all-time high. Dad would lie down and die for me and all his family, but he would not,
could not, talk about emotions.
"Maybe when you get back, take up an oul' hobby," he suggested. "Keeps the oul' mind off
things. