The Boys of Summer (35 page)

“Apparently, she rocked up at some ungodly
hour, drunk off her head and started roof rocking his house.”

A snort escaped Stan and Sean broke out in
laughter.

“It’s not funny,” Amanda continued.

“He had to call her parents to come get her.
She was smashing the place apart, broke all his lights with rocks,
broke a window …”

My eyes darted towards Toby who was in a
conversation with a local by the counter. Oh no.

“Then what happened?” Ellie pressed.

“Her mum and dad came and got her and, boy,
were they pissed. Her mum went right off at Toby, saying he broke
their precious daughter’s heart, she even slapped him across the
face.”

“How do you know all this?” I said.

Amanda smiled. “I know everything.” With a
wink, she looked pointedly from me to Sean and flopped back down in
her seat again as Toby returned.

What had I done?

Ellie missed nothing. She looked from Sean to
me with a troubled expression.

My throat closed up, my heart beating
rapidly. The diner started feeling too small; way too small. I
needed air. I needed to get out.

“I have to go.” I jumped out of my seat.

He wasn’t with her, he wasn’t with her.

As I strode across the car park, the door
slid open again behind me.

“Tess, wait up.” Ellie followed me. “What’s
going on?”

“Nothing, I’m just hungover.”

“Bullshit. What’s wrong with you?”

How could I summarise the week’s events in a
Caltex parking lot, within a stone’s throw of the Onslow Boys?

“What’s up with you and Sean?”

“Nothing,” I said too quickly

She rolled her eyes at me, her jaw set. “I
saw the look you two gave each other after Amanda said that stuff,
why don’t you tell me anything anymore? I thought we were best
friends.”

“We are.”

“No, best friends tell each other things.
They’re not all secretive and leave in the middle of a lock-in
without telling me. It’s like … who are you, Tess? I don’t even
know you these days.”

My stomach soured. “Sorry to be so
inconvenient, Ellie. For once, I have a life and you can’t stand
it. What do you want me to do, wait on the bonnet of cars for you
for the rest of our lives?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about. If you
think I’ve changed, then you’re right. Maybe I have. It’s called
not living in your shadow anymore, so get used to it.”

Ellie watched me for a moment then stepped
closer, her look grave. “Tess, I just don’t want you to whore
around.”

“What, like you?” I regretted it the moment
it left my mouth, I regretted the look of hurt it caused to flash
across her face and I regretted hearing her response.

“Go to hell, Tess.”

Ellie walked off just as Stan approached,
hearing the final outburst. In a way I wished she had just hit me;
I deserved it.

The door slid open again and Stan and Ellie
passed Sean, Ringer and Toby on their way back. Oh God. I would
have completely crumbled, except Sean handed me a coffee in a
polystyrene cup.

“You forgot this.”

“Thanks.”

Sean and Ringer walked on towards the car,
readying themselves for the epic fishing adventure, leaving Toby
who stood next to me, the two of us alone for the first time since
… well … just since.

If he asked me if I was okay, I might have
screamed, but in typical Toby fashion, he didn’t pry.

“I didn’t know you liked coffee.” He slid a
pair of Ray Bans on, shielding him from the bright morning
glare.

I tried to smile but I knew I didn’t pull it
off. I blinked away the tears that threatened to come and wished I
had my own pair of Ray Bans to hide my eyes.

How was all this possible? How had I managed
to do so many stupid things in such a short span of time?

Toby sensed my mood and struggled to find
words of ease.

“Well, if I don’t get sunstroke, I’ll see you
tonight?”

“Sure.”

Sean and Ringer cat-called for Toby to hurry
up, and he gave me a shy smile as he walked away.

“Toby!” I called after him.

He turned, peeling off his shades so his eyes
met mine. It was like a silent exchange before he broke into a
brilliant smile, and I knew instantly he wasn’t trying to avoid me.
If anything, my guilt over last night’s train wreck had me wanting
to avoid him and his beaming smile. A smile that still showed even
after last night and his showdown with Angela, he was still here
smiling at
me
. He winked at me, a secret between just the
two of us, replaced his shades and jogged towards the ute and his
boys, without a care in the world.

What had I done?

