Family Farm (23 page)

‘Oh, no. Tonight you’re going to catch yourself a man.’ Clearly Maggie thought that everyone needed to be as deliriously happy as she was.

‘No, I’m fine, Mags. Honest. I was just going to wear some jeans,’ pleaded Izzy.

Maggie grabbed her shoulders and pushed her into her old bedroom. From the door, Izzy could see the pink patterned wallpaper and old dolls lining the shelves and windowsill.

‘No excuses. You’re going to knock some fella’s socks off tonight. I don’t want you coming home until you find one,’ she ordered, shutting the door behind them. ‘Luckily I still have half of my clothes here. There should be something worth wearing in this lot.’

At seven-thirty on the dot, Maggie opened the door for Will. ‘Howdy, stranger. Long time no see,’ she said with a stunning smile.

‘You too,’ said Will, as he kissed her cheek. ‘You’re looking as great as ever.’ He’d seen Maggie from time to time when she visited Pingaring, but he’d found her city, girlie ways irritating. All she’d ever wanted to do was sit around and watch chick flicks or read teenage magazines with Claire.

‘Come in. She’s nearly ready.’ Maggie beckoned.

Will had noticed Maggie’s casual attire. ‘Aren’t you coming?’ he asked. Normally she’d be dressed up to the nines.

‘No, sorry. Too sick. I’m living on Panadol, cold and flu tablets and Throaties at the moment. Not a good mix with a drink,’ she explained.

‘Fair enough,’ he said, as she ushered him inside. He spotted the two women sitting in the lounge by the small television. ‘Hi, Jean. Hi, Sarah. How’s it going?’ he asked. Jean looked up and a warm smile broke across her face at the familiar man before her.

‘It was so nice of you to visit Bill today. I know it would have meant a lot to him, Will,’ she said.

‘Come on, Izzy,’ Maggie shouted down the hall. ‘Will’s here.’ Maggie gave Will the once-over, and came to the quick conclusion he was still damn hot, if not better. He was wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans and a nice white collared long-sleeve shirt. His hair flicked out just a bit at the top making him look like he was fresh out of a magazine ad.

‘Will, I’m glad that you and Izzy are back to normal again. I’m happy it’s all sorted out now,’ Jean said quietly, knowing he would understand what she meant.

Maggie’s eyes studied Will’s handsome face, watching for a reaction to this strange comment.

‘You’re not the only one,’ he replied. ‘It’s nice to have a friend back.’ Will seemed genuinely relaxed and happy, and his eyes were clear and bright.

‘I’m ready to go,’ whispered a voice from around the corner as Izzy appeared. She glided into the lounge room on black high-heeled shoes with thin straps that made her legs look even longer than usual.

Maggie watched Will’s eyes follow Izzy’s legs up to the short free-flowing black skirt, then to her fitted blue silky halter top. She’d insisted on tying up Izzy’s hair, leaving a few loose, soft curls falling around her face and neck. Subtle make-up brought out her vivid blue eyes, and a hint of pale-pink lipstick enlarged her lips dramatically. Maggie only had to see the way Will was looking at Izzy to know she’d done a great job.

‘See. What did I tell you? You look amazing,’ said Maggie proudly.

‘Not too over-dressed for the pub?’ Izzy squeaked.

‘Never!’ replied Maggie. But Izzy didn’t expect much else from her.

Izzy had noticed Will staring, and felt uncomfortable under his gaze. ‘What?’ she said worriedly, looking down over herself. ‘Is it too much?’

Will, realising that his mouth may have been open and that, quite possibly, he may well have been drooling, managed to gather his senses. ‘Ah … n-no, you look … g-great,’ he stammered. ‘Let’s … let’s just get going, shall we?’ Hell’s bells and whistles, he thought. She looked amazing and yet so shy, and fear escaped from her wide eyes. Tonight it was going to be hard for him to control his thoughts. Eager to move and clear his mind, he attempted to steer her out the door. ‘See you ladies later,’ he called back to Jean and Sarah. ‘Catch ya, Mags. Hope you get better soon.’ He gave them a smile that would have melted any woman’s heart. Izzy’s was sure softening.

SITTING in the front of Will’s ute, Izzy realised that the sequins from her small black handbag were cutting into her hand because she was clutching it so tight. Give me a pair of jeans any day, she thought, feeling way out of her comfort zone. She had told Maggie that she didn’t feel comfortable and wanted to change, but Mags had informed her that women who looked good were never comfortable and that she should just ‘suck it up’.

