Virtually Perfect (32 page)

Feet wide apart, thumbs hooked through his belt hoops.  He was standing over her, staring down hard.  She gasped for breath but her chest felt constricted.  She had to get out.  Eve couldn't breathe.

Another growl of thunder.  Eve jumped up, pushing past him.  Ran for the bathroom - almost made it in time.  She vomited; heard it gush and splatter all over the carpet.  Her head was swimming.  Her knees buckled beneath her. 

This vehicle is reversing...  beeb-beep-beep-beep...  This vehicle is reversing...  beeb-beep-beep-beep...

Eve frowned, eyes clenched shut, raising her hands, her forearms shielding her eyes from the light streaming through the window. 

Urgh...

Her head felt like it was in a vice, tightening with every perceivable sound - the shouts outside, the screeching seagulls.  She was hot and sweaty; the duvet stuck to her skin.  She could feel the alcohol working its way out of her pores.  She was thirsty, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.  Her head was muzzy.  She wasn't sure if she was still a little bit pissed. 

There was something else.  A horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.  Eve tried to think why.  The night before was so scrambled.

Then she felt the warmth of his skin, enveloping her in his muscular arms, holding her tight to him.  She could smell him.  Her frown disintegrated.  Eve smiled to herself.  Her arms slid from her face. 

She rolled over to face him, her fingers drifting up his sixpack, sweeping the smooth, bulging chest.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, ran her fingers through his thick, coarse hair; pulled herself up, craning her neck.

'...Dan't you facking dare, pukey!'

Eve's eyes shot open, pupils quickly constricting with the influx of light.  He grinned.  She jumped up like the bed was on fire. 

'What are you doing here?' she demanded, back to the wall.  She looked down.  She was only wearing her underwear.  She quickly tried to cover herself with her arms.

Dan smiled back at her, that ridiculously white grin; linking his fingers, yawning, stretching.  The biceps, the triceps, the dancing pecs; the smooth, honey brown skin.

She'd dreamt of this moment.  She'd dreamt of him coming back.  The things she'd say, the things she'd do.  She'd played it out in her head a thousand times.  It didn't feel how she'd imagined.  The well rehearsed speech was long forgotten now.

'GET UP!' she screamed.  'GET OUT OF MY BED!' 

The cheesy grin faded.   She wasn't messing around. 

He threw back the covers.  Eve gasped, quickly covering her eyes.  Dan laughed.  He always slept like that.  He always woke up like that, too.

Her blood ran cold.  She tried to think.  They couldn't have.  They couldn't have done that.

'...I came back for you, Evie,' she heard him say. 

She heard his feet thudding down on the floor; flinched as his sweaty fingers closed around hers; peeked out.  He had put his boxer shorts on, thank God.

'I got your message,' he said, in his deep Kiwi drawl. 

Her nostrils twitched.  She could smell his morning breath.

...Message? 
She sent that email months ago.  It seemed like a different life now.  She stood blinking up into his chestnut eyes, those eyes she'd lost herself in, once before.

'I don't want you here,' she said quietly.  'I'd like you to leave now please.'

'Evie...'

Her eyes flickered, darting around the room.

'What do you want?' she snapped.  'Why did you
really
come back?'

'I... I came back for you, Evie,'  he said softly, goadingly.  'I came back because... I love you.'

She paused. 

'I've missed you,' he said.  'I've missed you stacks.'

She stared at him, his eyes pleading with her.

'...I was a fucking idiot for leaving you,' Dan told her, shaking his head.  'It was the biggest mistake of my life.  Give me another chance, babe,' he pleaded, stroking her fingers with his thumbs.  'I won't let you down again, honey.  I promise.' 

Her eyes narrowed briefly.  She forced them to soften. 

'Dan...' she sighed, gaze flickering across the floor.  'I...  I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to hear you say that.'

'Really?' said Dan.

Eve forced a glance at him, saw him blinking back.

'Yes,' she nodded.  'I've dreamed of you coming back.'

Eve smiled sweetly.  She watched the smug grin spread from the Day-Glo teeth to his eyes. 

'You won't regret this babe.' he assured her.  'I want to make a go of it this time.'

Eve's face suddenly dropped.

'Oh sweetie...' she whispered.  'Oh no, I didn't mean that.'

Eve's eyes hardened in a blink.

'I don't want to get back together.'  Her lips twitched.  'Are you out of your mind?  I wanted you to come back so I COULD CALL THE FUCKING POLICE!'

Her voice echoed down the road.  She pushed him.  He bounced down on the bed.

'You're a stinking thief!' she screamed, eyes bulging, vein on her neck standing up.  'What kind of man steals from their own girlfriend?'

He stared up at her in shock. 

'I... I don't know what you're squawking about!' he mumbled, looking down and to the right. 

For anyone unacquainted with the subtle nuances of body language, it's the telltale mark of a liar.

Eve crooked an eyebrow, pursing her lips.

'Yes you do,' she said stonily.  'I know you do.'

He grabbed at his clothes.  He wouldn't look at her.  Eve stood over him, folding her arms.

'You think you can just walk in here,' she said quietly, 'tell me you love me, and I'll forget all about it?'

She watched him yank the jeans up over his muscular thighs, the false smile on his lips.

'You're crazy, you know that?' he said with a nervous laugh.

'I've already got a statement from the guy at the pawn shop.'

Dan paused, staring up at her.

'...You ain't got shit,' he said, shaking himself.

'I'm not sure what upsets me most,' Eve said thoughtfully.  'The fact that I once went out with someone as stupid as you, or the fact that you actually think you're smarter than me...'

He didn't even have the brains to go out of town to sell it on. 
Short Australian guy with a dragon tattoo.  
It didn't take much working out. 

