Murfey's Law Page 14

  ‘I told you,’ Jenny grabbed the slip and scurried to the fridge, ‘you can set your watch by it.’

  As predicted, the holiday exodus from Sydney had hit Murfey’s Beach almost exactly three hours after school kicked out for the summer. The procession of large black four-wheel drive vehicles looked like an army of ants as they drove down the hill, past the shop and into the village. Each one packed to bursting with an assortment of kids, canoes and car-sick pets.

  After several days of intense preparations, mostly involving Jenny conducting numerous shopping trips, the cafe had today begun its first official day of trading and Lori, running between serving in the shop and taking orders for tall skinny lattes and chocolate milkshakes, was already worried that they had bitten off more than they could chew.

  Despite her concerns, Lori had to admit that the place looked incredible. She had worked non-stop since Monday stocking the shop with a huge array of locally sourced products. Victor Kelly’s honey now sat proudly beside new oversized wicker baskets filled with a variety of organic fruit and veg. The little area beside the counter displayed an impressive selection of handmade chocolates, home brewed beers and fruit wines. And even the enormous old side-by-side fridges, scrubbed clean, showcased a great range of Watersleigh cheeses and several strings of gourmet sausages from the free range pig farm north of the bay.

  Behind the shop Jenny had worked just as hard. Repainting the shutters with a fresh coat of bright white she had instantly lightened the room. Little glass bowls filled with pretty seashells adorned the middle of each table while pieces of twisted and gnarly drift wood stopped the stacks of napkins from blowing away. An entire wall had been given a coat of blackboard paint and Lori had been enlisted to chalk up the menu in her best handwriting. The kitchen had been through a bit of a revamp too. The long white worktops had been bleached to within an inch of their life and all the old, and frankly dangerous, gadgets had been thrown out, replaced by shiny new machines. Even the eclectic old mix of cutlery, crockery and glassware had been retired to a charity shop in Fisherman’s Bay and substituted with catering quality, and quantity, pieces.

  ‘Well, if I thought we could afford it I’d say we should get a junior in to wait tables.’ Lori balanced a cup and a plate in one hand and grabbed a second cup with her other. As she turned to leave the kitchen she collided with someone in the doorway.

  ‘Oww!’ Two black coffees and a slice of banana bread crashed to the floor with such force that the hot liquid bounced back up coating the legs and feet of a very tall, very handsome, very burnt man.

  ‘Oh my god I’m so sorry!’ Lori glanced up just long enough to see a look of searing pain on his chiselled face before dropping to her knees frantically trying to mop up the dark rich roast as it ran down his shins.

  ‘Tyler!’ Jenny squealed, pushing past Lori with such excitement she knocked her on to her bottom.

  ‘Hey beautiful, miss me?’ Almost twice as tall and apparently incredibly strong he picked Jenny cleanly up off the ground in an embrace.

  Lori watched in awe as the muscles in his arms twitched. From the bulges evident under a tight white t-shirt and pair of grey cargo shorts it was obvious this Tyler worked out, a lot. Her vantage point on the floor meant she was also able to ascertain that his leg hair removal routine was much stricter than her own.

  ‘Of course I missed you silly, it’s been a whole year. How is uni?’ Jenny asked as she was lowered carefully back down.

  ‘Uni’s great. Just one more year to go.’ Tyler clapped his hands together.

  Neither he nor Jenny seemed to notice Lori still sat on the floor beneath them and as she wasn't going to be introduced it seemed, she set about mopping up the mess around their feet.

  ‘Wonderful, wonderful.’ Jenny squeezed his hands and gazed into his eyes. She was clearly smitten.

  ‘Tyler Westerly, fancy seeing your ugly face again,’ a booming voice approached from the direction of the shop’s front door.

  Lori shivered.

  ‘Zebediah Turner you brute.’ Tyler turned and gave him a man hug - half handshake, half shoulder bump ending with a hard thwack on the back. It was like watching two stags lock antlers.

  ‘Tyler, you remember my little brother, Jonah?’ Zeb put a guiding hand on his brother’s back and pushed him forward.

  ‘I most certainly do, it’s been a while though.’ Tyler replicated the greeting with him, only when they hugged, it was a lot less brusque and lingered a fraction of a second longer.

