Twenty-six
Joe had noticed a difference in Erica on the morning after she’d attended the Zonta meeting. It was as if she was lit up from the inside. But when he asked her how it was, she’d only said, ‘Good’ before heading off to work.
Now it was Friday evening, and he was getting ready to go to the yacht club, but before he left, he wanted to have a word with his sister. He found her in the kitchen heating up some leftovers. Coco was standing beside her in the hope of receiving something to eat, even though Joe had already fed her.
‘How are you managing getting to and from work?’ he asked. He was feeling guilty he hadn’t pursued the idea of finding her a car.
‘It’s fine,’ she said. ‘It’s not too far to walk and it’s good to get some fresh air after being inside all day.’
‘What about when you’re on night shift?’ Joe had checked the roster Erica had posted on the fridge and had noted it would be in a week’s time.
‘I expect I’ll manage.’
‘We talked about getting you a car. How about we check out the used car yard tomorrow. You’re off, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, but…’
‘No excuses. I don’t want to think of you walking to work and home in the dark. As I said before you can pay me back, or we can treat it as an early birthday present.’
‘Oh Joe. You’re too good to me.’ Erica threw her arms around Joe and gave him a hug. ‘You won’t regret it.’
Joe blushed. It was the least he could do. ‘Okay. If you’re in bed when I get back, I’ll see you in the morning. Maybe we can have lunch or dinner at Crossings .’ He was aware he had yet to make good his promise to take her to Poppy’s restaurant.
‘Sounds wonderful,’ she said, adding to Joe’s guilt. He should have taken her there before now. But better late than never, and maybe she would open up to him about what had happened at the Zonta meeting to give her that inner glow.
Joe headed to the yacht club where he’d arranged to meet Gill. She’d said she preferred to meet there rather than being picked up at home, and that she could walk there. He thought perhaps it was a way of her retaining the privacy which he felt was very important to her, and hoped that one day, she might feel comfortable enough with him to allow him to see her home.
As he approached the club, Joe saw Gill walking towards him. Hearing a loud squawking overhead, he glanced up to see a flock of black cockatoos flying over.
‘Aren’t they magnificent,’ Gill said, joining him and gazing up too, as the birds disappeared in the distance.
‘But noisy… and they make a mess of the banksia in my front yard,’ he said, remembering the heap of debris he’d had to sweep up after a pair of the birds had feasted on it. ‘Ready to go in?’ he asked. ‘You’re looking lovely tonight.’ Joe couldn’t take his eyes off the picture she made. In a pair of black pants and a bright pink jacket, she looked so different to what she had on the previous occasions they’d met.
Gill blushed. ‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘Let’s go in.’
Tempted to take her hand, Joe restrained himself, worried she’d pull hers away. It wouldn’t be a good start to the evening.
The restaurant was busy, making Joe glad he’d had the foresight to book. Apart from Erica, Gill was the first woman he’d brought here since Barb, and it brought back memories – good ones. He wondered if the place had memories for Gill too, and whether hers were as good as his. He presumed some of her married life had been happy. Hadn’t he heard something about a daughter? He had a lot to discover about this woman who liked to keep her personal life close. But she had opened up about her medical procedure, so perhaps she’d be willing to disclose more about herself.
‘Hello, Gill,’ the waitress greeted Gill, who reddened.
‘Mandy,’ she said. ‘I didn’t expect to see you tonight.’
‘I don’t usually do weekends,’ the waitress said as she handed them menus and listed the evening’s specials.
‘She’s Liz’s daughter,’ Gill explained when she left. ‘Now everyone will know we had dinner together.’
‘Is it a problem for you?’ Joe knew Gill liked to be private, but it was difficult to keep things secret in a town like Pelican Crossing. Maybe he should have taken her to somewhere out of town.
‘I guess not.’ But she sighed. ‘I’ve lived in a bubble for so long. It seems odd to be out with you like this.’
‘Not too odd, I hope.’ Joe smiled.
‘Not too odd,’ Gill agreed, returning his smile.
When they placed their orders – a pasta dish for Gill and barramundi and chips for Joe – Mandy told them there might be a delay as the kitchen was busy.
‘We’re in no hurry,’ Joe said, ‘but if we could have the wine.’ He’d also ordered a bottle of a Clare Valley pinot gris.
‘Certainly.’
A few moments later Mandy brought the wine and poured two glasses.
‘This is lovely.’ Gill sipped her wine and gazed out at the twinkling lights of the marina.
