VANESSA

The Mercedes was purring up icy Bogong High Plains Road with chains on its tyres. Lights twinkled in Falls Creek, snug at the bottom of snowy peaks. Vanessa was so excited that she’d forgotten her disappointment about missing the semi-finals party. She’d only been to the snow once before and she’d barely conquered the baby slopes, but Marcus came every year, and although he played it down she knew he’d be a whiz on skis.

She gazed out the window as they turned into the village, passing snow-covered lodges with skis and snowboards piled up outside and skiers swaddled against the cold. An impossibly cute little girl in a beanie and snowsuit waddled past hand in hand with her mum. Snow gums bowed down, laden with white.

‘It’s so beautiful …’

Marcus smiled across at her but he still seemed preoccupied. He’d been his usual chatty self for most of the journey but in the past hour he’d fallen silent. Vanessa wanted to say, ‘A penny for your thoughts,’ but she worried that might sound too intrusive. And was she really so needy that she had to know what was going on in his head every minute? Of course she was, but he didn’t need to know that.

Marcus turned into the highest street in Falls Creek and came to a stop outside the picturesque Summit Ridge Alpine Lodge.

Vanessa was captivated. ‘We’re staying here?’

Marcus smiled indulgently. ‘Only the best for my Vanessa.’

His Vanessa. Her heart did a star jump.

Marcus glanced around the car park as though he was looking for something, but if he was, he didn’t find it. He turned back and gave her a kiss. ‘Shall we?’

The view from their suite reminded Vanessa of a Monet snowscape that hung in the Smile Clinic waiting room. She suddenly felt overwhelmed and for reasons she couldn’t quite name, her eyes filled with tears.

‘Are you okay?’ Marcus asked.

Vanessa nodded but she couldn’t speak. He laughed softly and took her into his arms, which only added to her emotion. In a wild moment she wondered if her heart might burst right out of her chest. She pictured Marcus down on his hands and knees, mopping up her splattered gizzards and saying with a reassuring smile, ‘It’s okay, darling, my heart almost did the same thing.’ She really should ring the boys and let them know she’d arrived safely, but it was so lovely here in Marcus’s arms.

He tossed her down onto the king-sized bed and she surrendered to his caresses. Their kisses intensified and he started to unbutton her cardigan, but she forced herself to push him away.

‘Wait for a sec … I have to Facetime the boys and let them know we’re safely here.’

‘You can do that later,’ Marcus murmured, his hands roaming over her tingling torso.

‘No … I don’t want them to worry,’ she said.

Marcus groaned but he rolled off her and, for a brief moment, Vanessa mourned his loss. Then she sat up and refastened her buttons.

‘Do you want to talk to them too?’ Her voice sounded more plaintive than she’d intended.

‘I’ve got a couple of emails to return. Tell them I said g’day.’ I guess that means no, thought Vanessa.

Marcus blew her a kiss and climbed the stairs to the mezzanine level of their luxury suite. She watched his bum disappear—he had a great bum. ‘Prime rump,’ she’d say to him as she squeezed his buttocks, and it always made him laugh.

But enough about Marcus’s buttocks.

She dialled Jackson’s number and, when he and Lachie answered, they were still at Dave’s place. ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis was blaring and it seemed like the party was in full swing.

‘Are you having a good time?’

‘Awesome!’ Lachie yelled through the din. ‘I can say awesome if I want to, Mum. I’m an individual with my own opinions.’

Aren’t you what, thought Vanessa. She heard shrieks of laughter and saw someone falling over in the background.

‘Goodness! What’s going on?’

‘Oh, that’s the grown-ups,’ Jackson said in a ‘what can you do?’ kind of tone. ‘Dave found this old game called Twister. It’s got coloured spots and—’

‘Yeah, I know it,’ Vanessa said, hearing envy creep into her voice.

‘It sounds like they’re having fun.’

‘Have you got FOMO, Mum?’

Vanessa knew from previous conversations that this meant Fear of Missing Out. ‘Maybe a bit,’ she admitted, and she realised she actually had quite a lot of FOMO. She heard more howls of hilarity. ‘What’s happened now?’

‘Dave and Heather just fell on top of each other.’

Vanessa was wearing a red beanie with a big pompom and a puffy snowsuit that made her look like the Michelin Man, but she was having way too much fun to care.

‘Oh my God …’

She laughed hysterically as she tried to put Marcus’s instructions into practice, but her legs slid further and further apart until she was in danger of doing the sideways splits.

‘Plough position!’ Marcus laughed. ‘Pigeon toes!’ But to no avail—she’d already tumbled into the snow again. It was lucky the first thing he’d taught her was how to fall without breaking any limbs.

‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine.’

He stood over her with his hand extended, and as Vanessa squinted up at him, the soft sun shining behind him gave him a halo. St Marcus.

‘I’m going to do snow angels,’ she announced, and she lay on her back making ‘wings’ with her arms in the snow.

‘How old are you?’ Marcus teased.

‘Old enough to be an angel, so back off, buddy.’

Marcus chuckled and when she’d made her ‘wings’, he helped her up. Her snowsuit was soaked and the chilly air was freezing her face, but Vanessa could barely remember a time when she’d felt so exhilarated.

‘Jackson and Lachie would love this. We’ll have to bring them next time.’

Marcus’s smile briefly faltered before he said, ‘Absolutely.’ It cast a shadow over the moment. Didn’t he want the boys to come? Or had she been too presumptuous? Maybe there wouldn’t be a next time. But seconds later he was tweaking her pompom, and all was right with the world again.

‘You’ve been so patient,’ she said as she caught him glancing longingly at the ski lift. ‘I don’t want to hold you back anymore. Go and do your thing. I’m happy to hang around here.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course.’

‘All right, I’ll be back soon. Just try to stay in one piece in the meantime.’

He disappeared up into the mist on the ski lift and Vanessa pootled around on the baby slopes with the other beginners, taking lots of selfies and scenery pics to send to the boys and Joy. Then she gingerly made her way to the bottom of a black run and watched Marcus speeding down the slope, zigzagging from side to side and sending snow flying like a skier at the Winter Olympics. She found it incredibly sexy and Marcus seemed to appreciate her reaction, because before she knew it they were back in their suite taking up where they’d left off.

Censored!

Vanessa changed into her new stretch jeans and Country Road cable knit jumper, neither of which looked as flattering as they had in her fantasy—but nothing ever did, did it? She decided to expedite her make-up, because although Marcus was allegedly reading a book, he kept sneaking covert peeks at his watch. A man in a hurry to take it easy. It reminded her of Craig lounging on the couch before a night out. He’d watch the footy with a beer while she brought the washing in off the line and ironed his shirt and fed Daisy and made the boys dinner and bathed them and got them ready for bed and prepared the babysitter a snack and wrote a note about Lachie’s peanut allergy before eventually making it into the shower and snatching a few moments for her hair and make-up. Five minutes before they were due to leave, Craig would switch off the TV, jump in the shower and throw on the shirt that she’d ironed for him, and then he’d stand in the doorway harrumphing, ‘Hurry up.’ Not that Marcus was in Craig’s league—for one thing, he was smart enough to hide his impatience. When she emerged from the ensuite he smiled and said, ‘You look beautiful.’

‘You don’t scrub up too badly yourself,’ Vanessa said, but at second glance his smile seemed distant and she could tell he was preoccupied again.

As they walked downstairs he strode ahead and Vanessa thought, Great, I love a romantic stroll in single file. So she was taken completely by surprise when they walked into the lounge and he suddenly pulled her into his arms and kissed her in front of everyone. As he released her, she felt flushed and radiant—until she turned to see Charlotte Lancaster and Ned Kasch staring at them from a couch in front of the open fire.

Charlotte was looking stunning in designer jodhpurs and a long cashmere jumper that hugged her slim but curvy frame, and she was curled into Ned, who radiated handsome hipster. Vanessa nearly died. She instinctively sucked her tummy in—why was that her response to everything? Charlotte and Ned looked as shocked as she was, but Marcus seemed unperturbed.

‘Hello, Charlotte,’ he said coolly. ‘And Neville, isn’t it?’

