Chapter Fifty-Nine
“All right, we’re all here?” called Sean.
“Yes,” we all groaned, completely over the build-up to the big mystery surprise.
Sean pressed the button for the elevator and the doors instantly glided open.
He checked his watch. “This is it, people, the final countdown.”
We all piled in, cramming ourselves into the small box like sardines.
Tess earned herself a whack to her temple by one of Ringer’s crutches as he hopped inelegantly into the confined space. Amy screamed with pain as Sean accidently stood on her foot, and I was wedged up against Chris’s chest. Admittedly, it wouldn’t have been the worst place to be if Toby hadn’t elbowed me in the spine.
“Shit, sorry, Tam.”
I managed to smile through the pain, and thought, Well, at least I could look Toby in the eye now.
I felt Chris’s hand splay over my bare back, rubbing soothing circles along my skin. Considering he was laughing and joking with Stan next to him, seemingly oblivious to his hand’s actions, I wondered if it was as natural for him to touch me as it seemed.
“Where to from here?” Stan asked, his hand hovering over the floor panel.
Sean broke into a brilliant smile.
“The only way is up, Stanley.”
Amidst the chatter and the stomach-plummeting jolt that catapulted us upward, I felt the gentle brush of Chris’s lips against my brow, a stolen moment between us in the crowded space. I clasped the lapels of his jacket and breathed him in.
With eleven of us trapped in a confined space, you would think that the elevator door couldn’t have opened soon enough, but as we piled out of the crammed, mirrored prison, the reality of breaking away from Chris was not a welcome thought … until we stepped out to the foyer. Our mouths gaped open, an unusual silence sweeping over us.
“Oh no, you d’int!” screamed Ringer like a diva.
Before us was a wall of glass, and beyond that wall was a glittering, candlelit terrace with rooftop pool. A long table lined with ice and champagne was the first thing to greet us as we all merged forward, Sean opening the door with pride.
“Best seats in Point Shank,” he said.
Chris slapped Sean on the shoulder. “You did good, mate, you did good.”
“Why get sand in our shoes when we can hear and see all from up here?” Sean swept his arm out like an emperor addressing his subjects.
“I wonder what the poor people are doing tonight?” joked Adam. He busied himself plunging a strawberry into his mouth from one of the fruit platters.
The breeze whooshed through the folds of my skirt, my hair flailing around as I walked along the terrace, past the pool, to look out over the balcony. The very strip that we had driven along earlier that day was now in darkness, highlighted only by an orange glow of high-powered street lights. Distant screams and laughter carried on the wind, the music from the festival clear and crisp to our ears. For long moments none of us said a word, we just listened and flashed cheesy, happy grins at one another. All those people below didn’t have a clue how good we had it up here.
I spun around and clutched my hair at the nape of my neck to prevent it from blowing in my eyes and robbing my vision.
“Sean, I am officially the president of your fan club,” I said.
“I’ll be the vice president,” added Ellie.
Sean pulled up a seat at the far end of the balcony, nursing a Crown Lager and casually crossing his long legs at his ankles.
“I would prefer to call you my groupies,” he said, flashing a boyish grin before taking a deep swig.
What made this whole feat even more impressive was Sean’s fear of heights. Noting his position, wedged up near the entrance, away from the edge – obviously nothing much had changed.
It only made this decadent surprise even more selfless.
“I think I’m actually glad Ringer injured himself,” said Stan, looking down at all the insect-sized people on the footpath.
“Yeah, come to think of it, I don’t fancy stumbling drunk along the beach, stepping in vomit and waking up with sand in my bum crack,” said Adam.
Chris eyed his brother with interest. “I don’t know what you get up to on the beach, but—”
“You know what I mean,” snapped Adam.
Chris’s brows rose. “Do I?”
Adam ignored him. “This is heaps better.”
“What time is it?” I interrupted.
“Time to get moving …” said Stan.
“See!” said Sean. “That’s why I wanted to get here early; otherwise we would have missed the bloody countdown.”
Amy chucked a wedge of pineapple in her mouth, wincing at the sour aftertaste as she casually slid into Sean’s lap. He welcomed her without a moment of hesitation, circling his arms around her.
“How long do we have this place for?” she asked, straightening Sean’s tie.
“As long as we want. It’s not exactly a space they hire out but I can be very persuasive.” Sean pressed his forehead against Amy’s, a devilish tic in the corner of his mouth making her blush.
The only person who didn’t seem overly impressed or interested in our surprise five-star venue was Toby.
He leaned on the balcony railing, looking out onto the stretch of black ocean across the street.
His sombre mood didn’t go unnoticed. Tess tore her eyes away from his back and locked with my gaze. She looked so defeated, so tired, to the point that there were no more tears to shed. She just shook her head and turned away, finding salvation in a fresh glass of champagne. Although I had been more than relieved that Ellie had nothing to do with the wedge growing between Toby and Tess, it still did little to stop my heart from aching for them. I felt the press of Chris next to me as he leaned against the railing beside me.
“You and Ellie all good?” he asked, mid-sip of his stubby, as if trying to disguise his words.
I nodded. “All good.”
“I don’t have to switch her back to your apartment now, do I?”
