Just Good Friends (6 page)

“You’re kidding,” Kate said, staring at him.

“What? Bad spot?” he asked, confused. “I thought you said it
was all right.”

“No. I mean, you. That’s just . . . that’s just ridiculous.
Plus the tattoo, the pendant, everything. You’re like some kind of walking advertisement
for New Zealand.”

“My tattoo isn’t ridiculous,” he said, genuinely offended
now. “My moko honors my ancestors. My pendant isn’t ridiculous either. It’s not
for decoration. You’re slagging off my mana now.”

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to be
offensive. I just meant, I’m getting it now. You always have that hoodie on,
that’s all. I never realized what you looked like. A little blinded here. I’ve
never seen anyone as ripped as that in real life.”

He sighed. “It’s how I look. I’m not going to apologize for
it. I’ve been training and playing rugby most of my life, you know. And I’m
Maori. I can’t help being big, or having some muscles. You’re just going to
have to get over it.”

“Should have worn my sunglasses,” she muttered.

“Were you planning on dropping your own gear anytime soon,
so we can get in the water?” he complained. “Freezing my arse off here.”

“No. I don’t think so,” she decided. “I’m seriously
insecure, all of a sudden. Let’s forget it and go for coffee instead.”

“Piking out first time, eh,” he mocked. “Not up to the
challenge. Reckon I’ve won already.”

Kate’s chin shot up. “You’re right. But don’t watch me take
off my clothes. Look at Rangitoto or something for a minute. Because I’m
embarrassed now.”

He turned his back with a sigh. “This is what’s ridiculous,”
he told her over his shoulder. “I’ve seen you in your togs twice now, remember?
I have a pretty good memory of what you look like, too.”

“I remember.” She adjusted her goggles and stepped out into
the water. “I’m not your type. Too small and too dark. That’s OK. One of us
being that beautiful is more than enough.”

She pushed off and started swimming before he could answer.
Just as well, Koti decided as he followed. He wasn’t sure there was any good
answer to that one. If he told her what he really thought, she’d probably
poison his coffee. Or drown him.

“That’s better,” Kate told him with a satisfied nod, meeting
him outside the changing rooms forty-five minutes later.

“What now?” he asked, confused.

“I like you covered up, I’ve decided. The hoodie and
sunglasses help reduce the glare.”

“Then let’s go for a coffee, warm up,” he told her. “And you
can criticize my personality some more.”

“You didn’t Google me, then,” he mused, after they had given
their orders at the beach café and sat down to await them. He had insisted on
paying, to her annoyance. “Or you’d have seen the tattoo, and all.”

“Of course I didn’t Google you. Look at naked pictures of
you online? That’d be creepy. You didn’t Google me, did you?” she asked in
sudden alarm.

“Not naked. The odd shirtless photo, maybe. And nah, didn’t
Google you either. It’d spoil the surprise if I found out too much in advance.
I’d rather find out about your animal-tamer past from you, get the whole story
about how you started with rattlesnakes and worked your way up. But you weren’t
always this stroppy, I’m guessing. Does it have to do with the stalking thing?”

“Probably. Not all of it, though. Part of it’s just being so
short, and small on top of it. Everyone thinks you’re cute.” She scowled at
him.

“No worries. I’m under no illusions,” he assured her. “Terrifying,
in fact.”

She couldn’t help a smile. “Like a mean little dog. That’s
what I’m going for here. But you’re right. I’m even meaner now, I suppose.”

“It just made me so mad,” she tried to explain. “That
somebody could come in and take away my life like that, and there was nothing I
could do.”

“Was this a partner? An ex?”

“Yes. Not serious. At least not to me. I was wrong,
obviously. Wrong all the way. Because now I’m here, on the other side of the
world. With a bad attitude, as you can see.”   

“Anyway.” She finished her coffee and set it aside. “Time to
go. I have lots to do this weekend, and I’m sure you do too. But this wasn’t as
tough as I expected, I have to admit. What do you think?”

“Long as my immunizations are up to date. Same thing next Sunday?”

“If you think you can show up. I warn you, I’m only waiting
ten minutes max. Any longer than that, and you lose.”

“Fair enough. I’ll be there.”

