Before Elle realised it, she'd been sitting alone for half an hour and had already done some damage. She drained the bottle, her stomach unsettled by this point. She could see a pinprick of red on the carpet and decided it was high time she walked into a bathroom, changed, and got some shut-eye.
She put the wineglass on the table and picked herself up on unsteady legs and willed herself to find the way to the guest room. Thou shalt go to bed and slumber, Elle, she thought and giggled, closing the bedroom door behind.
It was in the wee dark hours of the morning that Elle woke up with a heavy head and a growling stomach. She was on the carpet next to her bag, a few clothes spilled out from it. Guess she never made it to that shower.
She picked herself up, grabbed her pyjamas and fresh underwear, and walked into the bathroom. The heat of the water in the shower soothed her tired body. She couldn't remember more than half the things they had talked about, but she was pretty sure they had mentioned sure Dean a few times. Even in the heat of the shower, she could feel her cheeks blush. A certain want intruded on her thoughts. She swatted the air around her head as if trying to shoo them off.
Dean Stewart was going to be in that same apartment in less than twenty-four hours, and Elle was already jittery. What would she say to him? What would he say to her? Would he even talk to her after the last time? Disheartened, she stepped out of the shower, wet hair dripping, and stared at herself in the mirror, surprised that her face and body still looked young. Had she really given birth to Maya? If so, where was the extra bulge?
"I'm so envious, Elle!" She heard Chloe's ramblings afresh in her head. "I hope I shed weight as quickly after my pregnancy."
"When will that happen I wonder," Aunty Ester had asked sourly.
Elle snapped out of her thoughts and dressed quickly. Maybe she could give this dating thing a go. Then the gold band glinted on her hand with a question. What about Blake? Was she ready to accept that he was gone forever? It hurt even to think about it.
She combed her hair poisonously and slapped her face with enough moisturiser to hydrate a rhino's hide. Angry with herself for being so caught up in everything that she'd vowed not to do until Maya began school. Maya needed her right now, didn't she? But Maya was impressionable. Best time to bring in someone new and permanent in her life, or so Uncle Steve had said once a few months after Blake's first death anniversary.
She sulked back into the bedroom and got into bed, hair still wet, but it did not bother her. It wasn't like she was going to catch her death in Sydney. The weather was warm on the waterfront. Suddenly she scuttled off the bed and tittered to the windows, drawing the curtains open. She wanted to see the city.
The streets were quiet and lonesome, dark buildings flanking them like sentries. Elle sighed, thinking how wrong she was to think Sydney never slept, but here she was, staring down at the empty, sparsely lit streets.
Her uncontrolled thoughts took her all the way back to the night Blake had proposed. They had not spent their second night at Harriett's place but in the city. Blake had been the most romantic guy she'd ever met. Elle had never dared to date anyone prior to Blake. That night was the night he'd proposed, in a hotel room littered with rose petals.
A light flickered in the sky. A plane flying into or out of Sydney, Elle couldn't tell. She walked back gloomily to the bed and hopped in. It had been a long day and before long, guests would arrive at the apartment. Elle pulled the duvet up around her neck and stared out the window, the curtains still open.
By the time Elle woke up and joined the Hammonds in their kitchen, they were already well into sipping their dark no-milk-no-sugar coffee and chopping up ingredients for a delicious breakfast.
"How'd you sleep, Elle?" Peter said, whisking eggs in a bowl.
"Great!" Elle chirped, despite having had an utterly embarrassing dream where she'd arrived buck naked at a large ball-like house party where Dean was also present.
"Hope you like omelettes."
Elle smiled, her stomach eager for food. "Would love some."
Chloe poured a mug of coffee and slid it across the bench top. "It's a bit strong."
Elle sat herself down, taking her coffee. A slight throb had begun in her head and she knew it was the heavy drinking last night, finally catching up with her.
"How's that head of yours?" Peter asked with a knowing smile.
"Like a loud construction site. Should be fun in an hour."
Chloe chuckled. "You were off your face," and poured the eggs into a frypan.
