Public Property (10 page)

‘You can see my ass in this uniform,’ Nicholas said, pulling at the
hem
of the skirt.

‘Can you? Let me look.’

He’d insisted they called a cab so he didn’t have the humiliation of walking past the photographers at their front gate. Now they were outside Sam and Jolie’s home in the centre of
Mayleaf
.

‘
I’m freezing
,’
he complained
as they waited on the doorstep for someone to arrive.

‘
I did say you should wear tights but
Mr
Macho wasn
’
t having any of it
,
was he? If you go down with the flu don’t blame me
. Are we expecting snow? I thought snow didn’t exist in Hollywood,’
Freya said, pulling her surgical rubber gloves further up her arm.

‘
I don’t believe they didn’t have a nurse costume in your size
.’

‘
Nick,
you know i
f you
’
re bigger than Barbie
here
you don’t count
. It’s just a
knock on effect
. You should campaign,’
Freya told him
.

‘
Nick! Freya! You made it! My God
,
Nick, you
’
re certainly making a statement with that costume
,’
Jolie announced
, opening the door. She was dressed in a cowgirl outfit.

‘
Is it OK if I carry on with the statement making in front of your fire?
’
he
asked, stepping past Freya.

‘
Sure, come on in guys
,’
Jolie invited
, making
way for them to enter.

Jolie was
thirty five and a mother of two
six
year old boys, Michael and Adrian. She and her husband, Sam, ran
Mayleaf’s
convenience store and were an integral part of town life. Jolie took the minutes of the town meetings and Sam was a member of the Town Festival committee.

‘
Jolie
,
I’m sorry we’re late
. I got talking on the
phone and Nick was having a prima
do
n
na moment over his outfit
,’
Freya
said,
enter
ing
the house.

‘
That’s
OK,
you’ve only missed Brian trying to rescue the boys’ football from the tree and falling head first into the compost
.’

‘
Oh you’re kidding me? I missed
the “Brian Episode”
! How could that happen so early on in the evening? Nick, I missed
t
he
“
Brian Episode
”,’
Freya announced, disappointed.

‘
I have no doubt it won’t be
the only one of the evening. Hey,
where’s the birthday guy?
’
Nicholas asked Jolie.

‘
Straight through, into the den
.
H
e’s set up a bar in there
. We were thinking of going out in the garden but boy
it’s
gotten cold.’

‘D
rink
,
Freya?
’
Nicholas asked her.

‘
Yes please
.’
She followed Jolie into the kitchen.

‘
I’m so glad you two could come tonight
. I know how busy you both are,’
Jolie
said, picking up
some napkins and glasses.

‘
We wouldn’t have missed it for the world. You and Sam have been so great to us since we moved here
,’
Freya
said
, taking some of the glasses from Jolie.

‘C
ome through and have some food
,’ Jolie said. S
he led the way into the large family room at the back of the house
.

‘
Hey
,
Freya
,
I like your costume and as for Nick’s, well, I’ve suggested to him he ought to think about taking on a different role in his next movie
.
M
aybe a sequel to
Tootsie
.
W
hat do you think?
’
Sam
called. The store owner
was dressed as Dracula
.

‘
Now do you see what you’ve done
,
babe? I
’
m the town clown
,’
Nicholas said. He straightened his face and then broke it with a laugh.

‘
If only your millions of adoring fans could see you now
,’
Freya
said
, taking th
e beer Nicholas was offering
her.

‘
I think you look great
,
Nick
.
T
ake no notice of the old man
,’
Jolie
said, smiling
.

‘
Ha! She
’
s been calling me
“the old man” since I got up this morning.
Y
ou would think I
’
d turned
fifty not forty.’

‘
Well
,
I don’t think you look a day over
thirty nine
an
d this is a little gift from us.
H
appy birthday
,’ Freya said. S
he
passed Sam a gift-
wrapped box and kissed him on the cheek.

‘
Oh thanks
,
guys
.
Y
ou didn’t have to get m
e
anything
,’
Sam said.

