Thirty-two
‘Where did you say you were going?’ Freya asked.
Gill was peering into the mirror, applying the minimal makeup she favoured, when her daughter popped her head in. ‘ Addisons , it’s a relatively new restaurant in the hinterland. It’s had good reviews.’
‘And is well away from the curious glances of the residents of Pelican Crossing. I expect that’s why the mayor chose it.’ Freya winked.
‘Don’t call him that. His name’s Joe.’
‘But he is the mayor.’
‘Hmm.’ Gill studied her image in the full-length mirror. Did the calf-length, blue, wool dress look as if she was making too much of an effort? Should she have chosen her usual black pants with a coloured top?
‘You look lovely, Mum,’ Freya said as if sensing her concern. ‘You’ll blow him away.’
‘That’s not my intention. We’re only friends. We’re not…’
‘Well, you should be. It’s about time you found someone, someone who’d treat you better than Dad did. I’m sorry I didn’t realise what a jerk he was. He had me fooled. Not anymore. The mayor… sorry, Joe, seems like one of the good guys. There aren’t many of them around.’
Gill turned to see Freya was almost in tears.’ Oh, my darling.’ She pulled her daughter into a warm hug. ‘Would you prefer me to stay home tonight? It’s not too late for me to cancel.’ And it might not be a bad idea , Gill thought, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach that seemed to have a life of their own.
‘Of course not. I’ll be fine. I want to check out a few of the Australian university websites. There may be some positions available for next year. Amber thought I could find some tutoring in the meantime.’
‘Oh.’ Gill had been very careful to avoid asking Freya about her plans. It seemed she had been more forthcoming with Amber than she had with her mother. But it wasn’t too much of a surprise. The two had always been close. ‘What sort of tutoring?’
‘She says there are a few high school kids who are having challenges with their studies and may be open to private tuition.’
‘Would you like that?’
‘If it was short term, just until something permanent comes up. In the States, around half the university positions are on a one-year contract, so it’s always a bit of a challenge not knowing what’s going to happen from one year to the next. It’s almost impossible to get tenure. I’ve heard it’s different here.’
Gill’s heart lifted. It sounded as if Freya had decided to stay, to make a future right here in Australia. And even if it meant she might have to travel interstate, it was better than her being on the other side of the world.
By the time Gill heard Joe’s knock at the door, she’d convinced herself of a future in which Freya lived within travelling distance and would continue to be part of her life. Now, if only her daughter could find someone to love her too…
Joe looked very handsome tonight, in a pair of khaki chinos and white shirt, a brown sweater which matched his eyes knotted casually around his shoulders. Gill’s heart gave a flip.
‘You’re looking very nice,’ he said. ‘Colour suits you.’
Gill blushed, realising her outfit probably matched her eyes too. Was that why she’d chosen it? Had she subconsciously wanted Joe’s admiration? ‘Thanks, you do too.’ She blushed again. What had possessed her to say that ?
Once they were in the car, Gill began to relax as Joe recounted some of Coco’s antics.
Then he said, ‘I’m worried about Erica. She seems determined to contact Briony. Her daughter-in-law,’ he added, clearly seeing Gill’s puzzled expression. ‘She’s pregnant, and Erica wants to check up on her. She wants to know how Kieren is too. She says she’ll get a new phone, withhold the number, but I’m afraid Geoff will find out. What do you think?’
‘She shouldn’t. Of course she shouldn’t. But I can understand why she wants to.’ Gill thought about how she would feel if Freya was pregnant, and she wasn’t able to contact her. It had been one of her greatest fears. ‘We can only hope he doesn’t find out. He should be facing court soon. Let’s hope it makes him see sense.’ But she could hear the doubt in her voice.
‘They don’t always, do they? Abusive husbands. I’m guessing you’ve seen it happen a lot. You read about it every day, see it on the news. Wives killed by their husbands, by the one person who promised to love them.’
