Call On Me (11 page)

Ali couldn’t
help but eye Chris a little warily behind her pleasant smile as he
held the restaurant door open for her, waiting politely for her to
be seated before taking a seat himself. The waitress came over, her
eyes running over him with a gleam of admiration as she handed them
menus.

“Hi Ali,” she
said. “Another date?”

Bloody Sharon.
Trust her to say something like that. Ali smiled tightly at her.
“Hi Shazza.” And didn’t she just hate that nickname?

“Sharon.” She
smiled just as tightly and turned her attention to Chris. “You’re
the new mechanic, aren’t you?”

He smiled back
at her. “Yep. Start tomorrow.”

“Delightful. I
have to have my car serviced soon, so I’ll be sure to book it
in.”

“Fine, be happy
to check it out.”

“Lovely.” She
glanced at Ali, who ignored her, busying herself with checking the
menu.

Not that the
menu ever changed. The owners were old friends of her parents and
they didn’t like change. The menu hadn’t really changed in thirty
years. Good hearty food, not many frills. It wasn’t like they
really had to worry about much competition in town, there was only
the pub for counter lunches and evening meals, the local cafe that,
while open during the day, was only open late on a Friday night,
the small café joined to the service station that sold only fast
food, and the small restaurant that was part of the motel and
catered mainly for the travellers. This restaurant could afford to
please its owners, especially as they also had their meals
available as takeaways. But there was no doubt the food was good
and value for money.

Across the
menu, she couldn’t help but study Chris. Lean, tall, with a shock
of dark hair and pale blue eyes, he wasn’t bad on the eyes. Not
ravishingly handsome, not really wet-panty inducing, but nice
looking. Friendly manner, pleasant. She guessed in a small town
there wasn’t much choice, though he couldn’t help but have seen
Sharon swishing her trim backside around in that tight uniform.

Choosing that
moment to look up, he smiled. “Hungry?”

“Absolutely.”
Oops, maybe she shouldn’t have sounded so eager.

“Excellent.
Can’t stand a woman who picks at her food.”

Awesome! Maybe
she could have the fried fish platter after all.

“Healthy
eating, good food. That’s good to see.” He perused the menu. “Think
I’ll have the grilled fish and salad.”

Goodbye fried
fish platter, hello tasteless fish and rabbit food. “I’ll have the
same. Sounds yummy.”

Ye gods, she
ate like that at home. Almost always healthy, which was why when
she went out she liked to order food she didn’t normally eat.
Bummer. Still, she did want to make a good impression on Chris, so
she figured she’d smile and suck it up like an adult.

Placing the
menu down, she watched as he continued to study his menu.

“A little
pricey.” Closing the menu, he placed it on the table. “Still, small
towns can be like that.”

Huh. Filing
away the thought that it was rather rude to point out the cost to a
date, Ali leaned back in the chair. “So Chris, how do you like our
town?”

“Seems okay.”
Folding his hands on the table, he glanced around the room before
returning his attention to her. “So what do you do for a living,
Ali?”

“I’m a
receptionist at the local motel on the highway.” At his blank look,
she added, “The one on the way in. Or the way out, depending which
way you’re going.”

He didn’t
laugh. Now Ghost would have thought that was witty, but Chris just
nodded. “I see. And what do you plan to do later?”

“Later?”

“The
future?”

“Uh…” Oh boy.
“Well, I’m actually happy doing what I do.”

“I see.” He
gestured to Sharon and when she hurried over with a big smile
wreathing her face and her hips swinging, he ordered a jug of cold
water with ice and two glasses. Turning back to Ali, who was dying
to ask for a Diet Coke but not really game to right now, he stated,
“I’m a mechanic at the moment, but I plan to open up my own
mechanics business in a couple of years and oversee others doing
the manual work. I’m checking out locations. Small towns are good
for business, you know, travellers passing through, not much
competition.”

“Uh-huh.” Geez.
“So you’re not planning on staying in town for long?”

