Chapter 53
CHAPTER 53
M onday morning, walking with Diane, I filled her in about the washup from the concert night.
She laughed. ‘I picked a bad day to have oral surgery. I realised something was up when an email from the school appeared in my inbox on Saturday.’
‘Almost unprecedented,’ I agreed.
The email, coordinated with all the primary and high schools in the district, and co-signed by their principals, stated that the schools were “ committed to stamping out online abuse and trolling. Please contact your school principal directly to ensure matters are swiftly dealt with so they don’t fester and infect the community.
“The uncivilised behaviour demonstrated at (redacted) primary school on Friday night was unacceptable and will not be tolerated a second time. This behaviour is un-Christian especially at Christmas when civility, inclusivity, and goodwill to ALL is paramount.
“Finally, we wish all our community a joyful and relaxing holiday season and look forward to welcoming you and your families back next February. ”
‘As for Mardi? Why would she pretend those treats were from her? ’
Diane thought for a moment. ‘Because there are people in this world who’ll grab any opportunity to steal glory?—’
‘I was never after glory.’
‘Doesn’t matter. She saw a chance and snatched it because she knew you wouldn’t brag about the delights because they were Dana’s creations to boast about, not yours.’
‘Dana would never boast. It’s her job.’
Diane waved me away. ‘It’s a pity Mardi took them. Happily for her, she knew you wouldn’t confront her when she stole the credit for baking them.’
‘I didn’t bake them.’
Diane clicked her tongue. ‘Again, yes, I know. You’re not listening. It’s a micro version of the Sarah Stanthorpe situation. You don’t confront – whether small or large. You’re easy prey.’
Tears welled.
‘Sorry, Kate,’ Diane said. ‘Truth bombs sting.’
‘Mum, Bugs is under my bed,’ Angus said, running into the kitchen, tears streaming down his cheeks. ‘He’s dying.’
‘What?’ I flew upstairs and into Angus’s room, Lexi and Angus keeping pace behind me.
‘Bugs, Bugsy boy.’ I got down on my hands and knees and looked under the bed. It was a wonder Angus could see anything beneath a mass of clothes, books and toys.
‘Bugsy?’ I could see him curled up on some clothes on the far side against the wall. I tried coaxing, but he wouldn’t come. I crawled further under the bed. He appeared to be in great pain and?—
‘Oh God!’ I hit my head as I crawled back out from underneath the bed.
Lexi and Angus were standing close by .
‘Mum, what is it?’ Lexi said, voice shaky.
‘Get me – I don’t know, towels, lots of towels.’ I tried to remain outwardly calm. ‘Hurry. Not the good ones. Angus, go downstairs and get me the dog box, the one we take Rupert to the vet in. Hurry.’
‘Why not Bugsy’s box? Is he okay?’
‘Gus, get Rupert’s box now.’ I lowered my voice. ‘Please.’
He ran away and Lexi rushed back in with towels.
‘What, Mummy? Tell me. Is Bugsy dying?’ She was crying. ‘Tell me.’
‘Sweetie’ – I caught my breath and took the towels from her – ‘Bugsy’s having babies.’
There were five of them – five tiny, blind little bunnies, each not much bigger than my thumb. They couldn’t have been more than an hour old. As quietly and slowly as I could, I laid Bugs and his – make that her – babies in the dog box together with a towel, water and lettuce.
‘Do I have to go to school?’ Angus asked.
‘Yes, you do.’
‘And me, Mummy?’ Lexi whispered.
I raised my eyebrows. ‘Yes, Lexi, you too. Besides, Bugs needs his rest as well. He, I mean she, has had an eventful night. She’ll still be here when you get home this afternoon.’
Angus’s face scrunched. ‘So Bugs is a girl now?’
‘It would appear so.’
‘When did she change into a girl and start having babies?’
‘We’ll figure that out later, Gus. Please get ready for school. Scoot. We’re going to be late.’
I put Bugs and her children in a quiet, warm corner of the lounge room, and shut the door, away from Rupert and Cleo’s prying eyes.
With luck on my side, I’d be a free woman within hours. I intended to see Fern, tell her what I thought of Graeme, and leave. She deserved to know the kind of person she had working for her. Genius or not, if he was intimidating me, he was probably harassing others as well. There was no way Fern would stand for that kind of behaviour.
I dropped Lexi at school and then Angus as the final bell rang, which was remarkable given I’d been a rabbit’s midwife less than an hour ago.
In the car park at Image Ink, I called Mum. ‘No, not good timing, but there’d never be a good time. Yes, five of them. Are you sure you don’t mind popping in this afternoon? I’ll be home just after lunch. Thanks.’
I clicked off my mobile and closed my eyes. Opened them. Then closed them again. Barely three metres ahead of me stood Fern and Graeme. She moved towards him, cupping her hands around his face. He didn’t pull away. He turned to the side and kissed her hands. I couldn’t believe my eyes when they kissed then, passionately.
Graeme wiped his lips and smiled smugly at me. He whacked Fern on her backside and sauntered into the building.
‘Do you hate me?’ Fern asked, walking up, when she saw they’d been caught.
‘I’m… I don’t know what to say.’