“No, I think she is pretty settled in the honeymoon suite,” I said.
We looked across at Amy and Sean, making out like two teenagers at a Blue Light disco. I felt a moment of sympathy for Ellie and the company she was keeping. It was a stark contrast between Amy and Sean to the likes of Toby and Tess, and for a moment I found it hard to believe that out of the couples, Chris and I were the least complicated.
Not that we were a couple or anything. Actually, I didn’t exactly know what we were. Friends with benefits? We weren’t exactly friends and benefits would imply more than second base …
Even on the brink of a new century I realised that I knew just as little now about him as I had at the beginning of the trip.
I studied his stormy profile, marvelling at the strong, chiselled lines of his insanely kissable lips and the faint workings of a permanent wrinkle on his brow from too much frowning.
As if sensing me staring, Chris tilted his head toward me and drew his beer away from his mouth.
He didn’t smile, or say a word, he just looked into my eyes and it was in that moment I knew something had changed. Before the trip I would have turned away, quickly broken from his darkened, intimidating eyes. But now, I stared straight back, lost in the depths of them, never wanting to turn away. I wanted to live there.
That was the difference.
However wonderful it was, poolside, on top of a resort about to be showered in a cascade of colours from the New Year fireworks, there was only one thing I wanted, and my eyes spoke as much as they flicked to Chris’s mouth: a silent invitation, a whispered promise. I met his eyes once more. I may not have spoken, but he understood every word. Chris turned to me, shielding me from the frantic winds that made my skin form into gooseflesh.
He stared thoughtfully at me for a moment.
“Come here,” he said softly, darkly, a promise of something greater to come.
It made me afraid of what might
happen if I didn’t. I breathed in deeply, feeling an invisible pull between us as I drew nearer. Chris slid his hand along my belly, skimming around to dance along my spine. This was it, this was what I wanted; this was what I had been waiting for. Just as I saw Chris swallow in anticipation, the moment was shattered.
Tess screamed.
Chapter Sixty
All it took was one moment.
Time slowed as people down in the club and on the distant shore started counting down to the new century, new beginning.
They danced, cheered, laughed – surrounded themselves with the warm, glittering night as they rang in the New Year with hopes and dreams for the future. That’s what we had all wanted; whether secretly or publicly, we hoped for our lives to change in some way from this night on.
But we’d never thought it would change like this.
Tess’s eyes were wide, fixed ahead of her. She stood frozen, cupping her mouth, small whimpers escaping unheard on the breeze. The wind carried the joyful cries of “Happy New Year!” on invisible wings, but up here on the balcony we were silent.
A dull ache sliced my abdomen and my breath caught in my throat. I only remembered to breathe when I felt Chris’s fingers lace with mine so tightly I felt he may break me.
An explosion of colour filled the night sky; popping and spiralling in rampant surges, the fireworks cast a magical backdrop against our open-air retreat.
Tess’s soft whimpers washed over us; I wanted to go to her, to console her in some way, but I didn’t need to. Her gaze dropped to the tiled floor, her watery eyes shiny with hot tears as she shook her head, barely believing the promise before her that would change her life forever:
Toby bending on one knee.
He curled his fingers around Tess’s trembling hand, his warm brown eyes fixed on her intently.
“I know you’ve seen nothing but the worst of me since we left Onslow. But you know me. You know more than anyone that I am never one to love for the sake of being in love, but I love because of you. You make the ordinary man in me feel extraordinary and I want to go on loving and discovering with you for the rest of my days.”
Toby delved a shaky hand into the inner pocket of his jacket. He turned the black box and opened it toward Tess, a nervous lilt to the curve of his mouth.
“Please say yes.”
In that moment I couldn’t feel anything but the squeeze of Chris’s hand as I held my breath, watching, waiting.
Tess moved to kneel in front of Toby, wrapping her arms around his neck, the sheen of tears overflowing to trail a path down her face. She looked at him, really looked at him and swept her hand along his jaw line, her thumb grazing his lips.
She shook her head. “As if there could be any other answer.”
***
At 12:01 a.m. on the first of January, year 2000, on top of a resort terrace in the coastal town of Point Shank, a group of friends converged on two people: a screaming, crying heap.
We broke the mould that night. We didn’t scream “Happy New Year” or vomit up our drinks and get sand in our butt cracks; no, we did so much more.
Us girls cried and pawed at Tess’s diamond engagement ring that by far out-blinged every firework in the sky. The boys engulfed Toby with macho congratulatory hugs and ruffles of hair, but none quite as touching as when Sean and Toby embraced, thumping one another in bone-jarring thuds on the back. Toby drew away and nodded his silent thanks. It made me suspect that Sean was the only one who had known Toby’s intentions throughout the trip. Thinking about it, he’d probably masterminded the private rooftop terrace space for the perfect backdrop and romantic beginning for his best mate’s proposal, let alone everyone else’s enjoyment.
I took a moment to break away from the pack and walked over to Sean.
Standing on the very tips of my toes, I kissed him on the cheek. “You are an amazing man, Sean Murphy.” I smiled.