“Depends what I
can get out of it. I’m casing it, I guess you could say.” Gaze
intensifying, he rested his folded forearms on the table and leaned
forward. “I like a woman who plans for the future. A go-getter. Are
you a go-getter, Alissa?”

The man had
even learned her full name. She should be flattered that he’d found
it out, but somehow there wasn’t even a little flutter of a
flatter. “Maybe I should aim for the motel manager’s position?” she
joked.

“Good choice.
Do you know much about it? Have you researched it?”

Sharon chose
that moment to arrive with the jug and two glasses, which she
placed on the table, winking openly at Chris. “There you go,
handsome.”

“Thank you,” he
replied coolly, the clear note of disapproval in his tone causing
Sharon to flush and retreat hurriedly.

Ali silently
cheered. Yes! Her date was focussed on her and not the waitress
with the hot body that had many of the single blokes in town
panting after her.

He was also,
unfortunately, focussed on getting her to spill her plans for a
future he would approve of, then again, maybe he was intense
because he was planning for the future himself and wanted to see
others strive as well. Not that she didn’t strive. She was good at
her job, she liked it, and she was content.

“So Ali,” he
said, “This manager’s position you’re chasing-”

“What? No!” Ali
hurriedly lowered her voice as a couple nearby glanced their way.
“That was a joke. I’m not after the manager’s position. I’m really
happy doing the reception work, Chris.” When he frowned, she sought
to divert the conversation, “Enough about me. What do you do in
your spare time?”

“I run. Every
morning, I have a long run.”

“Nice. I enjoy
a-”

“Go to the gym,
swim. I believe in looking after one’s body.” He glanced over her.
“You can join me if you want.”

Her mind went
completely blank. Surely he hadn’t just suggested that?

“Getting into
shape is so important, don’t you think?” he continued. “I’d be more
than happy to mentor you, Alissa. I’d have you fit as a fiddle in
no time.”

Sweet baby
Jesus. She could
not
have heard correctly. “I beg your
pardon?”

“Healthy mind,
healthy body, striving for success. It all goes hand in hand.”

“My health is
perfectly fine. Blood pressure, pulse, you name it and I’m
healthy.” Grabbing the glass of water, she took several fortifying
gulps. How the hell had they gotten on to this subject?

“But healthy
isn’t being overweight.”

Ali froze.

He smiled
kindly. “You’re a pretty girl, Alissa, don’t get me wrong, but
think how far you could go if you lost some weight.”

Her mouth fell
open.

“Healthy mind,
healthy body, success. It’s so important to have all three balanced
just right.”

“Are you saying
that because I’m larger than society perceives as acceptable, I
won’t go far in life?”

“It could hold
you back.”

Shock was
giving way to anger. “If people are going to judge my talents on my
looks, then I don’t particularly want anything to do with
them.”

“Now, Alissa,
don’t get upset.” He spoke soothingly. Reaching out, he caught her
hand and squeezed gently. “It’s well known that misery hides behind
the happy face of a large person. I like you and I’m just trying to
help you. Let me help you.”

She gawked at
him.

“I can help you
sort out your weight issues, help you rise above your mediocre
career, make something of yourself.” His smile was just as gentle,
his eyes warm with understanding. And pity. “Once you lose some
weight, we get you up the career ladder-”

“Are you
freakin’ serious?”

“Of course. So
what do you say? Meet me in the morning for a jog before work?”

Reaching out,
Ali picked up the jug of water, stood, leaned across the table and
upended the lot over Chris’s head.

He squawked,
sputtered and leaped out of his chair.
“What the hell?”

“You ever come
near me again, you drongo, and I’ll rip your head off,” Ali
snarled. “You’ll find out first hand just how hard a
large
woman can hit!”

The restaurant
was dead quiet, the owners coming out of the kitchen to watch
wide-eyed.

Shoving his
dripping hair back from his face, Chris gaped at her. “Alissa, I
didn’t mean to-”

Head high and
cheeks flaming, Ali stormed away from the table, refusing to look
at anyone, feeling totally humiliated. Shame rode her hard, all she
wanted was to get out and far away from all those eyes watching her
with horrified fascination. It didn’t make it any easier that she
knew most of the patrons for most of her life. That just made the
humiliation worse.

