Haunted Ever After

Chapter 10

‘ W ell that was fun, how cute and quirky is Barron Springs?’ Georgie asked, as she closed the door behind us when we returned to the guest house.

‘We should come here more often, have a regular girls’ weekend every six months or so,’ Mel added. ‘And we could book Ty again. You know, help him pay for medical school. Would be a nice gesture.’

‘Something tells me you’d want to book him even if he didn’t need the money.’ Lorena nudged Mel in the ribs and she shrugged.

‘Maybe we could go somewhere new each time, if we make these girls’ weekends a regular thing,’ I suggested.

Lorena nodded. ‘Good idea.’

‘But why go anywhere else?’ Mel said with a cheeky smile.

Georgie plated up some antipasto and placed it on the coffee table. ‘Dig in, gals.’

‘It’s also time for us to play a game,’ Lorena said, rubbing her hands together.

My stomach dropped a little. ‘Not Pin the You-Know-What on the You-Know-Who again?’ I asked .

She flicked her hand towards me. ‘No, something new.’

I glanced at the old wooden bookcase towering beside the fireplace, which held not only a collection of books but an array of board games. ‘Oh good, what about Scrabble? Or Operation?’

‘Yeah, like we’d have a chance against you with your large vocabulary and medical precision. Nice try, Sal. We’re going to play something a bit more… fun.’ She grinned, then disappeared into her bedroom and returned with a large bag. She withdrew a huge lump of newspaper.

‘Papier-maché?’ I asked, as my forehead drew downwards.

She laughed.

‘God I hope not. That stuff is evil,’ said Mel. ‘I vowed never to do that with my kids again, such a mess.’ She scrunched her face then raised her finger. ‘Unless… are we going to fashion a 3D version of Pin the You-Know-What on the You-Know-Who?’ Her eyes widened.

‘Mel!’ I scolded. ‘You naughty thing.’

Lorena held up the large lump in front of her own large lump. ‘Can’t you tell what it is? Pass the Parcel!’ She shook the lump in anticipation.

My stomach returned to its normal position. Phew . Nothing naughty or embarrassing, just a simple childhood game with gifts inside. Much better. ‘Haven’t played that for years!’ I said, taking a spot on the floor on top of the intricately patterned rug. ‘Let’s get started.’

‘Now that’s what I like to see, enthusiasm for my initiative.’ Lorena placed the parcel on the floor in front of me and tried to kiss my forehead, but couldn’t bend enough to reach me so sounded a ‘mwah!’ instead.

Lorena sat on the velvet couch with her iPhone and played some music: ‘The Wedding March’. She really should leave retail management and go into event management, the woman thought of every little detail.

Mel and Georgie sat on the floor too, in as much of a circle as three people could manage.

‘But you won’t get any gifts, Lorena,’ I said.

‘I know what they all are anyway.’

‘But still, how can we play so that you get to keep some pressies too?’

‘I’ll take her spot!’ Red exclaimed, leaping onto the floor and sitting between myself and Georgie.

I shuffled a little closer to Georgie to try and nudge her away, then gestured to the gap between Mel and I. ‘Why don’t we pretend you’re here, and place the parcel on the floor during the game. If the music stops before Mel or I get to pick it up then that means you get to open one of the layers? ’

‘Umm…’ Lorena didn’t seem overly fussed about playing. Maybe the gifts weren’t that great, perhaps only two-dollar lipsticks and other little novelties. I looked at her luscious fuchsia lips and realised that nope, she wouldn’t stoop to cheap gifts.

‘Yeah, but you have to turn away when you play the music so you can’t see who has the parcel when the music stops,’ Mel instructed.

‘All right then. I officially declare that spot of rug to be my proxy.’ She pointed, and when Red looked like she was about to jump over there I glared at her. She pouted and crossed her arms.

I accepted a slice of Turkish bread covered with marinated feta and roasted red peppers, and gulped it down. I passed the parcel to the invisible ‘Lorena’ then Mel picked it up and passed it to Georgie, then Georgie passed it to me. The situation repeated, until the music stopped when the parcel was in my hands.

‘Perfect timing, Lorena!’ Mel said. ‘Bride-to-be gets first gift.’