For once, there was a slightly strained silence between them, nothing but the commotion of the traffic and the soft voices on the radio floating through the ute. Nervously, her hands pulled at the fabric of her skirt, as Izzy willed it to grow. She tried to breathe deeply to calm her nerves but after a few inhalations decided against it – Will’s masculine scent of alluring aftershave and soap was only making the butterflies in her stomach worse.

The trip seemed to take forever. Each set of lights turned red, causing more delay. Izzy tried hard to rack her brain for something to talk about, but her head was just an empty void. In the end she gave up, and shortly they pulled into a parking spot outside the hotel.

‘Here we are,’ said Will, almost awkwardly as he fumbled with the keys. He seemed to have lost his voice for most of the trip too. Somehow he’d forgotten how to talk to Izzy now. He’d lost his ability to feel comfortable with her.

Quickly Izzy grabbed onto Will’s arm after he locked the ute, almost hiding behind him as they headed for the door. She really felt strangely nervous. She sensed him tremble, maybe from the cool breeze. Izzy took a deep breath of the fresh salty air, which was blowing in from the ocean across the road. But that too disappeared once they plunged into the smell of beer and the loud rumble of voices inside the pub. They made their way through the crowd and headed straight to the long wooden bar, both eager for a drink to settle them.

‘What can I get you?’ Will asked, looking across at Izzy. The high heels she wore brought her almost level to his eyes. He got a whole new perspective on her face from this angle, and for a moment he studied it. Her mouth was so much closer to his and the pink lipstick shimmered on her lips, enticing him even more to see what they tasted like now. He just wanted to take her chin in his hand and tilt her head up so he could study the fear he saw in the depths of her blue eyes. She wasn’t afraid of chopping up a snake with a shovel yet here she was scared of how she looked. If only she knew what she was doing to him.

Izzy realised she was still clinging to Will’s arm so she let go and tried to look relaxed.

‘Um … a bourbon and Coke. Thanks.’ Something strong, that’s what she needed, and fast.

They managed to find a spot near a pool table and before long had bumped into people they knew from school or back home, as the Obie attracted mostly a country crowd.

Izzy had been getting lots of stares from blokes, and one came up and offered to buy her a drink, which she declined. She had never had so much attention before, and she felt like the main act in a freak show.

‘Izzy, how can you be worried about what you look like when you’re clearly sending the guys here into a frenzy?’ Will had half shouted into her ear and was delighted when her face flushed, but then felt bad that he’d teased her. ‘Just relax and have a good time. You’re still you under all those different clothes, aren’t you?’ he asked.

‘Hell, yeah,’ said Izzy, slapping Will on his knee and relaxing a bit.

Will had to admit that he found all the attention Izzy was getting damn annoying. From the moment they’d walked in together, she’d been turning heads, and it didn’t sit comfortably with him. Suddenly he felt the need to protect her, to save her from these wayward blokes, who all seemed to resemble the old him. He knew they had one thing on their minds.

Soon they began chatting to an old schoolfriend of Izzy’s, Beau Rodgers, and his sister, who happened to be sitting nearby.

‘How about a game of pool, then?’ asked Izzy after the bourbon had begun to warm her blood.

‘Sounds great. How about you and I play Will and Jen?’ said Beau, then he leaned over and asked Izzy, ‘Are you with this guy on a date?’

‘Nah, we’re just good friends out for a good time.’ As soon as Izzy said it, she noticed the smile on Beau’s face and regretted it.

‘Sure. You up for it, Jen?’ Will asked Beau’s sister, who was in the pub for the first time that night, celebrating her eighteenth birthday.

‘Bring it on,’ she said.

Opposite Jen, Will was trying hard not to stare at Izzy too much. But he found it easier said than done, especially with Beau hanging around flirting with Izzy. He could tell how uncomfortable she was with the attention. But she’d already given him a lecture at the bin party about not stepping in because she could handle herself. Maybe he just needed to see it to believe it. Why did he feel like this?

After they had finished their second game, Will held Izzy’s arm as he leant down to her ear. ‘Hey, wanna come help me with some drinks?’

Izzy smiled back and nodded.

Will turned to the other two and mimed as he spoke. ‘We’re going to the bar. Same again?’ he asked them.

Both nodded, but Beau looked slightly put out as he watched Izzy and Will head off together.

