Styling Wellywood: A fashionable romantic comedy (Wellywood Series Book 2) (29 page)

I’m impressed she’s collected herself enough to get in a jibe.

“
Would you like to check it out?” she continues sweetly. “He’s already left the country and I know he hasn’t had the chance to find a tenant yet, so how about it?” she asks me and then turns to Ben. “Great idea, don’t you think, babe?”

“
That could work. What do you reckon, Jess?” Ben asks as I feel the fantasy I’d just been hatching slipping away with each sensible word she utters.

No more sitting in front of a roaring fir
e together in the evening, nestling a glass of pinot noir, as we admit our secret love for one another and resolve to be together always. I know Ben doesn’t actually have an open fire, but sitting around an energy efficient heat pump doesn’t quite have the same element of romance to it, does it?

And besides,
it doesn’t look like it’ll be happening any time soon now, anyway.

I look at the
m both and, hidden agenda safely tucked away back into the realms of mere fantasy, agree reluctantly it’s probably an ideal solution to my imminent homeless predicament.

As we’re struggling to get a view of the stars as they arrive on the red carpet some time later, Ben comes and stands next to me once
Jia has safely absented herself to fight her way through the crowd to the ladies’.

“
I hope you didn’t feel railroaded into taking the apartment, Jess. Jia has the best intentions but she’s not always subtle. She told me it’s a good place though, nice and handy for everything. She thinks you’ll really like it.”

“
No, it’s all good. It gets me out of a tight spot,” I reply.

He’s right,
delicacy isn’t exactly Jia’s strong suit and I for one certainly got her message loud and clear - Ben is hers, so hands off. She probably also knows about how I’d had a fling with Scott when he was involved with Brooke, so she probably thinks I’m some demon serial boyfriend snatcher.

“
Hey, but thanks for offering for me to stay,” I say to him.

“
Anytime, Jess. You just need to ask,” he replies, placing his hand lightly on my arm.

I feel my cheeks
begin to flush a not-so-delicate shade of beetroot so I turn away to hide my face and spot Cate Blanchett smiling for the cameras as hundreds of flashes instantly go off around her.

Feeling encouraged by his kindne
ss to me I think about what Dad said about going after the things you want in this life - that whole ships are not designed to just sit in harbours thing.

I’m aware
he’s seeing Jia and that I’ve recently inadvertently caused havoc in another woman’s relationship - even if it was just Brooke Mortimer - but I can at least tell him how I feel. That way he’ll know I love him, and I can feel good about having the courage to tell him, knowing he might not feel the same.

T
hat’s the theory anyway.

Gaining an iota of D
utch courage from a large swig of beer I take a deep breath, trying to ignore the sensation my heart has detached from my chest and migrated up my body into my mouth.

“
Ben?” My voice is so croaky and breathless from my nervousness he doesn’t hear me over the cheering and chatter.

“
Ben!” I try again, more forcefully this time, and the volume of my voice gives us both a shock.

“
What?” he asks, leaning in to me so he can hear me over the din.

“
Do you remember Luke, the guy I was with in London?”

“
Luke? Yeah, why?” he asks.

“
You never liked him, did you?”

“
What makes you say that? He was fine,” he shrugs.

You’re n
ot a very convincing liar, Ben.

“
Come on,” I laugh, masking my anxiety, “you hated him. I know you never said anything, but it was obvious to me and really, really obvious to him. He used to talk about it.”

“
He did?” He looks both surprised and amused at the thought.

“
Yes, he did. So you can admit it now, he’s long gone,” I say.

“
Total arsehole.”

“
Agreed.” I smile at him, but he still looks a little confused.

I decide to go for the jugular. What have I got to lose? Well, the best friend I have in this city for one. I take a deep breath, wishing I
were doing this with a large brandy in my hand as back up, and decide to launch into it.

“
The way you felt about Luke is kind of how I feel about Jia,” I say.

“
What do you mean?” he asks, looking alarmed. “I thought you liked her? Well, not
liked
her exactly, but I thought you thought she was fine?”

