samson tonight. Sort out a ride home in the morning.’
Trepidation rolled through Lena. ‘Where does that leave me?’
Gavin shrugged slowly. ‘Thought you might want to do the same.’
‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’
She’d rather walk back to camp than spend the entire night there with them. Gritting her teeth, she checked the scream that begged to emerge.
Carl toasted her with a shooter. ‘Point Samson’s got some good hotels on offer. Fuck me if it ain’t better than sleeping in a donga.’
Lena couldn’t care less. She just wanted to leave. Her party mood had definitely died and weariness was beginning to seep into bones, already weak from an emotional flaying. Flipping over her wrist, she checked her watch. Three hours till the pub closed and the site bus would come to take the men back. Any remaining sympathy she had for Sharon disappeared. If she could do this to her, she wasn’t worth feeling sorry for.
‘Lena,’ Gavin interrupted her brooding, ‘is there a problem?’
She pressed her palms over her eyes. ‘Not one that you can fix.’
He wiped his hands down the side of his jeans and stood up. ‘Look . . . er . . . can we talk?’
She knew he meant privately but she wasn’t falling for that again. She shook her head. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
‘Please.’ Something in his tone made her hesitate.
Carl rolled his eyes and swiped a shooter off the bar. ‘Look, why don’t I just fuck off then?’ Then he half walked, half staggered away in Fish’s direction.
‘You’ve got five seconds,’ Lena said as soon as he was out of earshot. She tried not to think about how many people might be watching them, making the gossip worse. The clink of glass and plates around them made her itch with impatience. But Gavin seemed to be taking his time.
‘We kissed.’ His brows knitted together. ‘Don’t you think we should talk about it?’
‘We didn’t kiss: you kissed me and I didn’t return the favour. There’s nothing to talk about.’
To her annoyance, he stepped closer and lowered his voice. ‘I think there is. I mean, I wouldn’t kiss you unless it meant something to me. I respect you too much.’
‘If you respected me, you would’ve asked first.’
‘I didn’t want to ruin the moment.’
She stared at him in disbelief. ‘What moment? You hijacked me, that’s what you did. I was completely unaware of what was coming next. Otherwise, I would have tried to stop you.’
He coughed, unable to meet her eyes. ‘I’ve never been that good with women. You know, reading the signals and everything. I didn’t mean – I just assumed –’ He broke off.
She took a firm step back. ‘You assume a lot, Gavin. I thought you were better than this. Hell, I thought you’d be good for –’
It was his turn to stare. ‘Good for what?’
She bit her lip and looked away, inwardly cursing at the slip. ‘Nothing. Forget it.’
Luckily he did, apparently deciding to plead his case from a different angle. ‘Clearly I jumped the gun. Maybe we could start over? Take it slower.’
Lena sighed. ‘Gavin, I don’t mind being your friend. But anything more is out of the question.’
‘Why?’
If he wanted blunt, he was going to get it. ‘Because I’m not attracted to you.’
‘Oh.’
At last, he seemed stumped. And as he rubbed his left hand awkwardly across the back of his neck, she almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
He grimaced sheepishly. ‘I guess that’s telling me, isn’t it?’
Lena shrugged. ‘I’d apologise, but I don’t think you deserve it.’
He chuckled and held out his hand. ‘Friends?’
With a sigh her anger faded to a simmer. ‘Friends.’ She shook his hand.
‘Now if you don’t mind,’ he grinned boyishly, ‘I might go drink myself under the table with Carl.’
She didn’t try to stop him, heading back inside the pub on her own instead. This seemed to offer some modicum of privacy as the majority of the project revellers were outside.
> To be honest, she didn’t quite know what she was going to do next. She was stuck in the middle of nowhere, no car, no ride home and pretty much friendless. She supposed vaguely that she could try to find Leg or Radar. But the odds that they weren’t both wasted and unwilling to drive were a hundred to one. The other option was the bus. However, the prospect of waiting till midnight to share a bus packed to the brim with drunk men made her feel ill. She sat down at an empty table and tried to think of an alternative without much success.