  Lori saw it immediately. Tyler was gay. In comparison to Jonah’s outwardly masculine manner, probably as a result of his career, Tyler was a fair way down the other end of the spectrum. Ignoring his bodybuilder-like physique he was actually quite camp.

  ‘What the hell are you doing down there Lorikeet?’ Zeb crouched down on his hunches and looked straight at her through three pairs of legs, his eyes piercing under the brim of his ‘Police’ cap.

  She hadn’t seen him all week, Jonah had managed Youth Club alone on Tuesday night, Zeb had apparently been in Sydney for a few days giving evidence at a court case, and since she had been so busy with the shop their paths simply hadn't crossed. Sitting in a puddle of coffee, her thighs smearing banana bread into the floor wasn't exactly how she had imagined she’d look when they saw each other again. His final words from Sunday came flooding back to her, raising a pink glow in her cheeks. Not trusting herself to speak she just waved the dripping wet tea towel at him in silent explanation.

  ‘My goodness! I completely lost track of what I was doing,’ Jenny gasped. Picking up the crockery, she rushed back to the counter to make a replacement order.

  Lori rolled her eyes making Zeb chuckle. He stood back up and stepped forward, almost on top of her, holding out his hand for her to take. As he pulled her up she was so close to him that her face almost grazed the huge leather utility belt around his waist. The smell of him made her stomach cartwheel.

  ‘Tyler Westerly, meet Lorikeet James.’ Zeb let go of Lori’s hand slowly, his fingers grazing the inside of her wrist as he did so.

  ‘Westerly? As in…?’ Lori rubbed her arms roughly, trying to subdue the goose bumps that Zeb’s touch had aroused.

  ‘Yes, she's my grandmother,’ Tyler smiled and kissed Lori on both cheeks, before adding with a wink, ‘and I bet she doesn’t like you one bit.’

  ‘Tyler!’ Jenny reprimanded him as she placed two new coffees and a plate of banana bread on to the counter beside Lori.

  ‘Just my observation. I mean look at you both.’ He glanced from Lori to Zeb and back again.

  Jonah began to snigger but, on the receiving end on his brother's icy glare, quickly choked it back down again.

  Perhaps she should have stayed on the floor Lori thought, feeling her cheeks burn. That way, if the ground hadn’t opened up to swallow her whole as she was willing it to, then maybe she could have clawed it open.

  ‘I… think I need to get this.’ Lori pointed at the order, wiped the last bit of mush off her thighs and took off more cautiously with the crockery in the direction of the probably by now quite dissatisfied couple on the deck.

  Apologising profusely for the delay Lori served her customers and then left them alone, heading off into the garden for some fresh air.

  It had been such a hectic week she’d been sleeping barely six hours a night, and with the second open home scheduled for nine tomorrow morning she couldn’t see that she’d be in bed before midnight tonight either. Every muscle in her body ached. She wrapped her arms around herself and massaged her shoulder blades with her sticky fingers. Ugh! She needed to make sure that she made time for a shower too. Her list of things to get done this evening was growing by the hour.

  First things first though, she needed to get a grip. If her behaviour around Zeb was so obvious that strangers could see it then it had clearly gone too far. Doing anything with her frustrations, which was all they were, would just complicate the time she had left here. She pleaded her body to get into
check with her mind. Zeb was an incredibly sexy, moody, kind, infuriating, man. Absolutely not what she needed right now.

  ‘You look tired.’

  Shit.

  His warm voice, so close that it tickled Lori’s neck and fingers, made her jump. The grass had silenced his footsteps. She took an in-breath and held it, closing her eyes for a few moments before breathing slowly, steadily back out again. Opening her eyes she turned to face him.

  ‘It’s been a hard week,’ she said matter-of-factly. Mind over body, mind over body.

  ‘I can see. You've done an amazing job on the place.'‘ Zeb smiled as his eyes bore into hers.

  ‘Have I? Thanks, yes,’ Lori grimaced. Mind over body seemed to be affecting her ability to form coherent sentences.

  ‘Are you ok?’ His eyes searched hers, looking for a connection.

  ‘Tired! Busy and tired,’ Lori chirped. Smiling like a loon she patted his arm in what was meant to be a placatory gesture. It came out as more of a smack. God even the feel of his overalls against her fingers elicited a reaction from deep within her.