Sean’s brows rose in surprise. “Now, Tam, I know you have always been desperately in love with me, but you’re just going to have to learn to control your urges.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re unbelievable.”
“What? Did you honestly think I would turn over a new leaf in the year 2000?”
I shook my head. “Don’t you dare go changing, Sean Murphy – not one bit.”
Sean broke into a wicked grin. “Happy New Year, Tam,” he said, bending down to kiss my forehead, before ruffling my hair and walking away.
Well, maybe some things he could change.
I wiped the tendrils of hair out of my eyes and spotted Ellie watching Toby and Tess completely lost in each other.
Ellie wiped away what little eye make-up she had left. Her nose was red and her eyes bloodshot from the tears of joy that poured as she witnessed her best friend’s proposal.
I stood beside her. “You knew, didn’t you?” I mused.
Ellie sniffed and nodded. “Since Evoka. It nearly killed me keeping it under wraps.”
I fought the urge to laugh. I had been so wrong, so wrong about everything. I remembered how Ellie had threatened Toby, told him that his weird behaviour was stressing Tess out, how emotional she was because of it.
It was all so clear now. I had thought it to be something so sinister, but it was nothing more than Ellie being a true friend, pacifying a stressed-out fiancé-to-be.
Poor Toby.
I brushed past the bodies flanking the now beaming happy couple. I worked my way in a direct line through to Toby and threw my arms around him. He stiffened in surprise before his arms rested around me.
“I am so sorry about your shoes.”
Toby laughed. “Uh-oh, that sounds ominous.”
I broke away, fighting the urge to let the tears flow; emotion I hoped would pass for happiness for them instead of the raging guilt that bubbled up within me.
How could I explain that they were up a tree in Evoka? With a condom inside?
“You see …” I started.
“They’re gone, aren’t they?” Toby said. “It’s all right, they weren’t my favourite pair,” he said.
Mercifully I was saved from admitting it by Adam’s grand announcement.
“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” he screamed. He ran, fully clothed, and cannonballed into the pool, splashing water over all of us.
“Adam! Don’t be a bloody dickhead!” screamed Amy, shucking the excess water from her arms before she recognised the devious glint in Chris’s and Sean’s eyes.
“Whatever do you mean?” said Chris as he innocently set his beer on the table.
“I think she’s accusing us of something,” said Sean as he began to inch around in the opposite direction.
Amy backed away. “I mean it, you two. Your lives will not be worth living.” Amy broke into a run.
But she, of all people, should have known: you can’t outrun an Onslow Boy, let alone two … Something I found out the hard way a minute later.
***
I gathered up the saturated layers of my skirt, waited for a moment of distraction and crept slowly through the open glass doors of the terrace, dripping a trail of evidence to the elevators. I pressed frantically on the down button, urging it on with silent prayers.
Come on, come on, come on …
The red digital readout ticked agonisingly slowly up toward the rooftop terrace. Even though I was alone, I hugged my arms around myself, masking the mortifying transparency of my top that evidently wasn’t meant to be swum in.
I looked over my drenched state with great annoyance, hoping that the new dress wasn’t ruined. It had been fun, though. Aside from Ringer, we had all gone in, clothes and all, a line of dripping wet Onslow Boys in their suits; it looked like we were shooting a music video for a new boy band.
It was actually very hot. Not so hot when Bell pulled me aside and pointed out my little wardrobe malfunction that would have given the video an R rating, however.
As if I had conjured her up with my mind, I
heard Bell’s voice.
“Hey, wait for us,” she whispered, dragging Stan behind her.
I inwardly cringed. I had planned for a crafty exit, but the more of us that left at once would definitely arouse suspicion in the others.
‘Shhh,” Bell pressed her fingers to her lips. “We’re on a mission.”
“Oh?” I whispered.
Stan held up a room card with a smile.
Oh God, I hope they weren’t referring to a sexual mission.
“Sean organised so Tess and Toby can have a room of their own,” beamed Bell. “Kind of like a pre-Honeymoon Suite, I suppose.”
Stan nodded. “We have to sneak in to grab their gear and relocate them.”
The elevator door dinged and opened. The three of us dived inside, leaving behind three puddles on the tiles as evidence.
We thought ourselves quite the escape artistes as the doors drew slowly closed. We thought we had made a stealthy getaway until we heard footsteps closing in, followed by the screeching of sliding footwear on the tiled floor and an arm that plunged through the nearly-but-not-quite-closed elevator doors. Flinching backward as the doors opened again, a figure squeezed through the opening.
Chris.
Chapter Sixty-One
I made a last sweep around the bathroom before returning back into the hall.
Chris stood in the doorway to keep the door wedged open while Stan and Bell lugged all of Tess and Toby’s gear out of the spare room.
“I think that’s everything,” I said, standing at the front door with Chris.
“Cool,” whispered Stan, although I’m not sure why he whispered; we were three floors below the others.
“Now we’re going to go and put a trail of rose petals in their new room,” said Bell.
“And they have no idea?” asked Chris.
“They haven’t a clue,” beamed Bell. “We just casually walk back up and hand them the new card and point them that way.”
“Yeah, well, remember, you never saw me,” said Chris.
‘Or me!” I added quickly.