She wrinkled her nose and swallowed, then took a bite of her muffin. She didn’t want to think about Lawrence, not now — not ever if she could help it.
“Yo, Evan! Is that you?”
Evan turned towards the voice, his expression clouding.
“Hey, it is you! Wassup, mate?”
A tall young man in dark jeans and a black woollen coat strolled towards them, holding out his hand for Evan to shake. His brown hair was cut short at the back and sides, the top long and wavy, bouncing with each step. His heavy stubble was artfully shaped, thin sideburns running into an angular beard.
“Jamie,” croaked Evan. He coughed and slapped his chest, then continued. “Fancy seeing you here.”
The man patted him on the back and turned to Kate. “And who’s this lovely lady?”
Kate picked the Australian twang in his accent and extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Kate.”
He shook her hand, squeezing hard. “Hi, I’m Jamie. So how do you two know each other?”
“Kate’s a friend of mine,” said Evan pointedly, clenching his jaw.
“I’m sure,” said Jamie.
Evan frowned, folding his arms across his chest.
“From snowboarding,” Kate said, cocking her head at Jamie. “Evan’s my snowboarding instructor. I was just out shopping when he ran me over on his skateboard.”
“Did he now?” Jamie winked at Evan. “I guess that’s one way to make an impression. I’m not surprised though — he’s always been a shit skateboarder.”
Evan’s frown grew bigger and Kate giggled.
“Hey,” continued Jamie, eyebrows arching, “mind if I sit down?”
Kate and Evan looked at each other.
Evan forced a smile. “Actually, we were just enjoying the peace and quiet.”
“You saying I talk too much? Come on, mate — I haven’t seen you for a couple of weeks. I’ll join you and you can tell me what’s been happening in your life.”
“Sure, Jamie, it’s just…”
Jamie placed his hand on Evan’s shoulder and leaned over the table. “Man, that sausage roll looks good. Can I have a bite?”
Evan sighed but nodded, leaning back as Jamie reached down and cut himself a chunk, shovelling it into his mouth.
“Look, Jamie, do you mind if—”
“Hey, man, I get it,” said Jamie, speaking through his mouthful. “If you don’t have the time to catch up with an old mate right now it’s all good. We can take a rain-check. If you two want to be alone—”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then what?” asked Jamie, grinning, teeth bared and flecked with pastry.
Evan sighed again. “Nothing.” He pulled a chair out and gestured to Jamie. “Take a seat.”
Jamie sat down, scraping his chair across the floor with a screech that set Kate’s teeth on edge. “So, you local?” he asked her.
“I live in Cromwell.”
“Cromwell, Cromwell… I know the name.” He turned to Evan. “Where’s that again? Have I been there?”
“Course you have. On the way to Wanaka. The long way.”
“Oh, yeah, the giant fruit sculpture. What’s that like, then?”
“What’s what like?” said Kate, sipping her coffee.
“Living in Cromwell.”
She shrugged. “It’s okay.”
“Seems kinda lame to me. I mean, what exactly is there to do there?”
Kate thought about this — she had often asked herself the same question. “I’ve got a two-year old. Looking after him gives me more than enough to do.”
“Whoa!” Jamie nudged Evan. “A yummy mummy, huh? Nice one, mate.”
Evan rolled his eyes.
“What about you, Jamie?” Kate asked. “You like living here? I take it you’re from Australia.”
Jamie nodded. “Sure am. Been here about six months. Fuckin’ love it. Bloody cold, especially after living in Brisbane, but there’s always something going on. And it’s full of hot chicks — from all over the globe too, every nationality you could wish for.”
“Pity none of them are interested in you,” said Evan.
“Oh, but they are, as you well know. I’ve never had so much pussy in my life.”
Evan groaned. “Tone it down, Jamie, there’s a lady present.”
Kate smiled at this. Who said chivalry was dead? To Jamie, she said, “Yes, I prefer the correct anatomical terminology myself. Vagina is better.”
Evan’s eyes widened and Jamie sniggered.
