“Cacka,” said Corbin, standing on the chair to grab a cracker. He stuffed it in his mouth and crunched down, dropping crumbs onto the table.
“Corbin, sit down,” said Kate.
He made a strange gargling noise.
“Corbin!” she cried, leaping to her feet.
Corbin gagged, his face flushing, then gave two short coughs. He turned towards Evan and threw up in his lap.
Springing round the table to his side, Kate ripped another paper towel off the roll on the bench and held it in front of Corbin’s mouth, smacking him on the back. He spat out a glob of pale mush and she wiped his lips. “You okay, hun?” He cried and she pulled him close, hugging him tightly. “There, there, it’s all right,” she said, stroking his hair. She looked down at Evan, who was sitting stiffly in his chair, mouth hanging open, appraising the contents of his lap. “I’m so sorry.”
Evan lifted his eyes to hers. A smile teased at the edge of his lips, then exploded into a hearty laugh. “That was unexpected.”
“The joys of children. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. We’d better get you cleaned up. Can I put you down now, Corbin? Poor Evan’s a mess.”
Corbin, face pale and eyes watering, looked up at her and nodded. She lowered him onto the floor. Pointing at Evan’s lap, he said, “Vomit.”
Evan winked at him. “You got that right, buddy.”
SIXTEEN
Corbin was settled on the couch watching TV and Kate was wiping down the table when Evan returned from the bathroom, wearing Kate’s dressing gown. It was too small, his forearms protruding from the sleeves and the hem riding high, revealing his knees and muscled calves. A forest of dark chest hair curled above the V of the collar and a wide smile graced his lips.
“Looking good,” she said.
Evan laughed. “Thank you.”
“Nice shower?”
“Yeah, it was great, thanks. Awesome pressure. Like getting a massage.”
A cheerful beeping noise came from down the hall.
“That’s your clothes done. I’ll just pop them in the dryer.” She finished cleaning the table and went to the laundry, where she removed his clothes from the washing machine and put them in the dryer, pausing to sniff each item as she did so. They smelled fresh and clean, with no trace of vomit remaining. Her nose lingered on his boxer briefs, and she imagined him standing above her, wearing nothing else, while she knelt before him and removed them with her teeth.
After switching the dryer on, she returned to the kitchen. Evan was sitting on a couch in the lounge with his back to her. Refilling her empty wine glass, she asked, “Would you like another drink?”
“Shhh,” came his reply, “Corbin’s asleep.”
She tiptoed into the lounge, glass in hand, Evan turning to her as she approached. “He looks so cute,” he said.
Corbin lay curled on the sofa, sucking his thumb, and she had to agree. “All children are cute when they’re asleep. I think it’s God’s way of protecting them. If they weren’t, most parents would get rid of them for all the trouble they cause when they’re awake.” She had to admit she liked the way Evan acted around Corbin. He couldn’t change a nappy to save himself, but for a young guy, and a gorgeous one at that, she was surprised at how paternal he seemed. “Do you want to carry him down to his room? We’ll put him to bed.”
“You sure? I don’t want to wake him.”
“You’ll be fine.” She switched the TV off, watching as Evan crouched and wrapped his arms carefully around Corbin’s prone form, clutching him gently to his chest. Leaving her glass on the counter, she followed them down to Corbin’s bedroom, where she drew the curtains, plunging the room into a cosy twilight. She pulled back the blankets on the cot and Evan lowered Corbin into bed. She tucked him in and they stood together in silence, looking down as he shifted and then settled. Evan turned to her and she smiled, then grasped his hand and led him back to the lounge.
“Sit,” she said, guiding him onto the couch. “Another beer?”
“Yes, please,” he replied.
In the kitchen, she sipped her wine, letting it wash over her tongue, savouring the flavour — sweet, with a hint of oak and honey. Since she’d discovered Lawrence’s infidelity she’d been drinking a lot more than usual. She felt guilty about it but had decided it was the price she had to pay to maintain her sanity. There were more important things to worry about than her alcohol intake, and when dealing with Lawrence — well, sometimes it felt as though getting drunk was the only sensible option.
She took a beer from the fridge, popped the cap and returned to the lounge. Handing Evan the bottle, she said, “I’ll put some music on. What do you want to listen to?”