“No, I do, she is
fine. But that’s not what I mean.” I take another deep breath, holding onto the side of the table for support.

“
I don’t like you going out with Jia because… because ever since our kiss in London I’ve realised I’ve wanted to be with you, Ben.”

Although I feel exhilarated I’ve managed to
get my feelings out my heart is pounding in my chest like it wants to leap out and slap against the cameraman in front of us. It’s all I can do not to frantically push my way out of the bar during the unbearable silence that ensues, as he appears to take what I’ve said in.

Finally, after what feels like three years or more, he
speaks.

“
What are you doing, Jess?” He looks suddenly really serious.

“
I’m being a ship. Doing what ships are supposed to do,” I reply weakly.

“
A ship? What are you talking about?” He shakes his head, clearly not understanding my reference.

But then why should he? He doesn’t have a kook for a dad like me.

“Never mind. The point is, I’m trying to tell you how I feel.”

“
Oh Jess,” he groans. “Your timing is
so
not good.”

“
Timing?” I splutter.

A small glimmer of hope enters my brain.
Does that mean he feels the same way? I can say it again next week if it suits better? If timing’s our only problem then that can be sorted, no worries.

“
I mean, I’m going out with Jia.” He looks at me with what feels like pity in his eyes, placing his hand lightly on my arm. “Jess, I’m sorry.”

“
Oh. Fair enough. Good, yes,” I mutter.

Crashed and burned on
a fantastically epic scale. I look down as the weight of disappointment hits me. I’ve put myself out there, told him how I feel, and now I need to accept he doesn’t feel the same way.

I should be grown up about this and just acknowledge it, b
ut I feel absolutely humiliated.

I notice
Jia’s been waylaid by what looks like a colleague and is now engaged in conversation with her, occasionally darting looks in our direction.

I look up
at him as he starts to talk again, but this time he’s looking into the crowd, not my face, clearly distancing himself from me. “And I don’t remember any kiss, Jess. You’ve got me confused with some other guy.” He takes a swig from his beer.

I feel devastated
, like someone’s whacked my across the chest. Not only is he rejecting me in favour of Jia, but he doesn’t even remember the kiss I’d fantasized about for two years.

“
I saw you with him, Jess,” he says in a low voice I can barely hear.

He doesn’
t look in the slightest bit amused and the noise around us suddenly seems to evaporate.

“
What do you mean? With who?” I’m adding confusion to my growing litany of negative emotions. Who can he possibly be talking about?

“
That night at Foxtail. You seemed a bit, I don’t know, weird. I needed to take a call so I left the bar and followed you to see how you were. You know, we’re mates,” he adds by way of explanation for his behaviour.

“
That’s when I saw you snogging Scott outside the bar.” He clears his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation.

Shame floods my body
as I remember how I had pushed Scott up against the wall, kissing him passionately. I’m utterly mortified to think Ben witnessed it and can barely look him in the eye.

He shrugs his shoulders at me.
“So…” He looks away, tapping his foot, clearly irritated.

Wi
th impeccable timing Jia arrives just as I regain the ability to open my mouth to defend myself.

“
Hi you two. Having fun?” she asks, draping herself all over her man again with the subtlety of an oversized sledgehammer. “You look like you’re having quite the deep conversation. What are you talking about this time?”

She pokes Ben teasingly with her finger, trying
her best to keep her tone light hearted.

I seize the opportunity to put Ben straight
and, more importantly, to defend myself. I know it looks bad, depending on how much he’d seen, but it’s a fairly safe guess from what he’s just said he didn’t see me turning Scott down and walking off, my dignity almost in tact.

“
I was just telling Ben I am absolutely and completely one hundred per cent not seeing Scott Wright.”

“
Great,” she replies acerbically. “Who’s Scott Wright?”

So he hadn’t told her about him and
me.

“
A mistake,” I laugh without humour. “Not to be repeated.”

I look
at Ben meaningfully, hoping he understands there’s nothing between Scott and I anymore, but he averts what little attention he’s been paying me, placing his arm possessively around Jia’s shoulders, albeit somewhat grimly, in a clear and certain message of where his loyalties lie.