  Shitting shit! Maybe avoidance was the only way to go. She’d managed all week not seeing him, and although it had led to some fairly outrageous dreams, she had at least still been able to function during the day. Nodding as though a customer on the deck had beckoned her Lori side stepped him and practically ran up the garden.

  Inside the kitchen Jenny was busy washing up the various pieces of jigsaw that made up her new food processor while Tyler and Jonah, leaning against opposite counters, were drying up for her, discussing the various benefits of a good cardio workout.

  As Lori walked in Jonah put down his tea towel and turned to her. ‘All sorted now?’

  ‘Umm... yes, no problem.’ She was touched by his concern for her customers even if it was a little misplaced.

  ‘Good, it would have been a bit awkward if we’d had to take you down the station, wouldn’t it?’ Jonah laughed nervously.

  ‘Sorry Jonah, am I missing something?’ Lori didn’t have a clue what he was on about.

  ‘No but we are.’ Zeb walked back into the kitchen. ‘I need to see your driver’s licence please.’

  ‘You what?’ Lori baulked at the tone in his voice.

  ‘I thought you were going to sort...’ Jonah looked at his brother and raised his hands in confusion.

  Zeb ignored him and growled again, ‘I said, I need to see your licence please.’

  ‘Zebediah, what do you think you’re doing?’ Jenny stepped forward.

  Tyler watched on with glee as Lori raised her hands to her hips.

  ‘Lorikeet, I need you to get me your licence, and Jenny,’ Zeb took out his little black note book and turned to her, ‘I need you to confirm that on the night of the eighth of December you gave permission for her to drive your vehicle.’

  ‘Of course I did! What a ridiculous question to ask. Are you going to tell us what this is all about?’ Jenny puffed out her chest.

  ‘Fucking hell! The little blue slip!’ It suddenly came back to Lori that she hadn’t gone into the station with her licence and Jenny’s insurance documents after Officer Schroff had stopped her on the way back from Fisherman’s Bay a week and a half ago.

  ‘It’s just a formality,’ Jonah cut in, trying to break the tension in the room.

  ‘Actually it’s more than a formality Constable Turner, failure to produce is an offence, and as Lorikeet didn’t come to the station within seven days she’s lucky to be getting this second chance.’ Zeb held out his hand as Lori stormed over to her desk to rummage through her filing tray.

  Between a pile of invoices and her stock list Lori found her licence. She marched back over to Zeb and slapped the licence into his waiting hand, giving him a filthy look for good measure. There had been nothing wrong with him barely five minutes ago, yet now, it was as though something had flicked his menacing switch back on.

  ‘I’m still completely lost, what did she fail to produce?’ Jenny’s voice began to falter.

  Despite Lori’s defiant independence, Jenny felt an enormous sense of responsibility for her while she was here. No matter what it was Jack had done to lose the love of his beautiful and headstrong daughter all those years ago, Jenny had made a promise to him, right here in the shop, merely days before he died, that she would be here for her, to see what ever she chose to do with the shop through to it’s conclusion. Zeb’s ridiculous insistence on antagonising Lori would surely only feed her desire to leave.

  Jonah took Jenny gently aside, she was visibly shaken. He told her to pop home for her insurance documents and suggested she take Tyler with her. Leaving Zeb and Lori to it, he went to ring up the last customers and close up the shop.

  ‘Why are you doing this Zeb?’ Lori asked when they were finally alone.

  ‘Doing what Lorikeet? My job?’ He spat.

  ‘No! Well, yes, your job, but I mean why are you so angry with me all of a sudden? I thought we’d moved beyond this bickering. I thought we were…’

  ‘Friends?’ Zeb snorted.

  Lori flinched at his derision. ‘YES! Friends.’

  ‘Friends,’ he repeated.

  Lori gritted her teeth, she didn’t want to play his silly games any more, they were tiring. She had enough trouble dealing with her own behaviour, she didn’t have the energy to be worrying about his also.

  She stood in silence as he recorded her licence details in his note book, just like Officer Schroff had. And when Jenny returned with her insurance papers, Tyler by her side, he took them from her and sat at Lori’s desk checking the fine print.

