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I don’t know why I’d been so excited. Nothing ever worked out the way I thought it would.
I walked into the house to find it emptier, quieter than usual. There was no music playing, no noise at all. All the beer bottles and general mess from last night’s band party had been cleaned up. Things were missing from the bookshelf, and the kitchen table. There was no sign of my uncle.
All signs pointed in one direction. Bill had left, without warning. I thought he’d planned to stay until the new year.
I wandered through the house, looking for signs of life. Nothing. His clothes were gone, most of his instruments. I shuffled into the kitchen, feeling more than a little lost.
Then I saw the envelope. A note on the kitchen counter. He was already on his way to LA. He took off earlier than expected because he’d be playing at a music industry shindig on New Year’s Eve.
Bill had given his new address in the US and left me two sets of keys to this house. I gasped when I pulled something else out of the envelope. A bundle of cash in a rubber band. I flicked through it. Five hundred dollars. I let out a slow breath from between my teeth. What a relief. He’d used enough electricity last night alone to send me broke.
Thank you, Bill. I was grateful. He’d really helped by offering me a place to live.
I’d have to call him and thank him properly, once he’d settled in.
I wandered around the quiet house for a while, then showered. I found myself with nothing to do and no one to talk to, with three days to go until Christmas. How sad.
Home delivered pizza, popcorn and wine substituted for a healthy dinner, which was fine and dandy. I settled into the sofa in my floral kimono, air-con at full blast and Die Hard on TV. It was the perfect Christmas movie, since 80s Bruce Willis ignored all the seasonal shenanigans to blow-up the baddies, all while focusing like a true hero on getting home to his wife. For some strange reason, this time I was tearing up as I watched it.
And Christos? I tried calling him, I tried texting. I thought about catching a taxi to his house to surprise him. But I didn’t have the confidence in our new thing to arrive at his place looking to stay over.
KC took her sweet time too. She texted at ten o’clock to say she as on her way. It was nearly midnight before I heard a car pull into the driveway. I was sitting up waiting for her but pretended I wasn’t.
I’d only just given in to my mood and downloaded When Harry Met Sally, because I was a sappy fool. I wanted to watch the New Year’s Eve scene at the end when Harry finally declares his love for Sally, happy-ever-after style. But it wasn’t fair, because I wasn’t having what she was having.
My sister rang the doorbell and I got off my behind, taking time to stretch out my spine. I strolled to the door, casual as could be. No need to let on I’d been worried about her. When I checked through the spy hole in the front door, it was definitely KC.
It was also definitely Christos standing right behind her, towering above her head. I flung the door open, held my kimono closed at the front and let out a strangled shriek.
“What the hell took you so long to get here? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” I didn’t know which one of them I was yelling at, but I flung my arms around my sister and pulled her close.
Christos stood with his head half in shadow, the porch light giving off a dim golden glow. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, a serious yet confused look on his face. I couldn’t help feeling worried. Worried about him. This was new. My family were the people I worried about, not boyfriends.
I dragged KC inside the hallway by her shoulders. “Where have you been?”
She ducked her head so her honey-blond hair fell around her face. “I had business here this afternoon.”
Business? She was eighteen years old, just out of school and as far as I knew had never uttered the word business before in her life. She was an artsy-fartsy type, like Dad and Bill.
“What are you talking about?” She didn’t reply.
I flicked my head from KC to Christos, who was hovering on my doorstep. I pulled him forward by the front of his shirt. “Come in. Christos, meet my sister, Katherine. Everyone calls her KC. Sister, meet Christos. My...”
I was struck dumb. Brain boggled. What was Christos to me? We hadn’t discussed it.
He stepped forward and extended his hand to my sister. “I’m her friend. From work. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
KC looked up at me, raised both eyebrows and then shook Christos’s hand. “Hello, Christos-friend-from-work.” My sister turned her head towards me and mouthed the word ‘sexy’ at me. She reminded me so much of Bill, all I could do was stare.
My attention landed on three enormous suitcases on the front path. For a wild moment I thought Christos was moving in with me. But no, of course not.
I pointed to the luggage outside, then wagged my finger at KC “What’s all this? You’ve got some explaining to do, missy.”
KC groaned and stepped towards me. “I wanted to surprise you.”
I opened my mouth to yell and she interrupted, seamlessly. “I know you don’t like surprises, but this one is good. I’m moving to Melbourne too. I got into the college of the arts.”
The college of the arts? In Melbourne? I didn’t even know she’d applied there. I stumbled back a good few steps and put my hands on my hips. “What? When? What are you talking about?”
Over KC’s head, I saw Christos move. Quietly, efficiently, he pulled the suitcases inside the front door. He stepped inside again, but seemed at a loss for what to do with himself. He leaned against the wall and put his hands in his jeans pockets.
KC turned to him and smiled in her shy way, then she briefly caught my eyes. “I didn’t tell you I’d applied because I knew how worried you were about money. And other stuff.” She raised her head and met my stare this time.
Something defiant was lurking there behind her blue eyes. “I broke up with Johnno so you don’t have to worry about him. I want to live here with you and go to uni. I’ll get a job, too. I can wait tables or something.”
