The next morning she woke early to the sound of the blender going in the kitchen. Pamela Anderson looked down on her from the wall beside her. She lay and listened to Kurt moving around the house, dreading the thought of seeing him. The front door opened, and she heard his car start up and pull away.
Her head and her ankle both throbbed. She pulled the covers back over her head.
Eventually she got up and hobbled to the shower. When she got out she discovered he’d left the Panadol and a glass of water on the bench. She gulped them down and then made herself a coffee and a piece of toast and sat down at the table to eat, resting her ankle on a chair.
She was still sitting there about an hour later, trying to muster some energy and seriously contemplating going back to bed, when there was a quick rap at the door, before it opened.
“Yoo-hoo, only me,” Mary called. Shit. She’d forgotten about the rugby. “I heard you hurt your ankle last night, so I’ve brought some sneakers and a compression sock,” she said. “You were the talk of the town again this morning, what with Kurt going all Richard Gere on you, carrying you out of the RSA like a re-enactment of an officer and a gentleman.”
Anna groaned.
“Come on then, let’s see about that foot and then we’ll head off. I’ve got lunch in the car. You look like you need some fresh air.”
They drove a little way out of the town to a large sports field. There was a square, two-storey clubhouse with what looked like locker rooms or toilets on the lower concrete brick level. Floodlights stood at one end, with several marked rugby pitches as well as a cricket cage along one side. Beside the grounds was an asphalt netball court.
The rugby grounds were surprisingly busy and the car park was full when they arrived, but Mary pulled up into the disabled park by the clubhouse and gave Anna a grin.
“The only person in town with a permit is Glenn Fairbanks and he’s away in Stewart Island visiting his son. He’s promised me some crayfish when he gets back too.”
They got out of the car, Anna gingerly testing her foot on the grass, but Mary had done a good job of it and it felt nice and secure. Mary went round to the boot and extracted two camp chairs and gave one to Anna to carry.
A large group of supporters stood along the sideline, chatting and cupping takeaway coffees. Gina was there and gave them a wave, so they set up next to her. She was dressed in a black puffer jacket, jeans and leopard print gumboots and was nursing a keep cup, stamping her feet to keep them warm.
“Hey, how’s it going? I heard you had a bit of drama last night. How’s the ankle?”
“Man, I’d forgotten how good the grapevine is in small towns,” Anna said with a laugh, her breath frosty in the cold air. “It’s fine, just a bit of a sprain. Nothing serious. I need to buy some flat shoes though.”
“Oh you can keep those ones,” Mary said, indicating the sneakers she had loaned her. Gina did a weird cough/laugh and Anna tried not to grin. The shoes were pink and orange orthopedics, with chunky soles. Even Anna’s mother would have passed on them. But it was very kind of her.
“Thanks, Mary,” she said, taking the offered thermos lid of coffee.
“If it makes you feel better, Mike is the biggest news today, taking the loo off your van like that,” Gina said. “That was classic.” Anna laughed. A whistle blew and then the two teams were running out onto the field, their breath steaming in the crisp air. There were a lot of tight shorts and muscular thighs going past, a bit of banter and spitting and re-inserting of mouth guards.
“That’s Kurt’s ex,” Gina told her, pointing across the field to a tall dark-haired woman in black sweats and a baggy jumper. She looked up and waved and Gina waved back.
“She and I never used to hang out much at high school but we became mates when Kurt and her started dating. She’s nice. You’ll like her. They’ll probably have a drink in the clubhouse later. That’s her hubby there, the bald one with the tape over his ears.”
“Which one is your nephew, Mary?” Anna asked, scanning the players.
Kurt was there, she realised, stretching his Achilles and laughing with a familiar-looking guy with a shock of red hair. The guy from the photo, she thought. His partner, Wayne. She should have known he’d play rugby, but for some reason she had imagined he’d gone to work, and she felt flustered to see him there.
“Dion? He’s the big one at the back with the white-blond hair,” Mary said, but Kurt had looked up and seen her, gave her a smile and she found herself unable to look away. She gave him a self-conscious wave and Gina snorted next to her.
“What?” she said, pulling her scarf up round her chin.
“You’ve got it bad,” Gina laughed.
“Oh, shut up,” Anna said, going red. “I just didn’t realise Kurt played. I thought he’d left early this morning for work.”
“Oh no, dear,” Mary said. “He would have been here setting up and reffing and what not. He coaches the littlies, you know. Has done for years. He’s wonderful with them.”