  ‘Right, I think we’re done here. Tyler, great to see you again mate. Jenny.’ Zeb tipped his cap at her.

  Lori followed Jonah and Zeb to the front door. Jonah rubbed her arm and smiled apologetically then disappeared across the verandah and down the driveway towards the squad car.

  Zeb stopped in the doorway and held up his hand, Lori’s licence gripped tightly between his fingers. Still refusing to speak she grabbed the top of the plastic card and tugged. Predictably, Zeb wouldn’t let go.

  ‘Friends,’ he said it again, his eyes narrowed.

  Oh my god. Exhaling slowly and audibly, Lori nodded, her eyes on his hand. ‘Yes. Friends.’

  ‘Holy Guacamole you’ve got an incredible crowd out there,’ Tyler laughed as he let himself in from the deck. The front doors were locked tight, there was still another ten minutes to go before the open home's advertised start time of nine a.m. and as promised, he’d come to help man the sign-in table so that Jenny could again do her magic with the refreshments while Lori concentrated on schmoozing the viewers.

  After her visit from the local constabulary yesterday Lori, Jenny and Tyler had cracked open a couple of bottles of strawberry wine and worked until the place was spotless and several batches of chocolate brownies were baked and cooling ready for the morning's open home. With their help, her to do list was crossed off in only a few hours and they then spent a couple more sat in the kitchen laughing at Tyler’s hilarious tales of university life. At the end of his fourth year of a Vet Science degree he’d given Bob a free if slightly tipsy check up.

  Talk had inevitably made its way round to Zeb and Jonah. According to Tyler, he’d first met Zeb when he joined the local high school. Zeb was starting his final year and Tyler, five years younger - a confused thirteen year old, had gained a lot of attention, for all the wrong reasons. Crusading for justice from a young age, Zeb had protected Tyler from the bullies, and introduced him to the gymnasium. In return Tyler did the same for Jonah when he joined the high school five years later again.

  With his parents now living in Singapore, Tyler had chosen this year to come and spend Christmas with his grandmother in the village so that she wouldn’t be alone. He tried to persuade Lori that she wasn’t as terrifying as she let on but after two glasses of potent home-brew she had almost cracked a rib giggling so much.

  ‘Ok team, take your positions.’ Lori walked up to t
he front door and opened it. She'd been right, it was going to go off.

  An hour and a half later Lori broke away from a group of people upstairs and went to check up on Tyler and Jenny.

  Most of the brownies had now gone and Jenny was busy adding more ice to the lemonade to make it stretch a little further.

  Tyler had left his post to do a quick round of rubbish collecting, clearing away the paper cups and plates that had been left in the most obscure places. Lori had even found one next to the toilet earlier.

  According to the sign-in sheet there had been forty-three groups come through. Lori ran her finger down the list looking at the names. Stopping on the very last couple to sign in her pulse quickened with anticipation. They’d come back for a second viewing!

  She found them at the bottom of the garden sat in the grass, Bob by their side.

  ‘Hi! Mr and Mrs Peters, how lovely to see you again.’ Lori greeted them with her brightest smile.

  ‘Lori! Lovely to see you too, we were just watching that surfer out there, he's very talented.’ Mr Peters pointed to where Zeb was sat on his board, bobbing up and down just beyond the breakers.

  ‘Very talented indeed,’ his wife chuckled as she stood and brushed imaginary grass from her shorts.

  Mr Peters ruffled Bob’s ears then picked himself up off the grass, wincing as though he’d hurt his back.

  ‘Oh! are you ok?’ Lori rushed forward to take his arm.

  ‘I'm fine love, just old age,’ he laughed and patted her hand.

  ‘Enjoy your youth while you have it,’ Mrs Peters added with a smile, wrapping her arm around her husband's waist.

  They really were a sweet couple Lori thought, like an older Sara and Max, or Kristy and Simon even. The shop would be ideal for them to retire gracefully into she decided. And for certain they wouldn’t be likely to make any rash changes to the place.

  ‘So,’ Lori grinned, ‘did you want another tour while you’re here?’

  ‘No no, you’re ok, we can show ourselves around if that’s ok with you? It’s getting on and I’m sure you probably want to get the cafe open, which by the way, we think is a wonderful idea, and perfectly suited to the place.’ Mr Peters turned to his wife and nodded.