I wriggled in anticipation and unwrapped the first layer, revealing a lavender eye pillow. ‘Oh, how nice! Thanks,’ I said, placing the pillow over my eyes as I leaned back a little. ‘I might have to have a nanna nap before dinner so I can try it out.’ And maybe it would stop me seeing Red for a while. I rested it on my leg and as the music resumed I passed the parcel again. Next was Georgie who got a decorative metal bookmark, then me again with a small sachet of heart-shaped chocolates.

‘I’ll swap you,’ Mel said.

‘But you don’t have anything to swap,’ I replied.

‘Exactly.’

I chuckled and handed her a chocolate, which she wolfed down in one hit. Eventually the music stopped on her turn and she got a small pocket book called Ten Steps to Happiness in Love by a Dr Reginald Bloomschneider.

‘With a name like that, he must have women falling at his feet,’ she joked, flipping through the book and forgetting to pass the parcel. ‘Oops, sorry! I’ll read this tonight. Wonder if it advises having no more than three kids.’ She laughed, as she always did, about anything to do with serious issues. I wondered if she truly was happy with her marriage. Was she just being light-hearted about it or did she really have some concerns? I made a mental note to catch up with her after the wedding, just the two of us, to find out how things were really going.

Lorena finally got a gift; a pair of dangly earrings, which I was glad about because they weren’t something I would wear. When the music stopped again with the parcel in my hands, I wondered what other treats she had hidden in this bundle of generosity .

I pulled out a slip of paper and read it:

This voucher is for one truth or dare.

I glanced up at Lorena with inquisitive eyes. She shot me a knowing look. ‘Truth or dare?’

I nodded.

‘Oooh, goodie!’ said Mel. ‘So which one do you want: truth or dare?’

‘Hang on, let’s save up the truth or dares till the parcel is all unwrapped,’ said Lorena.

‘You mean there are more of them?’ I asked.

‘Yep.’

‘I’m up for that,’ Georgie said. ‘Already spilled my guts to you yesterday about my sex life, why stop now?’

But she never got a truth or dare. By the time the game was complete the four vouchers had been received only by Mel and I, two each. Maybe we could do one truth and one dare. The other gifts shared between us were a heart-shaped silver photo frame (which I would put a wedding photo in), a sachet of gummy bears (which now ceased to exist thanks to Mel’s appetite), and various accessories and novelty items. Oh, and a twenty-five per cent discount voucher for an online ‘adult’ store, which Mel placed next to her on the floor and smiled at .

‘Damn, and I was hoping I’d get that one,’ said Lorena with a wink.

Apart from the truth or dare vouchers, which were causing an uncomfortable, nervous sensation in my chest, I was quite impressed with my loot. ‘You’ve really put a lot of thought into this, Lorena.’ I stood and gave her a hug. ‘Thank you. The gifts are perfect.’

She smiled. ‘It was fun! I loved putting the parcel together. And it was good to get in some practise before my gorgeous girl is born.’ She patted her belly and smiled again, then her jaw dropped.

Mine did too. ‘You’re having a girl?’ I asked, eyes wide, my hands grasping one of hers.

She covered her mouth. ‘Oops.’

Mel whooped and Georgie placed her hand over her heart, and that, combined with Lorena’s expression which had morphed into something softer, something motherly, made tears pool at the back of my eyes. ‘A little girl! I’m so happy for you.’ I kissed her cheek and hugged her again, and Lorena wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

‘Please don’t tell anyone, we agreed to keep it secret until the birth. My parents don’t even know.’

I formed a cross over my heart with my finger. ‘Secret’s safe with me.’ I was used to keeping things confidential; it was second nature, and a legal requirement of my job .

‘Don’t worry, hun,’ said Mel. ‘What happens in Barron Springs…’

‘Stays in Barron Springs!’ we chorused, then collapsed into a group embrace on the couch with a glossy-eyed Lorena.

‘Okay, enough, girls, I believe we have some truth or dares to get through?’ Lorena ushered us away and we each took a seat, me next to Lorena on the velvet couch, Mel sprawled on the rug, and Georgie in the armchair.

‘You go first, Mel,’ I said. ‘Truth or dare?’

‘Well it looks like I have to do both anyway, but let’s get the ball rolling with a dare.’

Mel and I were opposites; I’d rather start with truth. I’m an honest person, so that wouldn’t be a problem. Except for the little white lie about what the palm reader told me. Oh, and if they asked me if I’d ever seen a ghost, I was screwed.

I racked my brain for a suitable dare, one that would be a bit challenging, or embarrassing even, but not in a totally life-ruining way. I considered telling her to put a cushion down her top and walk down the street and pretend she was pregnant, then go into fake labour in front of people, but that could be tricky if someone called an ambulance. Then again, being a nurse, I could always say I’d take her to hospital and assist her on the way, or deliver the baby myself. Nah, better to do something here, something we didn’t have to leave the house for. There’d been enough public excitement for one day.

The pink voucher lying on the floor next to Mel caught my eye, and my mouth curled up at the corner. I whipped out my phone and typed in the website of the adult store. Aha! Perfect.

Mel eyed me curiously. ‘Do you want me to order something with my discount voucher now, is that it? Because I can do that, no problem.’

‘Not exactly. I want you to call customer service and ask them to explain the difference between some of the products so they can help you select the um, toy, or whatever those things are, that’s right for you.’ I nodded in satisfaction and handed her my phone. Then I pulled it back. ‘Actually, better use your own phone, in case they track phone numbers or something and try to call me with special offers.’

Mel took a deep breath and Lorena and Georgie egged her on, chanting, ‘Do it, do it, do it!’ with Red joining in too, as though she thought she was one of the girls. I was even starting to get used to having her around, and she was behaving a little better at the moment.

‘But it’s Saturday, they’re probably closed. ’

I shook my head. ‘Customer service open nine to five, seven days a week.’ I handed her my phone so she could see the website.

‘Okay, I can do this. Sure thing.’ But she looked a little nervous and scrolled through the website on my phone so she could prepare herself. Every now and again she’d chuckle, or gasp, or laugh out loud at whatever she was coming across on the site. She rested my phone on one of her crossed legs as she sat on the floor, and held her phone to her ear. She cleared her throat and called the number.

‘Ah, yes, good morning. I mean good afternoon,’ she said, and I wished I’d asked her to put it on speakerphone so we could hear the other side of the conversation. ‘Yes I would like some help actually. I’m trying to, um, choose a… product. Could you let me know what the difference is between The Enhancer and The Illuminator?’ She held back a grin as she listened to the voice on the other end. ‘Oh, I see. So The Illuminator is an advanced version of The Enhancer?’ She waited. ‘It has what?’ Mel’s eyes bulged and she covered her mouth with one hand to restrain a laugh. ‘So it actually lights up and plays music when it detects heightened sensitivity?’

My jaw dropped open and Lorena was silent-laughing and slapping her thigh.

Mel cleared her throat again. ‘And it glows in the dark? Wow, so that’s how it gets its name then.’ She smirked. ‘But the cost, I mean, it’s not exactly cheap, how do I know I’m getting my money’s worth?’ Georgie clapped her hands towards Mel, quietly, applauding her inquisition. ‘I take it you can’t exchange it for something else?’ More waiting. ‘Oh, so you do have a satisfaction guarantee? How does that work?’

My torso trembled in giggles as she spoke, it was as though we were teenagers and she was making a prank call to a boy she liked.

‘So you refund my money within fourteen days if I’m… unsatisfied. What happens to the item?’ We perched forwards, waiting for each development in the conversation. ‘Melted down, sanitised, and recycled? Wow. Talk about environmentally friendly.’ Mel was enjoying this now; she’d relaxed back on one hand. ‘Is that so?’ she continued. ‘A bonus instructional video? That is a good deal.’ She glanced at us and smiled. ‘Um, well I’m not one hundred per cent sure I want to order yet, I may need to do some more research… What’s that? Put me through to a recording of testimonials from satisfied customers?’

No way. Who would be prepared to do such a thing? The company must have paid them big bucks.

‘Okay then, sure. Go ahead.’ Mel pressed speakerphone and we listened as a woman’s voice talked about her experience and mentioned things like ‘most prized possession’, ‘better than having a husband’, and ‘my inner goddess has been illuminated’. Her tone was like a normal, everyday, super-happy woman, like those cheesy ones on TV commercials for laundry detergent where they smile and glow as though their life’s purpose has been fulfilled because their whites are whiter than ever.

After listening to a couple more testimonials, I couldn’t bear to hear the words ‘inner goddess’ or ‘illuminate’ again, and Mel ended the call and collapsed in hysterics. ‘Oh, Sal, that was a blast!’ She slapped her thigh. ‘You should have heard her explaining the science and mechanics behind it, as though she was telling me how a new vacuum cleaner worked. To be honest, she spoke so methodically I can’t even be sure she was human.’ She laughed and snorted. ‘Maybe she’s really a robot, made of the same technology and recycled plastic and metal. Probably has her own in-built Illuminator!’