I had no words. They were lodged somewhere in the back of my throat. My girl was growing up after all. I extended my arms and she fell into my hug, letting me wrap her in my arms. She hadn’t let me hug her for over a year. Not since our massive fight over her awful boyfriend. After a moment, I whispered, “What are you studying?”
She beamed at me then. “I had the panel interview today for the Fine Arts degree. I want to study photography.”
I grinned, kissing the top of her head. Her hair smelled like sunshine. “Fantastic! Better than fantastic. It’s sublime. Isn’t that an artistic word?”
KC laughed, her eyes twinkling as she pulled away. “It’s totally arty. I’ll put my things in Bill’s room. He said I could.”
I tilted my head to one side. A couple of things fell into place. Bill’s sudden departure might not have been so unplanned after all. “When did you speak to him?”
My sister shrugged. “Last weekend. I told him I wasn’t sure if I’d got into the college yet, but he said I should stay with you anyway. He said you missed me.”
I sniffed, since my nose had apparently started dripping. Not to mention my eyes. I wiped them with the back of my hand. Then Christos was there, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
KC laughed again, a sound I was thankful to hear. She’d gone off the rails in the last couple of years, especially in the first year after Dad died. But now maybe she was back on track.
“I’ll leave you and your boyfriend to chat.” With a last waggle of her pierced eyebrow, KC walked off, dragging one of her cases behind her. She looked so grown-up suddenly, wiggling away in her black dress.
I gaped after her. Christos rubbed his hand up and down my back in a soothing yet tingly way. I was confused. Also grateful. And aroused.
“Come and sit down.” Christos took my hand and directed me to my own sofa. I went willingly. Maybe he’d kiss me soon.
He sat down next to me, but left a sizeable gap between us. “I’m glad your sister’s here. I want you to be happy, Lily.”
Why did he sound so ominous? “What’s going on?”
“I need you to trust me.”
Alarm bells were clanging in my head now. “Trust you, in what way? To remember my birthday and give me orgasms?”
“I don’t even know your birthday yet,” he deadpanned. Seriously, his face was as expressionless as a frying pan. I certainly wanted to throw an egg at it.
“Fourth of June. But that’s not the point.”
“Right. It’s the work situation. I’m not allowed to see anyone personally who might be involved in a case. My supervisor had words with me.”
I crossed my arms over my belly. “He had words with you? About me?”
“Yes. I told him I’d been with you the other night. Let’s say he was less than impressed with my ‘conduct’ during an investigation.”
I narrowed my eyes. Hell, no. Christos was not dumping me because some old police chief or secret undercover security dude told him to. I was not having it.
I shook my head. “No. I don’t care what he says. You’re not breaking up with me. I won’t allow it.” I might have used my take-no-prisoners, quasi-mum voice on him, like I would with KC.
His chuckle was low and naughty. “I like you bossy. But I’m not going to break up with you.” He reached for my face and brushed his thumb over my lips. “I can’t give you up. We just need to lay low for a while.”
“Lay low? What does this entail exactly? Are you allowed to,” I coughed, glancing down the hall, lowering my voice on account of my sister, “sleep over?”
“No. Not if I follow the rule book to the letter. But undercover officers have a certain latitude, especially if they have to make decisions on the spot, or keep a witness on side.”
My mood brightened with the implications. A witness. Me. “Are you saying you have to pretend to seduce me to keep me as a happy witness?” I moved a little closer to him, tucking my legs up under me on the sofa.
Christos watched me closely, my bare legs in particular. His hand moved to the nape of my neck, running his fingers through my loose hair. “I have to pretend what we have is pretence. Only for a while.”
He’d lost me, with all the pretending talk. He wasn’t pretending to stroke the sensitive spot on the side of my throat. He didn’t pretend to lean over and press his mouth to mine.
Christos kissed my lips like his life hung in the balance, like he may never have another chance. I clung to his shoulders and held on tight.
He pulled away suddenly, breathing hard. “We have to keep this quiet at work, okay? For now. Once the investigation’s over, I’ll be out of the store and we can be together.”
“Hold on.” I raised my right hand in a stop-sign signal. There was a whole lot of information in those sentences. “You’re leaving the store?”
Of course I realised how silly I sounded as soon as I spoke. He was a cop, not a department store security guard. Real life would come knocking soon.
At least Christos didn’t make me feel silly. He pressed his forehead against mine. “I’ll be onto a new case soon, if we catch these guys. I might not be able to tell you what I’m working on. Not straight away.”
I sighed and pushed my hair behind my ears. “Okay. I get it. But will you stay with me tonight?” My voice was breathier than I’d intended.
Christos tightened his jaw until it clicked. “I’m sorry, I can’t. The team’s waiting for me.”
“Come into the bedroom. I’ll let you interrogate me,” I teased. I rose from the sofa and walked towards my room, putting a little extra sway in my step.
His low groan was music to my ears. He followed me into the hallway, but stopped short of my bedroom door. I stood in the doorway twirling the long belt of my robe. He had to know I was naked under the satiny fabric.
But my last-minute seduction attempt didn’t work. He backed away from me and blustered out the words, “I really have to go. Sorry.”
He kissed me on the cheek and was out the front door before I could even say goodnight.