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NELIA’S NEW FRIEND was unconventional to say the least. Incongruous in such a remote rural community, her hennaed short hair stood up in spikes, and her nose stud combined with the array of earrings didn’t sit well with the school uniform. She looked older than her thirteen years, but there was an honest look in her hazel eyes. Honest and kind, Janine thought, obviously something she was desperate to hide under a veneer of teenage disdain and nonchalance.
“This is Assumpta,” Nelia said as the two girls hovered by the gate, one blustery afternoon.
Janine held out her hand. “Hello, I’m Janine. Nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Assumpta stared at Janine’s outstretched hand. After a moment’s hesitation, she shook it limply. “Hiya. Delighted, I’m sure, and all that crap.”
Nelia looked at Assumpta sternly. “Janine’s really cool. She’s French and an artist. And she cooks these yummy things I’ve never even heard of. And she’s here in...unk...incugg... You know, like she doesn’t want to meet people because they might gossip.”
Assumpta looked at Janine with interest. “Yeah, right. I know what you mean. That’s pretty annoying. My mum’s the same. After my parents split, there was a lot of talk. Dad ran off with the cleaning lady and the petty cash in the hotel he worked in. But they stopped talking about it after a while. Got bored with the same old story, I suppose.”
“People usually do,” Janine said. “If you wait long enough, something else will distract them.”
“That’s true.” Assumpta nodded wisely. “Except for those stupid bitches at school. They’ll keep on repeating the same old stuff, trying to get you down. But I just ignore them. So should you, Nelia. If you show them you’re upset, they’ll never quit.”
Nelia’s shoulders slumped. “I know. But it’s hard. They keep whispering and giggling and calling me poshface and stuff like that.”
“Very cleverly too,” Assumpta added, leaning nonchalantly on the gate. “Just loud enough for you to hear but not so the teacher notices.”
“That’s horrible,” Janine exclaimed, saddened by Nelia’s downcast face. “Is there nothing you can do? If you tell Megan, she might have a word with—”
“Nah,” Assumpta drawled. “Talking to the teacher is the worst thing to do. That’ll only make them worse. Doing nothing and trying not to react is the only way to play it. That worked for me. And beating up that snot-faced Maura after school was a good one. But I don’t think Nelia should.”
“You beat up Maura?” Nelia asked, her eyes like saucers.
Assumpta studied her dark-blue nails. “Yup. Got her when she walked home one day and she happened to be alone. Her gang was at netball practice. So I hid around the corner and stuck my leg out as she was skipping along the pavement. She crashed to the ground and scraped both her knees. Then I jumped on her and grabbed her hair and hung on until she promised to leave me alone. I said she’d better keep her promise or I’d tell the whole class I beat her up. I was left alone after that. Except she called me a crazy slut but I can live with that.”
“Assumpta, you’re the coolest,” Nelia sighed. “I’m so glad you’re my friend.”
“I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of you,” Janine declared with a laugh. “But I’m sorry, mes petites, I have to go. I’m on my way to Dingle town to get more art supplies.”
“Is that why you’re all dressed up?” Nelia eyed Janine’s short skirt and stilettos. “I love your shoes. You look very pretty today, Janine.”
“Thank you, chérie.” Janine smiled. She was feeling light-hearted today. Maybe it was the bright sunshine and the cheeky breeze flirting with her hair and tickling her skin that had made her put on her skirt and those rather impractical shoes. Or it could have been her renewed artistic energy, which gave her a feeling of hope and joy and the need to bring back her French femininity. She had been drab for so long. Putting on nice clothes and just a dab of blusher and a little mascara lifted her spirits. It might have made her look too much like her old self, but she decided the risk of discovery was minimal. “I feel pretty,” she declared. “And I feel like getting back into painting in a big way.”
“You’re an artist?” Assumpta’s eyes lit up. “I mean, you paint and stuff? That’s so great. I love painting and drawing. My uncle’s in the art business. Not really my uncle, but a friend of my mum. He’s very nice. He has a pub in Listowel, but he also has a little gallery beside it, and he displays local artist’s work there and in the pub too.” She drew breath. “If you want, I could ask him if he can put up some of your stuff, if you have any you want to sell.”
Janine laughed. “Sell? My little daubs are hardly good enough to sell. I paint for my own enjoyment, that’s all.” But she looked at Assumpta thoughtfully, trying to hide the spark her comment had ignited. “Besides, I have only finished two little canvases, so there isn’t much to present in any case.” She opened the door of her car. “Where’s Listowel? I’ve heard of it. Isn’t that the little town where they have a literary festival in the spring?”
“That’s the one. It’s about half an hour from Tralee,” Assumpta said. “Nice place to go and see. The pub’s on the main street. It’s called The Wild Geese. And his name is Brian. You’ll like him. He lived in America for a long time.”
Janine got into the car. “I’ll remember that if I ever go there. Could you close the gate when I’ve gone?”
The girls did as they were asked, and Janine saw them in the rear view mirror, slowly walking up the lane toward the farm, laughing and pushing each other. Obviously good friends, despite the difference in appearance. Just what Nelia needed: a strong sassy friend to look out for her.
Deep in thought, Janine drove toward Tralee, ignoring the signs to Dingle town. Instead, she drove on, turning at the roundabout in the town centre and onto the road to Listowel. As she continued, the sound of the engine made her think of that night in the jeep, and Jake.
-o-
They drove on for an hour, right into the desert, the jeep labouring over the sand. “Are we going to get stuck?” Janine asked, hanging onto the door handle to steady herself.
“No, this is a Land Rover, the toughest jeep there is,” Jake replied, peering into the darkness. “I think we’re far enough away now to switch on the headlights.”