"Where's good shopping around here?" she asked, massaging her temple slowly.
"What do you need to buy?" Chloe asked.
"You didn't tell me you were having many people around while I was visiting." Elle twirled her mug. "I have nothing to wear for the people you've invited."
"The people?" Chloe repeated. "You mean Dean?"
Peter's shoulders shook as he went back to folding vegetables into the egg. He was laughing.
"Why would I care about him?" Elle defiantly asked.
Chloe snorted. "Because the only other people coming tonight are all family."
"What about Peter's partners?" Elle asked defensively. She'd only just remembered they were coming, but still.
"They are all just like Peter," Chloe replied. "You can wear a paper bag and they'd still be polite."
Elle's mouth flew open. "Fine, if you don't want to take me, then don't. But I'm not wearing shabby jeans and a top tonight. May as well go naked in that case," she mumbled, just like in her dream. "You're the one who's been trying to get me to come out and play."
"I'm sorry!" Chloe put her hands up in defeat. "I'm just happy, you know."
"Are you going to help me or not, then?"
"She will," Peter answered, cutting the large omelette into three equal pieces. "She's just happy that Dean's gotten to you."
"Has not!"
"Dear Elle." Peter laughed, placing a plate in front of her with a slice of the divine-smelling omelette. Elle sat like a child being growled at. "Chloe's been trying to set you two up for quite some time. I'm surprised you haven't noticed yet."
Elle opened to say something clever, but all that came out was, "Is it so wrong to want to fit in?" The two shook their heads, and Elle cut up her omelette.
"Show me what you've got," Chloe offered.
"I told you. Dad made me rush so much that the only dress I was going to pack for the weekend got left behind on my bed. This is delicious, Pete," she said, helping herself to another forkful.
Chloe laughed. "We're going to have to do more than buy a dress, I think." She winked at Peter.
Peter smiled. "Go on. I'll handle the fort." Chloe kissed him on the cheek and went back to eating.
Elle, lost in translation, stared at them. "What are you two on about?"
"You'll see. Now eat up, we have a long day ahead," Chloe said.
It was an hour before the two ladies left the apartment. Elle had brought none of her dressy clothes after all, and none of Chloe's would fit her.
"I'm thinking first stop QVB, and then we'll hit a spa and get pampered," Chloe said, entering the elevator. "Maybe a salon and the nail parlour."
"Do we really need a spa treatment?"
Chloe shook her head. "I don't need it, but I would love it. You, however, could do with some unwinding. Maybe even get some colour and cut into your hair."
"What's wrong with my hair?" Elle stared at her brown hair in the reflection.
"Seriously, Ellie, you've had that style for more than a decade. Even Jennifer Aniston changed her hairstyle more often than you do. You want out of your shell, then keep agreeing to do what I tell you to do. Dean's already half in love with you," Chloe continued. "By the time I'm done with you, he won't know what hit him!"
They rode the elevator quietly to the ground floor. Elle couldn't help but ask. "You don't really think he likes me, do you?"
Chloe chuckled. "You can be very blind when you want to be, you know. Just like Aunty Trish. Blind as a bat when you're being stubborn."
Elle shrugged. "I'm not used to the attention."
"Well, he does," Chloe stated. "But I don't know what you said to him last time. He sounded like he was in shock. He thought you wouldn't do Jared's wedding." Chloe hailed a cab, and they got in. After telling the cabbie to head to the QVB, Chloe continued. "You will, won't you?"
"What?"
"You'll cover the wedding, won't you?" Chloe asked again. "Cause that's what I've been telling him, that you're a professional and you won't let small things come between you and your job. Please say yes to him tonight, for me?" Chloe screwed up her face in guilt. "I kind of said you would already."
"Uh, yeah, sure," Elle muttered.
"But he's been going ahead just in case, trying to find a replacement because he thinks you definitely aren't interested anymore. What with the wedding being less than two months away?"