Dan yanked the t-shirt over his head and jumped up from the bed.  He grabbed his hoodie, slinging his enormous rucksack over his back. 

He hesitated for a second.

'Listen, Evie...'  He started chewing his lip.  'I don't suppose I could borrow—'

'GET OUT!'

Eve clenched her jaw, closing her eyes.  She winced.  What a sucker she'd been.

'...Great seeing you again,' he grumbled, head down, almost knocking her over as he bulldozed his way to the door.

'...Wish I could say the same,' she shouted after him.

Her heart lurched.  She suddenly remembered.  She ran to her bedside table, yanking open the drawer.  They were still there.  She sighed with relief, grabbing her dressing gown from the hook and thrusting her arms into it, tightening the loop around her waist.

'...Dan?'

He paused at the front door, looking back hesitantly, watching her stomp towards him.

'Keys, please.'

Dan stared for a moment.  He thrust his hand into his jeans pocket, pulled out the keys, held them out, jangling them.  Eve reached forward to grab them.  Dan gave a mean little smile.  Eve's keys clattered down on the polished wooden floor.

'...Really mature, Dan,' Eve grumbled, scooping down to get them.  How many times had she said those words over the years?  Fingers crossed, she'd never have to say them again. 

'You've changed,' he told her.  'What the hell happened to you?'

'...I grew a pair,' Eve told him. 

He laughed back at her. 

'Looks like it too.  You look fucking awful!  ...You know Movember's up right?'

Eve felt at her top lip instinctively.  She knew there was nothing there.

His eyes ran up and down her.  Eve stared at the floor, pulling her dressing gown tighter together. 

'...You used to be a right little beach bunny.  Don't they have gyms in pommie land?  When's the last time you saw the sun?  You look like a fucking nightstalker!'

'Bye, Dan.'

'...I'd cut back on the carbs if I were you, Evie.  There's a skinny girl in there somewhere, trying to escape from a moose suit.'

Eve's insecurities always were Dan's weapon of choice when he was backed in a corner.

'Fucking hell...' he said, eyes scanning her face.  'When did you get so
old..
.'

Enough.  Eve pushed past him, twisted the knob of the yale lock, swung the door open, felt the rush of cold air.  She grabbed Dan by the arm and pushed him through it, with more strength than either of them knew she had.

'See ya!' she grinned. 

The door slammed shut in his face.

  Eve smiled to herself as she heard him clank down the steps.  That bit did feel good, at least.  She looked down at her hands.  They were trembling.  So much for her masterplan. 

She'd got as far as the Old Bailey in her head - pictured herself in the dock, testifying against him, her in her pin-striped suit, the judge in his wig, the red silks, half mooned glasses, nodding along with everything she said.  But this was real life and Dan didn't belong there.  She was so relieved he'd finally gone.     

She glanced at the mantel clock.  Twenty five past ten.  She had to get her arse into gear, Ben would arrive soon.  Should she tell him about this?  She sort of had to, didn't she?  She'd go nuts if it were the other way around.  But she'd want to know... wouldn't she?  Eve wasn't sure anymore.  They'd been virtually naked, lying in bed... 
Oh God! 
He was going to dump her.  It wasn't her fault. 
Fucking Dan!  Trust him to come back and ruin everything...
 

Eve was ashen.  She raked her hands through her hair, trying to decide what to do.  Her fingers caught in a hard knot.  Eve peered down. 

...Urgh! 

Dried sick.  She could smell it. 

She ran to the bathroom, her stomach turning over, her foot skidding in something cold, wet, slimy.  ...
Oh God! 
Eve lurched for the toilet. 
Oh no! 
She breathed in the stench of stale urine.  Why couldn't he ever flush the loo?

She heard a knock at the door as she scooped up the pool of vomit.

You've got to be kidding me...

She threw the pile of tissue into the toilet, flushing it down.  It took two goes, she thought it was going to come over. 

She took another wad of tissue, scrubbing at the remnants.  The door knocked again, harder this time.  Eve ignored it, scrubbing the floor.  The tissue was disintegrating in flecks on the taupe carpet. 

It knocked again, louder, more urgent. 

Eve sighed.  She threw the tissue in the pan and stomped down the hall.

She yanked the door open, glowering.  Her frown melted in an instant. 

'Hi.'

'...Hi.'

Ben's aqua eyes drilled into her, piercing in the morning sun. 

She wanted to rush forward, to hug him.  She paused.  She could still smell the sick in her hair.  She stopped.  Ben was looking straight through her. 

She could smell his cologne.  He looked so handsome - clean shaven, hair perfectly groomed.  Black suit; white shirt; plump, grey striped tie.  He didn't smile, didn't touch her.  Eve stood motionless, watching him march slowly to the sitting room, leather-soled shoes click-clacking on the bare wooden boards.  

Eve shut the door, trailing after him, head down, the sinking feeling in her stomach growing deeper by the second.

'Can I get you a drink?' she said eventually, forcing herself to look up.

'...What the fuck is this?'

He was scowling at her.  She'd never seen him like that before.  Eve hesitantly stepped forward, her eyes following his jabbing finger.  She peered down at the coffee table.

White dust gleamed against the mahogany - the traces of a line.  Her Oyster card to one side, a tiny ziplock bag to the other.  It looked like a couple of grams.

'I...I can explain!  It... it isn't mine!'

That didn't seem to help.  She watched Ben chewing his lips, angry eyes darting around the room.  They flicked back to her.

'Go and clean yourself up.'

She watched him sweep the dust into his hand, snatching the baggie.  He marched out to the kitchen.  Eve trailed after him.  She watched him empty it down the sink, swilling his hands under the tap.