Sharp Turn - Marianne Delacourt [16]
‘Limited edition 1198 R Corse,’ said Crack, as though talking to himself. ‘I’d have to give her my bed.’
Bolo laughed. ‘You sound like a man after my own heart. Got any wrenching skills?’
Crack’s eyebrows shot up so high they almost became part of his hairline. ‘I like to mess around with bikes. Can put anything back together. No formal training though. Dad wanted me to be a dentist.’
Crack’s dad had more of a thing about professionals than Joanna did. Crack’s mum, on the other hand, had wanted him to join the circus. How his parents’ marriage had ever survived was one of life’s seven wonders.
Bolo pulled a card from his wallet. ‘Come have a look around the pits sometime.’
Crack’s mouth hung wide open long after Bolo had roared off into the night on his Ducati. When he finally closed it, he took off his apron, ducked under the bar and gave me a hug.
‘What did I do?’ I asked, squirming in his embrace. Crack hadn’t hugged me since I’d pushed over the Laidley twins for bullying him when we were ten.
‘Things always happen around you, T. It’s your karma, I swear.’
‘Is that like . . . karma . . . or karma?’ I asked, doing my best My Name Is Earl impersonation.
‘Both,’ he said. ‘You’re fucking amazing, I swear.’
He laughed and tried to pick me up, but I weighed over eighty kilos and was half a head taller than him, so that went nowhere fast.
‘Crack!’ Sable’s voice cut through the air like a sharpened machete.
I elbowed Crack off me and threw the apron at him. ‘Get back to work, cuz.’
He slung the apron over his shoulder and hustled back behind the bar.
Sable appeared next to him. ‘Hello, Tara. Here by yourself?’
Sable was like her name: a dark, brown-haired beauty who moved with an animal grace. She favoured bangles, tiny little tank tops, tight pants and high heels. Something about her reminded me of Shakira. Next to her I felt enormous and awkward. It didn’t help that she treated me with suspicion. Other than Bok, Crack was the person I’d gotten into the most trouble with, and we’d made the mistake of reminiscing once too often around Sable. She saw me as a bad influence and was also a bit disapproving of my single status.
To my relief, Edouardo walked in the door on cue.
‘No, actually, I’m meeting someone,’ I said, and waved madly at my gorgeous date.
There were only a few customers in the bar this early but all of them turned to look at him – guys included. I didn’t really focus on the slim hips and ripped torso that showed beneath his thin tee-shirt. To me, Ed was distinguished by his startling aquamarine aura, which flowed around him day and night like a slice of the Coral Sea – clear and bright and healthy.
‘He’s with you?’ Sable didn’t even bother to keep the disbelief from her voice.
I didn’t answer, waiting for Ed to come close enough to slip his arm around me. He dropped a light kiss on my head and flashed Crack and Sable a stunning smile.
‘Ed, meet my cousin Crack and his partner, Sable,’ I said.
I took a long slurp of my drink while Sable gaped and Ed muttered an appropriate hello. Before Sable could recover enough to start the inquisition, I put the glass back on the bar and stood up.
‘Better dash or we’ll be late for dinner. Catch you soon, guys.’
With that we left.
Don’t you love a grand exit?
Chapter 5
‘YOU’RE DRIVING,’ SAID ED as we stepped into the dark car park. ‘I caught a lift down here with Vonny.’
‘Okay,’ I said, letting the ‘Vonny’ reference go.
Ed and I had only been dating for a month. He was younger than me, fairly new to town and very beautiful. I was expecting him to find his city legs soon and move on.
We climbed into Mona and headed back up the highway towards Mr Hara’s. Ed put his arm along the back of my seat rest as we drove and massaged my shoulder.
‘Did you get the job?’ he asked.
‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘I’m going to be selling sandwiches.’
He stopped rubbing my shoulder for a second. ‘What?’
‘It’s my cover,’ I added. ‘While I’m investigating for my client.’
My phone beeped with a message as I slowed for a red light. I slipped it out of my jeans pocket and