Murfey's Law (15 page)

‘No reason.’ He shook his head and held up his hands defensively.

‘Is that all you came upstairs for? You could have asked me that down there.’ Lori pointed towards the stairs.

‘I could have yes, but as one of your investors is down there I didn't think you'd be quite as comfortable,’ he replied, dropping his hands on to the tops of her bare arms. Her clammy skin fizzed intensely as he tucked his thumbs gently under the pale pink straps of her bra, pushing them neatly back under the ribbed cotton fabric of her vest.

‘Ah... well then yes, you're right. Thank you.’ She smiled nervously. Not knowing what to do with her own hands she stuffed them into her pockets.

‘No. Thank you.’ Zeb grinned as he lowered his head towards Lori's, his gaze locked on hers. The warmth of his breath brushed her skin and she closed her eyes in heady anticipation, she couldn’t fight it any longer. Just as she parted her lips he turned his head and his voice grazed her ear, ‘You’re the one that wore that incredibly uncomfortable looking underwear after all. Although I’m certainly not thankful for the distraction it’s now created for me.’

Lori’s eyes snapped open as Zeb removed his hands from her shoulders and kissed her tamely on the cheek. She watched bewildered as he walked out the door, and listened for his footsteps on the stairs. When she was certain he’d reached the bottom and was safely out of view she stomped her feet and flailed her arms wildly, screaming silently as she thrashed her head from side to side. If he carried on like this with her for much longer, it was quite possible she would implode.

Outside, in the dim light of the garden, Jonah and Mr Harrison, father of ginger-haired Billy and investor in the shop, stood transfixed on the brightly lit bedroom and unobstructed view of Lori having what looked like a fit.

By five to nine, the little thermometer outside the front door had crept up to thirty-eight degrees. Thanks to the hot westerly wind the evening had gotten gradually warmer, not cooler, and according to the weather bureau’s website the temperature was expected to remain in the high thirties all night long. Despite the heat, the Youth Club party had been a huge success. After helping Jonah to lay out the food that Jenny and Tyler had worked so hard preparing Lori retired to her favourite spot in the chair on the verandah. The pedestal fan beside her did nothing to alleviate her discomfort and so she’d filled a salad bowl with ice cubes from the freezer and sat slowly crunching her way through them. Every so often she’d drop one beside where Bob lay and he’d spend several minutes chasing it around the floor until it melted, licking the chilly little puddles it left behind.

Once the last group of guests had filed out of the shop Lori packed up her laptop and fan and went inside to help with the clean up.

‘Hey, how did it go?’ she asked when she found Jonah inside the back room. He was moving from table to table, tossing dirty paper plates and scrunched up napkins into a garbage bag.

‘Great, really really great. Thank you so much again for organising all this.’ He nodded at the now empty serving platters.

‘Don’t thank me, Jenny did all the food prep,’ Lori smiled, before adding, ‘with a lot of help from Tyler of course.’

She watched his face for a response to the mention of Tyler. He didn’t reply but the smile on his lips told her all she needed to know.

‘So... you’re clearing up on your own then?’ Lori stacked the large oval trays on top of one another, asking as casually as she could.

Jonah stopped what he was doing and looked at her silently for a moment, it was his turn to study her face. His smile spread into a grin and he nodded towards the back door. ‘Zeb’s in the garden.’

Lori screwed up her nose and wriggled her head at him in a ‘know it all’ gesture, making him laugh. He rolled his eyes and went back to collecting the rubbish, ignoring Lori as she manoeuvred herself around the tables trying to get a better look through the window.

It was by now, far too dark to see anything beyond the deck and as she sauntered slowly past the back door on her way to the kitchen all she was able to ascertain was that Zeb was talking in hushed tones to another male. Not looking at where she was going Lori walked straight into the table nearest the doorway to the shop, sending everything she was carrying crashing to the floor.

‘You’d make a terrible spy,’ Jonah chuckled as he watched her scrabbling around on her hands and knees collecting the trays.

‘Shut up Jonah.’ Lori picked herself up and scowled in his direction, making him laugh even louder.

‘Everything ok in here?’ Zeb’s voice approached from the garden.