Anna’s heart gave a little lurch and she gave herself a stern talking to as the whistle blew to start the game.
The game was a close one, and Anna found herself cheering along just as loudly as everyone else. Kurt was a good player, and she watched him a lot. When the full-time whistle went and the teams had shaken hands, he came jogging over, all sweaty, his shirt sticking to his chest. Anna made herself look only at his face.
“Hey, I didn’t know you’d be here,” he said, smiling.
“How’s the ankle?”
“It’s fine. I came to watch Dion,” she told him. “It was a good game.”
“Right. Yeah. You sticking around for a drink then?” he asked. He wasn’t smiling now. He looked a little pissed.
“Yeah, we’ll see you in the clubhouse,” Gina said, holding out an arm to help Anna out of her chair.
The clubrooms had the same smell of clubrooms everywhere. Stale beer, sweat and Old Spice. Wooden plaques lined the walls, some of them faded with age, others newer, the shiny fresh writing announcing player of the season and tournament wins from as recent as the previous year.
Mary and Anna sat on high stools at one of the old wood benches while Gina went off to get the first round of drinks. People had exchanged coats and umbrellas for pints and toasted sandwiches and there was a constant hum of voices and the odd loud burst of laughter. It reminded Anna of all the times she and her brothers had spent at the clubhouse with her dad, begging for a packet of chips and a lemonade.
Gina came back with all the drinks triangled in her hands and a packet of peanuts between her teeth, which she spat out onto the table.
“They’re going to give Mike the Darwin Award later,” she laughed. “Very fitting since it’s a gold toilet seat.”
“His name’s on that bloody thing more than anyone’s,” Mary laughed, opening the nuts.
After a bit the players started to filter in. Mary’s nephew Dion was one of the first out and he came over to give Mary a kiss on the cheek.
“Hey, aunty.”
“Hello, love, you played well. Did you get a drink? You did? Good, sit and meet Anna then.” Dion was tall and lanky with a smattering of freckles across his nose. He was about thirty, she would guess, and his platinum-white hair was spiked up. He gave Anna a wide smile and then a kiss on the cheek too, before sitting next to her, pulling his chair up close.
“All right then?”
“Hi, Dion. Good game.”
A few other players came over and talked to Gina and then Kurt was there, scowling at her like she’d done something wrong. Wayne was with him and leant across the table to shake her hand.
“You must be Anna,” he said. “Kurt and Gina have told me lots about you. Then he kissed Gina on the top of the head.
“Hello, love, do you need a top-up?”
“Wait, Wayne’s your husband?” Anna said to Gina, who laughed.
“Yep. This old thing’s all mine.” She gave Wayne a fond pat on his arse. “I’ll have another gin, thanks, babe. Mary? Anna?”
“No, I better be off actually,” Mary said. “Dion, will you give Anna a lift home?”
Anna was still trying to process the fact that Wayne and Gina were a couple. Shit. She’d gone on and on to Gina about how hot Kurt was. Would she have told Wayne? Who would then have told Kurt?
“Anna?” Gina was saying.
“Sorry, what?”
“Kurt was saying he’d take you home if that was okay?” Anna looked up at Kurt, freshly showered and still scowling.
“I just said it was stupid for Dion to, since you’re at my house,” he muttered. Anna couldn’t read his tone.
“Oh right, yes, thanks.”
“So another drink then?” Wayne asked.
“Actually, I might just have an orange juice. Kurt, if you want to drink, I’m happy to drive if you’re okay with that?” He gave her a long look that made Anna nervous. “I mean, I had a bit much last night, so I’m happy to let you drink if you want? I don’t drink that much anyway normally and …” she trailed off when he smiled.
“Yeah, that would be great, are you sure?”
Wayne gave a whoop. “Alrighty then, let’s get some beers for the boys.” Gina gave Anna an eye-roll. “And a gin for my love,” he added.
“I’ll go,” Kurt offered.
“Sweet. Lager for me, cheers,” said Dion, and Kurt glared at him. “Get your own,” he told him as he left. Gina laughed.
“Bloody hell, I don’t think I’ve seen Kurt get jealous before,” she said.
“Neither have I,” someone said behind Anna and when she turned, there was Kurt’s ex-wife, grinning at her. “I’m Jules,” she said, “and I’m intrigued. Who are you?”
They all shuffled round to make more room and Jules’ husband, Dean, pulled up some bar stools. He and Wayne started to chat. Mary did the introductions.