Lorena’s laughs were audible now, as were all of ours, and as laughter filled the room, tears ran down our faces, and I reached out and high-fived Mel for her efforts. Red raised her hand for a high-five too, and I went to reciprocate. Lorena furrowed her brow between laughs.

‘Oh, I thought you were about to put your hand up,’ I falsely confessed. ‘My bad.’

‘Here, hun,’ she said, holding up her hand. I high-fived it and snuck another warning glance at Red. She knew how to catch me off guard and I couldn’t let her get in the way of my hen’s weekend with my wonderful, supportive, comfort-zone-busting friends .

‘Great dare, Sal, how about yours now?’ Georgie asked, having recovered from laughing and now digging into the antipasto.

Damn, with all the laughs I’d forgotten I hadn’t had my turn yet. ‘I think I’ll go for a truth first,’ I said, though I was only delaying the inevitable.

‘Okay, okay, time to think,’ Mel said, wiping tears of laughter from her red face and shuffling on the floor to get comfortable. ‘Truth time, baby.’

I raised my eyebrows in waiting.

‘Rightio, got one.’ She cleared her throat. ‘Have you ever felt unprofessionally attracted to a male patient in your care?’

I thought for a millisecond and shook my head. ‘No.’ Gee, that was easy.

‘C’mon, Sal, think carefully. You’ve seen hundreds of patients, done countless examinations, administered tons of treatments, there has to have been the odd good-looker. Think!’

I thought. After years of nursing, everything sort of blurs together — time, experiences, and patients. It’s hard to remember exact details. Sometimes I see people in the street who look vaguely familiar and I wonder if I’ve nursed them and forgotten. Had I been doing this too long, become too detached, that I was starting to forget people and see them as just another patient? I hoped not. I liked to treat each as an individual and get to know them a little, so I could help them feel at ease and recover as quickly as possible. Like that forty-year-old man I nursed back to health after he’d broken bones in a motorbike accident. He was in top form, and I could still remember the firmness of his muscles as I tried to find good veins on his tattooed arms. Oh, and there was that nice young swimmer in for an infection who required IV antibiotics back when I’d started nursing. He was always smiling despite the fact he must have felt like death warmed up, and he always had a compliment for me. Oh yes, him . Him with his soft, green eyes, his gentle smile, his…

‘Sally?’ Mel tapped my leg.

‘Huh?’

‘You’ve remembered someone, haven’t you?’

‘What? No. I’ve never fallen for a patient. It’s unprofessional.’ His strong, sculpted arms, shaven of course to allow for smoother gliding through water, and that six-pack… it was hard to stay focused on palpating his abdomen when the muscles were so hard I could barely feel any internal organs underneath.

‘Sally!’ Mel said. ‘Earth to Sally.’

‘Oh all right! I do remember feeling… a ttracted to a guy, slightly younger than me, as he recovered from an infection. I was young, a new nurse, I was just getting used to the whole getting close to patients thing.’

‘And?’

‘And?’ I echoed.

‘Tell us more.’

I tightened my ponytail and adjusted my position on the couch. ‘He was hot, all right. That’s it. It was nothing but hormones.’

‘Did you get to know him?’

‘Of course. He told me about his swimming training, and how he had come over to Australia from France when he was a teenager.’

‘He had a French accent?’

I nodded.

‘Swoon,’ Mel said, holding a hand to her head.

‘He taught me some French, but I’ve forgotten now. It was too long ago.’

‘And did you ever think of asking him out, you know, when he was ready to get out of hospital?’

‘No, definitely not. As I said, I was young and new. I had to remain professional and didn’t want to risk my reputation or job. ’

‘Oh, Sally, there wouldn’t have been a problem once he was discharged. You would have had his contact details on file, why not call him afterwards?’

‘No, that would have been way too embarrassing! You know me; I’ve never been one to take any sort of initiative. Lucky Greg made the first move, otherwise I’d probably still be admiring him through the window of the cafe on my way to work!’

‘You need to learn to take a few risks, girl,’ said Mel.

‘Why? I have Greg now, I don’t need to worry about all that awkward dating stuff anymore.’

‘I don’t mean with that, although it could have been good for you to take some risks back then, but I mean generally, in other areas of your life. Be spontaneous, adventurous, try new things every now and again.’