I know I said Ellie usually got over things,
but this time was different.

The afternoon shift was tense and awkward as
my attempts at small talk with her, let alone apologise, were met
with stony silence. Any time our paths crossed in the restaurant,
Ellie made a not-too-subtle attempt to avoid me all together. In
the evening, when I made my way into the kitchen, I felt sick at
the thought of enduring more of the same cold treatment.

I deserved it, I knew that, but it didn’t
mean I had to like it.

Laughter echoed out from the kitchen as I
pushed my way through the swinging kitchen door. Ellie, Rosanna and
Amy stood around the prep area. I was met with a casual ‘hello’
from Rosanna and Amy. Ellie’s laughter dried up and her smile
dropped at the sight of me. She pushed her shoulders back and with
a casual flick of her pony tail, gathered her apron and left the
kitchen without a word.

“What’s going on between you two?” Amy
frowned.

“Long story.” I sighed. It wasn’t really that
long; I just didn’t want to talk about it with the likes of Amy and
Rosanna. Amy shrugged and continued her conversation with Rosanna.
I pulled my rings off and dropped them into my apron pockets,
glancing wearily at the kitchen clock – 5:55pm; it was going to be
a long, long shift.

At least my fallout with Ellie took my mind
off other things, the things that really troubled me. It was the
only positive point I could take from the drama. I looked blankly
at the docket whose table number I had forgotten to write down;
Christ, I couldn’t even remember who I’d served. This mistake
wasn’t an isolated incident tonight. As soon as I thought I was
getting my shit together at work, I was back to making stupid
mistakes, like the good old days. I walked from the restaurant into
the bar trying to jog my memory. Was the salmon for that old guy
with the comb over? How about this Lamb Rogan Josh; had that lady
in the leopard print ordered it? Had I served her? I had no idea.
Shit! I didn’t fancy being yelled at by Rosanna, not tonight. I
moved towards the poolroom and frowned at the docket, hoping if I
stared at it hard enough, it would jolt my memory.

But it didn’t. Instead, my body was jolted as
I slammed into what felt like a brick wall. Knocking me off
balance, I juggled the plates precariously.

Oh no, oh no, don’t drop them, oh no …

A pair of hands reached out to steady me.

“Whoa, look out!” Toby held me still for a
moment until I seemed to have my balance again.

I didn’t drop them, thank God I didn’t drop
them.

He grinned down at me. “You okay?”

I had been so distracted I hadn’t even heard
the front bar door open, or seen the Onslow Boys walk in, until I
had collided with one. Sean and Stan were behind Toby, trying not
to laugh. My face flushed.

“Sorry, I was in the zone.” I stepped from
his grasp, the small space in front of the door seemed
claustrophobic all of a sudden; Toby’s hands dropped but his touch
had burned into my skin.

“Stop manhandling the staff, Tobias,” Sean
muttered into Toby’s ear as he pushed passed Toby who still blocked
the front door. Stan followed but didn’t contribute. I guess Ellie
must have told him what we were fighting about. What I’d said.

“Rough night?” Toby asked.

“Yeah, I just wish it would be over
already.”

“So I guess the last thing you want to do is
go for a drive after work?”

“What?” I said, in perhaps a too high-pitched
voice.

“Did you want to go for drive,” he repeated,
“with me?”

I tried not to smile too widely. “Um, yeah
sure.”

He nodded, a lopsided tilt to his mouth.
“Well, you know where to find me.”

He weaved his way through the poolroom, his
skin darkened by his day fishing in the sun. He must have gone home
and changed – now he wore a navy T with khaki cargos and boat
shoes. He didn’t smell like fish, but the Cool Water aftershave I
had eyed in his console, it was my favourite smell in the whole
world now, much more appealing than cooking oil and garlic bread
which infused into my clothes each night. Seeing Toby (or rather,
colliding
with Toby) had lifted my spirits, and the thought
of leaving here with him after work made my stomach flip in
excitement. It was an unexpected delight in what I had thought
would be a night from hell. Now the night couldn’t end early
enough, but for a whole other reason. And just as I pushed my way
back into the kitchen it came to me!

“Table number 29!”

