Three’s a Crowd (40 page)

‘I believe it's one of the lesser known effects of global warming,' said Rachel. ‘I've heard they're going to establish a lip dryness index, or LDI, to help predict the rate of icecap melt.'

‘Ah, now that makes sense,' Mel nodded. ‘That's why they're texting all the time, sending their data back to the lab.'

‘Obviously.'

Mel made a face. ‘Drives me mad,' she said. ‘You don't text, do you?'

‘Well, I have been known to text,' said Rachel. ‘But I'm not a habitual texter. I control it, I don't let it control me.'

‘Very good,' said Mel. She leaned forwards. ‘Look, it's only a casual position, so it's going to be up to you. You work hard, the customers like you . . .'

‘Stay off the lip balm . . .'

‘And the texting,' she nodded, ‘and you'll get as many shifts as you want.'

Rachel smiled. ‘When can I start?'

Mel didn't want to throw her in the deep end by putting her on over the weekend, so she told her to come in Tuesday. Mondays were quiet, so Mel took the day off and left the running to her senior.

‘I say “senior” lightly, she's all of twenty-three, but she's got a brain in her head at least. She's doing a Masters degree so her time's flexible. Before she came along, I hadn't had a day off in three years.'

After she left Mel at the juice bar, Rachel decided to take a stroll down onto the beach, conscious of a distinct spring in her step. This morning she'd caught that awful smelly bus to that awful stuffy building, with no idea it would be the last time she was ever going to have to do that. She felt like running and jumping into the ocean, but unfortunately she wasn't dressed for it, and Bondi was a little too public for skinny-dipping.

Her phone started to ring and she fished it out of her bag and flipped it open. It was Tom.

‘Hi!' she almost sang.

‘Hi, I'm on my way, are you home yet?'

‘No, I'm at Bondi.'

‘Oh, okay, whereabouts? I'll pick you up.'

She didn't feel like going home. ‘You know, Tom, I've just come down onto the beach, it's really lovely. Why don't you meet me here?'

There was a pause. ‘You don't want to go back to your place? I've only got an hour or so.'

She bristled a little. ‘So this is just a booty call?'

‘What? No,' he insisted. ‘I just thought you'd be worried about being seen out in public together.'

Sure you were. ‘Look, it's not like we're going to do anything, we'll just go for a walk.'

Was that a sigh? ‘Okay, I'll see you soon.'

Rachel hung around where she had a view of the carpark, and soon enough she saw Tom's car pulling into a space. She waved when he got out and looked around. He spotted her and waved back, then he dipped down again out of her line of sight. He was probably taking off his shoes. Rachel ambled slowly back towards the ramp onto the beach, till she saw him appear again, taking the steps down from the carpark. He crossed the esplanade and started down the ramp, barefoot.

‘Hey,' she said, smiling.

He looked awkward, glancing around as he came closer. ‘You're sure no one's going to see us?'

‘So what if they do?' she said. ‘We're friends going for a walk.'

He shrugged. ‘I would have liked to kiss you at least.'

‘Nice to see you too,' Rachel said loudly, reaching up to offer him her cheek.

He bent to kiss it. ‘Not quite what I had in mind,' he muttered.

‘But all you're going to get.' They started to walk across the sand towards the shoreline. ‘So guess what?' she began.

He looked at her, waiting.

‘I got a job,' she said proudly.

‘What?'

‘I got a job,' she repeated.

He looked confused. ‘I don't understand. You just quit your job and you've already found another one?'

‘I know, isn't it great?' she said. ‘I was walking along the street, right here in Bondi, and I saw a “help wanted” notice in a window, so I went in and applied.'

‘What kind of job are you talking about?' he frowned.

‘At the juice bar, just up there,' she said with a backwards wave of her arm.

He stopped then to face her. ‘You're kidding?'

‘No,' she said simply. ‘The woman who owns it seems really nice, we clicked right away, and she gave me the job.'

‘At a juice bar?'

‘Uhuh,' Rachel nodded, walking off again.

He caught up with her. ‘And that's really what you want to do?'

