Grease Monkey Jive (50 page)

“Christ, you did send him away. I saw him go.”

She shook her head, “He’s coming for me.”

“What?” Scott bristled and squeezed her hands. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“It sounds perfect, because I’m coming for him too, and he better be ready.”

Of course Scott wasn’t the only one who was worried.

“What did you do?” said Sylvia, when Alex reappeared, alone, changed out of her dance costume into a simple, elegant red dress, face clean of smudged makeup and the distress she’d shown earlier.

“I got scared, but I’m ok now.”

Sylvia frowned. “Scared of what?” She’d bitten her lip and Alex knew she’d be tasting metal. She took a tissue from Gran and passed it to her mother. “Everything.”

Sylvia dabbed at her lip nervously. “Alex, you’re not me. You’re not Mum. Dan’s a better man than your father.”

“I know, Mum. I don’t care what he does. I love him and I’m going to go get him.”

“Oh thank God,” said Gwen, visibly relieved. “I worried you’d done something stupid again.”

Alex put her arm around her grandmother. “A little faith would be nice.”

“A little action would be better,” said Gwen, leaning in.

“Gran!”

“I’m just saying.”

When Mitch approached, it was clear he was out of faith and worried Dan had done something stupid. “Where?” he said, that one narrow word wide in its implication.

Alex said, “I don’t know,” but she smiled and that confused Mitch. He grunted, “We need to talk. There’s stuff you need to know.”

“If that includes where he is, I’m all yours.”

Between the seven of them they needed two cars, Scott and Alex going with Fluke and Carlie in Fluke’s Charger.

The car looked amazing considering Alex had first seen it in parts under a tarp. Even Scott was impressed. “Where did you get this from?” he questioned Fluke.

Fluke’s hands were on the wheel possessively. “Dan. He salvaged and restored it for me.”

“Not exactly a good getaway car; they’re supposed to be more anonymous.”

Alex laughed and Fluke twisted to her and Scott. “What?”

Scott said, “Never mind,” but Fluke scowled at him before he faced back around and started the car. “That’s why we need to talk. There’s stuff you don’t get about Dan.”

“Like he didn’t rob a bank to fund the prize money and you’re not the getaway driver?”

“You know sometimes I’m not sorry I tripped you over.”

“I love you too, Fluke.”

There was a moment of tense silence when Alex exchanged a worried look with Carlie, before both men started to laugh and Scott reached over to cuff Fluke on the back of the head.

“Where are we going, Fluke?” she said.

He eyed her in the rear vision mirror. “To feed you, to talk, and then to let things rip.”

“Where’s Dan?”

Fluke grinned. “Don’t worry. Ant has money on the fact he’ll show up.”

In a beach side café, Alex was surprised that she was able to eat. She was starving and, despite being on edge, her eyes on the door, waiting for Dan to appear, she polished off a hamburger as though it were a gourmet meal.

“Relax,” said Mitch. He certainly was, sprawled back in the booth seat his arm around Belinda. “First we talk. Then we find Dan.”

“Is he missing?” she said.

“No.” Mitch had nicked home to change and was looking less like Dan’s stand-in now, and more in control of things. Despite the fact he had Dan’s keys, phone, wallet, shoes, and work clothes in the boot of his car, he was confident about where Dan was.

“I’ll start,” said Ant, leaning across the table aggressively to eyeball Alex.

“I’ll start,” said Fluke, elbowing him. “You’ll just make it sound wrong.”

Scott said, “God help us,” and then grimaced as Alex kicked him under the table.

Fluke started. “Three things you need to know about Dan. One: He’s the best mate a man could have, but he doesn’t take any shit from anyone. Two: His father is a son of a bitch.”

“He thinks he’s like his old man. That’s the one thing he’s scared of, being like Jimmy,” said Mitch.

Fluke picked up. “Three: He’s smart.”

“And tricky,” said Ant.

Fluke jumped in again. “He left home at sixteen, lied about his age, got a job at one of those mines in Queensland where they pay big money. Took every shift he could get, did every shitty job, did it for four years. Never spent a cent until they found out he’d lied about his age and they sacked him. When he came back, he bought the unit he lives in, then one by one, he bought the three others in the block. Then he bought the garage and the property it’s on.”

