AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Especially when her typical little Avery voice demanded, “Whatdyathink?”
His mouth drew tight as he struggled for words.
Crimson lips quivered, and her eyes squeezed as she wailed, “You don’t think I look pretty.”
Any minute now she was going to slam the car door and teeter off into the night.He couldn’t let that happen.
“You look beautiful, Aves, I’m not used to it, that’s all.”He put his hand out in a placatory gesture.“Now get back in the car and tell me where Zammy lives.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence, and the churning in his stomach didn’t relent when they drew up outside a house throbbing with the heavy beat of music and the silhouettes of bodies gyrating at every window.
It felt like he was throwing Avery to the wolves.Avery, on the contrary, looked like she used to when she was about to dive into the coloured balls at IKEA.Even a thick coat of make-up couldn’t cover that level of glee.
She shot out the car, grasping her little purse and her bottle of Passion Pop, dived back in to kiss him on the cheek and giggled, “Don’t let your new girlfriend see that lipstick mark on your cheek.Thanks, goofballs, loveyaforever.”
“Be ready at ten sharp, okay?”he called out, but she simply tossed her head and slammed the door.With a heavy heart he watched her slender legs on the cusp between child and woman as she wobbled up the path, her bare shoulder blades sticking out like wing buds above that tiny scrap of dress.
He shouldn’t let her go in there.
But how the hell could he stop her now?
Judith threadedher sewing machine and found her favourite podcast,The Very Serious Craftson her phone apps.Another quick glance at the clock showed it wasn’t even 9 pm.The time had been dragging like the minute hand had weights attached to it.In her head she ran through the details again.Carts had said he’d pick up Avery at 10 sharp.By the time he’d taken her home it would be 10.30 and he’d be round at hers by 10.45 the latest.How could that still be so far away?
She’d spent the afternoon making pots of tea, readingPleasure Your Partner(she’d found some very innovative techniques, along with Dr Rubekind’s gems of wisdom about communication).
She was so excited to start this phase of her journey with Carts.
Resolutely, Judith tapped her screen and the podcast started up.She got the thread to go through the needle of her sewing machine, and with her foot controlling the pedal, fed the material of the blouse she was making through it.
As always, when she got going on anything crafty, time looked after itself.
Which was why the next thing she knew, the podcast was over and both sleeves were sewn into place.She turned the blouse the right way round and held it up.It was Liberty print material, which was often hard to find, a symphony of tiny flowers, the material the kind of soft cotton that felt lovely against your skin.She’d bought a couple of metres a year or so back in a sale when she’d been on holiday in Melbourne.Surveying her handiwork, she noticed she’d puckered the stitches around the placement of the right sleeve.Damn it, she mustn’t have been concentrating.With a frustrated huff, she’d started to unpick the stitches when the doorbell rang.
Her nerves lit up.
Surely not Carts already?She hadn’t even got changed.Oh lord, she was sitting here in her bra, sewing.Unable to locate the T-shirt she’d just removed, she hurriedly put on the blouse instead.Heart thumping madly, she ran to the door and flung it open, only to have her mouth fall open in horror.
Mark was standing on the doorstep.
“Hi.”He grinned.
‘Oh—hi?”
They stared at each other.
“Are you going to leave me standing out here in the cold?”
“It’s not cold,” she pointed out.
“Well—anyway, can I come in?”
Before she could even think of refusing, he’d strolled past her, down the passage and into the kitchen with the air of someone who still lived here.
Judith scurried after him.“Are you looking for something?I’m pretty sure I brought the rest of your stuff over the other day.”
“No, no.Though I could do with a brownie.”
“I don’t have any.”