He turned the switch on the dashboard, and the sand dunes were suddenly illuminated by the bright lights from the jeep. Jake drove on for a while, then pulled up. There wasn’t a breath of wind, and the stars glimmering in the vast black canopy above them looked close enough to touch. The silence was eerie and threatening, making Janine feel as if some evil force was waiting out there to strike at any moment. It was as if the whole world was holding its breath, waiting for disaster.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, pulling her flimsy cape around her with a shiver, more from fear than the bone-numbing cold. “Engine failure?”
“No. I just need to see if there’s a compass or something in this thing.” Jake rummaged around in the glove compartment and fished out a leather case. “Aha, I think this is it.” He opened the case and revealed a compass. “And there’s a map. Great. No GPS but this will do.”
“You know how to use a compass?” Janine asked, still shivering.
His white teeth flashed in the gloom as he grinned. “I was a boy scout in my distant youth, dontcha know.”
“I should have known. But you’re not exactly the boy-scout type.”
“I fell in with the wrong crowd.” Jake turned around and searched in the back seat. “Lots of stuff here—Two big bottles of water and some dried fruit.” He stuffed some into his mouth. “Want some?”
She shook her head. “No, I was given a lot to eat in that tent by the women.”
He pushed a bottle at her. “Water?”
“No, you have some. I’ll drink later.”
He drank deeply and resumed his rummaging around. “Great, a blanket.” He tossed it at Janine. “Wrap this around you. Those thin rags are useless.”
Janine draped the stiff blanket around her, grateful for its warmth despite the rancid smell. She glanced at the back seat. “Look, a box of matches. We can light a fire.”
Jake looked at her pityingly. “Yeah? With what? Matches are no good without firewood.”
“Merde. I’m so stupid.” Janine felt tears of frustration and despair well up. “Oh God, what are we going to do? Lost in the desert with those terrorists after us. If we don’t die of thirst, they’ll kill us. Shit!” she screamed, banging on the dashboard with her fists. “Shit, shit, shit! Why did I do this stupid thing of running away and then get you to take me to this horrible place? Why, WHY?” She started to cry uncontrollably, shaking with rage, tears streaming down her face.
Jake took one look at her, raised his hand and slapped her face.
Janine gasped and clutched her hot, smarting cheek. Breathing hard, they looked at each other for a loaded moment. Shocked, her first instinct was to hit him back. Then she calmed down and took a deep breath. “Thanks. I needed that, I suppose. Stupid to lose control like that.”
He put his arm around her. “You’ve been through hell. Could make anyone stupid.”
She put her head on his shoulder and breathed in his smell which, although heavily laced with sweat brought her back to their first night together and how they had made love for hours. “I never said thank you for getting me out of there.” She kissed his neck, tasting the salt on his skin.
“Oh honey,” he sighed into her hair. “You make me do the weirdest things.” He sniffed. “Gee, you smell nice.”
“It was the women in the tent. They gave me a bath and massaged oil all over my body. It was very—sensual.”
“Um...” His mouth travelled across her face and found hers. His tongue gently parted her lips, his hands slipped from her shoulders to her breasts. “Baby...” he whispered between kisses. “My sweet, lost, darling...”
His breath smelled of the dried fruit he had just eaten, his hands were hot on her newly oiled skin, and as her own body warmed, the lingering scent of the massage oils enveloped them in a sweet-scented mist. She knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him, knew they would have to do something about their reignited ardour. Without taking his lips off hers, he opened the door of the jeep with one hand, pulled her with him and somehow managed to get them both outside and onto the blanket.
Despite the freezing cold of the desert night and the whisper in the dunes of a possible storm, they quickly satisfied their need for each other, Jake on top, pinning Janine on the ground, with her long legs wrapped around him. They emitted an eerie wailing sound as they finally reached the peak of one long, simultaneous climax.
Jake sighed and rolled off. Lying on his back, staring at the sky, he let out a kind of howl, like an animal. “Where did this woman come from?” he asked the sky. “Why did she cross my path?” He turned his head and looked at her. “Karma, do you think?”
“Kismet,” she whispered into the darkness.
“Okay.” He turned and kissed her cheek.
She giggled. “I love you, Jake,” she said, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them.
“Oh baby,” he whispered, “God help me. God help us both.”
“What are we going to do?”
He rolled over, jumped to his feet and zipped up his jeans. “We’re going to get back in the jeep and get out of here fast. There might be another storm on the way. He pulled her up. “Listen. The wind is whistling again and the clouds are rolling in.”
“You’re right. We must get going.” She picked up the blanket and got back in the jeep.
Once in the driver’s seat, Jake studied the gauges on the dashboard. “Terrific. Only half a tank left. We’d better know where we’re going, babe, or we’ll end up back where we started. Those goons won’t hesitate to shoot us if we turn up anywhere near them.”
Janine leaned her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes. “Do you think...” she swallowed, trying to push away her fears, “that there’s a chance? That we might survive?”
Jake sighed. “We’re up shit creek, but we can at least make an attempt at staying alive.” He went back to his map and compass. “Hmm, I think we’re about here,” he muttered to himself. “So, if we’re lucky we might be quite close to...yeah...could work.”
“What?” Janine whispered through stiff lips. “Where are we going?”
He started the engine. “Have you ever heard of Port Safaga?”
“No,” Janine mumbled as the jeep moved. She was suddenly sleepy despite the cold and discomfort. “What is it?”
Jake answered but she didn’t hear as she drifted off to sleep while she watched his handsome face in the light from the dashboard and the strong, sinewy hands on the steering wheel. He’ll get us there, she thought, wherever it is....