They made the treacherous path to the bar, among a sea of people squished tightly together. They finally managed to get themselves a tiny piece of bar top and flagged down a harassed barmaid.

‘Having a good time?’ Will asked, leaning over to shout into Izzy’s ear over the rumbling of voices and yahooing.

She gave him a funny look. ‘I was … but Beau is starting to get a bit much.’ She shuddered and continued. ‘I’m trying hard not to do anything that’s going to give him the wrong impression, you know. I don’t want to have to be rude to make my point.’ It was getting late, and the more alcohol Beau consumed, the more he was trying to flirt with her. He’d even grabbed her on the bum at one stage.

Will shook his head. ‘You want me to rough him up?’ he said, acting all tough and putting on a deep voice.

Izzy grabbed his fisted hands and lowered them to his waist. ‘Calm down, he-man.’ She smiled at him. ‘I should have said I was on a date with you when he asked.’

‘Don’t worry, we can patch that. Come on, you just follow my lead, okay? This will be fun.’

Picking up two drinks each, they headed back to where Beau and Jen were waiting. The crush of bodies was intense and they ended up with more on the floor than in the glasses as they bumped their way through the crowd.

This time Will made sure he was standing next to Izzy, giving her a protective barrier against Beau. But it didn’t stop Beau from trying again.

‘
Sooo
, Izzy, got any plans tonight?’ he slurred as he pushed past Will in her direction.

She went to reply but Will beat her to it. ‘Nah. We’re just gonna head back to my place and crash. We’ve got a long drive home.’

Beau was quiet, as if waiting for an invitation, but it didn’t come.

They managed to play another game of pool, this time Izzy and Will against Beau and Jen. Will and Izzy won convincingly.

‘Played a few games, have we?’ Will asked Izzy, impressed with her skills.

‘I’ve played a bit, yes. I don’t need to ask you where you learnt to play. From memory you and Claire used to kick butt at the Lake Grace pub, even if you were half pissed.’ Izzy smiled at him. She could remember Will driving them to Lake Grace. They’d sneaked her into the pub to play pool, but she never got much of a go as Will and Claire would hog the table.

‘So, who taught you? Claire?’ asked Will.

Izzy shook her head. ‘My ex-boss, Rob, was a bit of a pool shark in his heyday. So he taught me a few things and I spent a lot of my free time playing pool with his young kids. They had a large pool table set up in their games room.’ Izzy thought of Emma and Chris with a twinge of pain. She spoke on the phone to Emma now and again. Just hearing her voice almost brought her to tears as she realised how much she missed those kids.

‘Izzy, want to help me get the next round of drinks?’ Beau interrupted, clearly trying to lure her away.

‘No thanks. I think I’ll stay here this time. Getting through that crowd is nightmarish.’

He nodded as his face dropped slightly and he went off with his sister instead.

‘This is our chance, Izzy. Don’t screw it up,’ Will said quickly.

‘Screw what up?’ Izzy asked curiously, as she leant over to hear his reply.

Will found it hard to avert his eyes from the soft curves within the plunging neckline of Izzy’s top. He bent over until his lips were just inches from her ear lobe.

‘Just play along, kiddo.’

Izzy squinted at Will, then a few minutes later groaned as she watched Beau and Jen push their way back through the crowd. She could see Beau was making a beeline straight for her. Suddenly Izzy felt Will’s arm around her back, and his hand on her shoulder pulling her in closer to him.

‘What
are
you doing?’ she whispered. Will’s face was only inches from hers, so close she could see some faint freckles dotted along his tanned cheeks. She’d never noticed them before.

‘Just keep talking. He’ll think we’re into each other,’ which, at that moment, Will thought wouldn’t be so hard to fake. ‘Do you think he’ll get the message or will I have to kiss you?’ Will watched with glee as Izzy’s eyes gaped and her cheeks flushed. Will remembered their last close encounter vividly, even if he had been a little drunk. He wondered if it was crossing Izzy’s mind too. He felt himself tense at the memory.

The heat rose up into her cheeks and her head felt a bit giddy. ‘I … um … I’m sure he will,’ she fumbled, as Will’s mouth was just centimetres from her lips. Every time he breathed, she could feel the warmth caress her face. Her heart was pounding against her chest and everything felt like it was in slow motion. She was glad for the loud pub noise – she was sure everybody would be able to hear her heartbeat. Will was so close she had to keep leaning backwards and was afraid she’d fall off her stool.