“And I buy the coffee next time. That’s what friends do,”
she insisted as he shook his head. “You clearly don’t know the rules here, and
I do. We’re taking turns.”

“Going to have to wear the hoodie again, then. Too
embarrassing,” he grumbled.

She should have planned some kind of outing for herself,
Kate realized the next morning. Instead, another long, quiet Sunday stretched
ahead of her. She’d start it with a run, she decided. She could explore
Takapuna a bit more, anyway. And think up something fun to do this afternoon.

After the now-familiar route to the beach, she began making
her way through the upscale residential neighborhood nearby, admiring the
modern homes and historic villas set in large gardens full of late-summer
flowers. A couple kissing on the sidewalk ahead of her were putting on a pretty
good display too. Maybe a good idea to get a room, guys, she thought with
amusement and a touch of envy. That was some fairly intense action.

The couple separated, the woman climbing into a car with a
toss of her blonde mane and a flash of long, tanned legs in a short skirt, the
man bending down to give her a last kiss through the open window, then slapping
his open palm on the roof in farewell as she pulled away. Kate recognized him
with dismay as she approached. Too late to cross the street now. Well, this was
awkward.

She was forced to revise her opinion as Koti hailed her with
his usual easy smile. No embarrassment there.

“Kate. How ya goin’. Exercising again, eh.”

She slowed to a stop. He looked as good as always, she
thought resentfully, even though he’d clearly just rolled out of bed. Unshaven,
his hair a little tousled. Broad shoulders straining a faded T-shirt, unbelted
khaki shorts slipping a bit from narrow hips.

“Hi, Koti. Yeah. Starting my day.”

“I was about to go for a bit of a run myself, clear the
cobwebs,” he told her. “Just have to put my trainers on. Want to wait for me?”

A comment about his cobwebs hovered on the tip of her
tongue. She pulled it back just in time. None of her business. She didn’t want
him to think she cared what he did, anyway.

“I’m sure you don’t want to run at my pace,” she said
cheerfully instead. “Have a good one, though. I’ll see you next week.” She gave
him a brief smile and took off up the road.

He watched her go. He’d have been happy to run at her pace,
actually. Because she really did have the most gorgeous bum. He’d have enjoyed
watching it work in those spandex shorts for a few kilometers.

“Reckon this is meant to be our day.”

Kate turned in the queue at the Sunday Market’s empanada
stall to find Koti behind her, freshly shaved this time, hoodie in place once
again.

“Hang on a tick,” he told her as she received her
spinach-filled pastry from the Argentinian vendor. “Let me get mine and I’ll
join you.”

“Three different kinds, huh? You’re hungry,” she observed as
they maneuvered out of the path of the passing crowd.

“Heaps of exercise this morning,” he grinned.

To her annoyance, she found herself blushing. What did she
have to be embarrassed about? She’d had a perfectly blameless morning.

“Come on,” he told her. “I’ll buy you a coffee, and we’ll
find a spot to eat these.”

“Don’t have a choice, do we,” he added as she hesitated. “If
we don’t get this over with now, we’re going to be meeting again over the
frozen peas in New World tonight.”

She couldn’t help smiling. “It does seem that way, doesn’t
it? I’ll take a coffee. Thanks. Though I’m supposed to be buying.”

“Next week,” he reminded her. “That was the deal.”

“I see you’ve fully embraced the glamorous Kiwi lifestyle,”
he remarked as they sat on a bench eating their impromptu lunch. “A run, then
the Takapuna Market. Add a bit of birdwatching and you’ll qualify for citizenship.”

 “There are lots of things to do here, I’m sure,” she
objected. “I’m looking forward to experiencing them, now that I’m settled into
my place and my job.”

He laughed. “As long as you like the outdoor life, I reckon.”

“Trust me,” she told him, “I’m not looking for too much excitement
in my life right now. A bit of quiet is going to suit me fine.”

He sobered. “Hannah did tell me you’d had a bad time. Sorry
for joking about it. I didn’t realize.”

She nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate the apology. And I’d
better be going. See you next Sunday.” She took a final sip of her drink, then
gathered her purchases and stood to toss her rubbish in the bin. “Thanks again
for the coffee too.”

