Authors: Bec Johnson
From the window over Lori's desk she too had seen the boys making their entrance into the garden. Despite the fact she was very postmenopausal and two of them were gay they still stirred a primeval reaction even in her.
Wasting a good ten minutes rearranging at first the freezer, and then after that the cutlery drawer, Lori decided it should be safe to return to her customers on the deck, presuming the boys must have gone out through the gap in the hedge that she used regularly as her own personal escape route.
She was wrong.
Inside the back room, under the guise of refilling the napkins, Lori noticed Mr Thompson-Phillips was missing from the seat opposite his wife. Twisting herself awkwardly so that she could look out under the drop of the awning covering the deck, Lori saw him speaking to Zeb about mid-way down the garden. Jonah and Tyler were busy entertaining a couple of the bridge club members who had popped in for a pot of tea after their late morning stroll along the beach.
With a few serious nods of the head Zeb held out his hand assertively and Mr T-P shook it. Patting Zeb's bare shoulder they both turned and walked towards the deck. Not wanting to be caught prying Lori ducked back into the shop and made herself busy at the counter.
‘There you are,’ Zeb's voice purred as he entered the room a few minutes later. The hairs on Lori's arms stood up as he approached.
‘Hey you.’ She couldn't help but grin. ‘I see you know Mr Thompson-Phillips?’
‘Edward? Sure, he's been a big sponsor of the Youth Club since it's inception. Great bloke. And his wife, Sylvia, lovely woman. Why do you ask?’
‘Oh no reason, just saw you talking to him that's all,’ Lori chirped not wanting to incriminate herself.
Zeb frowned. ‘You were spying on me?’
‘Oh god no! Just happened to notice as I walked past the window in there.’ She waved her hand in the general direction of the back room.
‘You're such a terrible liar Lorikeet,’ Zeb laughed not noticing the wince in Lori's eyes. ‘I was talking to him about one of his business investments if you must know. I wanted some fiscal advice.’
‘Ugh,’ Lori shuddered. ‘Ok, you've bored me now. Let's change the subject, how was your surf?’
‘Good, although it was a little hard to concentrate.’ He rested his board against the counter and stepped in to the little gap where she stood.
‘Oh yes?’ Lori flickered her eyes up and down his torso as he inched closer to her.
‘Yes, you see I didn't get much sleep last night.’ He was almost above her now.
Lori dug her nails into her palms to stop from reaching out and touching his chest as it rose and fell with each breath.
‘Me e...e...either,’ Lori picked up a stammer. Closing her eyes briefly she saw him naked, standing proud at the end of his bed, before snapping them open again.
Noticing this, he grinned, leaning in to whisper in her ear, ‘What did you just see?’
Not that it mattered, because she hadn't formulated a reply for him, but Lori didn't get to answer. He stepped forward again, pushing her back firmly to the wall and pressing the length of his wet body against hers. Millimetres from the side of his neck she opened her mouth and exhaled excitedly against his skin making him moan softly into her hair. He dropped his head and ran his lips across her jaw then up to her mouth, kissing her sensuously. As her tongue found his he pushed his fingers under her vest and gripped her waist with his cool damp hands.
‘Ahem.’ Behind Zeb the old ladies from the bridge club were waiting to pay their bill.
Extracting himself from Lori he spun around giving them his brightest smile. ‘I am so sorry ladies, forgive me?’
Clutching their pearls they tittered like a pair of school girls and stood aside as he walked out from behind the counter, grabbed his surf board and shot Lori a wink before disappearing out the front door.
As predicted the day ended with an almighty storm. The black clouds rolled in before sunset and the sky began to crackle and rumble soon after.
By the time Lori had shut the shop and made herself some toast for dinner she was well and truly ready for bed, she just needed to call Kristy first. Taking her phone to her room she undressed and slipped between the covers.
‘Oh my god I was starting to worry about you!’ Kristy admonished down the line.
‘I'm sorry, it's just been a full on day,’ Lori sighed, putting the phone on loud speaker so she could rub her eyes and fluff her pillows behind her.
‘Well not to worry, you can tell me all about it now.’
Not leaving any topic uncovered Lori told her pretty much everything that had happened to her in the last thirty hours.
‘Oh. My. God.’ Kristy waited until Lori had reached the very end before she spoke.
‘I know!’ Lori could hardly even believe it herself. Only by saying it all out loud did it start to sink in as having really happened.