Hitchhiking: too dangerous.
Walking: too far.
Cab: unlikely to be available.
She rubbed at her moistening eyes and blinked furiously, drumming her fingers on the tabletop to distract herself.
Damn.
‘Trouble in paradise?’
The low male voice gnawed on her frayed senses. Just what she needed – another lecture about company ink and dipping her pen. Why couldn’t he just stay out of it?
She looked up and registered Dan’s broad shoulders, chiselled cheekbones and dark glinting eyes. ‘There’s no paradise to speak of.’
His right brow lifted. ‘Well, that doesn’t surprise me. After all, we’re talking about Gavin, aren’t we? You could have chosen better.’
Her control broke.
‘In case you didn’t know, the client doesn’t actually get to comment on the dating practices of the contractor. Your opinion is neither warranted nor required. And if I needed a character assessment of Gavin, which I don’t, you’d be the last person I’d go to. So just back off.’
She looked away then, staring blankly at the people milling by her table. Cupping her chin in her palm, she pressed her little finger against her mouth to conceal its tell-tale trembling.
Go away. Go away. Go away, she chanted silently, hoping that her secret telepathic powers of persuasion would work.
They didn’t.
The shadow he cast across her table didn’t move and, as the silence lengthened, she finally looked up.
‘For goodness sake, what do you want?’
He seemed to hesitate but then sat down across from her, placing the plate he was carrying between them.
‘Hungry?’
She was starved but she wasn’t going to tell him that. ‘No thanks.’
His lips twitched. ‘Go on, have one. They’re good.’
The plate held succulent prawns covered in creamy garlic sauce; saliva filled her mouth. Her hand moved before she could stop it, picking up one of the many forks laid out on the table and stabbing a prawn. He watched her pop it into her mouth. The tender, buttery flesh burst upon her tastebuds.
‘Oh my God,’ she groaned, putting a hand to her mouth. ‘These are to die for.’
He nodded knowingly as she forked another.
She groaned with pleasure again. ‘These are the best garlic prawns I’ve ever tasted.’
‘They’re probably also the freshest.’ He grinned. ‘It’s likely they were swimming twenty-four hours ago.’
‘Poor little things,’ she said and stabbed another.
‘That’s one thing about the Pilbara. No better place on earth for seafood.’ He lifted his fork and took one for himself. She watched it pass his lips, searching his face for clues about what he was thinking. His dark hair was windswept, probably from the breeze on the balcony. Her fingers itched to smooth the wayward tufts or brush his lean cheek.
‘You shaved.’ The words were out before she could catch them. He looked at her strangely and she wished that she could bite them back. ‘When we had that last meeting at your offices you hadn’t shaved,’ she said by way of explanation.
‘Hadn’t I?’
If it were possible, she would have kicked herself under the table. ‘I don’t know,’ she tried to go vague. ‘I think so.’
He forked another prawn. ‘I guess I just didn’t have time that day.’ His expression darkened as though he were remembering something. Curiosity won out over good manners again.
‘Why?’
For a second, it looked like he wasn’t going to answer and then he shrugged. ‘I had a long phone call from home that morning. Made me late.’
Oh, the girlfriend. She groaned inwardly.
He pushed the plate towards her. ‘Last one, you want it?’
She took the prawn and raised it to her mouth, unwittingly giving him the opportunity to change the subject.
‘So are you going to tell me why you’re sitting here all alone feeling sorry for yourself or not?’
She put her fork down and grabbed a napkin to dab her mouth. So that’s what this whole sharing-his-dinner scenario was about. He was softening her up for another interrogation. She raked his face with what she hoped was her best I-got-your-number expression and pulled her lips tightly shut.
He shrugged. ‘We can do this the hard way or the easy way. That’s up to you.’
The challenge pricked her interest. ‘What’s the hard way?’
‘I could call your boyfriend over and get him to fix his mess.’
‘Oh.’ She screwed up her face, not liking the sound of that at all. Gavin was the mess.
Dan leaned forwards, his eyes glowing in the dim lighting. ‘Just tell me.’
