by Maggie Brown
“Okay, okay. I like your dress.”
“Nope. Try again.”
“Are you from around here?”
That was received with a pronounced eye roll.
Lindsey sniffed, annoyed with how superior Daisy looked as she lounged back with arms draped over the back of the bench. She could be one irritating woman sometimes. It was a pity her compassion wasn’t on the same scale as her looks. She really was very appealing with her creamy fair complexion, expressive eyes, cute dimples, and floating corkscrew curls. And today her hair looked extra pretty. In the sunlight filtering through the leaves of the tree, it had lightened to a cherry colour alive with dappled highlights. Absently, Lindsey reached over to pluck off a red petal that had drifted down from the tree above onto a curl. “Your hair is beautiful,” she murmured.
Daisy sat up straighter and shifted toward her.
“They say a woman’s hair is her crowning glory,” Lindsey continued in a low breathy voice, “but I never knew what that truly meant until now.”
Daisy sidled closer, her eyes turned a liquid dusty grey. “It’s a nightmare to keep tidy. I thought about getting it straightened.”
“Don’t do that. It’s lovely how it is.” Suddenly, a blue butterfly fluttered down from a hanging limb to land on Lindsey’s lap. She plucked it up gently with her fingertips and placed it carefully onto Daisy’s hand. “For a pretty lady, a nature’s gift that can’t be bought. Isn’t it perfect?”
“It is. So delicate,” Daisy whispered and uttered a sighing “O” as it flew off again.
“How do you fit into the wedding, Daisy? Are you a friend of the groom or bride?”
“The bride. Evelyn and I are cousins.”
“I’d love to hear about your family. Please.”
As soon as she began, Lindsey knew Daisy was telling her about her actual family. Somehow, it seemed natural that they slipped back into their real lives. For her the lines had been blurred from the start. “I have two younger sisters,” Daisy began. “Meg is twenty-six, married with a baby and Beth is twenty-three, single, travelling and working in England.”
“Your parents are alive?”
“Oh yes. And both grandmothers and one grandfather. Dad’s an agricultural scientist and Mum’s a real estate agent.”
Lindsey watched her closely as she described her life. Daisy’s upbringing was far different from hers. They were worlds apart. She had loving parents who supported her. Lindsey felt a wave of envy and a sense of loss so great she had to fight back a sob. When Daisy asked her about her life and dreams, she deftly closed the subject. She would never have been able to keep the vitriol from leaking into her words. “That’s enough. How did I do?”
Daisy looked at her blankly. “Sorry?”
“With the scenario…the lesson?”
“Oh, that. You were good…better than good actually. I forgot we were role-playing.”
Lindsey smiled to reassure her. “I forgot too. I enjoyed hearing about your family. You obviously love them very much.”
“I do. Now, since you passed with flying colours, shall we call it a day and get on the road.” When they climbed to their feet, Daisy added with a lopsided grin, “We’ll act as though this is our first date, shall we.”
Chapter Sixteen
No matter how many times she visited the beach, the surf always fascinated Daisy. Today the sea was restless, ideal for the board riders and wind surfers who were out in droves. As they strolled along the top of the retaining wall, she watched the long lines of white-topped waves rolling in. They broke in explosions of foam onto the beach, leaving clouds of spray swirling into the air like bursts from aerosol cans. Then when the sea receded, the misty curtains were flagged back in the breeze. She never tired of the sight.
After they slipped off their shoes at the bottom of the flight of wooden steps, she smiled at the pleasure on Lindsey’s face as she dug into the powdery sand with her toes. “Come on,” Daisy yelled, suddenly carefree. “Let’s go for a run.”
By the way Lindsey laughed as she kept pace, her past was forgotten for the moment. Once they were far enough away from the marked area designated for swimmers, Daisy gestured to a patch of sand at the edge of a rock pool. “Let’s sit there and have our lunch.”