‘I don't even know where to begin to comment,’ Kristy chuckled before turning serious, ‘but I'll start with your decision not to tell Jenny and Zeb about the offer. What the hell were you thinking?’
‘Oh shit don't, please. I had to make the decision on the spot and that's the one I made, I can't go back now.’ Lori pressed her fingers into her chest.
‘Alright, fair enough.’ Sensing the anxiety in her friend's voice Kristy backed down. ‘You sound exhausted. I'm going to leave you to catch up on some of that sleep you lost last night.’
‘Ok, will I see you in the morning with the delivery?’
‘Yes, but I won't be able to stop for long sorry, maybe we can catch up properly this weekend?’ Kristy suggested.
‘Sounds perfect. Good Night.’ Lori felt her eyelids drooping as she said her goodbyes. By the time the screen on the phone had faded to off she was fast asleep.
Around five in the morning as the pre-dawn light turned the sky a sort of dip dyed inky blue, Lori stirred. She was so tired she'd barely moved position all night. Yet now, as the birds began their noisy morning ritual, her limbs began to twitch and her sub-conscious came to life as dreams began to flicker behind her eyelids like a movie screen.
Snapshots of Zeb flashed through her mind. At first the two of them were running through a maze of gum trees, she could hear his footsteps but couldn't see him, and then, as soon as the vision had begun it was gone, replaced by something altogether more sexual. The sight of him underneath her, biting his lip, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he held back, waiting for the moment when she announced she had reached the same point.
Between her legs the sensation was so real it woke her with a start and she arched her back with a gasp.
Now fully alert and aching, Lori listened to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks at the bottom of the garden while downstairs, a click at the front door and then the gentle thud of heavy soled shoes made her pulse quicken.
With just enough light thrown into the room through the uncovered windows, Lori could see Zeb's silhouette in the doorway. She didn't care how he'd gotten in, she just cared that he was there. Sitting up, she peeled back the covers and waited.
For a moment he stood at the entrance to her room taking in the sight of her, softly highlighted by the last little sliver of moonlight. He'd never met anyone quite like her. Certainly, he'd had past girlfriends and lovers but everything he thought he'd felt before he met Lori he realised now didn't even come close the the way she got under his skin and made him feel. Bursting in to his life with such an intriguing and beautiful mix of modesty and bare-faced confidence his world had been shaken up and pumped full of frustrations, emotions and utterly desperate desires.
Unable to contain his longing Zeb crossed the room and kicked off his boots, dropping his utility belt carefully to the floor he stepped out of the blue overalls and climbed in to the space beside her. As she settled herself back down again he took her face in his hands and kissed her softly on her forehead before moving on to her lips and then neck. Tracking a slow and purposeful route firstly with his fingers, he followed them with his mouth, between her breasts, down over her belly and beyond, where he made her breathe his name over and over again.
Chapter Eighteen
PING!
Wake up Birdy!
PING!
Come on...
PING!
Biiirrrdddyyyy!
PING!
B B Bir Bir Bird, B B Birdy's the word...
PING!
BIRDY!!!
PING!
Come on, come on, come on! I know you're online I can see your little green icon. Answer me damn it!
On the bedside table Lori's laptop continued its incessant pinging noise. Roused from a deep sleep she pressed her hands against her face protecting her eyes against the morning light and slowly opened them. Not yet fully compos mentis she flung an arm sideways as it pinged again, trying to smack the sleek black machine as though it were an alarm clock.
PING!
‘Oww!’ The pain of smashing her elbow against the square edge of the wooden cabinet where the lamp, her phone and the pinging laptop shook, at least brought her a little lucidity. Evidently she hadn't logged off properly last night.
A multitude of enquiries from Saturday's open home had been waiting for her in her inbox when she'd gone to check her emails at the end of the day yesterday, and so taking the laptop to the comfort of her bed she had sat and sent her replies. Thankfully, the questions had all been fairly straightforward, asking about everything from the dates of the most recent termite inspection to the number of power points in the kitchen, and Lori had been able to answer them with the bare facts only. Relieved that no one else had indicated they were even close to making an offer, she had closed the lid, placed it beside the lamp and had fallen asleep excited at the prospect of Zeb's arrival, as he had done each morning since New Year's Eve, sometime around five-thirty.
Five-thirty?
Lori bent her arm backwards and groped for her phone, bringing it round in front of her face she pressed the smooth round button prompting the screen to come alive.
‘Six forty five?’ She shook the phone as though there was something wrong with it and at the same time stretched her left leg out until it reached the edge of the mattress.