‘Mmm.’ Joe was unsure if she was talking about the wine, the restaurant, the view or the company. Probably the restaurant. It was pleasant sitting here, drinking wine.
‘Thanks for suggesting this. It’s been a while since I came out like this. I can’t remember when it was.’
‘No problem. Thanks for agreeing to join me. Barb and I used to come here a lot, but since…’ He sighed. ‘Erica and I came here not so long ago, and I realised I’d missed it.’
‘Me too. We used to bring Freya here on birthdays.’
‘Your daughter?’
Gill smiled. She seemed to relax. ‘Yes. She’s coming home tomorrow.’
‘She’s been away?’
‘California. She left soon after Max did. We lost touch.’
Joe wondered how you could lose touch with your daughter. If he and Barb had been lucky enough to have a family, he knew he’d have made sure they kept close. He glanced at Gill to see tears in her eyes. ‘Want to talk about it?’
She took a tissue from her pocket. ‘Sorry,’ she said, pressing the tissue to her eyes.
Joe’s heart went out to her. He wanted to reach out, hug her tight.
‘It’s all right,’ Joe said, ‘you’ve nothing to be sorry for. It must have been hard for you.’
She took a sip of wine. ‘Everything was fine till Max left – or I thought it was. I guess it started to go wrong when I was made partner around the same time he was turned down for the position of principal. But life went on, Freya left for university, we bought the apartment. It was only later the arguments started. Max complained I spent more time at work than at home, cared more for my clients than I did for him and Freya.’ She took a deep breath and another sip of wine. ‘What I didn’t know was that he had been seeing other women. He must have infected Freya with his views too, because soon after he left, she accepted a teaching position at a university in Santa Barbara, where she’d completed her doctorate. Since then… until just over a week ago… I hadn’t heard from her.’
‘Not at all?’ Joe couldn’t hide his shock. For him, family was paramount. He couldn’t imagine a scenario such as Gill described.
Gill shook her head.
‘So why now?’
‘It seems Max has finally managed to do something she can’t accept. He’s in a relationship with a younger woman – around Freya’s age – and she’s pregnant.’
‘Wow!’
Their meals arrived, and Joe refilled their glasses.
‘So, tomorrow,’ he said. ‘You must be excited.’
‘I can’t wait, but…’ Gill bit her lip, ‘… it’s been so long, I hope… I hope I don’t disappoint her. Now she’s finally seen Max’s true colours, I can’t help thinking she might find fault with me again too.’
‘I’m sure that won’t happen.’ But how could he be? He’d never met Gill’s daughter who must be in her late twenties by his reckoning.
‘She’s thirty,’ Gill said, as if reading his thoughts, ‘the same age as Poppy, Liz and Rachel’s eldest. They all grew up together. It was when they were all babies that the four of us got together. It was so long ago.’ Her eyes misted again.
Suddenly Joe understood. He knew her friends’ daughters all lived in Pelican Crossing, were married, and he had a vague idea at least one of them had children. Gill must feel her daughter’s absence even more when they all met. He wished there was something he could say or do to comfort her, the urge to hug her so strong.
‘Sorry,’ she said again, patting her eyes with the tissue. ‘I didn’t intend to dump all this on you.’
‘It’s not a problem. I’m glad you felt you could share it with me.’ He had the impression she hadn’t shared it with many others – perhaps only with her closest friends?
‘Thanks for listening.’
Greatly daring, Joe reached across the table to cover Gill’s hand with his. ‘I’m happy to listen any time. Barb always told me I was a good listener.’
‘She was right.’ Gill gave him a teary smile. ‘Now I guess we shouldn’t let this lovely food get cold,’ she said, gesturing to their meals which had been served while they were talking.
By the time they left the yacht club, a stiff breeze had blown up, tempting Joe to put a protective arm around Gill’s shoulders, but he managed to restrain himself, aware it might not be welcome. He was still trying to come to terms with the complicated woman he’d had dinner with. He’d seen different aspects of her, from fiercely independent to endearingly vulnerable, and wasn’t sure how to respond.
Thanks again, Joe. It was a lovely evening,’ Gill said with a smile. ‘Good night.’
And all Joe could do was smile back as she turned and walked away.
‘Good night,’ he called after her, unable to take his eyes off the dark-haired enigma in pink until her jacket had faded into the darkness.
Gill was right, it had been a lovely evening. He’d learnt a little of the real Gill Dickson, and he was sure now that he wanted to learn a lot more