‘It’s Ned,’ Vanessa whispered—but, der, he already knew that.

‘Hi, Marcus,’ said Ned, who seemed to be attempting civility.

But Charlotte was blatantly laughing as she looked between Marcus and Vanessa. ‘You and her? You’ve got to be kidding.’

If Charlotte was trying to make Vanessa feel like poo on the bottom of her shoe, it worked. Vanessa’s eyes searched the room for something to hide behind. But then Marcus put his arm around her and she was buoyed by the thought that at least somebody liked her.

‘I don’t see the joke.’

But as he pointedly pulled her close, Vanessa started to feel like a weapon, which proved just as unpleasant as feeling like poo. Charlotte smiled derisively and, even as Vanessa fantasised about punching her in the mouth, she couldn’t help marvelling at her teeth. Why did Americans always have class I occlusion? It was lucky Anthony wasn’t in practice over there—he might not make a living.

‘That’s pathetic, not to mention unethical. Are you really that desperate to get back at me?’

‘Charlie …’ Ned said warningly, but she ignored him.

‘And what are you doing here, anyway? You know I’ve been coming to Falls on the last weekend of the season for over twenty years.’

Vanessa’s stomach clenched. Was that true?

‘I won’t answer your calls or emails so you’ve followed me here, haven’t you?’ she sneered at Marcus as the diamond on her engagement finger glinted in the lamplight. ‘You’re a very sad man. I’d almost feel sorry for you if you weren’t such a vindictive arsehole.’

Vanessa saw Marcus’s nostrils flare, but his voice remained cool. ‘How do I know you haven’t followed me?’

Charlotte scoffed in disgust, but then she glanced around the lounge and seemed to check herself. Vanessa followed her gaze and saw other guests watching discreetly. Charlotte smiled for their benefit and muttered to Ned through gritted teeth, ‘Let’s go. I can’t bear the sight of him.’

‘It was terrific to run into you too,’ Marcus said with more sarcasm than even Vanessa thought strictly necessary. ‘We’ll look forward to receiving all those early drafts of Love Transplant that Justice Haultain has ordered. Of course, that could be a tad problematic since those early drafts don’t actually exist.’

Vanessa watched the colour drain from Charlotte’s face as though someone had just flicked a switch.

‘Enjoy your weekend, Charlie. Oh, and congratulations on your engagement.’

She stopped and eyeballed him. ‘Thank you, and congratulations on your new relationship—it’s very appropriate. What do they say? You can take the boy out of Kalgoorlie, but you can’t take Kalgoorlie out of the boy.’

Marcus looked apoplectic and Vanessa hoped it was about Kalgoorlie and not about her.

‘Shhh,’ Ned urged Charlotte. ‘Don’t stoop to his level.’

‘See you at dinner,’ Marcus called with a twisted smile as they disappeared out the door.

Vanessa felt distinctly unsettled. What just happened? Had Marcus really known that Charlotte would be here? And had he been calling and emailing her?

As she tried to wrangle her emotions into lucid questions, he spoke first. ‘Well, that was unfortunate.’

‘Is it true? Does Charlotte come to Falls Creek on the last weekend of the season every year?’

‘Of course not. Lotts is completely chaotic—she doesn’t do anything at the same time twice.’

‘Really?’

‘Really.’

‘And have you been calling and emailing her?’

‘Of course I haven’t.’

‘But why would she lie?’

‘I have no idea. Why would she plagiarise your book? It’s a mystery. The woman’s a law unto herself—I’m starting to think that she’s actually evil.’

Vanessa considered that for a second. She’d love to believe that Charlotte was evil, but in reality she was probably just venal. And deceitful. And egotistical. And lots of other things ending in ‘l’—but not evil.

‘I don’t think so. Evil is a very big word.’

‘And she fills the two syllables out nicely,’ Marcus said in a clipped tone. ‘But I don’t want to talk about her.’ He softened and pulled Vanessa close. ‘The only thing I know for sure is that you’re worth a hundred of her, and I’m glad I’m here with you this year.’