Elle remained quiet. She'd actually been thinking of calling Dean and remorsefully declining the opportunity, but something always held her back. Pretty soon, Chloe was on the phone booking for two at her regular spa, nail bar, and hairdressers. By the time they got to the QVB building and window-shopped for a dress, Elle felt she was a makeover project. Chloe was so immersed in their task and Elle left all decisions with the new Mrs. Hammond.
"What do you think of this?" Chloe held out a simple black dress with a halter neck.
"Don't you think it's a little low?"
Chloe handed the dress to the shop assistant. "She'll try it on."
"I will not!" Elle protested.
"Think of it as a little black dress, Ellie. Every girl should own at least one, two preferably, and three if she really means business."
Elle nodded. "Yes, every girl should own one. I'm not a girl. It's all too flowy."
"Just try it on for the sake of it, then."
The shop assistant waited to lead Elle into the change room. "You'd look beautiful in it." The young woman smiled.
"Fine!" Elle sighed and followed the assistant.
"And you have to show me," Chloe called after her.
Within minutes, Elle was in that slip of a dress that hugged her body in exactly the right places. Its open V-neck made her neck look longer. The back plunged dangerously low. She felt like a sexy ballerina. Her back looked shockingly agreeable. The waist tapered off into a big floppy bow at her lower back and the flowing skirt cut off just above the knees.
Elle stared at her reflection in utter disbelief. The dress was a piece of tailored art.
"Are you going to come out of there, Elle?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah, hold on," she replied, drawing the curtains and tentatively stepping out, fighting an urge to sashay.
"You look stunning!" Lorna, the shop assistant, commented.
"What do you think?" She turned to Chloe.
"It should do the trick." Chloe winked. "How much is it?" she asked Lorna.
"Four hundred and fifty," Lorna replied.
"I don't know if I can afford it," Elle murmured.
"We're not leaving this shop without it." Chloe reached into her handbag for her wallet and handed over her credit card to Lorna.
"I can't let you do that," Elle protested. As much as she loved the dress, it was pricey, and she'd never been one for pricey clothes.
"Oh, shush!" Chloe snapped. "Peter and I haven't gotten you a thank you gift for doing our wedding photos yet. Think of this as our gift."
Lorna smiled and went to the counter. Chloe turned back to Elle. "Now go on then, get out of the dress, you skinny cow! We'll be late for the hairdresser."
Elle kissed Chloe's cheek, squeezed her tightly for good measure, then floated back into the change room. It was with an odd sense of glee that she went along with the makeover Chloe was intent on carrying out.
Late that afternoon they spilled into the apartment, laughing. "Peter, come here and have a look," Chloe called out.
Peter turned off the telly and sat up. "I was thinking the guests would arrive before the two of you."
Chloe dropped the shopping bags by the coffee table, kissed him, and dropped herself next to him on the sofa. "Come on in, Elle."
"What did you do to her?" Peter asked anxiously.
Elle stepped into the room timidly, feeling much like she was on display.
"Love the hair." Peter's jaw fell. "The colour suits you."
"What'd I tell you? Now, you tell me Dean will not fall for that and I'll eat a kilo of shrimps." Chloe chuckled.
"All right, you've made your point." Peter laughed, getting off the seat. "You two better get ready, I'd say. Our guests will arrive and you'll still be powdering your noses."
Chloe clapped her hands on the leather and pushed herself up. "What time is the food being delivered?"
"Don't you worry about that. Go about your business while I set up the bar."
Chloe picked up her shopping, and the two disappeared into their rooms. As Elle tipped the contents of her bags onto the bed, Peter put on some music.
"You girls want a drink?" he called out.
"Make it a strong one! We're tuckered out," Chloe yelled.
Elle grabbed a clean towel and stepped into the bathroom. She would have loved a good soak, but there was no time. She stripped off her jeans and blouse, and pulled on a shower cap over her freshly cut, highlighted, and blow-dried hair. Quarter to six meant they had less than an hour before the first bell. Thus, she stepped into the hot shower, trying to relax her nerves.