‘Gray and I?—’
‘No. Please don’t tell me.’ I swallowed hard. ‘Did I mention my rabbit’s given birth to five babies? We thought he was a boy. How wrong can you be? Five! We have six rabbits now.’
We sat on the steps in the morning sun.
‘Great, but about Gray – it’s okay, really. We’ve… we’ve been together a while now. It’s not ideal, of course, but we make it work. ’
‘Please don’t tell me more, I mean it. You’re too good for him. Would the children like a bunny?’ I was gabbling to stop myself from thinking about what I’d just witnessed.
‘But the sex! The sex is awesome.’
I didn’t want to hear about Fern’s adulterous sexual encounters, but it was too late. Visions of Fern clinging onto a filing cabinet in the office supplies room while Graeme penetrated her with quick thrusts from behind raced through my mind.
‘Graeme excites me like no man I’ve ever had. He makes me tingle. I feel alive when he’s inside me.’
Bile rose in my throat. Graeme was an evil, immoral pig. An ape who seduced others in quiet corners of pubs, who chatted them up in office hallways while they tried to work and attempted to have sex with them while on location shoots. I wanted to tell her he was a sloppy bad kisser! And he wore ill-fitting trousers. But I couldn’t. (The last two weren’t true, anyway.)
‘Say something.’
‘I-I don’t know what to say.’
‘Terry and I aren’t like you and Matthew. We don’t have the camaraderie you two have. With us, it’s always been a competition. Who earns the most money? Who drives the flashiest car? Who’s winning the most awards? The competition never ends. And as far as sex is concerned, well… let’s just say there are no surprises.’
It never occurred to me Fern and Terry were unhappy. They looked perfect together, not like a couple in crisis.
‘I had no idea.’
‘Why would you? We put on a convincing show.’
‘But the children…’
‘What about them? They don’t know. Graeme and I aren’t about to run off together and live happily ever after. He’s available. We both have needs, desires. I find the time to accommodate him and he, let me tell you, certainly accommodates me. End of story. Besides, Terry hasn’t looked at me that way in years. To him, I’m plain old Fern. I’m the mother of his children, not a high-powered magazine exec overseeing ninety staff. He doesn’t appreciate me. When Graeme looks at me there’s pure lust in his eyes. He wants me. Graeme thinks I’m clever, loves my body?—’
‘Oh God.’ I put my head between my knees. ‘I’m going to throw up.’
‘It’s not that bad. I can handle it. Terry’s not interested in me.’
‘How can you say that? You have four kids.’ I looked up at her briefly before the queasiness seized me again.
‘Exactly. Four kids. They’re my reality. The rest is illusion, keeping up appearances. Do you know how hard I work to keep it together? My perfect life, my perfect children… It’s all a lie. I’m living a lie.’
I was staring at her open-mouthed. Never in a million years would I have guessed Fern and Graeme – Graeme! Of all people!
‘Don’t look so shocked, Kate. We all have our secrets. I didn’t set out to cheat. At first Graeme and I flirted, it was fun. After Lily was born, I made a special effort to get back into shape. Went back to swimming laps three mornings a week. I walked and worked out at the gym to lose the baby weight. Do you think Terry commented or even noticed? Do you think he noticed I was on the lemon detox diet for months on end? I was starving myself to look attractive for him. I got my legs and eyebrows waxed, all for him, so he’d want me. Desire me again. But did he? No. No. No. He didn’t say one bloody word about it. There was never any Fern, you’re looking great. I got nothing. Not one word of encouragement. And pelvic floor exercises! I have bladder control like you wouldn’t believe.’
‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. ’
She waved my sympathy away. ‘When I came back from maternity leave seven months ago, Graeme was still here, still keen on me and still flirting. He was pure charm, so good for my post-baby ego. Every day he was here, regular as clockwork, praising me. I know he was probably trying to get me into bed…’
‘You think?’
‘What? You don’t think I ached to fuck him as well? Without strings? I was desperate for it. Desperate to have mad, passionate sex that didn’t come at a price. I love you, Terry. You’re the greatest, Terry. None of that. Zero mother guilt.’
I’d rarely heard Fern swear before, let alone say fuck . I felt uneasy. Squeamish.
‘You know what, Kate?’
‘Please don’t tell me.’
‘Ha! Terry says he can’t go down on me because I’m a mother now. What a load of rubbish. For ten years, I’ve missed out. I’m shocking you, aren’t I?’
Seriously, I was going to throw up. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t be telling me this.’
‘With Graeme, I can think about myself and my own needs. Graeme and I are both selfish. But we also connect professionally. Graeme is a talented artist, brave. Inspirational.’ Fern smiled. ‘So now you know.’
‘It’s not just sex?’
‘No. It’s not just sex. Truly.’
‘Why don’t I believe you?’
‘Look, Graeme can be a rat. I know he cheats. And he has every right to. I come with baggage – a husband and children. He was entertaining a woman at his home late the other night when I arrived unexpectedly.’ She giggled. ‘He quickly got rid of her. Made her climb out the window, but I knew he’d been with someone. Then we did our?— ’
‘What?’
‘Oh yes, he does that. He’s a bastard. But he gives great?—’
‘I really need to use the bathroom.’