For her part,
Jia seems thrilled at this display of affection towards her in my presence, and even though I didn’t think it was humanly possible to drop any further, my heart sinks to the deepest of depths.

I
t takes all my strength not to bolt out of the bar as quickly as I can and run home to sob into my pillow.

When I finally make my excuses and manage to fight my way through the throngs to leave
, my mind is flooded by Ben’s words. He’s made it abundantly clear that not only does he not have any feelings for me beyond ‘just good friends’, he doesn’t exactly hold me in high regard.

Ben
seeing me with Scott just seems to have confirmed his opinion of me as a woman of fairly flexible morals who’ll take whatever kind of arsehole offered it up to her.

I’d been so hopeful he’d feel the same way about
me and that we were meant to be together. I’d kidded myself just telling him how I felt was being true to myself and was enough, that I didn’t have the expectation he’d drop everything (read: Jia) and come running into my arms.

Damn my dad and his ships.

After that fateful night no matter what I do I can’t shake the feeling I’ve regressed into a thirteen-year-old girl with a crush on someone else’s unobtainable boyfriend. Like a thirteen-year-old I’ve all but lost my appetite, I fantasize about increasingly violent ways in which Jia meets her end, and every time I see a man who even vaguely resembles Ben I dive into doorways or up driveways to avoid having to face him.

Of course I haven’t heard from
him since that horrible evening at The Hobbit premiere, the only assumption I can draw from which is he’s made his choice and it’s painfully clear it’s not me.

Ironically the Princess Leia costume I ordered for the Wellington Sevens
has arrived, adding insult to injury. I’d gladly give it to Jia to wear with her Han Solo, but it’d be like a comical Princess Leia-shaped tent on her.

I very much doubt he
wants me to go with him now, anyway.

Possibly against my better judgment I can stand it no more and decide to confide in Laura.

“Oh, Jess. I’m so sorry. How awful for you.” She’s sympathy itself, which paradoxically makes me feel even worse.

“
You know I’d always thought you two would get it together.”

“
You did?” My short-lived dash of hope at her words is extinguished almost before it’s been born. “I’m actually feeling like I’ve got the worst judgment on the planet when it comes to men, Laura. Britney Spears has nothing on me, I tell you. Things got royally screwed up with Scott, and now I’ve put myself out there with Ben and just got seriously knocked back. God.”

I
bury my head in my hands, trying in vain to erase my confession to him.

“
It’s just a bad run, that’s all, Jess,” Laura replies, rubbing my arm in sympathy. “Are you totally sure he turned you down? I mean, is that it?”

“
Over before it’s begun. Tragic, isn’t it? Said he didn’t even remember our amazing kiss in London,” I say as I slump in my chair.

“
You kissed in London
? You never told me that!” Laura shrieks so loudly I wonder if she’s woken the children.

“
It was nothing. Just a drunk thing one night, you know the sort. I’ve obviously read far more into than I should have. Nothing ever really happened between us.”

“Y
ou kissed. Interesting,” she responds, tapping her chin with her fingers, clearly contemplating this new information.

“
Laura please don’t make this worse than it already is. There’s no hope for us, no matter how much I love him. I told you, he’s chosen Jia. He made it clear,” I say.

“
Love
him?” Her eyes widen as she breaks into a smile. “You
love
Ben?”

I nod at
her, not wanting to risk speaking for fear I might dissolve into tears once again, and she squeals and claps her hands together like an excited seal.

I shake my head at her, mildly amused by her sea creature behaviour
, despite the depth of my misery.

“
What am I going to do, Laura? Unrequited love sucks.”

“
You’re not going to give up, that’s what. Just bide your time. Jia won’t last forever. She’s nice enough but just too, I don’t know,
artificial
for him. Ben’s always been your biggest fan. You know he just raves to Kyle and me about how great you are, how well you’re doing with the styling thing. We get a little sick of it all, to be perfectly honest.”