When she appeared in the room, Peter had left a Cosmopolitan on the dresser. With the towel wrapped around her body, she took a grateful sip before pulling her new lingerie on. It felt odd to wear something sensual again, but to her surprise, it no longer felt wrong. She admired the black lace bodice and the lace boyleg she'd bought.
"You need a little indulgence, Elle," Chloe had said passionately in the lingerie store. "A woman needs to nurture her body sometimes."
"See, I told you!" Chloe's voice jilted Elle out of her reverie. She had walked into the room quietly with a drink in one hand and a dress in the other. "I thought we could get ready together."
"It feels so long since I wore one of these," Elle said, running her hand over the lace.
"Go on, slip your dress on. I want to see how the whole thing looks."
Elle obliged. She'd been dying to try the dress on again ever since they left the hairdresser. She tied the bow gently at the back, smoothed the dress out, and stood to hear Chloe's thoughts.
"You took it off," Chloe said, her gaze moving from Elle's hand to her face.
"Took what off?" Elle looked herself over to make sure she hadn't had a wardrobe malfunction.
"The ring."
Elle bit her lip. She couldn't look at Chloe. "It's been almost two weeks."
Chloe clasped her hands in initial shock. "Show me your hand." Elle did. "It's almost like it was never there."
"Don't say that. Blake was part of my life." Elle pulled her hand away.
Chloe could only look at Elle with love. "Yes, but it's time to start anew. Don't you think?"
"I know."
"Right." Chloe drained her drink. "I think we need another round. Chop, chop." She urged Elle on. Though it burned her throat, Elle drained the glass in one gulp and passed it on to Chloe.
"Peter!" she called. "One more for both of us."
"You look ravishing." Elle heard the whisper between the two and turned away to give them space. She could hear Chloe giggle like a schoolgirl. She opened her makeup bag and started on the foundation.
Two Cosmopolitans later, Elle had on flawless makeup, a spritz of perfume, and a pair of simple pearl studs. She stared at her reflection.
"Not bad for a newbie." Chloe laughed, shimmying into her white sequined, floor-length dress that made her look taller than she already was and elegant.
"I got it," Peter called out as the doorbell rang and he skipped down the hallway.
Chloe snapped up double quick. "Zip me up, Elle. Zip me up!"
Elle could feel her nerves twinging in anticipation, a warmth flooding her chest, and the bottled-up butterflies breaking free in her stomach as she strained to hear the voice she longed for.
"It's one of Peter's work colleagues," Chloe said matter-of-factly. "Freddy Donahue." She pulled a face, lowering her voice. "Married for almost twenty years, wrinkled like a bulldog, and has affairs left, right, and centre."
Elle's mouth fell open. "And what about his wife?"
"The same," Chloe answered with a straight face.
Elle sat on the edge of the bed as Chloe touched up her makeup. "His wife is wrinkled, and has affairs left, right, and centre too?"
"Oh God, no!" Chloe laughed, dabbing some blush on her cheeks. "The wife's gorgeous. Used to model back in her days, but like the husband, she has her own flings."
"Why not divorce then?"
Chloe shrugged. "It suits them."
The doorbell chimed again.
"Kitchen's that way, past the parlour," Peter's voice floated.
"What time did Harriett say they were coming?" Elle asked, slipping on her black lattice-work heels. She'd always loved those shoes, but could never remember where she'd bought them.
Chloe smacked her lips. "Around eight, I think."
"I haven't seen them in a while," Elle muttered as the doorbell chimed again.
Chloe tied her hair up in a ponytail and clipped a shiny round hair clip to hold it in place. She admired her reflection and nodded. "You haven't seen them since Christmas?"
"I haven't come back here since..." Elle trailed off.
Familiar voices drifted in and they perked up again. "Well go on then, Ethan's here. I'll be out soon."
Elle jumped at the chance. She hadn't seen her brother in over a year. Talking on the phone had been enough till now, but only a door separated them and Elle longed to see him.
"He's gained some weight," Chloe called out as Elle slipped out of the room.
(... Chapter 13 continues ...)