“Ali!” Mrs
Swanson, the owner, came towards her.

When Ali
silently held up one hand, Mrs Swanson halted, confusion and
sympathy warring on her lined face. Opening the door, Ali walked
out of the restaurant, refusing to run, walking steadily to the car
and unlocking the door. Tears burned in her eyes as she got into
the drivers’ seat.

Chris came
running out of the restaurant. “Alissa! Wait! Don’t be upset, I’m
sorry! I didn’t mean to-”

Slamming the
door shut, Ali locked it, started the car, and ignoring him tapping
frantically on her window, she put the car into reverse and revved
the engine. That made him leap back. As she pulled away, she
glanced into the rear-view mirror to see him standing on the
footpath with his mouth hanging open. He looked worried.

Bastard! How
could he say what he did? How
could
he? Biting her lip, she
felt a tear slip from her eye and slide down her cheek, leaving a
hot trail.
Bastard!

She started to
head for home, wanting to shut the door and close the world out so
she could wallow in misery and shame, but that meant facing her
sister. Lori would not be happy. Shy she might be, but when it came
to Ali, Lori would be ready to fly out the door and confront Chris.
She’d be shaking and nervous, but her fury would carry her through
that, though she’d also be a bit of a wreck after the
confrontation. No, going home upset wasn’t the answer.

That left one
other place.

Turning onto
another road, Ali steered the car through a quiet section, then
across another road until she got to the turn-off to the river. A
small distance along a dirt road, she parked the car in the
deserted curving parking bay before the river.

Turning off the
engine, she looked out at the water. The moonlight glinted off the
smooth surface and the trees on both banks cast protective shadows
across the wildlife within the shelter.

It was always
one of the places Ali went to when she was upset, angry, or simply
needed a quiet place to get her head together when having
difficulties. This was definitely one of those times. Quiet,
deserted, it was the ideal place for her to sit, sniffle and brood
without anyone being the wiser.

Wiping her hand
across her cheek, she opened the car door and got out. Moving
around to the front, she hoisted herself up onto the ‘roo bar and
sat down to stare out at the river. The night birds sang, more
noises indicating that animals, mammals and other slithering
species she didn’t really want to think about were alive and well
in the bushes, going about their business.

God, she
couldn’t believe what Chris had said to her. He’d actually said it
to her, told her he could help with her weight problem, her job
prospects, but ultimately her weight problem.

Was that what
he’d really thought when he’d first seen her? She was some
overweight person who needed rescuing? Closing her eyes, she felt
another tear slide out. Most times she could shrug off a bit of
rudeness, dealing with travellers from all walks of life coming and
going through the motel toughened one up, but this was different.
He’d asked her on a date then proceeded to tell her he would help
her lose weight.

What the hell
was it about people who were so fixated on weight? What?

And why
couldn’t she find a man who was happy with her, who could accept
her? What was wrong with her?

Another tear
slipped free.

Then she heard
it, the sound of an engine drawing closer. Solitude was gone, the
last thing she needed was to watch a young couple necking right
where she was having her pity party. Maybe whoever it was would
decide to drive away once they saw her.

The car rounded
the bend, the lights flaring behind her while she steadfastly gazed
at the river, silently willing the driver to turn around and go
away.

Then again, it
could be an axe murderer. The way she felt right now, she’d rip the
axe out of his hand and brain him with it. She was in no mood to
deal with anyone, be they an axe murderer or a necking couple.

The car came to
a stop and the engine turned off, the only sound that of Guns ‘n’
Roses music coming from the CD player. Sighing, she continued to
look out at the river. She knew exactly who had arrived. It hadn’t
taken him long, no doubt alerted by a phone call or two by
concerned friends. She might have known.

The car door
opening and closing sounded, footfalls over the dry grass. Walking
around the front of the car, he turned to face the river, leaning
back against the ‘roo bar beside her, so close his shirt flapped
against her leg.

Ghost’s
presence was soothing, so quiet and calm. So reassuring as they
both gazed silently out at the river.