Evan shrugged. “Dunno. What’ve you got?”
A wooden CD tower stood on either side of the entertainment unit. Since she’d jettisoned Lawrence’s contribution to their music collection the choices on offer were mostly a mix of pop and country, with the weighting heavily on country’s side. “How about some Dixie Chicks?”
“Ahh, okay,” replied Evan.
She selected a CD and inserted it into the stereo, then skipped around the room, shutting the curtains. She took a swig of wine as the chorus of I Can Love You Better flowed through the speakers. As if inspired by the words, she shimmied across the carpet and sat next to Evan. “This is nice,” she said, sliding closer.
“Yeah,” said Evan, taking a sip of beer. “What now?”
Kate turned to him. There was a gleam in his eye and his lips were round and wet and full of promise. She brought the coffee table closer, set her glass firmly upon it, then launched herself at him, pressing her lips hard against his.
“My beer,” he squeaked, waving the bottle above her head.
She pulled back. Stretching her arm along his, tracing the sleeve of his (her) dressing gown with her finger, she plucked the beer from his grasp and set it down on the coffee table, clinking it against her wine glass. Then she cupped his face in her hands and brought her mouth down again, brushing it against his. His tongue flicked out but she resisted, lips closed like a locked gate, then lowered her head to his neck, plastering it with gentle kisses.
He moaned softly and slid his hands over her shoulders, beneath the fabric of her cardigan. She shrugged it off, letting it fall to the floor. His hands moved down her sides and under her top, fingers gliding over the skin of her lower back and up her spine until they encountered her bra-strap. They lingered there, as if unsure where to go next. She crossed her arms and reached down to the hem of her top, pulling it over her head, and with a flourish, flung it across the room. Giggling, she leaned in to kiss him again, his fingers playing over the clasp of her bra.
The doorbell rang.
She stiffened, eyes wide.
“Ethpething thomeone?” murmured Evan, extracting his tongue from hers.
“Shhh,” she replied, touching a finger to his lips.
The doorbell sounded again.
“Shoot, I’d better answer it.” She shifted to climb off Evan but he held her tight.
“Don’t,” he breathed. “Pretend no one’s home. They’ll go away.”
“I already tried that with Lawrence. It didn’t work.”
“Do you think it’s him?”
“No, but I should—”
“Whoever it is — would you rather talk to them, or do this?” He pulled her close, kissing her again.
Well, when you put it like that. She melted into his grasp, nibbling his bottom lip. They waited. The doorbell remained silent and the movement of Evan’s fingers became more intentional, clutching at her bra.
With a sigh, she sat up. “It’s really not that hard.” Reaching behind her back, she squeezed her fingers and popped the clasp, the straps falling loose. “See?”
She slipped the bra off and pushed her chest forward, letting gravity do its work, her breasts flowing down and out into Evan’s face. His tongue darted out, snaking over her nipple. She shivered with pleasure, which turne
d to dismay when she heard the sliding door open and turned to see Suzanne’s head poking through the curtains, wide-eyed and staring.
“Suzanne!” she squealed, leaping off Evan. She spied her cardigan on the floor and scrambled to put it on, clawing at the buttons. Evan stood and straightened the dressing gown, pulling it tighter to cover his chest. Taking a moment to compose herself, Kate dialled the volume down on the stereo, brushed her hair behind her ears, then turned to Suzanne, who had parted the curtains and stepped inside. “Haven’t you heard of knocking?”
“I rang the bell. You didn’t answer.”
“Most people would take that as a sign.”
“I’m sorry, did I interrupt you?”
Glaring at her, Kate said, “Yes, as a matter of fact. I was about to get laid.”
Suzanne’s voice was laced with disgust. “Really? Getting laid? Is that what this is?”
“Why are you here?”
“You weren’t at church this morning so I thought I’d drop by to say hello. Who’s your friend?” Suzanne nodded towards Evan. “Nice dressing gown,” she added, cracking a false smile.
Evan frowned, but said nothing.
Kate moved to Evan’s side, sliding her arm behind his back. “This,” she said, “is Evan.”
“And who’s Evan?”
