Murfey's Law (18 page)

Slipping her own hands down to Zeb's belt she loosened it enough so that she could get at the button fly. Exhilaration from the jump made her fingers shake and she tugged impatiently at the fabric.
 

Zeb chuckled and let go of her breasts for a second, helping her to undo the buttons.
 

Reaching in to his shorts she liberated him and wrapped her legs around his hips, moaning in his ear as he pulled aside her knickers and slid in to her.

Knock Knock! 

‘Zeb! Wake up man, the surf's waiting,’ Jonah urged impatiently.
 

A crack of bright light from the bedroom doorway blinded Zeb's sleep deprived eyes and he hoisted himself up on his elbows. ‘What time is it?’
 

‘Nearly six. We just got back from Sydney, Tyler's gone home to shower and I said we'd catch him up. I can't believe you're in still in bed! Look I'll turn on the li...’
 

‘NO!’ Zeb growled. ‘Just give me five... no, ten... no, twenty minutes, and I'll be out. Now close the fucking door.’
 

Mumbling something crass about his brother needing to get laid Jonah slammed the door shut returning the room to darkness.
 

On the wall beside the shuttered bedroom window the air-conditioner purred automatically into life and Zeb slid his elbows down the mattress, dropping his head back into the mess of pillows. Even though the room was cool, Zeb's skin felt clammy under his fingers as he skimmed them leisurely down over his chest, tucking them beneath a fold of sheet that covered the ripples of his abdomen. Lifting the layers of feathery quilting piled up on the bottom half of the bed he tilted his chin and looked down the length of his body, grinning languorously, ‘You can come out now.’
 

After swimming the kilometre from under the bridge round to the little beach in the harbour he had taken Lori back to the car where he'd retrieved a couple of towels and a change of clothes for them both. Dressed in a pair of his baggy tracksuit pants and hoody Lori had fallen comfortably asleep in the passenger seat before he'd even reached the freeway. Somewhere around three in the morning, on the descent down in to Murfey's Beach, Lori had woken with renewed energy and, slipping her hand into his lap, he'd read her message loud and clear. With Jonah bringing the New Year in up in the city, they had fallen noisily into bed for a deliciously long coupling.
 

‘So you're going for a surf?’ Lori knelt up causing the pile of covers to slide off the foot of the bed. The cold air of the room hit her bare skin, tightening her breasts.
 

Zeb traced his fingers over the goose bumps just below her belly button. ‘Do you mind? It is a kind of New Year's Day tradition. You could come with me?’
 

‘I was just thinking the exact same thing.’ Lori's eyes twinkled mischievously. Leaning forward she pressed her palms into the bed either side of his shoulders and straddled her knees over his legs so that she was on all fours above him.
 

‘You know what I meant,’ Zeb laughed, holding back the curtain of her hair that was tickling his face and chest.
 

‘I did, and thanks, that'd be nice. I suppose we do need to leave this room at some point.’ She lowered her face to his and ran her tongue suggestively over his bottom lip. As he slid his hands gently up the outside of her thighs and over her bottom she quivered.
 

‘I guess we do, although I did say I'd be another twenty minutes,’ his voice rumbled against Lori's mouth and he pushed down firmly on her hips.
 

Almost half an hour later Zeb, dressed in only his shorts, swung open the bedroom door and strode down the hallway to the front of the house. 

Waiting for him in the kitchen, Jonah was pouring the dregs of his coffee down the sink. ‘At last! What the hell were you do... Woah, shit! Good morning Lori.’
 

‘And Happy New Year to you too Jonah.’ Lori appeared beside Zeb, back in last night's borrowed clothes, her face burning.
 

‘Sorry, Happy New Year beautiful,’ he put down the mug and stepped forward, kissing her on the cheek, ‘how very umm... surprising to see you here.’
 

‘Give it a rest Junior.’ Zeb grabbed his little brother by the neck and gave him a hug, whispering into his ear, ‘I hope you were careful last night kid?’
 

‘I am absolutely NOT discussing that with you.’ Jonah peeled himself from Zeb's grip and looked from him to Lori and back again, arching his eyebrows pointedly.
 

‘Alright, alright,’ Zeb chuckled. ‘Come on, let's go teach this kook to surf.’
 

Exhausted, bruised and full of salty water Lori left the boys in the waves after a couple of hours of embarrassing herself. 

Although she had managed to stand up a couple of times, which according to Zeb was actually pretty good considering the swell was quite a bit bigger than he would normally have recommended she learn in, every time she'd popped up she had almost straight away been unceremoniously dumped back in again. Surprisingly, this had been a lot of fun, however, she felt as though she was holding them back and so she'd quit while she was ahead.
 

Leaving them to play more seriously, Lori rode her borrowed board back in to the beach and walked the long way home. By the time she got back Jenny was just coming out of number twenty-one with Bob.
 

‘Hey Bobsy!’ She crouched down to greet him enthusiastically, his tail wagged furiously as he sniffed at the drips of salty water on her legs. ‘Happy New Year Jenny.’
 

‘And to you Lorikeet. Been out with the boys?’ Jenny gave her an arms length hug.
 

‘I have, and it was completely terrifying if I'm honest,’ she giggled.
 