He kissed her lingeringly and Vanessa threw her doubts into the fire and watched them evaporate into ash. Then Marcus took her hand and led her to a leather couch and they curled up together, just as she’d pictured them doing.

He studied the cocktail list. ‘What would you like? A Sex on the Beach? A Screaming Orgasm? A Slippery Nipple?’

Vanessa laughed. ‘You’re making those up.’

She snatched the menu and of course he was. Marcus chuckled and Vanessa relaxed into him, feeling the knot in her chest dissolve. There was nothing to feel uneasy about.

‘Excuse me, Stafford?’

Vanessa looked up to see Ned Kasch in front of them, his man bun tilted slightly to one side. Ned had the air of a person who didn’t need to pretend to be calm and reasonable because he actually was calm and reasonable. Vanessa saw Marcus’s eyes dart over his shoulder in search of Charlotte, but she was nowhere to be seen.

‘Could I have a word in private?’

Marcus leaned back and draped his arms along the back of the couch in a gesture that Vanessa recognised as a ‘power position’ from magazine articles about body language.

‘Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Vanessa.’

‘Okay …’ Ned turned to Vanessa. ‘We haven’t officially met, have we? Apologies. I’m Ned Kasch.’

He held out his hand. Vanessa was impressed by his impeccable manners under trying circumstances. She shook his hand. ‘Hi, Ned. Vanessa Rooney. It’s nice to meet you.’

Marcus shot her a peeved look when she said ‘nice’, but what was she supposed to say? ‘It’s horrible to meet you’? Good manners didn’t cost anything.

Ned turned back to Marcus. ‘I’m sorry about what happened. I know you were devastated when Charlie—Charlotte—left you, but wouldn’t it be healthier for everyone if you just moved on, instead of pursuing these bogus breach of copyright claims?’

‘Bogus? I can understand that you’re blinded by love, Neville—sorry, Ned—but I’ve known Charlie for a damned sight longer than you. I know she stole Vanessa’s book, and I know exactly why.’

Vanessa felt herself flinch. What? But Marcus had just assured her that he didn’t have a clue why. She could see that Ned was perplexed too.

‘So why don’t you ask Charlie about that? And while you’re at it, tell her that by the time I’ve finished with her, the world will know that she’s a lying, talentless thief.’

Marcus’s bile hung in the air and stained it. The sensible little voice inside Vanessa’s head said, ‘Any idiot could see that he’s more focused on destroying Charlotte than righting a wrong against you,’ and Vanessa said back, ‘You might have a point.’

‘I’m not going to grace that with a response,’ Ned replied calmly, and he turned and left the room.

Vanessa inched away from Marcus—she needed some distance in order to think. What had he meant when he said he knew exactly why Charlotte did it? And was this whole ‘romantic weekend’ just a set-up so he could see Charlotte?

‘Hey, where are you going?’ He slid across, closing the gap between them. ‘I know this is ugly stuff and you shouldn’t be tangled up in it. I’m sorry, Vanessa. Forgive me?’

I’m not quite sure, she thought.

‘Why don’t we go somewhere else for dinner?’ she suggested. ‘It’ll be too uncomfortable here.’

But Marcus shook his head. ‘Charlotte’s not going to stop me from taking you to the best restaurant in Falls Creek. And, besides, I’ve already paid for dinner as part of our package.’

Vanessa acquiesced. She’d never advocated wasting money and she wasn’t about to start.

Ned and Charlotte’s table was on the other side of the restaurant, thank goodness, and Vanessa was almost managing to pretend that they weren’t here. Marcus was being super-attentive, which certainly helped, and after a bottle of bubbles the evening took on a nice hazy feel and the whole thing didn’t seem like such a big deal.

Until.

She went to the ladies after dessert, and was trying to wipe the mascara smudges from under her eyes when the door opened and Charlotte entered. Vanessa stiffened. She tried to bury her face in her handbag, but she could see Charlotte approaching her in the mirror. Oh God, what now?

‘I’m so sorry about before,’ Charlotte ventured unexpectedly.

Vanessa blinked at Charlotte’s reflection. She looked contrite, but could she be trusted?

