Something Else

CHAPTER 1 - In The Beginning

'Not a lot,' replied Dave. 'Have you got any gear?' he then asked, lowering his voice a little.

Lee shook his head. 'No mate, I thought you were s'posed to be getting some last night?'

Dave wiped his nose on the back of his hand as Jimmy bent down, elbowing him out of the way.

We tried, but we ran into Jez and Jerry in Sandcastles,' he told Lee, with a wince. 'Remember, we pulled a fast one on 'em with them dodgy E's? Well, apparently they sent 'em ape shit, so we beat it - fast!'

Lee rolled his eyes with a shake of his head, not believing they'd even considered going into Sandcastles after that episode. 'God, you two are idiots!'

Lee's girlfriend: 22-year-old Claire Warner, was a sales assistant in Threads Boutique at the Southern International Hotel at Coogee Beach. She rummaged through a box of new season stock, her eyes not wanting to miss a thing.

Pulling out a short pink midriff top and a tight black PVC miniskirt, she held them against herself in front of the mirror, smiling smugly to herself. I will knock them dead Saturday night in this, she thought.

Jan, her manageress, then appeared behind her and smiled. 'I knew you'd go for that little number,' she told her. 'Isn't it this weekend that the new dance place you've been talking about opens?'

Claire nodded, not taking her eyes off her reflection, tucking her hair behind her ears. 'Yeah – should be good. They're supposed to be bringing a new DJ over from England.'

'Oh,' commented Jan, having lost touch with the dance scene since she turned 36.

Claire's background was English, and she had migrated to Australia with her parents when she was 10. She was a boisterous, outgoing girl – tall and slim with an amply large bust, thick blond hair and a pretty face. But even with all her attributes, she was never happy. She was bossy, vain and spoiled, and wasn't the popular young thing she liked to think she was.

Stacey Jones arrived at the boutique dot on 10.00 o'clock. She had just become the window dresser of what she believed to be one of the best boutiques in Sydney.

She stood in the doorway and glanced around, not believing her luck.

Out of all the applicants, it was her who'd got the job! The first bit of good luck she'd had in a long, long time.

'Can I help you?' came a voice from beside her.

'I've, er, come to see the manageress.'

The shop was small and quaint and very unique in design. The first description that sprung to Stacey's mind was an explosion in a paint factory! There were brightly coloured poles spaced throughout the shop, all cut to different lengths, sizes and widths where the clothes hung on brightly coloured hangers in completely uncoordinated sections. The look was bazaar but worked, nonetheless.

Stacey felt an inner excitement as she followed the dark girl through to the back room, where she got introduced to a smartly dressed woman, who looked totally out of place in these busy, paintbox surroundings – she was too neat and tidy and very conservative.

'Hi,' said Jan, welcoming Stacey with an outstretched arm. 'Stacey Jones?'

'Yes,' she nodded.

'Jan Winters.' She smiled with her coral pink painted lips and opened a cupboard door. 'You can pop your stuff in here,' she told her, looking around for her bag. 'I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a rush,' she admitted. 'I haven't really got time to talk to you. There are only the four of us here, and we're quite friendly, so you should feel at home. I'm sure Mike at head office has already told you that being the only window dresser for all three boutiques in Sydney that you're your own boss – have you been to the other two shops yet?'