‘I tried that Pin the Tail game, that was new.’ I crossed my arms.

‘Hey, don’t badger the poor woman,’ said Georgie. ‘She just likes to do things in her own way, isn’t that right, Sal?’ Georgie sat on the edge of the couch next to me and draped a friendly arm around my shoulders.

‘Yes, not everyone needs to be outgoing and adventurous to live a fulfilling life.’

‘Don’t you ever wonder, though, what could have been? Like what if you’d asked that patient out? You may have had an amazing, unforgettable love affair. ’

‘But in the end it doesn’t matter, because I’m obviously meant to be with Greg, so it would have led here anyway.’

‘True, but it’s sort of intriguing to think about things that could have been, that’s all.’

‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I think it’s your time for truth.’

‘Fire away,’ Mel said, opening her arms to the side.

Forget about waiting till after the wedding, now was as good a time as any. ‘Do you ever regret getting married to Michael?’

There, I’d said it. Asked the difficult question that was playing on my mind for some reason.

‘What?’ Mel flicked her hand. ‘Why would I regret that?’

‘Have you ever?’

She clicked her tongue as though it was a stupid question, but kept evading it.

‘Mel?’ Lorena probed.

She lowered her head and fiddled with the hem of her T-shirt. ‘I love Michael, I do.’ She took a deep breath. ‘But lately, things have been… bland, is the only way I can think to describe it. I’m not talking about the bedroom so much as the overall feeling of our relationship. Maybe it’s just the hard work of the kids, I don’t know.’ She blew air up past her top lip and her wispy dark brown fringe flapped against her fo rehead. ‘But,’ she said, then an expression I hadn’t seen in a long time creased her face, not since she’d lost her pet dog of fifteen years. Her eyes became shiny and her usual nonchalant confidence disappeared. ‘Someone at work, a woman, wants him for herself. She hit on him after work one day.’

‘What happened, Mel?’ Georgie sat on the floor next to her and touched her forearm.

‘They kissed. That’s all. Just a kiss. I shouldn’t be that upset, I mean he was honest about it and…’

‘He confessed straight away?’ Lorena asked.

She nodded. ‘But I should clarify, it was her that kissed him. He pulled back as soon as it happened and told her it wasn’t on. At least, that’s what he told me.’

‘Bitch.’ Lorena shook her head. ‘Do you trust him?’ she asked.

‘Yes, of course, I mean, he’s my husband, he’s, he’s… Oh God, I feel sick at the thought of someone else with their lips on my husband.’ A tear dripped down her cheek and I leaned forward and wiped it away, then rested my hand on her leg. ‘Every time we get close now, I keep thinking of her and him, and then I lose all interest.’

‘Oh, hun, why didn’t you tell us before?’ Lorena patted Mel’s back .

‘I didn’t want to bother you guys with my domestic dilemmas, you’ve got a baby coming,’ she gestured to Lorena, ‘and you’re about to be married,’ she touched my hand. ‘I didn’t want to worry you or spoil your special time.’

‘Mel, we’ve been friends forever, you can tell us anything, at any time. Promise me,’ she glanced around, ‘all of you, promise me we won’t keep secrets from each other if something’s bothering us. We need to be there for each other, help each other make sense of things when problems arise. Deal?’

‘Deal,’ we all said, though I whispered my response. I was all for it, but there was one thing I wasn’t prepared to share. I glanced at Red who sat on the dining table, looking strangely distant.

‘Give it time, Mel, I’m sure things will get back to normal,’ Georgie said. ‘If he was honest and told you what happened right away, then that is what a good man does. He’s a good man. He just got caught out in a situation he probably didn’t see coming. If you believe his side of the story, that he backed away and then told you, then he did the right thing. Don’t let some other woman ruin things for you.’

‘You’re right.’ Mel straightened. ‘This is exactly what she’d want. But she’s not going to get it. As soon as I get home I’m going to sit down and talk it all out with Michael. We need to work out a solution, a way that they don’t have to interact at work. He’s in a higher position than she is, I’m sure he can arrange something.’

‘That sounds like a plan.’ Georgie reached over to the coffee table and plucked a piece of bread and handed it to Mel. ‘And don’t let her spoil your weekend either. Eat up and enjoy yourself while you’re kid-free.’

Mel smiled and accepted the food offering. ‘You guys are the best, you know that?’