She shrugged. ‘For the meantime.'

He took hold of her arm to stop her. ‘Rachel, don't you think you're rushing into this? How will you ever find something you really want to do if all your time's taken up working at a juice bar?'

‘But that's the beauty of it,' she explained. ‘I'll just be a casual, so I'll have plenty of free time to work out what I want to do, apply for jobs, or maybe I'll even do some training, I don't know. But in the meantime I can pay the rent.'

‘If money's the problem, I can help you out, Rach.'

She pulled a face. ‘No way, Tom. I can support myself.'

‘Working at a juice bar?'

‘Yeah, for now.' Again, Rachel turned to walk on down towards the water. He was beginning to irritate her. If he said ‘At a juice bar?' with that tone of disbelief one more time . . .

‘Won't this mean you'll have to work weekends?' Tom asked as he fell in beside her again.

‘Of course, that's their busiest time.'

‘What about our time?' he said pointedly.

‘Well, maybe you'll have to work around me for a change.'

‘What's that supposed to mean?'

‘Just what I said.'

‘Rach, I have to work full-time, I don't have a choice. You and I have barely enough time together as it is; if you work weekends, when are we going to see each other?'

‘Don't worry,' she said. She was really getting annoyed now. ‘It closes at six. I'll still be available nights for your booty calls.'

They had reached the shore and Tom turned to look at her. ‘Okay, that's the second time you've used that expression, Rach,' he said. ‘What's the matter?'

She sighed. ‘You know how miserable I was in that job, Tom. I would have thought you'd be happy for me.'

‘I am, really, I'm glad you quit,' he said. ‘I just don't know why you're in such a rush to take the first thing that comes along.'

‘I'm not in such a rush.'

He gave her a dubious look. ‘Rach, you quit your job and took another on the same day, all on a whim.'

‘It wasn't on a whim,' she defended.

‘Oh, I see,' he said, folding his arms. ‘So after careful research of the job market, you decided that becoming a casual at a juice bar was a good career move?'

‘Jesus, you sound like Catherine,' she sniped. ‘What would you prefer I do, Tom? Sell my soul to work for a faceless corporation, even when it goes against every principle I ever held and I hate every minute of it?'

He glared at her. ‘I can't do much about that right now, you know that. I don't have the choice to flit about and take a job like I'm still a backpacker without a care in the world. I have a family to support.'

‘Fine, I understand that. I wasn't the one who started criticising you for your choices.'

‘I wasn't criticising you,' he insisted. ‘I was only saying you shouldn't rush into this, take your time to find something that works for all of us.'

She shook her head and gave a wry laugh. ‘You really think we have a hope of finding an arrangement that works for all of us? Do you have any idea just how complicated this is?' She paused, giving that a moment to sink in. ‘I can't put my life on hold while everyone else sorts themselves out. I might just do what suits me for a change.'

‘For a change?' he scoffed. ‘Are you kidding? You've always done exactly what suits you, Rachel, you've never taken anyone else into consideration.'

‘Yeah well, that's because I haven't had anyone in my life who gives a damn about what I do.'

‘You do now,' he said loudly.

She stared up at him, breathing hard.

‘Look, I know what this is about. You're afraid –'

‘Don't psychoanalyse me, Tom.'

‘I was there, don't forget, for the missed calls,' he went on,
‘the forgotten birthdays, the cancelled visits. I never left you alone then, and I'm not going to leave you now.' He paused, gazing steadily at her. ‘I know this is hard right now, Rach, but it's temporary, and we will get through it. I'm not going anywhere, Rachel. I'll always be here for you.'

She was trembling. ‘As long as I fit in with you. As long as I'm available at your beck and call.'

‘Rachel –'

‘It's true, Tom, and I'm over it. I'm getting on with my life.'

‘And where do I come into that?'

She took a breath. ‘I don't know.'

‘What are you saying?'

‘I honestly don't know,' she repeated, raising her voice and her hands at the same time. Tom was just staring at her, he looked like he was in shock or something. Rachel couldn't stand it, she turned abruptly and set off at a brisk pace along the shoreline.