“Vagina huh? Fair enough. Listen to this then. I met this sheila in the weekend, South American, Brazilian or some such—”
Evan stopped his sausage laden fork halfway to his mouth. “Bro, we don’t need to hear the details of your sexual exploits. Why don’t you go order a coffee instead?”
“In a minute. Kate doesn’t mind, do you?”
She shrugged.
“See?” said Jamie to Evan. “Anyway, as I was saying, this Brazilian chick, she was a little on the chubby side, but super-cute, with these big brown eyes and long lashes.”
Kate glanced at Evan, one eyebrow raised, but he was concentrating on eating and didn’t acknowledge her.
“I met her out clubbing Saturday night and she was a fucking great dancer, wearing this sequined halter top that revealed a lot of skin — and I mean a lot. I bought her a few drinks, and we’d been dancing together for a bit, then the next thing you know, she asks where I’m staying.”
“As you can see, Jamie’s a man-whore,” said Evan to Kate.
Jamie grinned. “Takes one to know one.”
“Fuck off,” snarled Evan, thumping his hands on the table.
Jamie jerked back, eyes narrowing. “Hey, take it easy. I was just having a laugh.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not funny.” Evan looked at his watch, scowling, then pushed his chair out, the scrape again sending a shiver through Kate’s spine. “Shoot, sorry, but I didn’t realise the time. I need to get going.”
“What for?” asked Kate.
“Doctor’s appointment.”
“You got the clap?” said Jamie.
Evan glared. “No, I don’t,” he said, speaking quietly, an edge to each word.
“Lighten up, mate.” Jamie placed his hands behind his head. “It’s a joke. No need to get your knickers in a twist. Besides, you can’t go yet — you haven’t finished your sausage roll.”
“You have it.”
“Hey, come on, I’m sorry. Stay — it won’t matter if you’re a little late. Doctors are never on time.”
“Not these guys,” said Evan, standing. “They’re so busy they’ll give my appointment to someone else if I show up late. I need to go.”
Kate finished her coffee with a gulp and stood up as well. “I need to make a move too.”
“Okay,” said Jamie, shaking his head, “if you say so.”
“Nice to meet you, Jamie,” said Kate.
“You too.” Turning to Evan, he said, “Hey, mate, when’s your next day off? We should hit the slopes.”
“After today I’m on for the next week. But I’ll let you know. Seeya.”
“Sure. See you.” Jamie stabbed a chunk of sausage roll and plunged it into his mouth.
Evan gathered his jacket and shrugged it on, heading for the door.
“Don’t forget your skateboard,” said Kate, sliding on her own jacket. She stuffed the rest of her muffin in her mouth and gathered her bags as Evan returned for his skateboard, and then she followed him outside. He rushed through the arcade and out onto the boardwalk, heading into town.
“Wait up!” she called through a mouthful of muffin, squinting in the bright sunlight.
Evan slowed, allowing her to catch up, but then continued at a brisk walk.
“What was all that about?” she asked?
“Nothing. I just didn’t realise what the time was. I need to get to my appointment.”
“So you do have an appointment? That wasn’t just an excuse?”
She wasn’t convinced. “Anything I should be worried about?”
Evan looked at her, frowning, then shook his head. “Nope. Just a regular check-up.”
“I see.” Changing tack, she said, “Jamie’s an interesting chap. How long have you known each other?”
“A few years. I met him snowboarding in Canada. Then we hung out when I was living in Brisbane. When I moved back here, he decided to come over and check it out.”
“You lived in Brisbane?”
“For a few months, yeah. I didn’t like it.”
“Why not?”
“Too many fuckin' Ozzies.”
Kate laughed, warm and melodic, and Evan’s frown melted, morphing into a faint smile.
“You know he was talking about Maria, don’t you?” she said.
“What?” Evan stopped, blinking.
“The Brazilian chick. I’ll bet it was Maria. ”
Evan scratched his chin. “Could be. Huh, funny. I’ll have to ask him.” He held her gaze for a moment, blue eyes deep and cool, a mirror of the lake beyond the boardwalk, but then his expression clouded. “Look, I’m sorry, Kate, but I really do have to get going. I need to use my wheels or I’m gonna be late.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, trying to disguise her disappointment. “Well, thanks for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome. And don’t be sad.” He rested a hand on her shoulder. “Queenstown’s a small place. I’m sure we’ll bump into each other again. Hopefully not so hard next time.”