‘Yeah, we know,’ Lorena said, then pulled Mel to standing and hugged her.

‘Anyway, enough of this truth stuff, it’s time for Sally’s dare!’ Mel’s expression brightened, while mine probably darkened in fear. I gulped.

‘We can finish up now if you want. After all this deep and meaningful stuff, why don’t we go for a nice walk?’ I suggested.

‘Not so fast, girly.’ Mel grasped my arm. ‘I called that company about their products, and you can do something challenging too.’

My chest tightened and my heartbeat intensified. There’s no way I could have done what she did, so hopefully they wouldn’t make me do anything similar.

Mel glanced around the room and her gaze rested on the bookcase with the games. She walked over to it and pulled out a game. Twister .

‘I want you to call Ty and ask him to come over for a game of Twister.’

‘Twister? But that’s a game for flexible young kids who don’t mind clambering over each other.’

‘Ty is flexible.’

‘I’m not! And I’m engaged, it wouldn’t be right to get that close to another guy. You’ll have to give me another dare.’

‘Okay, I dare you to walk down the main street and sing “Tomorrow” from Annie at the top of your lungs, and hug random people as you go by.’

I had visions of being captured on video and going viral on YouTube. ‘No, no way.’ I shook my head vigorously.

‘Then call Ty.’ Mel handed me back my phone. ‘Twister or “Tomorrow”. What’ll it be?’

I ran a hand over my head. No way could I sing in public, especially after my dance incident. Singing was a completely different thing, and my voice could barely crank out a simple ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ in tune.

‘So I just have to call him and ask, it doesn’t matter if he says no, right?’

‘If he says yes, you have to play Twister with him, but if he says no, well, I guess there’s nothing you can do about that. But you have to at least ask him.’ She shoved the phone into my hand and it shook in my grasp. It was only a simple phone call, but something about being around him made me nervous. Maybe it was his superhuman physique, or the fact that he seemed like some super-caring, kind, too-good-to-be-true angel from heaven sent down to earth to make women swoon and look after those who needed a little extra support. He came from a completely different world to mine, and it felt like I was about to call my teenage celebrity crush.

‘Here’s his number,’ Lorena said, showing me her phone.

I added him as a contact and my finger hovered over his number.

‘Press it, Sally! I want to see this!’ Red was back to her usual self at the prospect of another embarrassing moment for me.

I pressed it.

‘Hello? Ty speaking,’ he answered.

‘Hi, Ty, I…’ Oh God, I’m rhyming! ‘It’s me, Sally.’

‘Sexy Sally?’

Heat rushed up my face. ‘Well, the one from the guest house.’

‘Yeah, as I said: Sexy Sally. What can I do for you? Would you like to book another performance?’

‘Oh goodness, no, not at all. ’

‘Gee, thanks. Glad you’re so keen.’

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean… I just meant, anyway, I’m calling to ask something.’

He was silent for a moment, then: ‘You’ll have to speak up, sunshine.’

I cleared my throat but my voice remained croaky. ‘I was wondering if you’d care for a game of…’ I cleared my throat again at the same time as uttering the word, ‘Twister’.

‘Sorry? A game of what?’

‘Twister,’ I said more loudly, the painful embarrassment like a red-hot burn on my cheeks.

Mel tipped her head back with a sudden laugh.

Ty’s voice held a hint of a smile. ‘You want me to come over to play Twister?’

‘I guess so.’

He chuckled. ‘You girls are an entertaining bunch.’

‘It’s okay, you don’t have to, I know you’ve had a busy day and you probably have other things to do with your brother, or a job to go to, or?—’

‘Be there in ten.’

‘Huh?’

‘The guest house. Ten minutes. I’ll warm up on the way there.’ And then he hung up .

I kept the phone next to my ear and furrowed my brow, my mouth agape.

‘Sal?’ asked Mel.

‘He hung up.’

‘He hung up on you?’ Georgie asked.

‘No, he hung up after saying he’d be here in ten minutes.’

‘Woohoo!’ Mel exclaimed. ‘I only wanted you to ask him, I didn’t think he’d actually agree to it! Ooh, this is going to be fun to watch!’

‘Watch? But you have to play too, I can’t play it on my own, with him.’

‘Nope, the dare was for you to ask him over to play.’

‘And I’m definitely out of this game,’ Lorena said, holding her belly and convenient excuse. I was sure, though, had she not been pregnant, she wouldn’t have minded playing Twister with a stripper.