Something about the way he said it stirred moths in her stomach. She quickly glanced around the room. No one was watching them. Everyone was outside. They were probably the only two sober people from the project in the whole pub.
She returned her gaze to his. ‘I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to get home. Sharon’s taken the car.’
‘And Gavin?’
‘He’s staying overnight at Point Samson.’
‘Nice.’ His voice was scornful.
She shrugged. ‘He and Carl want to have a big one.’
‘At your expense?’ He stood up. ‘Come on, I’m taking you home.’
‘What?’ she said, startled. ‘Don’t you want to stay?’
‘No. Let’s go.’
‘Carl’s got a bar tab. You’ll be missing out on –’
‘On what?’ His voice was incredulous. ‘Free booze? Come on, Lena, don’t be ridiculous.’
‘But –’
‘Have you got a better plan to get home?’
She passed her tongue over dry lips. ‘No.’
He started walking, taking it for granted that she would follow him. And she did, relief washing over her like warm water. The lift was definitely a godsend. Why not just shut up and take it?
The car park was unlit and quiet, in direct contrast to the noisy pub they had left behind. She could hear the sound of their shoes on the gravel as they made their way towards his ute and then both climbed in. He started the engine as she put on her belt. The radio was playing ‘With or Without You’ softly.
The cabin seemed to shrink in size. Suddenly, the air was just a little too cosy and the night just a little too dark. He backed out of the car bay in silence and she laced her fingers together on her lap, sucking in a deep calming breath.
It was just a ride home, for goodness sake.
Yeah, with Dan Hullog.
Her fingers tightened on themselves.
Why did he always have this effect on her? It wasn’t like he was ever flirtatious or anything. Certainly not in the way Kevin had been when she first started getting to know him. Always complimenting her, offering her things. Bulldog was more insulting than he was nice, and more stern than playful.
Of course, it was kind of him to have shared his garlic prawns with her. And he was really helping her out with this lift. But what was that laid alongside the criticisms, the reprimands and the threats?
It was a lowering thought, really: not only was she attracted to the one man who stood for the worst decision she’d ever made but he considered
her no more than an irritating pest.
Lena sneaked a peek at him through her lashes. His gaze was intent upon the road. There were no streetlights. It only got darker and darker as they left the township. His face was deep in shadow. She could just make out the lack of smile.
What would it be like to kiss Dan Hullog?
She cringed, as though the forbidden words had been spoken out loud. Thank goodness it was too dark for him to make out her expression. She rubbed her wrist, trying to steady her throbbing pulse.
Kissing Dan Hullog would be like slaying a dragon.
Terrifying, rough and . . .
Magical.
She shivered.
‘Cold?’
She nearly jumped as he leaned over and turned on the heater. Embarrassment flooded her body as though he had heard everything she’d been thinking. Her voice came out barely a whisper. ‘Thanks.’
Warmth swirled around them, raising her already elevated temperature. If anything, she wished he would turn the radio off. The slow melodic beat did nothing to dampen the mood.
Lena cleared her throat, desperate for a distraction. ‘So, you worked late tonight.’ She indicated his shirt.
‘I got stuck on the phone.’
She shook her head. ‘I wouldn’t have worked late tonight for anyone.’
‘It wasn’t work-related.’
‘Oh.’ A faster song started up on the radio, easing some of her tension and making her speak without thinking. ‘Geez, that girlfriend of yours is pretty high maintenance.’
‘Girlfriend?’ His voice was amused. ‘What made you think that?’
‘Oh, I –’ She wiped clammy palms down her thighs. ‘You . . . er . . . You just seem to have a lot of personal phone calls back to Perth, that’s all.’
Damn my loose lips.
At first she thought he wasn’t going to reply and then he surprised her. ‘I was talking to a lawyer actually.’
‘Oh right.’
Even though curiosity was poking her in the ribs with a stick, Lena just couldn’t bring herself to pry further. If Dan was a criminal, she didn’t want to know about it. At least not in the middle of the night on a lonely road, miles from anyone who could help her. An awkward silence stretched between them.
The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots Page 15