Kate wrapped her other arm around Evan and squeezed. Looking at him with a sweet smile, she said, “He’s my new boyfriend.”
Evan’s frown deepened.
“Is that so?” said Suzanne. “What does your husband think about that?”
Kate removed her arms from Evan’s waist and took a step closer to Suzanne, placing her hands on her hips. “Really, Suzanne, is that why you’re here? You’re going to lecture me about Lawrence? Because if you are, you can turn around right now and fuck off!”
Suzanne raised her eyebrows. “Oh, so you’re swearing at me now. I guess all that time you’ve been spending with Tracy has rubbed off. You know, I’m beginning to despair for you — it seems the devil has taken a firm grasp of your soul.”
“This isn’t Salem,” said Kate with a contemptuous snort. “It’s called a libido, and I’m not giving the devil credit for it. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to leave.” She pushed forward, herding Suzanne towards the ranchslider and then out onto the deck.
“Come on, Kate, this is silly. I just want to talk — I’m worried about you.”
“Well, don’t,” said Kate, sliding the door shut and snicking the latch. Drawing the curtains, she turned to Evan and said, “Sorry about that.”
Evan didn’t reply, his expression blank. They waited, listening as Suzanne clomped across the deck and down the stairs. A moment later her car started up, the engine noise fading as she drove away.
“Now… where were we?” asked Kate, smiling suggestively.
The answer to her question came in the form of Corbin waddling into the room, rubbing his eyes. “Mummy,” he said, his voice a plaintive whine.
She picked him up, rocking him from side to side. “Oh, Corbin,” she said, kissing his forehead, “that wasn’t a very long sleep. Why’d you wake up?”
Corbin nuzzled into her, but didn’t answer.
“Murphy’s law, huh?” she said to Evan.
“Yeah,” he said with a rueful smile, then sighed. “Umm, I’m sorry, Kate, but I think I’m gonna get going.”
“I’m sorry too… about Suzanne, about Lawrence, about Corbin—”
“Don’t be,” said Evan, shaking his head. “Don’t be sorry, especially about Corbin. Your life is what it is, and really, I’ve had a good time.” He looked at her longingly. “A great time, actually. Part of me would love to stay, it’s just… I don’t know… I think maybe someone’s trying to tell us that today’s not the day.”
She gave a short laugh. “I know what you mean,” she said, trying hard not to sound disappointed.
“So… ahh, I’ll just grab my stuff and get going.” He ran his fingers through his hair, scratching behind his ear. “I was thinking, though — what are you doing tomorrow?”
Her eyes lit up. “Tomorrow? Let’s see… Corbin’s in daycare, so I’m free for most of the day. Why?”
“I’ve got the day off, and I was wondering if you’d like to head up the mountain, try snowboarding again?”
“Really?” she said, beaming. “I’d love to!”
SEVENTEEN
The fresh linoleum of the Frankton New World sparkled as Evan dragged his feet around the aisles, still heavy with sleep. Grabbing a bottle of iced coffee and two apricot Danishes to add to his breakfast, he mulled over the events of the previous day.
When he’d arrived home, he’d been relieved to find a note on the kitchen counter saying Yumiko was spending the night at Noemie’s. Things were a mess and he didn’t know how to fix them, and his day with Kate had only made it worse. He liked Kate — liked her a lot, and liked Corbin too — but the invitation to go snowboarding had popped out of his mouth in the heat of the moment and now he wished he hadn’t asked. The thought of seeing her again sent his heart racing, but — as was clear from the events of yesterday — she had her own problems. His penis might think otherwise, but in his head he knew that ending his relationship with Yumiko to pursue one with Kate wasn’t going to make his life any less complicated.
He’d spent the night tossing and turning in bed, thoughts spinning in ragged circles. When he woke, the sheets were stained with sweat, despite the cold, and he was still no clearer about what he should do.
Shuffling unconsciously towards the checkouts, he found himself standing in front of a flower stand. He stopped, perusing them. In one black bucket were several small bundles of roses. Yumi loved roses. If he bought her some, maybe baked her a chocolate cake too, perhaps she’d feel less inclined to be such a bitch when she got home.
He was startled by a familiar voice sounding behind him.
“Buying flowers, bro?”