‘Absolutely perfectly fine!’ Lori called as she shot out of the back room leaving Jonah almost doubled up with mirth.

Not bothering to turn the kitchen light on Lori busied herself at the sink in the dark. From here she had a clear view out the window and onto the softly lit verandah.

‘Thanks again for everything Jonah, you and your brother really are wonderful role models for the kids,’ the unknown voice travelled through the shop stopping at the front door. ‘Billy! Come on, we’re going!’

The sound of footsteps closely trailed by dogs claws, raced across the deck, through the back room and into the shop. ‘See ya later Bob, see ya Constable Turner, Sergeant Turner.’

‘Merry Christmas Billy, you be good for your Dad these holidays ok?’ Zeb responded as the screen door opened and the youngster shot outside into Lori’s view.

‘Yes sir!’ He yelled respectfully as he disappeared down the steps into the dark.

His father and Zeb followed as far as the verandah.

From memory, Lori recalled that Jenny had told her David Harrison, investor number four, had lost his wife, Billy’s mother, to cancer sometime last year, and was doing his best as a full-time working single parent. If his son’s happy energetic nature was the measure, then Lori felt it was obvious he was doing a fantastic job.

‘You have a good Christmas too David,’ Zeb’s voice was gentle. He extended his hand.

‘I will now Zeb, thanks to you,’ Mr Harrison’s voice cracked. He shook the offered hand firmly and pulled Zeb into a brief embrace, before letting go and taking off after his son.

Touched by the tenderness of the moment, Lori swallowed down a lump that had scratched its way up into her throat. Despite his gruff exterior, and sometimes appalling teasing of her, she had to admit he was more of a ‘man’ than any other male that she had come across in her life so far.

Just as Zeb turned to come back inside the little black radio on his shoulder crackled unintelligibly. From the look on his face he’d understood it perfectly.

‘Jonah, car,’ he ordered with his arm outstretched, pointing towards the driveway.

His brother complied. Running straight out into the night, Jonah flung open the driver’s side door and jumped in. The car’s internal light lit the concern on his face as he started the engine and flicked on the blue and red strobes.

Zeb marched into the shop. ‘Lorikeet?’

‘In here!’ Lori called out as she dried her hands and walked quickly towards him.

‘I’m sorry to leave you with the mess, but we really need to go.’ The light of the shop behind him enhanced his dark expression.

‘Of course! It’s no problem. You go, I’ll sort this.’ Lori smiled compassionately. What he’d said the other day was absolutely right, his work in all its facets, good and bad, had to come first.

The pained expression in his eyes lifted a little and he ran his hand lightly down her arm locking his fingers with hers for scarcely a second before he turned and left.

The weather bureau's prediction had been spot on. Unable to get comfortable in the stifling air, Lori had risen from her bed several times during the night just to go and check the thermometer. At eleven she was surprised to see that Jenny hadn't returned from her shopping trip, and so when she got up again at three a.m. she was relieved to see the car back safely out the front of number twenty-one. Just after dawn Lori gave up trying to sleep and went downstairs to eat ice-cream for breakfast. It was Christmas Eve after all.

Jenny came in not long after her, to get a head start on the preparations for the Bridge Club luncheon and explained how on her way back from Fisherman's Bay last night there had been a fatal crash on the freeway. Both the north and south lanes had been blocked and everyone on a ten kilometre stretch of the road was brought to a standstill for several hours. Lori’s blood ran cold when Jenny added that once the traffic was moving again at almost midnight, she'd seen Zeb and Jonah attending at the scene.

Happily immersed in a blur of deliveries and customers, Lori managed to avoid almost all contact with Mrs Westerly and her entourage when they arrived at precisely midday. Tyler worked hard serving traditionally brewed tea to his grandmother and the other members of the Bridge Club while Jenny buzzed around the kitchen creating wonderfully decorative plates of crust-less sandwiches and bite-sized fairy cakes. Eavesdropping on their demands Lori chuckled to herself as she imagined the husbands of these highly coiffured and harshly critical women all holed up in a pub somewhere guzzling beer and watching the horse-racing.

When it came time for the group to leave Lori made sure she was tucked safely behind the counter.

‘Good afternoon ladies, and Merry Christmas,’ she beamed at them as they tottered past nodding politely in return.