PING!
Now wide awake, both confused and disappointed, Lori grabbed the laptop and flipped the lid open.
PING! BIIIRDDYY???
Sara's messages took up the entire screen and rolled through varying degrees of frustration.
I'm here, I'm here! Stop yelling! Lori's fingers tumbled over the keyboard while at the same time her mind raced through all the scenarios as to why Zeb wouldn't have come round. Checking her phone's text messages and voicemails produced no answer. Bile rose in her throat as she allowed herself the fleeting thought that somehow he had found out about the offer that she still hadn't told him of, despite the investors' meeting being merely twenty seven and a quarter hours away. Not that she was counting.
PING! Ah hah! At last!
Good morning Sara, or should I say evening? Are you still at work? Grateful they weren't video chatting Lori peeled off the sexy underwear she'd put on last night in honour of today's occasion but as Zeb had clearly found something better, or granted maybe more important to do today of all bloody days, she may as well slip into something more comfortable.
Having woken much later than she'd recently been used to, the sun had now broken completely over the horizon and was already shining its light in a square plot on the foot of the bed. Sat recharging her body with the warmth Lori unenthusiastically picked up a bikini and slipped it on. Today she at least deserved a swim. Then, after that, she'd have to pluck up the courage to go and find Zeb and tell him the truth.
PING! Oh my god woman stop with the small talk I've been trying to reach you for over an hour!
It's not even seven in the morning Sara, why on earth would I have been up an hour ago? Lori smiled, knowing full well why her friend would have thought she should be up, if she was still in the UK then Sara would have had every last minute of today planned out.
PING! Because today, or tomorrow for me, but today for you, is your 30TH FREAKING BIRTHDAYYYY!!!
Not wanting to get into a long drawn out conversation about the bad choices she'd made and the now much more than awkward situation she'd put herself in Lori didn't share too much information with Sara, choosing instead to keep the conversation to the goings-on at Hunter & Hunter. Although she missed the familiarity of her old job and her old life, Lori was able to gain from their chat the fact that the life she used to have, where it was and the way she used to live it, now seemed dreary and meaningless. If she sold the shop she would certainly have both the opportunity and the means to draw a line under that part of her past and go to wherever in the world she wanted to be. All she had to do was work out where that was?
After a brief Happy Birthday from Max, Lori logged off, properly this time, and took her laptop downstairs in search of breakfast.
Jenny and Tyler weren't in yet, and so Lori used the chance to walk around the shop and café in silence. She smiled as she ran her fingers slowly along the shelves. Mr Kelly's honey stockpile was slowly diminishing, and the other home-grown goods she'd taken on had seen an excellent turnover. The relationships she'd built with the producers even in such a short space of time would no doubt remain strong when Mr and Mrs Peters took the helm. She made a mental note to write them a list of the sweets and ice-creams that the beautiful little group of school kids had told her were ‘gross’ the day they had sat crowded round her laptop excitedly picking out new flavours.
By the front door Lori's fingers met the counter and the well worn blue 'Resident Accounts' book. Drawn to the back she flicked the pages over, stopping herself at 'Y'. Prolonging the inevitable wasn't doing her any good, her chest ached and her stomach churned.
Bob appeared at her feet and Lori bent down to scratch his ears, a lump forming in her throat as she looked at his innocent face, ‘Let's get this day over with shall we?’
On the other side of the door Lori was greeted with the usual order of bread. Propping open the screen she stepped out onto the verandah in her bikini and noticed a large brown paper bag tucked in amongst the loaves, on it, scrawled in rushed writing was a note from Simon. Happy Birthday Lori! Sorry, we had no idea. Inside is something to see you through until this evening when we'll be round with a much better version. Love Simon xxx p.s. Kristy will kill you when she finds out you tried to keep your 30th from her!
Opening the bag Lori found a little cupcake, iced in baby pink and sprinkled with edible glitter she dreaded to think whose order it had been pinched from. Her guilt didn't last long though, as dipping her finger in she scraped off some of the smooth butter cream and licked it decadently off again.
How the hell had he known? She'd not told anyone.
With all her self-control she closed the bag and dropped it on top of the bread, she'd eat it later. Gripping the bottom of the stacked trays she groaned as she lifted them off the verandah, her arms straining under the weight, and turned carefully around to go back inside.
‘Holy crap!’ Shocked and fearing she was about to lose her grip Lori put the stack straight back down again. So that's how Simon had known.