Jenny hadn't seen anything happen on Christmas Day but from the glow in Lori's face afterwards it was obvious something had occurred. A couple of days ago though, when Lori had become quite distant with her, she thought that perhaps they'd had a falling out. Judging by their date last night and the flame in Lori's cheeks this morning it was clear that things had moved beyond just 'something'.
 

With the countdown to the investors' meeting now in full swing she just hoped that the two of them could see what was so palpable to everyone else around them.
 

‘So...’ Jenny grinned, unlocking the front door, ‘how was last night?’
 

‘Last night was... none of your business,’ Lori teased. She rested the surf board on the verandah and followed her in to the shop. She knew Jenny had worked it out by herself, but with everything else going on in her mind over the past week Lori hadn't found the right moment to tell her. And besides, there wasn't really anything to tell.
 

‘Fine, I won't ask again, my lips are sealed.’ She made a zipping motion across her mouth and led the way in to the kitchen where she needed to start preparing for the brunch crowd that would no doubt make a bleary eyed appearance within the next couple of hours.
 

‘Good,’ Lori giggled. ‘Now I'm going to take a shower, then I'll be back down to give you a hand. I suggested Tyler take the day off today, I thought we'd be fine on our own.’
 

‘No problem, I'll get started on some pancake batter, and leave the fruit salad for you to do.’ She disappeared into the pantry.
 

Lori had only made it halfway up the stairs before Jenny called out, ‘Oh! Lorikeet? I almost forgot to ask, what time are you planning on holding the open house this Saturday? I need to know so I can organise the catering.’
 

Shit.
 

Mr and Mrs Peters' offer, and Lori's subsequent verbal acceptance meant that she didn't really need to hold another open home. What she had completely failed to consider though, was the fact that if she cancelled it now it would mean that everyone, Jenny included, would work out that she'd been made, and was planning to accept, an offer, but hadn't told anyone. Worse still, Zeb would know she'd lied. The tightening sensation she'd felt in her chest the last few days returned with a vengeance.
 

Frozen midway, her fingers massaging her breast bone, she had to make a choice and make it quickly. The longer it took her to respond the more likely it was for Jenny to figure it out anyway.
 

She either had to turn around right now, go back downstairs and tell Jenny the truth, and as a consequence have to tell Zeb too, or... or she could go on keeping it a secret and hold the open home anyway. Today being Thursday, meant that the investors' meeting was only six days away, what harm could it do to if she waited until then to make the announcement? No one need know the timing of the offer.
 

‘Ten o'clock if that's ok?’ Lori called back before running up the stairs and locking herself in the bathroom.
 

When the skin on her fingers had wrinkled and the threat of tears had passed, Lori turned the taps off and wrapped herself in a towel. Pushing down the uncomfortable feelings brought up by her choice she left the steam of the bathroom to dissipate and went in search of something to wear. 

From her bedroom window, as she pulled on her shorts and tied her damp hair up high on her head she could see that the sun had now risen well above the horizon, burning off most of the clouds in the sky, the start to the New Year was looking like it'd be a scorcher. With the build up of all this heat it wasn't surprising that the threat of severe thunderstorms was forecasted for the next week at least.
 

By eleven o'clock every table on the deck was full and Jenny was starting on her second batch of pancake batter. 

Serving Mr and Mrs Thompson-Phillips Lori made sure she gave them an extra gracious smile as she put their double shot coffees and raisin toast down on the table. After Mrs Westerly they were probably the next in line for the hardest investors to please.
 

Extremely wealthy, they were the village's most generous benefactors. Everything from the rural fire station on the road leading out of the village, to the boat ramp at the far end of the beach were only possible thanks to the money that they had donated, and continue to donate. Convincing them to vote in favour of selling the shop was going to be nigh on impossible and although she hadn't completely given up hope she certainly wasn't going to count on gaining their approval.
 

‘Just let me know if you would like a refill.’ Lori gave a ridiculous half curtsey half bow as she stepped back and left them to their brunch.
 

Clearing the table vacated by a young couple just passing through on their way to Melbourne to visit family, Lori watched as Bob shot out from under the deck and raced down the lawn woofing excitedly.
 

Like an overtly provocative aftershave advert, Zeb, Jonah and Tyler appeared at the bottom of the garden. Dripping wet and carrying their boards under their arms they began making their way towards the deck. The sun above them reflected off their wet skin making it sparkle. With so much muscular flesh on show Lori lost concentration for a moment, clattering the plates she was stacking and eliciting a disappointed tut from Mrs T-P as she liked to think of her. The displeased expression on the stiff backed old woman soon changed when she followed Lori's gaze and saw what had caused the boorish rattling of crockery. She, along with every one of the other females on the deck, and even some of the males, gave a wholly appreciative sigh at the vision of the boys heading towards them in seemingly slow motion.
 

Lori silently chastised the lusty butterflies flitting around her stomach and kept her burning cheeks low as she took off in the opposite direction, straight into the kitchen where she dropped the plates in the sink of bubbles and buried her face in the fridge.
 

‘Are you quite alright Lorikeet?’ Jenny asked after giving her enough time to collect herself.
 

‘Umm...Oh! yes, there it is, found it!’ Lori grabbed the very large, very conspicuous bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice and poured herself a tall glass, downing half of it in just a couple of gulps.
 

Jenny watched on with amusement.