‘Rachel!' he called.

She stopped but she didn't look back at him.

‘Don't just walk away,' he pleaded. ‘You can't say something like that and just walk away.'

‘We can't talk about this now, Tom,' she called back over her shoulder. ‘You have to go to pick up Hannah.'

‘Then let me drive you home, at least.'

She turned halfway around. ‘I'm not going home.'

‘Where are you going?'

‘Wherever I feel like.'

She walked off again, faster than before. What the hell just happened? She hadn't planned any of that, it had just come out. And now she felt sick in the stomach. She didn't look back, but she knew he wasn't following her. He couldn't, he did have to go pick up Hannah. There wouldn't be enough time to have it out, they didn't have that luxury.

Eventually Rachel did look back, and she could just make him out, striding back up the steps to the carpark. Her heart cramped uncomfortably in her chest as she turned and walked on, watching the waves lap onto the shore ahead of her. Why did he have to bring up all that stuff about her parents, it had nothing to do with anything. Yes, Tom had been there for her when they'd let
her down, she'd cried on his shoulder, he'd even cancelled a date one night because he didn't want to leave her alone.

But he was the one making excuses, pinning the problem onto her so that he didn't have to admit how impossible this situation was. It was crowding in on her, and she had no one she could talk to about it. Rachel felt she'd go crazy if she went home now to sit alone in her empty flat. But what were her alternatives? Talking to Catherine would be inviting a lecture; she judged, she had no compunction whatsoever telling Rachel exactly what to do, and she fully expected her to follow her advice to the letter. There was always Lexie, but apart from the fact that Rachel wouldn't go anywhere near her place right now, Lexie was not someone Rachel felt she could pour her heart out to, not about something like this. Though in truth, she wouldn't be pouring her heart out to anyone – that was the whole problem, she couldn't.

So she might just as well go to Catherine's. At least she'd be sure to get a drink there.

Half an hour later Rachel rang Catherine's doorbell. She was unlikely to be home yet, it was still too early, so she supposed she'd have to camp out on the front porch. But then she heard footsteps approaching and the door swung open. It was Alice. Her face lit up, and Rachel felt like crying.

‘Hi Rachel! What are you doing here?'

She swallowed. ‘Well, just passing . . . I guess your mum's not home yet?'

‘No, but come in,' she said. ‘She'll be home soon.'

Rachel stepped into the hall and Alice gave her a hug. ‘I haven't seen you in ages.'

‘And I haven't seen this new “do”,' she said, giving Alice's hair a tweak.

She pulled a sheepish face. ‘I suppose Mum told you all about it.'

‘What do you think?' Rachel considered her. ‘It's kinda cool. I think you've pulled it off.'

‘Mum hates it.'

‘You didn't actually expect her to like it, did you?'

Alice smiled. ‘I'm glad you're here. I get so bored since I've
been imprisoned for the term of my natural life.' She started down the hall. ‘Do you want a drink or something? Mum always has wine in the fridge.'

Rachel would have loved nothing more than a glass of wine, but somehow she didn't think it was appropriate to sit here drinking in the company of a seventeen year old. ‘Just water'll be fine, thanks.'

She sat up at the kitchen island bench and Alice got them both a bottle of water out of the fridge, handing one to Rachel as she perched herself on a stool.

‘So what's the goss?' said Alice.

‘Ah, well, lots actually. I quit my job and got a new one, all on the same day.'

‘Awesome.'

‘I know, I rock.'

Alice giggled. ‘What's your new job?'

‘I'm going to be working down at the juice bar at Bondi Beach.'

‘That is so totally cool!' Alice exclaimed, her eyes wide. ‘I love that place, everyone from school wants to work there.'

‘Well, now you have someone on the inside, I'll see what I can do.'

She giggled again.

Rachel took a swig of her water. ‘So, what's the goss with you?'

She groaned. ‘Zilch. I'm in Year 12 and I'm grounded. I totally have no life.'

‘No boyfriend I should know about?' Rachel raised an eyebrow.

‘Sure, like I'd have a boyfriend.'