‘You don’t think…’ Gill was horrified. Erica had told her Geoff had hit her. It hadn’t occurred to her he could be an actual danger to her. She remembered some of the horror stories Ali had told her.
‘I don’t know. I’ve never liked the guy. I’ve seen her bruises, but I doubt he’d go that far. I just hope he stays in Western Australia.’
‘Me too. Erica tells me she’s nursing again.’
‘She loves it, always has. I hate how he forced her to give it up. He called me, you know, trying to find out where she was. Put on the spot, I gave him the name of an old school friend of Erica’s, living in Cairns, hoping to send him on a wild goose chase. I haven’t told Erica about his call.’
By this time, they had reached their destination. The long, low building was situated on top of a cliff with distant ocean views, which must be amazing in daylight. Tonight, there was a full moon shining on the water, and Gill could easily imagine what it would be like as the sun went down.
‘It must be quite something at sunset and sunrise,’ Joe said, echoing her thoughts.
Gill turned towards him and smiled. This man continued to surprise her.
‘Shall we go in?’ Joe said.
The restaurant was almost full, but Gill didn’t recognise any of the other diners. Had Freya been right?
Once they were seated, Joe’s next words confirmed it. ‘No familiar faces to speculate on our being together,’ he said. ‘Unlike the yacht club.’
‘Is it why you chose to come here?’
‘Partly. I’d also heard the food was really good. Finn Hunter told me about it.’
‘I believe he brought Liz here.’
Joe didn’t reply then said, ‘I’m glad we’ve become friends. It’s too easy to stop making new friends as we grow older. I enjoy your company, Gill. I hope we can see more of each other. I’d like to know what makes Gill Dickson tick, who the woman behind the divorce and family law solicitor really is. So far, I’ve only seen glimpses of her, and I like what I’ve seen. You don’t find it easy to drop the barriers, do you?’
Dazed by Joe’s sudden abruptness, Gill took a sip of wine before replying. She didn’t remember Joe ordering it. But it tasted good and gave her time to consider what to say. No one had ever spoken to her like this before. She placed the glass carefully on the table. ‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘I’m often not aware the barriers are there. I’ve become so accustomed to them. It surprises me how you’ve managed to make your way through them. I’ve made a vow to change, to become more like other people, but I don’t always succeed. I hate to feel vulnerable and without the barriers…’ She grimaced and took another sip of wine.
‘There’s no need. You’re the least vulnerable person I know. Opening up to others isn’t a sign of weakness. It can be a sign of strength.’
‘Hmm.’
‘Anyway, enough of the introspection. We’re here to have dinner and an enjoyable evening.’ Joe picked up a menu, and Gill did the same.
The rest of the evening passed pleasantly. Both were pleased with their choice of half-shell scallops followed by barbecued quail. Gill was about to shake her head when the waiter produced the dessert menu, only to change her mind when he listed the specials. The dark chocolate mousse with hazelnut crumb and wattle seed ice cream sounded too good to refuse. They agreed to share a serving and Joe ordered coffee to accompany it.
‘I won’t need to eat for a week,’ Gill said, as they piled back into the car. ‘The meal was delicious. Thanks for bringing me here. I know Liz raved about it, but she didn’t do it justice. It compares very favourably with Crossings .’
The whole evening had been delightful – the restaurant, the food, the company. Gill couldn’t remember when she had last enjoyed herself so much. She stole a glance at the man in the driver’s seat. Freya was right. Joe was one of the good guys. The problem was… Gill didn’t need another man in her life. She was still trying to free herself from Max, and it wasn’t fair to let Joe believe there could be a future for them. But how could she say it, how could she tell him without embarrassing herself? What if she was wrong? What if he had no intention of being anything but a good friend? Maybe she was making his friendship into something it wasn’t. Maybe it was the influence of the full moon putting ideas into her head, ideas which had no bearing on reality.
You’re right,’ Joe said. ‘… about it comparing favourably to Crossings ,’ he added when she didn’t reply. ‘We should definitely come again.’
‘Of course,’ she said, unable to stop herself.