Lindsey settled down with legs crossed and twisted the caps off the water bottles. “It must be the exercise and salt air because I’m famished.”
“Me too,” said Daisy. She unwrapped their fish and chips and squeezed over lemon, content with the way the trip had panned out so far. In the hour and a half journey to the beach, they had talked nonstop without any awkwardness. At first, Lindsey seemed a little reticent, but relaxed by the time the freeway left the heavily built-up areas. She didn’t appear self-conscious as they lobbed information back and forth, although Daisy made sure the conversation was light. Dumping sensitive material on the first date was a no-no. Surprisingly, their likes and dislikes were similar, although Lindsey hadn’t travelled much.
“Did you come to the beach much when you were young?” Daisy asked.
“Never. My mother dislikes the sea, and my father is indifferent to it. It was never an option for an outing.”
“What a pity. It’s one of my favourite places.” Daisy took a bite of battered fish, groaning in pleasure. “This is wonderful.”
“I’ll say. What is it?”
“Barramundi. Freshly caught this morning, according to the girl taking the order.” She shot Lindsey a glance. “This is one place you can bring a date. Not everyone expects to be wined and dined all the time.”
“Ha…no worries on that score. I won’t be doing that too much.” She stretched back casually with her weight on her elbows, looking more relaxed than Daisy had ever seen her. “This is more my style. There’s something about waves that’s rather soothing.”
“Yes. There is.”
“What else did you do in your childhood?”
“All the usual things I guess…movies, swimming, sports. We had a big backyard, large enough for a game of cricket with the kids in the street. We were very competitive. What about you?”
“Nothing like that. You know the old saying…children should be seen and not heard.”
Daisy looked at her curiously. “Come on. There must have been some highlights.”
Instantly Lindsey’s eyes became remote and unfathomable. “I spent most of my life catering to a woman who could never accept me for what I was. There wasn’t much fun in our household. My mother expected absolute obedience. Any exuberance would be met with tight-lipped impatience, or worse, a lesson on deportment. You have no idea what that does to a child.”
Daisy’s eyes moistened. “No, I guess I don’t,” she whispered. She turned to take another bite, remaining silent to give Lindsey time to compose herself. Not that Daisy had any words of comfort that wouldn’t sound clichéd. She couldn’t imagine a child’s pain when her mother couldn’t tolerate her. But after a while, her continuing silence seemed as if she was letting Lindsey down. Struggling to keep her tone casual, she said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. Let’s get onto a less painful subject.”
“You’re right. I’ve got to learn to lighten up.”
“Just remember I’m here for you,” Daisy murmured, reaching over to give her knee a reassuring pat. “Now…you can pick where we next go on one of our dates. What would you like to do?”
“What have you lined up?”
“The theatre, dinner, the art gallery, and museum, maybe a food fest, a movie, and a bit more sightseeing. But I don’t want to drag you along to something you would absolutely hate.”
“Okay,” Lindsey said with a sidelong glance. “I think you’ll enjoy this. Let’s have a real adventure and go skydiving.”
Daisy’s heart gave a lurch. “You mean jump out of a plane?”
“You’ll love it.”
“Shit no, I wouldn’t.”
“That’s not the spirit. You said I could choose. You have to honour yo
ur commitment.”
Daisy barely could control her hand tremors as something hard caught in her throat. She hated heights with a passion. Just the thought of leaping into the air thousands of feet above the ground sent her into a cold sweat, but she was trapped. She hoped her heart would be strong enough to take the shock. Resigned, she muttered hoarsely, “Very well.”
A chuckle bubbled out of Lindsey. “You should see your face. Did you think I was serious?”
“Ha! That wasn’t funny. Act your age.”
“Uh-uh. Someone can’t take a joke.”
Daisy gave a reluctant smile. “You had me there. I loathe heights.”
“I don’t exactly hate them but parachuting out of a plane is the last thing I want to do. Perhaps we might be able to go sailing though. I think I’d like that.”