‘Thank you Jennifer,’ Mrs Westerley called out as she passed the doorway to the kitchen. ‘Good luck for your little soiree tomorrow.’

To say Lori had been relieved when Tyler had told her that his grandmother had declined Jenny’s offer of Christmas lunch would be an understatement. Unsurprisingly the matriarch didn’t care much for the idea of celebrating the Seven Deadly Sins.

‘Merry Christmas to you too, Mrs Westerly.’ Lori smiled with her teeth.

The old lady marched straight through the shop, completely ignoring Lori, and out onto the verandah where the others were waiting for her. ‘No time for chit-chat sorry girls, I need to get home to dust and pull out the fine china, Sergeant Turner will be popping round to see me in less than three hours.’

‘Is she for real?’ Lori turned to Tyler when she was sure it was safe to come out from behind the counter.

By the looks of his bright purple face and the way he was physically holding his sides to stop them from splitting open she presumed not.

Enjoying a late lunch on the deck with Tyler and Jenny, Lori allowed herself to relax knowing that everything she’d been expecting to have delivered today had turned up. Although her poor savings account had taken a serious flogging Lori wasn’t going to let it worry her. It was forecasted to hit forty degrees tomorrow but even that couldn’t dampen her festive spirit either.

Standing up to stretch her legs Lori giggled, ‘Alright you two, no more time for chit-chat, I’ve got presents to wrap and an eight foot luxury Christmas tree to un-box, build and decorate in less than nine hours.’

Lust’s passion will be served; it demands, it militates, it tyrannises
~ Marquis De Sade.

‘Oh my god, I’m horny already,’ Kristy gasped as she walked through the doorway from the shop.

In the eight hours since dawn, the back room had been transformed into a spectacular setting for the Seven Deadly Sins lunch, or feast as Jenny had now taken to calling it. All but three of the café’s round tables had been put away under the deck and a huge piece of rectangular bench top, left over from the recent kitchen renovations at number twenty-one, had been laid on top of them and swathed in deep red velvet fabric, creating a single stately table set in the very centre of the room. Around it were eight seats draped in the same luxurious material and filled with rich brown cushions plumped to bursting. On top of the table each place was set with a full service of crockery along with enough cutlery, glassware and indulgent embellishments to sink the Titanic. Amongst all of this, a scroll stretched from one end of the table to the other like a banner. On it, written in Lori’s best calligraphy, were the words of the Sade, enlightening the guests as to which sin they would be indulging in first.

The Christmas tree Lori had put together yesterday evening filled an entire corner by itself. With the shutters and windows thrown open, the white and silver decorations, hanging by hand tied ribbons and covering every branch, glistened and twirled as the light and breeze hit them.

‘Merry Christmas Kristy! Simon!’ Lori walked in behind them, greeting them both with an affectionate hug.

‘Holy hell! You’ve got a good three of the deadly sins covered off in that one outfit haven’t you?’ Kristy held Lori at arms length and looked her up and down.

‘You look… umm…’ Simon struggled to find the right adjective.

‘Stunning,’ Kristy finished her husband’s words for him.

‘Thank you.’ Lori curtsied with a blush.

She’d spotted the dress online and despite the store only having it in a size smaller than she normally wore she just had to have it. Once Jenny was happy that all preparations were complete she’d released Lori to go and get ready while she’d gone next door to do the same. After showering and spending almost an hour taming her hair she had dared herself to try it on fully expecting to get it stuck over her bottom. Unbelievably the short corset dress had slipped easily up her legs and fitted around her waist like a glove. The fabric, soft and summery was patterned with thousands of tiny little love hearts in every shade of pink. Her breasts filled the bustier without overflowing, and the gathered tulip skirting neatly outlining the curve of her hips finished mid-thigh. For the first time since Pete had left her more than a year ago, she'd plucked up the courage to inspect herself properly in a full length mirror. She'd lost weight, that was the first thing she noticed, and with a warm glow to her skin her hair shone blonder than she'd ever known it. Murfey's Beach was certainly good for her health, even if not for her mind.

Tyler was next guest to arrive, shortly followed by Mr Kelly. Jonah and Zeb were quarter of an hour late but as they had only finished their shift at five a.m. Jenny would no doubt excuse them their tardiness.