‘I know I acted like a “mean girl”, and I’m not proud of that … I guess I was lashing out because I feel so hurt. I don’t get why you’re doing this to me. You’re a fan. I welcomed you into my home.’

Vanessa turned to face her. ‘Only so you and your father could buy my silence.’ She squashed down irrational guilt for being an ungrateful lunch guest.

‘Dad wasn’t trying to buy your silence—we’ve got nothing to hide. You wrote a novel inspired by my work and I wrote Love Transplant independently. Like Dad said, that’s bad luck, and I feel for you, but don’t you think it’s natural that our books would be similar, seeing that I was your writing role model?’

Her beautiful face looked so troubled that for a brief moment Vanessa almost believed her.

‘And maybe I’m overstepping the mark, but can I tell you something, woman to woman?’

No, thought Vanessa, but we both know you will anyway.

Charlotte touched her arm. ‘I’m worried that Marcus is using you.’

Vanessa recoiled.

‘You don’t want to hear it, and God knows I don’t want to say it, but have you considered that he might be using you as some kind of twisted revenge against me?’

Of course I have, thought Vanessa, but he swears that he isn’t, and I’d rather believe him than you.

‘I never thought he’d stoop this low. I’m really sorry you’ve got tangled up in this.’

Wow, everyone was so sorry she was tangled—you could knit a jumper with this much remorse. Or was that too cynical? She didn’t know. The only thing Vanessa was sure of now was that she wasn’t sure of anything. She had to get out of here. But Charlotte was reaching into her handbag and pulling out a packet of Nivea facial wipes.

‘I saw you trying … May I … ?’ Without waiting for a reply, she reached over and gently rubbed Vanessa’s mascara smudges away. ‘There, gone. That always happens to me too. Panda eyes, it’s such a pain.’

Vanessa was so disarmed that she didn’t know what to do, so she looked in the mirror. No panda eyes.

‘I’ve got an idea,’ Charlotte said. ‘You might think this is crazy, but would you consider writing a novel together?’

A novel? Together? Vanessa wondered if she’d heard right.

‘I think we’d be unstoppable if we combined our talents. We could set it in a hospital, or on a cruise ship, or at a scientific station in the Antarctic—wherever you liked. By Charlotte Lancaster and Vanessa Rooney. Or by Vanessa Rooney and Charlotte Lancaster?’

‘By Mia Fontaine and Charlotte Lancaster.’

‘Absolutely! Mia Fontaine and Charlotte Lancaster.’ Charlotte smiled into her eyes. ‘Whatever you want.’

Vanessa was transported back twelve months, to when co-writing a novel with Charlotte would have been the stuff of her dreams. She pictured them at the computer together, laughing and exchanging confidences. ‘Brilliant idea,’ Charlotte would say as Vanessa came up with yet another gem. And Vanessa would sit in the audience at writers’ festivals while Charlotte said from the stage, ‘Working with Mia has made me a better writer.’ And the fans all around Vanessa would call, ‘Who is Mia Fontaine?’ ‘Spill the beans!’ ‘Please!’ And Charlotte would say, ‘I’ll never tell,’ and give her a secret wink. It was certainly tempting … And did she and Charlotte really need to be enemies when they could be co-creators? All of this unpleasantness would go away—the publicity and the acrimony that made her feel like a peeled onion. Vanessa felt herself teetering towards a ‘yes’ as Charlotte moved even closer still.

‘Wouldn’t it be awesome? All you need to do is drop the case.’

Of course! Cue the ‘ba-boing’ music, thought Vanessa, cursing herself for being so stupid. ‘I’m not dropping anything. You copied my book.’

‘I didn’t. I’ve never seen your book.’

But Vanessa had stopped listening. She turned and left the ladies. Charlotte followed and they both collided with Marcus, who was lurking outside.

‘Marcus?’

‘I’m on my way to the men’s room.’

‘Bullshit,’ Charlotte scoffed. ‘You followed me out here.’

‘Don’t flatter yourself.’ Marcus turned to Vanessa. ‘What has she been saying to you?’

‘That she’s sorry I’m caught up in this—same thing as you, basically.’

Vanessa looked between Marcus and Charlotte and her unease escalated into anger.