“Sure,” she said, forcing a thin smile. “Well, goodbye, then.”
Evan nodded. “Yeah, bye.” He dropped his skateboard to the wooden decking, leapt on and pushed off, fast, the wheels making a rhythmic thunking over the gaps between the planks.
She watched him go, chewing on her lip, wondering if he would turn back.
He didn’t.
SIX
Evan sprinkled more flour over the dough and kneaded it as he looked out the kitchen window. The Remarkables glowed orange in the setting sun, grey clouds scudding past, while whitecaps licked over the surface of the lake. A southerly wind had picked up in the last hour, piling purple clouds high on the horizon. Soon it would rain, and heavily too.
Inside the flat, however, all was cosy. The oil heater was cranked and the oven hot, ready for the pizzas. The stereo was blasting a burned copy of Superchunk’s Here’s Where the Strings Come In and Evan was singing along with it as he prepped. He finished kneading the dough and divided it in two. Spreading flour on a large wooden bread-board, he took one chunk of dough, pushing it down and rolling it out into a rough circle, then followed with the other.
His thoughts returned to his encounter with Kate earlier in the day. He felt bad about leaving her in the way he did, and even worse about running into her in the first place, but it was all for the best. He should thank Jamie for interrupting them when he did, or things might have gotten out of hand. She was a beautiful woman, looked great in her tight jeans and leather boots, and her eyes — those dreamy green eyes — they were something else. She was taller than Yumiko, slimmer too, but still curvy where it counted. He felt flushed, and it wasn’t just the heat from the oven. He squeezed his eyes shut, finished his beer and tried to force her out of his head, focus on the task at hand.
Monday was pizza night. He and Yumiko took turns to make them, the recipe delicious but time-consuming. He’d cooked the sauce from scratch, heavy with garlic, onions and cans of chopped tomato (fresh tomatoes being too expensive out of season). He scooped dollops of the sauce onto the pizza bases, spreading it around with the back of a spoon.
Yumiko was late and hadn’t returned his texts. This probably meant she was still angry with him, but he was hoping that some pizza and beer and the inclement weather might tame her, that they could snuggle on the couch and enjoy their evening together, without fighting.
He was placing slices of salami over the bases when he heard the door creaking open and turned to see Yumiko pushing her way inside. Smiling, he reached for the remote and turned the volume down on the stereo, then stepped forward to give her a kiss. “Hey, babe. Where’ve you been?”
“Noemie’s,” she answered, turning her cheek to his lips. “We met up after work.” She looked past him to the mess in the kitchen. “Oh, you’re making pizzas.”
“Course I’m making pizzas. It’s pizza night.”
“I’ve only come home to have a shower and get changed. I’m going out.”
“What do you mean? You can’t go out — it’s pizza night!”
“I’m sorry, but Noemie and some of the other girls have asked me to go with them. We’re gonna do Indian and then hit some bars. I forgot it was pizza night.”
“How could you forget? We always have pizza on Mondays.”
Yumiko shrugged. “Sorry. I’ve made other plans.”
“Cancel them.”
“No.”
“Come on, I’ve gone all out here.” Evan gestured towards his creations. “I wanted to spend the evening with you.”
“That’s nice, but I’m not cancelling.” She flashed him a brittle smile. “I haven’t been out with the girls for ages and I’m looking forward to it. I’m sorry you’ve gone to all this trouble, but they’ll taste just as good tomorrow.” She slipped off her jacket and hung it on a hook beside the door. “I’m gonna grab a shower and leave you to it.”
She went into the bedroom, leaving Evan alone in the kitchen.
Bitch. She could have called.
He grabbed a bag of mushrooms and another beer out of the fridge. He twisted the cap off the beer, fired it at the sink and took a slug, then slammed the bag onto the chopping board. Removing a pale mushroom, he took a long breath then slowly cut it up, feeling a little calmer with each slice.