I
smile weakly, not having known any of this, but certainly not wanting to get my hopes up once again. There’s only so much emotional rollercoaster riding a girl can take in one day.

“
I mean, what man sends a woman flowers if he doesn’t have feelings for her?” she adds.

“
Flowers?” I ask, confused.

“
Yeah, he told Kyle. Asked him for a good florist. Of course Kyle had no idea, we’ve been married too long. Flowers are most definitely off the shopping list these days.”

Oh my
god. The flowers I got on the day of my first date with Scott! I’d just assumed they’d been from him, but he never mentioned them. Knowing what sort of guy he is now, it’s fair to say he’s not exactly the flower sending type.

Und
eterred, Laura continues with her supposed proof of Ben’s love for me. “Did you know he went to see that tennis coach after he did the dirty on you? Had a word, Kyle said. Is that the behaviour of a man in love with someone else? I don’t think so, Missy.”

“
You’re so motherly, Laura,” I laugh, feeling momentarily buoyed by Ben’s defence of my honour. “But whatever he’s felt in the past, he’s made it clear Jia’s the woman for him. You can imagine I’m not exactly thrilled about checking her friend’s apartment out today.” An unpleasant thought occurs to me, “God, I hope he hasn’t told her about how I feel. He wouldn’t, would he?” I look at Laura pleadingly, feeling aghast at the thought.

“
Of course he wouldn’t, Jess. He’s the sole of discretion. Oh no.” She looks away as though something’s just occurred to her.

“
What?” I ask in alarm.

The look on her face suggests she’s wrestling with w
hether to divulge her thoughts.

“
Come on, Laura. I can take it. I’m a big girl.”

“
It’s just… well…. I was thinking how weird it’s going to be when we have dinner with them on Friday night. Sorry.” She cringes at me, awaiting my response, but I simply shrug my shoulders, lapsing back into my familiar misery.

“
It is what it is,” I reply philosophically, although I feel crestfallen once again.

It’s one thing to know Ben’s decided to stay with
Jia, it’s quite another to have it confirmed by your friend.

A thought occurs to her.
“Do you want me to come with you to meet Jia this afternoon? What time is it? I might need to bring the boys unless it’s after five and Kyle can have them?”

“
Laura, that’s sweet of you. No need though.” I feel tears begin to sting my eyes as a result of her kindness.

“
I’ve just got to suck it up. I mean, I need a place to live, before lover boy moves in with my mum and they start doing it in every room.” I laugh sardonically and Laura gives a small shudder, raising her palm at me and looking away in mock distaste.

“
Don’t!” she cries.

“
Can you imagine what it’s like for
me
? I need to get out of there before I hear or see anything that may force me into serious therapy.”

At the door Laura hugs me.

“You know you can always stay with the boys and us until you find something else. You don’t have to go through seeing Jia again so soon after… you know… all of this.”

“
No, I need a place of my own. But thanks. You’re the best,” I reply.

“
Oh, I almost forgot. We got our Star Wars Sevens costumes from the States.” Kyle and Laura had decided to go as his and her matching Darth Vadars. Apparently it’s much cuter than it sounds.

“
Yeah, me too, although I don’t think I’ll wear it now.”

“
Why not? You’ll be a hot Leia, pigtail buns and all. And anyway, if you’re right and Ben has chosen Jia, which for the record I’m still not convinced of, then the Sevens is absolutely
the
place to hook up with another guy.”

“
My clean-living, sensible friend is pimping me out now, is this what it’s come to?” I laugh. “Sure, I’ll think about it. But it’ll be weird if both Jia and I go as Leia and Ben’s Han Solo. Awkward!”

“
Don’t worry about that. Just promise me you’ll come. No piking out,” she says sternly.

“
I promise. Man, you’re so bossy!” I joke.

“
I know. Kyle loves it.” She raises her eyebrows at me suggestively with a broad smirk on her face.

I shake my head good-
humouredly. “Enough. Gotta go. And thanks. You’re a sweetie.”