And the view, she added silently a few minutes later,
watching him jog across the road. He really was too good-looking for any
woman’s peace of mind.

“I’m restless today,” she told him when she joined him at
the beach the next week. “I need to wear myself out. Are you up for a longer
swim?”

“How long were you thinking?”

She shrugged. “Forty-five minutes? I know that’ll be a long
way for you, since you swim about twice as fast as I do. You don’t have to
spend that long in the water if you don’t want to. You can meet me at the café
afterwards.”

“I’ll swim that long with you,” he promised. “It felt good
last week. Stretched me out after the game.”

“You need a better wetsuit,” he commented after they had
showered and changed at the end of their swim. “You’re still shivering.”

“I know,” she said ruefully. “Too much time in the water. I’ve
been trying to build up some tolerance. But I don’t have enough mass, I guess.
I get cold really easily, always have. I need a hot drink, that’s all. Then
I’ll feel better.”

“You are tiny,” he agreed as they walked toward the café.
“Am I allowed to say that?”

“Just don’t call me adorable,” she warned. “Or I won’t be
responsible for what I do.”

“That wasn’t the
a-
word I was thinking of. Aggravating,
maybe. Annoying. Aggressive. Abrasive. And some more that’ll come to me later,
no doubt. But definitely not adorable.”

“Nice vocabulary,” she told him with a grin. “Good work. Or
have you been thinking those up?”

“Nah. I had a fair few words in mind at the time, but none
of them started with an
a.”

She laughed. “I’ll bet. You, on the other hand, definitely
rated some
a-
words.
Arrogant
being the only one fit for a public
beach.”

He looked down at her. It was the first time he’d really seen
her smile, he realized. Her entire face lit up when she did, changing her from an
attractive woman to something much more. “You know, you should smile more often,”
he said. “Because you’re gorgeous, when you do.”

“And that’s made it disappear straight away,” he sighed.
“Never mind.”

“So tell me about this bloke,” he said when they were
settled with their coffees. “The one you’re running away from. He was really
stalking you? That actually happens?”

“If you’re weird and you fixate on somebody. I should never
have gone out with him more than once. If I’d cut it off sooner, I wouldn’t
have ended up in this mess. I did get these glimpses right away that something
was off. But he was a good-looking, charming guy. Like you.”

“I hope not,” he said, startled.

“Me too. Anyway, he was talking about things we could do the
next month on our first date. I wasn’t sure, though. I thought maybe I was being
too harsh. I can do that at times.”

“You don’t say.”

“Yeah, well, in this case I should have gone ahead and been
harsh, trusted my instincts. I suppose all the attention, all that interest was
flattering at first. But then he started wanting me to spend all my time with
him. Wanted to know everything I was doing, every day. I should have broken up
with him the minute that started happening, too. But I didn’t do that either.”

“And that was another mistake,” he prompted when she fell
silent.

“It sure was. Although I don’t know, now. I’m not sure there’s
anything I could have done once he got so fixated. I’ve kicked myself all this
time for what I did, what I didn’t do. But looking back, I’m starting to think
that maybe it wasn’t my fault after all.”

“How could it have been your fault?” he objected.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. But it’s hard not to think so.
You get people saying things like, ‘There are no victims, only volunteers.’ It
makes you wonder if it was something you did, something about you that invited
it. It sure hasn’t happened to anyone else I know.”

“Sounds to me like you were unlucky, that’s all.”

“Thanks. You get points for that. I’m going to concede here
that you just might be the nice guy Hannah and Reka say you are.”

“Cheers for that. What did happen, though? What did he do?”

She hesitated a minute before she answered, twisting her
napkin between her fingers. “He got scary. Violent. I did break up with him
then. I was at least that smart. But he didn’t go away. He started calling and
texting even more. And I mean twenty, thirty times a day. While I was at work. At
home. Everywhere. And I couldn’t get him to stop. He just . . . . it escalated
from there.”

She stopped abruptly, looked down at the shredded napkin in
her hands. “Yeah. Well.” She blew out a breath and began collecting her things.
“That’s enough sharing for one day. I don’t want to think about it anymore. I’m
sure you don’t want to hear it anyway. And I need to get home. Want to make a
plan for next week?”