“That sounds a fun idea. I doubt if we’ll fit it in this two weeks but what say we do it in three or four weeks? That’ll give us something to look forward to.” Daisy rose to her feet, dusted off her pants and gathered the empty paper and bottles into the plastic bag. “Come on. It’s a lovely day so let’s walk up to the point before going back.”
* * *
Groaning, Daisy snapped off the alarm. Not only was she still tired, she was also tender from sunburn. What an idiot for forgetting the sunscreen; she’d ended up looking like a lobster. After a bathroom stop and a trip to her laptop to check her email, she made the usual morning wake-me-up cup of coffee. As she sipped, she thought over the previous day. Lindsey had been great company after she’d relaxed: funny, smart, and seemingly without guile. A great catch for someone. One thing she did work out. Lindsey, while she liked some equality in a relationship, would never play the subservient role.
Daisy picked up her phone—time to check into the office.
After a few rings, Allison’s voice came on the line. “Hi, what’s up?”
“Have you time to talk?”
“Yes. Noel’s taking the girls to school today. They’ve just left.”
“Firstly, are there any problems at work?” Daisy crossed her fingers—the last thing she wanted was to have to go into the city.
“Everything’s fine. I’ve nearly finished our website upgrade. I’ve sent packages out to the prospective new clients, with a memo telling them you will see them in three weeks. I’m going ahead with their profiles. Oh, and the university wants you as a guest speaker in three months for the anthropology department’s annual dinner. That’s a bit of a coup. The rest of the odds and ends can wait.”
“Great. I’m going to be tied up here. Could you check out places to sail, please?”
“Well, well. You’re going on a date. Who is she?”
Daisy chuckled. Allison’s voice was laced with curiosity. “It’s not that kind of date. I’d like to take Lindsey sailing.”
“Really? Things must be progressing well.”
“All’s going to plan. She’s settling into the program just fine now.”
“Hmmm…you sound as if the two of you are getting along famously,” said Allison.
“We are. We went to the beach yesterday and she’s really a bit of a sweetie under that Iron Lady exterior.”
“Maybe you could come back earlier to the office.”
Daisy felt a stab of annoyance at the thought of having to cut her time here short. The cottage was first-class accommodation and she was looking forward to showing Lindsey around the town. As well, she was keen to start with the robot project. A vacation was well overdue and it was beginning to feel like one. “No, no. I’m staying out here for the full two weeks. When I get back, you should take a break.”
“Are you treating this like a holiday? What’s with the change of heart? Only days ago, you were moaning she was difficult.”
“I was wrong,” replied Daisy, struggling to keep her tone casual and brisk. “She’s good company.”
“She shouldn’t need too much to get her into the social scene then. That’ll make your job a lot easier.”
“She’s going to need a lot of support because she’s very rusty with dating.”
“Just be careful. Remember our rule not to get too involved with a client,” Allison said.
Daisy’s ears pricked. The motherly tone was backed with a hint of censoring. “I’m quite aware of that, but there’s nothing routine about this assignment. The woman is paying us a small fortune to find her a wife so I think it only fair I give her as much help as is needed.”
“Okay, point taken. You should know what you’re doing. I’ll text if anything untoward happens.”
“Right. Bye for now.” She straightened up, irritated. What was Allison’s problem? She wasn’t a raw beginner. There was no reason why she couldn’t take Lindsey out on a few dates. Sure, it was standard practice with her program only to introduce her clients around once or twice, then if they needed more, she would tell them the places to go or arrange the tickets to a social event. They would take it from there themselves. But Lindsey needed much more help, and experience was the best way to teach. Besides, Daisy was single, solvent, and fancy-free. Who better to guide the woman through pitfalls of the dating scene?
Chapter Seventeen
“We’re going to discuss understanding human emotional interaction today,” Daisy announced in a voice that heralded that her full attention was required.
Curiosity piqued, Lindsey studied her. From the concentration on Daisy’s face, this lesson was extra important. “I’m all ears.”