“And we didn’t know that last part till recently,” said Ant. Alex could hear both amazement and respect in his voice, giving sound to the emotions she was feeling, but not topping the note of guilt peeling loudly in her head.

Mitch pushed his cup and saucer aside and leaned forward. “If you think he’s just some dumb mechanic who surfs, you need to know he’s not.”

Now the guilt was so loud in her ears and so hot on her face Alex wanted to leave the table, but she was pinned in, Scott on one side, Fluke on the other.

Mitch went on. “There’s more. None of us have been saints, especially where women are concerned.”

“Except Fluke. He has some developmental issues,” laughed Ant, but was shut down by the way Carlie glared at him and said, “He does not,” in a tone that made everyone sit up straighter and Fluke’s face go red.

“We used to like it that way,” said Mitch, ignoring the sideshow.

Ant said, “I still do. Don’t count me in this bit,” but he was still looking at Carlie with respect for her hidden tiger.

“Ok, so Dan and I were players,” Mitch looked at Belinda. “Were players,” he emphasised and tightened his grip around her shoulders. “He figured there was a better way to be and he was trying to change. Him and me both, and he’d have done it with or without you, Alex. But you came along right when things were starting to get interesting. He didn’t dance with you for a bet or out of pity or guilt.” He looked at Ant and Fluke sitting side by side, then shifted his eyes to Alex. “Or to get in your pants.”

“He did it to not be like Jimmy,” she said, finally understanding so many things about Dan.

Mitch nodded. “He won’t talk about what happened between you. But you need to know he hasn’t looked at another woman.”

Alex’s eyes clouded. Until now, she’d forgotten Katie. She shook her head. “That’s not right. I saw him with...” she glanced at Fluke who said, “I’ll kill her.”

Mitch laughed. “He’s not with Katie.”

Fluke was almost standing up in the booth. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. He used her to deflect some random chick action and he told me she gave him a good boot up the backside, but he wouldn’t. Fluke, you know he wouldn’t.”

Fluke slumped back down. “Yeah. I’ve got a new car says he wouldn’t.” He swivelled to look at Alex. “So here’s the last thing, because I’ve lost count...”

“And they let you teach math,” said Ant, and he laughed when Carlie pinched him.

Fluke ignored Ant, but he saw the pinch, so he was grinning when he said, “We thought you’d wrecked Dan. Whatever happened between you guys, it didn’t go well with him. He wasn’t right in the head for a while, so after tonight we want to know what you’re intentions are.”

Alex was shocked. They’d told Dan’s story in a way that made all the pieces finally fit, made her feel hopeful and guilty, relieved and anxious, and now they wanted to know her plan. The three of them were sitting there, interchangeable judge, jury, and executioner.

She frowned and looked at Mitch, “My intentions?”

“Yeah, Alex. Do you care about Dan, or are you just a player?”

She crooked her finger and he came.

Across the club, in between the drinkers and the dancers, the predators and the prey, the spectators and manipulators, he made his way to her. He was all lean muscle and hard strength, mouth curved into a cocky grin, eyes bright and intense. Nothing that wasn’t fit for a lifetime of loving. This was a man made for forever.

Mitch was in awe and jazzed by it. He elbowed Ant, who nudged Fluke, who tapped Scott on the shoulder, so the four of them could have the pleasure of watching Dan approach and the knowledge that in Alex he’d found the person who made his life complete.

Alex saw Dan the minute they entered the club and, despite the fact there was half a crowded room between them, she felt his presence in the way her blood fired, her skin tingled, and her breath came quicker. She made her intentions perfectly clear.

He started moving before she even lowered her hand. He cut across the room. Obstacles seeming to melt before him, people shifting to give him a clear path before they knew he wanted it, and the closer he got, the more her body called to his, the more her senses screamed his name.

He stopped an arm’s reach away and his eyes held all the promise of love and freedom Alex had thought impossible. She could look at him and see the future. Not in its specifics, but in the stuff that made a life. In listening and sharing and supporting. In planning and action and passion. In all the things that made a good dance partner, a perfect life partner, in kindness, cooperation, patience, and forgiveness.