Yumiko came out of their room, ignoring him as she padded into the bathroom, closed the door behind her and slid the lock shut.
Sighing, he turned back to his pizzas. To one he added ham and canned pineapple pieces, to the other sliced olives and anchovies. Then he piled them high with grated cheese, ground a little pepper over the top and placed them in the oven. He took another slug of beer, spilling a little down his chin and wiping it with the back of his sleeve.
The bathroom door opened and Yumiko came out, one towel wrapped around her body and another around her head. Beer in hand, he followed her to the bedroom. “You sure you don’t wanna cancel? I’ve put the pizzas in the oven and they look bloody good.”
Yumiko unwrapped the towel from her head and rubbed it over her hair. “I’m sure they do, hun, but no. I’m excited about going out with the girls.”
“And what am I gonna do? I’ll be lonely.”
“You can go out too if you want. Just not with us. Why don’t you call Jamie, see if he wants a beer?”
Evan stared at her, frowning. “Why would I call Jamie?”
She shrugged. “I think he misses you. I saw him at Noemie’s and he said he’s barely seen you since he moved in to her flat.”
The frown deepened. “What else did he say?”
“Nothing. Why?”
“No reason.” Evan watched as she dropped her lower towel and slipped into a lacy bra and white panties. He protested, “I don’t want to go out, ‘specially not with Jamie. He drives me mad. I’d rather stay here with you.” He cocked his head, having forced the ‘ou’ into a smile.
“But I’m not gonna be here. You’ll be fine. Watch some TV. Read a book.”
“Books are boring.”
“No, they’re not. If you think they are it just means you haven’t found the right one.” She wriggled into a pair of black jeans.
Evan snorted. “Didn’t you see the clouds on your way home? It’s going to rain.”
She flicked through the hangers in their wardrobe. “I’ll take an umbrella.”
“I don’t want you walking home alone, raining or not.”
“It’s Queenstown, Evan, not South Central.�
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“Even so, you never know. Some guys get a few drinks in them, they’re capable of anything.”
“Then I’ll catch a taxi.”
Evan sighed. Watching Yumiko get dressed was stirring his blood. He tried a different tack. “How about a quickie before you go?”
She didn’t even look at him. “I’ve just had a shower. I don’t want to have another one.”
“You don’t need to. I’ll come in your mouth.”
“Eew, gross! That really would ruin my appetite.”
He sipped his beer as Yumiko laid a sheer black tunic and her leather jacket on the bed. She slipped the tunic on, admiring her reflection in the mirror, then brushed her hair, dousing it with hairspray and teasing it so it sat lightly on her shoulders. “How do I look?” she asked, turning to Evan.
“You look great. Why do you need to look so good?”
She laughed. “It’s a woman’s prerogative. Besides, you never know — I could meet my future husband out there. It’s important to make a good first impression.”
“Oh, ha ha. If that’s the way you’re going to be, I wish you the best of luck.”
Yumiko put on her jacket and wrapped a grey scarf around her neck “Why, thanks,” she said.
“You’re not really going to walk, are you? I’m serious — it’s going to rain any minute. I’ll drop you off.”
“No, thanks, I’m all good. Rain or shine, night or day, Queenstown is beautiful. Walking is the best way to appreciate it. Plus it’ll give me some time to work on my pick-up lines. See you later. Don’t wait up.” Pushing past him, she took an umbrella from the basket by the door and skipped out.
“Have fun.” Evan followed her to the doorstep, hoping for a kiss.
“Oh, I will.” Yumiko waved as she sprang up the path and disappeared into the gathering dark, refusing him even this small indulgence.
Evan shut the door and returned to the kitchen, checking on the pizzas. They were almost done, and while waiting for them to finish he downed his beer and cleaned up. A few minutes later, he got them out of the oven, laid them on the bench and cut them up. He took two slices from each, arranged them on a dinner plate, then grabbed another beer from the fridge and sat down on the couch to eat. He turned off the stereo and switched on the TV, surfed the few channels available, switched it off again and ate in forlorn silence.
Taking the Plunge Page 4