He turned to see Jamie pushing a trolley towards him. He was wearing a sheepskin lined jacket with a hood covering his head and his eyes were hidden behind dark, wraparound sunglasses.
“Jamie,” Evan said, his brow wrinkling. “What are you up to?”
Jamie shrugged. “Just getting some breakfast. Been out all night. Got home and all I could find was two-minute noodles.”
“Out here?” Jamie lived in Fernhill, on the opposite side of town.
“Better selection than Fresh Choice. What are you doing?”
“Same. Grabbing something to eat before I head up the mountain.”
“Bit late, aren’t you?”
Evan closed his eyes and puffed up his cheeks, struggling to engage his brain. “Yeah, it was supposed to be my day off, but one of the guys went home sick. Probably hungover. I got asked to come in.”
Jamie nodded. “Who you getting flowers for — Yumiko or Kate?”
“What?” asked Evan, his brain snapping to attention.
“Yumi stayed last night. Said you’d gone to Cromwell to hang out with Dwayne, but I remember yummy-mummy saying she was from Cromwell, so I put two-and-two together and—”
“I was with Dwayne,” Evan snapped.
“If you say so,” said Jamie, lifting an eyebrow. “Yumiko sure is pissed off with you, though.”
“Why, what else did she say?”
“Oh, I dunno. I got tired of listening to her bitching after a while. Just that you’re a useless this and a useless that.”
“She wants me to marry her.”
“What?” Jamie’s eyes sprang wide. He shook his head and gave a derisive snort. “Dude! You can’t marry her. Can you imagine? She complains enough as it is. Besides, you’re too young to get married. You can’t swing a cat in this town without hitting a hot chick. There’s too much poontang out there to give it up for the ole ball and chain.”
Evan shrugged. “Maybe. But she’s got her mind set on it. And I do love her.” Even as he said the words he wondered if they were true. Part of him felt a
s though they were, but how could he love her if he was going to spend the day with Kate? Why was he spending the day with Kate?
Jamie slapped him on the shoulder. “Jeez, mate, cheer up. You look like a kicked puppy.” Jamie waved his arm towards the bank of plate-glass windows behind the checkouts. “Look, it’s a beautiful day out there — the world is your oyster. Carpe Diem and all that. Anyway, I’d better let you go. Don’t wanna make you any later than you already are. See you.”
“Yeah.” Evan nodded, watching as Jamie set off towards the confectionery aisle. Then he called out, “Do you think Yumiko will come back today?”
Jamie stopped, looking over his shoulder. “I don’t know. But you should totally buy her some roses. She likes roses.” He winked and turned away, then disappeared down the aisle.
Frowning, Evan selected a bunch of white roses from the display and placed them in his basket.
He paid for the flowers and the food and trudged to his car. Starting the engine, he wondered whether he should bail on Kate and drive home, back to... what exactly? An empty house? So he’d bought Yumi flowers. There was no guarantee she’d come home to receive them — not today, nor ever, for that matter. There was every chance he would spend the day alone and miserable, stewing in his own juices.
Kate, on the other hand, wanted to be with him. If he spent the day with her he would feel guilty, sure, but if he set the guilt aside he was guaranteed to enjoy himself. The question was, could he set the guilt aside? And if he could, was there any going back from that? Would he even want to?
At the intersection of Humphrey Street and Kawarau Road he stopped, paralysed. His fingers hovered over the indicator switch, twitching helplessly. Left was the way to The Remarkables and a day spent snowboarding with Kate. Right led home and to the possibility of Yumiko returning. He squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing an aching temple, willing himself to make a choice.
A horn blared and he snapped his eyes open to see Kate waving at him as she drove past on Kawarau Road, then pull over beyond the intersection. He sighed, flicked the indicator lever up and turned left, pulling in behind her. She got out of her car and walked over. Wearing a pink ski-suit and a striped pink beanie, her hair falling loose over her shoulders, she gave him a huge smile as she approached, all sparkling teeth and lip gloss. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach — she looked so cute it hurt. His mind returned to yesterday afternoon and he recalled the body, lithe and curvy and willing, that lay beneath the jumpsuit. He wound down the window and poked his head out.
Taking the Plunge Page 12