I leave Laura’s plac
e marginally happier for having offloaded my feelings of humiliation and rejection and feel warmed by her support. She could be absolutely revelling in all of this after the Scott-Brooke debacle. It’s a measure of our enduring friendship that she isn’t.

***

I arrive at the apartment building about fifteen minutes early so I decide to pop into Goodness, a boutique specialising in Kiwi and local fashion designers, to kill some time before I’m due to meet the dreaded Jia. I rifle through the clothes absentmindedly until I notice a gorgeous ruby red dress I’d like to try on.

As I reach for the dress
I say, “Excuse me,” to a nicely turned-out, slim woman about my age and realise with a small shock it’s Brooke Mortimer. She recognises me instantly and a look of such pure venom clouds her face that I contemplate ducking behind the rack as protection for fear she decide to pelt me with the accessories from the table behind her. 

But a
s we’re out in public I figure I’m probably safe from attack, and decide to make the first move.

“
Hi Brooke,” I say to her hesitantly, forcing a weak smile. “How are you?”

I’m
unsure I actually want to hear the answer.

I stand awkwardly in front of her in the shop waiting for her to respond, b
ut instead of speaking she just stares at me with a steely gaze, making me feel like shrinking into a small ball.

It’s no
exaggeration to say she’s not feeling the love for yours truly right now.

Time may
be a great healer but it’s clearly not a miracle worker when it comes to affairs of the heart.

She finally speaks, but instead of her usual
curt, efficient tone her voice quavers, belying her angry exterior. “I’m fine,” she mutters unconvincingly, the fight seemingly disappearing from her as I watch her visibly slump.

I
stand in front of her trying to look encouraging, wondering what to say next. How do you talk to the woman whose boyfriend you unwittingly stole, turning her life upside down? We stand in awkward silence for a seeming age.

In the end I opt for
simple and humble. “I’m sorry about what happened.”

She bows her head.
“I know.”

Eventually s
he looks up at me as though sizing me up before adding, “He’s gone now. He’s gone up North somewhere.”

Knowing all too well who
“he” is, I offer, “Probably a good thing?” I raise my eyebrows at her, not exactly sure how to react to this news.

She laughs, which takes me by surprise.
“Definitely a good thing.”

“
Yeah, I think you’re right,” I reply.

I smile at her,
feeling relieved she’s not going to hurl anything at me, experiencing a brief sense of solidarity with this damaged woman in front of me. We were unwittingly involved in Scott’s duplicitous games and have both suffered as a result.

She
nods and smiles at me in farewell, our brief exchange complete. She goes to leave, then turns back towards me.

“
See you around, Jessica.”

“See
ya, Brooke,” I reply.

I watch her
walk out of the shop and feel what I can only describe as serenity. I’m not going to go so far as to say we’re bosom buddies now – hell, no - but I think we’ve adjusted to a certain equilibrium we can both be comfortable with.

I
t feels quite grown up of me, actually, and I have to admit I kind of like the feeling.

***

Still carrying my sense of peace, I arrive at Jia’s friend’s apartment building right on time and spot her talking with great gravity into her mobile, hand on hip, projecting an uncompromising ‘don’t even think about messing with me’ air. She’s dressed in a killer black suit emphasising her perfect, slim frame, sky high heels and a beautiful emerald green silk shirt, complementing her long, black hair and skin tone perfectly.

She might
be a piece of work, but the woman sure knows how to dress.

Afte
r a moment or two she notices I’ve arrived and instantly raises a finger at me as if to ensure I don’t say anything to interrupt her, all the while barking instructions into her phone at some poor schmuck on the other end.

A
fter what feels like about an hour standing awkwardly in the street, involuntarily listening to her conversation, she says her goodbyes, hangs up and plasters on a false but infuriatingly beautiful smile.

“
Jessica, hi,” she says brusquely. “I’ve only got a short while, so let’s make this snappy. I’m needed back in the office.”

She’s so officious I feel like saluting her and clicking m
y heels together in response, but she probably has a host of junior lawyers and office staff she needs to slay, so I decide to go with sweetness.