‘And as much as I’d love to get up close and personal with His Royal Hotness, I’d much rather see you in action on those coloured spots.’ Mel grinned, and I looked towards Georgie for moral support.

She held her palms up. ‘Sorry, I’m needed in the kitchen.’

‘But we’re eating out tonight. ’

‘Yes, but someone has to marinate the lamb for tomorrow night’s dinner.’

‘But—’

‘Too late for an appeal, Sal, you better get ready. Warm up and stretch or something. I’ll set up the mat. Tick-tock!’ She tapped her watch.

Oh my goodness gracious me. I felt like I was about to betray Greg. What had I got myself into?

As Mel prepared the game, I swung my arms around in circles. Probably best if I did warm up a little, it would make it easier to manoeuvre around the mat and avoid bodily contact. Why did he agree to play Twister anyway? He knows I’m taken, so it’s not like he’s seeing it as an opportunity to hit on me or anything. Probably just wants to show off his… bendiness.

Red jumped on the mat and bent her body in awkward angles, placing her hands and feet on different coloured spots. ‘Wow, I’m so much more flexible than I was when I was alive. This is cool!’ She moved around the mat and collapsed into a tangled lump. ‘Your turn, your turn! Hurry up, Ty.’ She checked the clock on the wall.

Ding-dong!

I tucked my T-shirt into my jeans and tightened my ponytail. Thank goodness I was wearing a bodysuit underneath so nothing would hang out. Not that I had much in the dangly department. And then I felt slightly exposed anyway, remembering that Ty knew exactly what I had on underneath my clothes after the gemstone predicament.

He walked into the house and eyed me and the mat with enthusiastic anticipation. ‘Well, what are we waiting for? Let the twisting begin!’

‘Bride-to-be first.’ Mel ushered me to the mat and spun the wheel. ‘Okey dokes, put your left foot on a red spot.’

Easy enough. I kicked off my shoes and did as I was told, choosing a red spot in the corner.

Mel spun the wheel again. ‘Ty, right foot on a yellow spot.’

Ty’s shoes were off too, and he placed his uninjured foot on a spot in the middle. Why didn’t he pick the one furthest away? Less chance for us to get tangled.

‘Sally, left arm on a yellow spot.’

Rightio, I’ll just lean over here… I bent sideways and put my hand on the yellow spot at the end of the mat, aligned with the row my foot was on.

Ty’s next move had him put his bruised foot on a red spot like me, but he chose the one right next to mine, so now our toes were touching. I inched mine back a little. My arm ached a bit and I urged Mel to hurry up .

‘Right foot, red spot.’

‘Red is the best!’ the eponymous ghost exclaimed, as she watched on the sidelines.

I moved my foot over to the spot behind Ty’s foot, grateful to take some of the weight from my arm.

‘Ty, left hand, red spot.’

‘What is it with the colour red ?’ asked Lorena. ‘Are you rigging this game, Mel?’

I wouldn’t be surprised if someone else was rigging it. I tried to sneak a glance at Red, peering between Ty’s legs.

Ty eyed the available red spots behind him, and in expert dancer/stripper style he bent backwards and placed his hand on one of the spots, next to my right foot. He was now balancing on one hand, his knees bent and body tilted backwards. I made sure not to look up at the rather intimate view I would have right now.

My right hand gratefully accepted a blue spot near my other hand, my weight now more evenly distributed, until a couple of turns later when I had to move both my hands further along the mat, and the only way to get there was to go underneath Ty, through the gap his legs had created. He dropped his weight a little on my back, his butt threatening to make me lose my balance, but I nudged him back upwards. ‘Hey, no cheating,’ I said .

A phone camera clicked. ‘Who’s taking photos?’ I asked, unable to turn my head in the direction of the sound.

‘Photos? What photos?’ Lorena said. ‘Do you see anyone taking photos, Georgie?’

‘No, no photos being taken here.’ Another click sounded.

‘You better not put these on Facebook,’ I said.

A few turns later, Ty and I were almost in the opposite positions we’d been before, with me straddled over him, his hands behind him, and pelvis in the air.

‘Sal, put your right hand on a blue spot.’

‘Blue? Oh, I don’t think I can do that.’ I eyed the spot that was on the other side of Ty and would require me to stretch like an elastic band over him.

‘C’mon, you can do it.’

‘I don’t think my arm is flexible enough.’