“Our first chapters covered meeting someone and the first getting-to-know-you dates. The next step is the crucial one. The point when the couple must decide whether to take their fledgling attraction further. That’s when the dating becomes more frequent, when sexual intimacy is raised a notch.”
“Why does everything have to be based on sex? I thought a more rational approach to finding someone to share your life would be practical. Wanting the same lifestyle should be a priority.”
“If that’s the only basis you pick a partner then forget it,” replied Daisy. “Rational detachment is a euphemism for lack of emotion. You’d both be miserable after six months.”
“You think?”
“Yes, I do. We’ve moved on from the age of arranged marriages. In this country anyhow. Wives were regarded as property and a lot were very unhappy.”
Lindsey could only shake her head. “So why did I have to write down what I wanted in a wife? It was obviously an exercise in futility.”
“Not at all,” said Daisy. “It got you thinking. But finding the perfect match isn’t so black and white. It’s wonderful, messy and sometimes it hurts. Sure, liking the same things is very important, but ultimately it won’t be why you make your choice. It’ll be sexual attraction to begin with, but eventually love will take preference. Then it won’t be about your own gratification, it’ll be to please her.” Daisy pointed at her chest. “You filled out that questionnaire with your brain and not your heart. You thought someone who didn’t disturb the status quo in your household would make you happy. You may as well marry your robot.”
“Be that as it may,” Lindsey answered, affronted. “But I know I won’t be happy with someone with half a brain or who expects to be entertained lavishly. That’s just not me.”
“I know, Lindsey, and that’s the reason of all this. I’m here to introduce you to eligible women who would suit you. I know that besides attraction, compatibility is very important too. There’s no point in trying to match you with someone not swimming in the same lane.”
“Does that mean she has to be wealthy?”
“Of course not, though self-made women would be your equal and I know you’d be happier with someone who would take interest in your work. However, there are many bright ladies out there not rich who would be equally as suitable. But that wasn’t what I meant. The answer is in your DNA. We have a better chance of being happy if we’re biologically suited.”
“So how do I know that?”
Daisy gestured to the wad of pa
pers on the table. “I’ve explained it all in detail here. It’s in our makeup. Attraction may feel natural, but that doesn’t mean it’s random. It’s more than good looks or a witty pickup line. Scientific studies have found love is not coincidental. We have a group of genes called HLA and here’s where it gets a bit confusing. While everything else should be compatible, we’re attracted to those who have a dissimilar HLA gene. Too close and we don’t mesh. It’s all about genetic diversity—nature’s way of ensuring survival of the species. It’s why the Tasmanian devil is dying out—the isolated population is so inbred.”
“So how do two people know they’re genetically meant for each other?”
“Some say the eyes have it, but there’s mounting evidence that we smell out this gene. That body odours are strongly linked to sexual attraction. That’s why face-to-face has a far better chance of success than chatting on the Internet.”
Lindsey’s stomach gave an anxious lurch. She hoped she wouldn’t fall for someone’s deodorant. Daisy’s slant on matchmaking was as complicated as ancient hieroglyphics. “I suppose it would be wiser not to argue and do what I’m told,” she muttered.
Daisy beamed. “I’d advise you to. Dating is meant to be easy and fun, so let’s go through the basics. Since you’re a dominant personality, you’ll automatically want to take most of the initiative in the courting process once you get the hang of it.”
“Does that mean I have to do all that wine-and-dine rigmarole?” Lindsey asked.
“No. It’s about showing you care. Send her flowers, a text to say you enjoyed the date, make her feel valued, things like that. Give her little presents like a book or scarf, but nothing too expensive at first.”
“Okay. That I can do. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, go ahead,” replied Daisy breezily.
“Do you date?”
“Of course. It’s been a few months though. Work’s keeping me too busy.” She gave a wry smile. “My family has been nagging me to get back out there.”
“How many dates do you go on before you go to bed with someone?”