‘Apologies for being late everyone... Wow!’ Jonah stepped into the back room and slapped his hand dramatically to his mouth. ‘You are lust personified!’

Lori coloured at the attention and now doubted that her confidence of earlier would even last the first course. Perhaps sloth would have been a better theme to base her outfit choice on. She kissed him hello and ducked out of the room to go and help with the first course.

As she entered the kitchen Lori was greeted by the sight of Jenny and Zeb embracing. It reminded her of the way a mother would hold on to their fully grown and much taller son.

‘Oh! Sorry.’ She turned to leave, embarrassed that she had walked in on what was clearly a very private moment.

‘No, don't be silly! You're fine.’ Jenny detached herself from his torso and waved her hand at Lori to come in.

Was it her imagination or did Zeb look like he'd been crying? Shaking her head with the ridiculousness of the notion she gave a sort of half wave in his direction. ‘Hi, Merry Christmas Zebediah.’

Though at first glance he had looked tired and melancholic, his smile on seeing her, matched that of Kristy and Jonah's. He really liked the dress.

‘And a very Merry Christmas to you too Lorikeet.’ He stepped forward and bent down to kiss her softly on both cheeks.

He looked and smelt divine. Dressed in well worn blue jeans held up by a thick leather belt, and a white ‘v’ neck jersey cotton tee Lori realised she hadn’t before seen him properly dressed until now. Always either in his police overalls or semi-naked in his board shorts she liked this look just as much. The fit of his top accentuated his strong arms while the ‘v’ was cut just low enough to draw her eye to the top of the line of muscles running straight down his chest.

At such close proximity she was shocked to see her initial perception had been spot on. His eyes, the darkest molasses, were circled with red and his lashes were damp. Lori felt a stab in her chest.

‘Ok, are we all here?’ Jenny grasped their hands firmly and led them both into the back room.

Place cards instructed the boys to sit along one side. The girls, plus an honorary girl, Tyler, sat on the other. Lori, opposite Zeb, had Kristy to her left and Tyler to her right. Jenny’s seat at the end nearest the door faced a delighted Victor.

‘Right,’ Jenny stood at the head of the table and spread her arms wide, addressing her guests, ‘shall we begin?’

The first course was, according to Jenny, going to be a ‘mood setter’. Leaving her guests to get acquainted with each other she returned to the kitchen.

‘So, Lori, have you found a buyer for this place yet?’ Jonah, fiddling with his fork, leant forward and queried.

‘No, not as yet, but I’m still hopeful something will come up soon,’ she didn’t know why but as Lori spoke, she found herself looking to Zeb. His expression gave nothing away.

‘You sure are keen to get back to the UK aren’t you? I’ve not thought to ask before but do you have a boyf… Ow!’ Jonah’s knee hit the underneath of the table and his knuckles whitened around the silverware. He pointed the prongs momentarily at his brother before a piercing glare made him quickly put it back down again.

Under the table Lori felt a jab from one of Kristy’s manicured nails. ‘I… eee! do not have a boyfriend, no. How about you? Do you have a boyfriend?’

Jonah’s face turned a shade of red not far from that of the velvet under the crockery while Victor to his left sniggered, demonstrating that despite his age there was nothing wrong with his hearing. For seventy-five he was incredibly open-minded. Thankfully, Jenny chose this moment to return, her hands gripping two enormous jugs of cocktails.

‘Liquid Lust!’ She called with dramatics as she approached the table.

‘Perfect timing,’ Simon and Tyler spoke with exact synchronicity making everyone laugh. At least the ice had been broken.

The pitchers of blushed tequila and white wine topped off with soda water, fruit and crushed ice were the perfect start to the afternoon. Zeb filled the glasses at the bottom end of the table while his brother did the honours at the top end.

‘Now, I’d like to propose a toast if I may.’ Jenny scraped out her chair and stood holding her overflowing glass.

The rest of the table stood with her.

‘Firstly, to all of you. For coming here today, joining me with your open hearts and your open minds. And secondly, to those beautiful people who can not be with us, because they are in a much, much better place.’ Jenny glanced around the table compassionately, her gaze pausing first on Lori, then the brothers.