Ty chuckled. ‘Actually, I think your right arm is quite flexible. I have a feeling it could contort into a variety of positions and reach deep into remote locations, if the situation required.’

I was able to catch his eye briefly, and I frowned at him. He obviously enjoyed poking fun at me. It wasn’t my fault I got a gemstone stuck down my top and had needed to initiate a retrieval mission .

‘See? Ty has confidence in you,’ Mel said.

‘Yeah, and I’ll even make it easier for you by lowering myself down a bit. My triceps are going to burn like hell, but I’ll survive.’

‘It’s just, it could be a little… awkward,’ I added, noting that to achieve the required position I would virtually be lying on top of him, face-to-face.

‘Honey, awkward would be me doing that with my belly in the way,’ said Lorena.

Forgive me, Greg, I said to myself, then extended my right arm over Ty’s chest and down to the blue spot, where my hand only just connected with the plastic, and my ponytail landed in Ty’s face.

‘Pff!’ he puffed, trying to blow it out of the way. ‘Hey, do you mind tilting your head a bit so I’m not getting a mouthful of hair?’ With a quick flick of my head I flung my ponytail off his face, my face now directly in front of his, our chests touching. ‘I’m guessing that bodysuit of yours is coming in handy right about now,’ he whispered.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘You know, keeping everything… enclosed.’

I diverted my gaze from his but his breath tickled my cheek, and his scent wafted in the air around me. He smelt different to Greg; spicier, dangerous even .

Ty moved his left foot further forwards, which made me wobble, and when Mel instructed me to put my left hand on the blue spot below Ty’s back, Red stuck her face next to both of ours and yelled, ‘Boo!’

I shrieked and lost my balance, my hand slipping from its spot and my legs collapsing. Whack! I landed on Ty’s chest as he lost his grip too, and my ponytail returned to its original residence in his mouth.

‘Pff!’ he puffed, but I quickly lifted my head and scrambled to my feet.

My friends clapped and cheered, and Red laughed again.

Ty held out his hand and I shook it. ‘Well played,’ he said.

‘So who won?’ I asked. ‘Does anyone even win this game or is the sole purpose to collapse in a heap?’

‘I think it’s a tie,’ said Ty with a wink, and after a few moments his pun sunk in and I ‘ahhed’ in acknowledgement.

I readjusted my clothing and hair and escaped to the kitchen for a glass of water. Sweat had collected on my forehead and my lower back, and my muscles felt strained.

‘So what prompted this game of Twister?’ Ty asked .

‘Sally said she hadn’t played it in years and wanted to give it a go. None of us were keen so she said she’d ask you instead, ain’t that right, Sal?’

I shot Mel a ‘look’. ‘She’s joking, of course. It was a dare, Ty. They dared me to do it.’

Ty tipped his head back. ‘Ahh, I see. And you went through with it, kudos to you. I’m honoured to be the subject of your dare.’ He grinned. ‘And I haven’t played it in years either. Was fun! If you’ve got an able body, use it, I say. Too many people don’t.’

‘Ah yeah, I’m guilty of that sometimes,’ said Mel. ‘But I figure chasing five kids around is enough bending and stretching for me.’

‘Coffee, anyone?’ Georgie asked, joining me in the kitchen and flipping the switch on the kettle. She was met with four yeses. A half hour later Ty rinsed his mug out and put it in the dishwasher. Still sucking up.

‘I better get going. This is the most time I’ve spent at a hen’s party, I’m usually in and out in an hour.’

‘You’re definitely doing some overtime with us,’ said Lorena.

‘It’s my pleasure,’ he replied.

‘Big night ahead?’ Lorena walked him to the door and we followed .

‘Got an early evening booking to get to, then it’s back home to cook dinner with Cody, show him how to make spaghetti bolognaise correctly. He likes to mix up different ingredients, and last time he used strawberry jam in place of the tomato bolognaise sauce.’

‘Ew, that would have tasted… interesting,’ Georgie said. ‘Can’t say I’ve tried that combo before.’

‘I don’t recommend it. He ate it, laughing the whole time, but I ended up with eggs on toast that night.’ He smiled.

‘So Cody lives with you?’ I asked.

He nodded. ‘It’s just the two of us.’

‘Well, I hope the meal turns out right, and um, all the best with your, er…’

‘Strip? Thanks.’

And he was gone again. And we stood at the door watching him leave again. This was becoming a habit.