Against the front of the shop, beside the door was the most beautiful surfboard she'd ever seen. Wrapped in an enormous bow her fingers shook as they traced the incredibly intricate and colourful custom design, a Rainbow Lorikeet.
Attached to the bow was a piece of paper, Happy 30th Lorikeet. Breakfast on the sand, seven-thirty, bring your gift. Z.
Her heart pounding she tugged the bow off and threw it in the direction of the counter. Shuffling backwards she dragged the bread delivery through the doorway and left it in front of the shelves, Jenny and Tyler would no doubt sort it for her, she'd just have to apologise later for leaving them to deal with the morning preparations alone. After pouring a huge bowl of dog food out for a very excited looking Bob, Lori ran back out the front, grabbed the board, and flew across the driveway.
Over the road Tyler was just coming out of his grandmother's front gate, when he noticed Lori running away from the shop. He called out after her, ‘Nice artwork!’
‘Thanks! Sorry, bye! Be back later!’ She didn't even flinch when the gravel on the edge of the road dug in to her bare soles as she ran down the street in the direction of the beach.
Still too early for the families the sand was almost empty bar the odd morning walker and in the distance, at the far end, a couple of fishermen. Churned up by the strong winds that had been bringing the evening storms the swell looked a little choppy today. As the note had promised, Zeb was stood at the water's edge facing the horizon where the water met the sky, his feet sinking into the sand as the foamy waves crashed against his shins. Behind him a safe distance from the water his board was propped up on its edge and a blanket laid out with breakfast waited for her.
‘Wow!’ Lori was almost speechless at the effort he'd gone to and so she pinched herself just to make sure this was real. It smacked a little of 'gay assistance' but the thought of Zeb enlisting his brother's help only made it more impressive.
On hearing her exclamation, Zeb turned around and grinned. ‘Happy Birthday Lorikeet, did you really think you could keep it a secret?’
Flinching at his choice of words Lori swallowed hard, she had to tell him, just not right this minute. Smiling back she asked, ‘So how did you know?’
‘Ah, well, you remember the night you met Tyler? The night I came to sort out your little insurance indiscretion?’ He laughed as he said it.
‘My driver's licence.’ Lori figured it out and laughed with him. ‘You took my date of birth from my driver's licence.’
‘No magic involved I'm afraid.’
‘Oh my god, don't say that! This is incredible.’ Lori waved at the picnic he'd set up. ‘And my present, you really shouldn't have, it's stunning.’
‘You deserve it, you can't turn thirty without a present, and besides it gave me the excuse to go and see an old school mate who turned his childhood love of graffiti into something that got him out of juvenile detention and into a two bedroom top floor apartment overlooking one of Sydney's best beaches.’
‘Well, thank you. For everything.’ She stepped forward and placed her hands on his chest, stretching up on her toes to kiss him.
‘Hungry?’ He asked as she pulled away.
‘Starving.’ Lori gripped her stomach. ‘I thought you'd never ask!’
Laid on opposite sides of the blanket they ate huge slices of melon while they cloud-watched before tucking in to two little matching jars of yoghurt layered with granola. Zeb reluctantly admitted that this touch was indeed thanks to his little brother. What was his idea though was the plastic bottle of decanted champagne he pulled from the cool box at the end of the blanket. Unscrewing the lid he poured it into two mismatched plastic camping mugs and topped them with freshly squeezed orange juice.
‘You're funny,’ Lori giggled.
‘How so?’ He frowned as he passed her the bright blue cup.
‘This,’ Lori took it and held it up. ‘You'll jump off a bridge, which I'm fairly certain is illegal, and yet you won't bring glass on to the beach.’
‘Actually I fell off the bridge. As far as the law is concerned, there's a big difference between doing something by accident and doing something on purpose. One is forgivable, the other isn't.’ He grinned at her, though when he saw her face fall a little he stopped. ‘Is everything ok?’
Gulping down the fizzy contents of the cup she avoided his gaze and just nodded. ‘Mmm hmm.’
Satisfied but not overly full Zeb suggested they take her new board out to get it wet. The conditions were terrible for catching any surf but he thought a bit of fun might take her mind off whatever it was that was bothering her. Presuming it was probably just the emotions of the milestone she'd reached without her parents he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up off the blanket.
Together they waded out through the bubbles and fought through the messy waves until they'd both made it beyond the breakers. Sitting up on their boards they bobbed around for a while talking about anything and everything other than what Lori knew they should have been discussing.