Zeb and Jonah exchanged a look before chinking their glasses.

‘Hear, hear!’ Everyone chorused.

Two large glasses of Jenny's punch each and everyone was beginning to relax. The sun streamed in the open windows making the room hot enough for the effects of the alcohol to be distilled and as Lori leant lazily back in her chair she closed her eyes, listening to the hum of the voices around her. Tyler and Jonah were talking spiritedly with Victor about the aphrodisiac qualities of honey. The fragile old gentleman was explaining to his strapping young audience how including it regularly in their diet they could increase their sex drive and reach a more powerful climax. She didn’t need to open her eyes to see the frisson passing between the two boys, the whole room buzzed with it. To her left, Simon and Kristy were sharing a private joke about the early days of their relationship. Jenny’s Liquid Lust was certainly working its magic on a few of the people in the room.

Pressing the bottom of the cool glass into her cheek with one hand she collected some of the chilly condensation with the fingers of her other, wiping it unconsciously along her collarbones from one side to the other. The sensation tightened her skin causing it to goose bump under her touch. A firm tap on the top of her bare foot brought her sharply out of her daydream and her eyes snapped open. Opposite her, Zeb was staring with an intense, almost menacing, look. Furrowing her brow she questioned him silently.

‘Stop it,’ he leant forward and growled almost inaudibly.

‘Stop what?’ Lori hissed in reply.

‘That.’ Zeb pointed in the direction of Lori’s wet fingers on her chest.

Gluttony needed no introduction.

Tyler was enlisted to help carry the next course in from the kitchen. His biceps bulged under the weight of the enormous platter of appetisers as he placed it carefully in the middle of the table. The sight and smell of so much food made Lori’s stomach growl in anticipation.

‘Jenny, this is amazing! I don’t know how you do it,’ Kristy declared through a mouthful of Gougères. The whole table groaned in pleasured agreement.

‘So, Zeb, how long have you been in law enforcement?’ Simon asked as he reached over and refilled his plate with a pile of crispy bacon cups.

‘I’ve just done my twelfth year.’ Zeb drained the last of the melt water from his glass.

‘Wow, really? And you’ve never thought about doing anything else?’

‘Not at all. After I left high school I travelled for a couple of years, worked my way around the best surfing spots in the world but I always knew Policing was what I wanted to do, and Murfey’s Beach was where I wanted to be,’ he paused and slouched into the back of the chair. Looking directly at Lori he continued, ‘I guess I’m lucky that when I know what I want, I make sure I get it, even if I have to go the long way round.’

Not knowing where to look Lori dropped her eyes and stuffed another pesto tart into her mouth, whole.

Kristy turned her head first to Lori, who didn’t like the look of the glint in her friends eyes, then back to Zeb and picked up the bait. ‘So what exactly do you want Zeb? Wife? Kids?’

‘Gwreedth!’ Lori shouted through the pastry as she stood up abruptly sending her seat toppling backwards. Swallowing hard she righted her chair then turned to Jenny and asked loudly, ‘Sooo, Greed next yes? Do you need help with anything?’

At Jenny’s request everyone filed outside to stretch their legs while she and Lori tidied the table and prepared the next course.

Through the window at the back of the kitchen Lori could see Simon and Victor getting acquainted, while Tyler and Jonah broke away and had moved to the bottom of the garden. Pretending to look for something in the pile of paperwork next to her laptop Lori pressed herself up against her desk to get a better view of Kristy and Zeb chatting on the steps of the deck. While reading upside down was one of her talents, lip reading was not.

‘Any closer and you’ll fall through the window,’ Jenny chuckled from the other end of the kitchen.

‘I was just checking, umm… the weather, I thought it’d be nice to enjoy those outside.’ Lori pointed at Jenny’s imaginative interpretation of greed.

‘That sounds like a lovely idea.’ Jenny grinned.

Outside, under the cloudless sky Lori handed the last of the glasses to Zeb.

‘Is that real gold?’ He held the champagne saucer up and examined the little shimmering flakes floating amongst the bubbles.

Lori nodded, scrutinising her own drink. ‘Jenny’s done an amazing job, not only with this, but also everything she’s done with the café.’