‘
What is it
,
Dad? What is it? Get off me
, Adrian.
I want to see!
’
Michael (Krueger
One
) shouted, pushing his brother out of the way in order to watch his father open up the present.

‘
The boys bought him a remote control jeep, which of course they both wanted to play with
.
Sam
liked it so much they haven’
t had a chance to have a go yet,’
Jolie told Freya.

Sam unwrapped the present, opened the box and revealed a
watch.

‘
W
hoa
! Is that real gold?!
’
Adrian (Krueger
Two
) shouted out loudly
. He tried to
grab the box from his father.

‘Nick, Freya, this is too much.
I don’t know what to say
,’
Sam spoke
, running
his fing
ers over the watch and admiring
it.

‘Don’t say anything.
I
t’s your
fortieth
birthday
. Y
ou have to have some nice treats on your
fortieth
birthd
ay. Besides, it isn’t real gold.
B
ut don’t tell the boys
,’
Freya
whispered, smiling
.

‘
It’s great, thank you both
.
H
ere Jolie, take a look
,
’
Sam said,
pass
ing
the box over to his wife.

Nicholas took Freya by the arm and gently pulled her towards him.

‘
I thought you didn’t believe in extravagance
,’ he
whispered to her.

‘
I don’t know what you mean
.’
She took
a swig of her beer.

‘
You bought Sam a gold watch
.’

‘
No
flies on you is
there
.’

‘
I had one just like it until you made me auction it off
,’
Nicholas replied.

‘
I wanted to get Sam something nice and I never said we couldn’t splash out on our friends. It’s
just
unnecessary
extravagance that pisses me off, like you having
five
different expensive watches
an
d only two arms to wear them on.
O
r the fact you used to have
four
cars and only ever drove one of them
.’

‘
Alright, you’ve made your point
.’

‘
He will treasure that watch and now he thinks it isn’t real he
’
ll wear it every day at the
store
. That will give me
a little rush of pleasure every time I see it on his wrist
,’
Freya explained.

‘
If he doesn’t get mugged for it
.’

‘
You’re a killjoy
,
Nursie
and I cannot take you seriously while you
’
re wearing a dress
.’

‘
Well
,
Doctor, if you promise me a large dose of your bedside manner later I might let you
take it
off
,’
Nicholas whispered
to her
.

‘
Hello
,
Freya, would you like a cup cake? I made them myself
,’
Brian announced
. He appeared at her side
, holding a tray of cakes coated in pink icing.

‘
Oh did you? Well
,
Brian, I will take one for later because I think Sam
’
s starting the barbecue. I hope we’re staying indoors to eat. Are we expecting snow?’
Freya
asked
, taking a cake
.

‘Just to let you know,
I ran out of sugar halfway through the recipe so I used
bicarbonate of soda instead. Adrian says they taste different to the ones his mother makes
,’
Brian told her.

‘
I suspect they do
. A
re you noting this
?
“Brian Episode”
number
two,’
Freya
whispered to Nicholas.

‘
Noted
,’
Nicholas answered.

‘
Freya, come and meet my sister
,’
Jolie ordered and she took Freya’s arm and pulled her away from
Nicholas. She led the way
out of the glazed doors and towards a group of women on the patio area.

Freya held her breath as the cold wrapped around her.

‘
Lisa, this is Freya
.
Freya, this is m
y sister
,
Lisa
,’
Jolie introduced
. A
brow
n
-
haired woman of about
her age smiled. She
was dressed in a Cleopatra outfit.

‘
It’s nice to meet you
.
D
on’t you two look alike
,’ Freya commented, visually
compar
ing
the two women.

‘
Everyone says that
.
I must be wearing well
, I’m the eldest,’
Lisa replied.

‘
Well whatever night cream you wear I
’
ll endorse it
.’

‘
Freya
’
s a photographer
,
Lisa
.
S
he has her own studio in Carlton and the other week she took some
risqué
pictures of
Kiefer Sutherland
,’
Jolie informed her.