“Jules, this is Anna, she turned up in town in a broken pink van and saved my bacon,” she said, patting Anna on the shoulder as she stood to go. “I’ll see you Monday, Anna?”
Anna nodded. “Thanks again for the shoes,” she said.
After Mary had left, Jules turned her attention to Anna.
“So, the rumour mill tells me you’re a plumber?”
Anna laughed and gave her a condensed story of her and Faith’s trip. “… And so Kurt was nice enough to offer me a bed,” she finished.
“And he’s not bad in it either, is he?” Jules said in a stage whisper. “I remember that.”
Anna choked on a peanut and Gina gave her a hearty slap on the back as she laughed.
“Oh, I mean it’s not, we haven’t …” Anna trailed off and took a sip of her drink, blushing like a teengaer.
“Well, I hope you do,” Jules said with a fond smile. “He really is a lovely guy and it would be nice to see him with someone good. The last girl he dated was awful.”
“Who dated?” Kurt asked, arriving back at the table with a tray of drinks.
“You,” Jules told him. “That Lisa. She was a right cow.”
Kurt laughed. “Well, they can’t all be perfect like you, Jules.”
She gave him the finger with a grin. “How’s Cliff?” she asked.
“Good. He’s off seeing Des at the moment. He’s not doing so good.”
“Aww, poor bugger. Tell your dad I said hi, yeah?”
Jules was lovely, Anna decided. She and Dean stayed for a bit to chat but left early. There was no tension at all between her and Kurt, and Anna wondered if she and Greg would ever get to the stage where they could be that friendly. It seemed unlikely.
Kurt and Wayne drank a few pints and Gina had a few more gins. They were joined by some of the other team members, and Jason shouted a round of whiskies. Anna was having a great time chatting and laughing. She kept sneaking looks at Kurt, who caught her several times and gave her a grin. After a bit, she suggested to Gina that she join her in the ladies where she quickly cornered her.
“Please tell me you didn’t tell Wayne I was drooling over Kurt?” Gina just laughed. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me Wayne was your husband!”
“Babe, it’s fine. I’m sure the feeling is mutual. You should totally bust a move.”
Anna squirmed. “I did. Last night. He turned me down.”
“Really? That’s surprising. I mean, look at you, you’re gorgeous.” Gina did a slightly drunk hand wave to indicate all of Anna’s gorgeousness. “Well, maybe he’s worried you’ll break his heart,” she said. “He hasn’t dated much since Jules. He’s not really a player, you know? And if you’re taking off soon …”
“Yeah. I guess. But I don’t think I want to. Take off. Not just because of Kurt. But I like it here, I dunno. Maybe I’m being nuts.”
“Oh, my God, I would love it if you stayed,” Gina squealed excitedly, jumping up and down with her hands on Anna’s shoulders. “I feel like we connected, you know? Maybe I’m just drunk, but I feel like we could be besties.”
Anna laughed. “Yeah, I know. And I’m not even drunk.”
“Stay,” Gina said. “Stay and shag Kurt and get drunk with me after rugby games.”
They wandered back to the table where Mike had joined them, golden toilet seat around his neck, having a sculling competition with Dion. Kurt looked over at her, mouthed ‘You okay?’ and she smiled, gave him a thumbs up. She was very okay, she realised. Tomorrow she’d start sorting things. Start planning for a new life.
She drove them home at about ten. They’d had some food at the clubrooms and Kurt was chatty, but not super-drunk. He thanked her again as she pulled up at the house.
“My pleasure,” she said, “it was the least I could do after last night.”
Kurt opened the front door and gestured her in.
“Anna, about last night. I’m sorry if you thought I was …” He trailed off. She looked up at him and he was looking at her, at her lips and then he lent in, and he kissed her. Softly. Tentatively. He tasted faintly of whisky and she kissed him back, going up on her toes and then pulling back when she remembered her sore ankle.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t know why I did that. I told myself not to rush you. I know you’re fresh out of a marriage and it’s too soon, and … sorry.” He turned and went down the hallway, into his room. Anna stood in the front entrance, her heart beating madly against her ribcage. Should she follow him? Was it too soon?
She hobbled down the hallway, got into her pyjamas, brushed her teeth, and lay on Kurt’s single bed. She imagined him in his room, lying there thinking of her. It didn’t feel too soon to her. She and Greg hadn’t been together for years. And emotionally she had left the marriage a long time ago. But Kurt didn’t know that. She would have to make the first move. Tomorrow, she resolved.