She looked at Dan and she didn’t see fear or reticence or the mirror shine of anything closed off and hidden from her. He was completely open, and she saw deep into him and found the best parts of herself.

He stepped closer, almost toe to toe, almost touching. He lifted his hand and made a gesture like he’d done in the corridor, skimming the air around her body, reverent, worshiping. She was undone by his nearness and the expectation of his touch, her eyes closed and her body trembling, so when he spoke, voice caffeine warm and smooth, she started, blinking in surprise.

“Are you ready for us?”

She breathed, “Yes,” and it stood as a plea that he’d take mercy on her, forgive her for her prejudice, for judging him harshly and not fighting for him – for them. “I understand now.”

He shook his head. “Remind me to get new friends with smaller mouths.”

“You’re not your father, no more than I am my mother or my grandmother.”

“I’m not frightened of being Jimmy anymore. That’s over with. There’s only one thing that frightens me now, scares the shit out of me, probably always will.”

She didn’t want him scared of anything, ever again. She traced a finger across his lips and his mouth opened and when she took her hand away she was amazed it wasn’t burned from the contact.

“What scares you?”

Dan groaned, “You. What are you going to do to me, Alex?”

She moved her hand to hover at the side of his face, where earlier she’d slapped him, and he reached for it, pressing it to his cheek. She stepped closer. “You should be afraid, very afraid of me, because I’m going to make your life miserable. I’m going to be as much in your bed as in your head, and I’m never going to give you up. I’m coming for you too.”

He moved quickly, full of urgency, scooping her body to his, touching her everywhere, nothing languid or soft, everything tight, hard, bruising, and severe. His lips were insistent and demanding. He poured himself against her to bind her to him. Breathless and on the edge of control, he checked himself, pulled back, and softened. “I guess you only love me for my money now. You’d better know I’m flat, stony broke. I’ve got nothing but debt.”

“About that. Were you ever going to tell me?”

“I wanted to, but it’s always been hard for me to accept. It’s like having money was a lucky accident. I always felt I didn’t deserve it, but I’m working on that. I’ve got plans. You could help.”

“You have to take the prize money back.”

“I’ll give you anything else you want, but not that. That money is yours because I know Scott will give you his share and I never wanted a cut.”

Alex went to protest, but he stopped her with a kiss. When he released her, he said, “My mother would want you to have it.”

“Your mother would be so very proud of you.”

In his smile was the pride and embarrassment of a lonely little boy. “Do you think?”

To the man grown strong, she said, “I know.” To the partner she wanted for life she said, “Will you care if I don’t want to be a corporate executive, if I want to take a risk on running my own business, maybe something creative and keep dancing and teaching?”

“Not if you don’t care if I want to re-build old cars and have grease under my nails. It’s certainly what I’ll be doing for a while yet.”

Alex brushed her fingers over his spiky hair. “I don’t care if you collect garbage for a living. I don’t care if we live in your Kombi.”

The sound Dan made in the back of his throat was a gritty masculine purr. “Jeff would love that.”

“What about you?”

“You hold up my sky, Alex.”

Now the tears that built behind her eyes weren’t spiced by fear, but born of his tenderness. “How did this happen to us?”

He gave a sharp laugh. “I can tell you when it happened. You danced and I felt like I’d been hit by a train.”

Alex bit her lip, blinked saturated eyes. She knew that moment too. “You looked at me and I felt like I’d stuck a knife in the toaster.”

Dan pulled her head to his shoulder and held her tight. “We could have lost it all. I needed help to see things clearly.”

“And I had to understand I needed you, not some guy in a suit, and that you wouldn’t try to own me, diminish me, or make me vulnerable.”

Alex lifted her face and looked into the eyes of the man who’d shocked her into love and life and knew he’d never take away from her, but would always give. “You make me stronger.”

She kissed him and he sighed under her lips and murmured, “Will you dance with me?” and then dipped her extravagantly low, holding her tight to his chest.

“I’ll never stop.”

So it wasn’t like it was a miracle Dan was kissing one of the most beautiful women in the room and she was kissing him back. Except it was, and Mitch and Scott knew it. And Fluke, holding Carlie’s hand, knew the old days of doing the same stuff and hoping for a different result were long gone.

And not even Ant would bet against that.