As Ellie and I filled out our time cards in
silence, Chris poked his head into the restaurant bar, twirling the
hotel keys around his finger. “You girls staying for lock-in?”

Ellie waited for me to answer first.

“No, I’m going to head out.”

Ellie said, “Then I’ll stay.” Another
not-too-subtle jab; Chris shrugged and headed out back.

I went to get my things.

“What, you’re not going to stay to cross
Chris off your list?” Ellie said. They were the first words she’d
uttered to me all night.

“Ellie, look, I …”

“Or is it Ringer’s turn tonight?”

“Ellie, I’m sorry I said that.”

“Yeah, well in future, it’s best not to say
anything at all. Shouldn’t be too hard, you seem really good at it
now.”

Ellie filled out the last of her hours and
spiked them near the till, without so much as a backwards glance. I
sighed and leaned on the restaurant bar, cupping my forehead in my
hands. A dull ache had slowly formed in my head over the last few
hours, and I wished it would just stop so I could think straight.
As soon as I got home to lie in the darkness, staring at the
shadows on my ceiling, I knew I would think of a million clever
things to say, an amazing, award winner of a speech that would have
won Ellie over and made us best friends again. But right now, I had
nothing.

“Are you meditating?”

I jumped and spotted Toby standing over my
shoulder. Chris must have flicked the main switch off because the
restaurant was dark. With my eyes closed, I hadn’t even noticed,
which added to my shock when I opened my eyes to see the shady
figure next to me.

I clutched at my heart. “You’re like creeping
Jesus.”

He laughed. “Sorry.”

I spiked my time card with a sigh. “Can we
get out of here?”

“Your chariot awaits.”

“In the form of a blue Ford ute?” I curved my
brow.

“But of course,” he said in an over-the-top
French accent.

“Sacre blur, bad accent alert!”

“Wow,” he said, “Le rude?”

“Le sorry?”

“Le hurt.” Toby clutched his heart.

“What can I do to soothe your shattered
ego?”

Toby drummed his chin thoughtfully, pacing
around me. He stopped just near enough to whisper in my ear.

“Le kiss?” He circled his arms around my
waist, and I couldn’t help but giggle. The feeling of being hidden
in the dark with Toby, as if nothing had changed, made my heart
swell with joy, until a flash of last night with Sean came to mind
and I felt the waves of guilt wipe the smile from my face.

“How’s about le hurry up, so I can le lock
up, Peppi Le Piu.”

We both flinched at the sound of Chris’s
voice right by us.

He flicked on the light with a sigh. “I trust
you two love birds will be making a back exit?”

Toby scratched the back of his neck and
smirked; Chris attempted a serious expression, but he couldn’t pull
it off. He unlocked the beer garden door, and we made a quick
escape.

“Speaking French, Tobias?” Chris said. “Must
be love?” He groaned out the last word as Toby sucker punched him
playfully in the ribs as he passed, the way it seemed even grown
boys do.

As Toby and I weaved our way carefully around
the tables and patio heaters in the unlit beer garden, he clasped
my hand from behind and tugged me into him. I giggled giddily as he
pulled me into an even darker, secluded alcove. I was so close
against him, I could feel the warmth of his breath on my face.

“What do you know? This is where it all
began,” he said.

“Began?”

“This is exactly where I was when I wanted to
kiss you,” he whispered, his lips brushing along my neck causing me
to melt under his touch. “So bad.”

I breathed deeply trying to blink my way out
of my daze when I realised we were standing where the DJ, fairy
lights and black velvet curtain had been the night of the
disco.

“Except this time there’s no drunk netballer
squawking at us,” I teased.

“I wouldn’t care if the seven horseman of the
Apocalypse charged through the garden right now, nothing’s gonna
stop me from doing this.” He leaned down and captured my lips with
tenderness, a completely perfect kiss, like it always was. I lifted
myself on the tips of my toes to meet him. His hands fisted into my
hair, making no apologies as his kisses intensified, became more
forceful. He wasn’t back with Angela. I’d been so wrong. He still
wanted me. It wasn’t a mistake; he didn’t regret
that
night
at all. Toby Morrison wanted me.

We drove to McLean’s Beach and parked off in
a leafy, secluded section just off the sand.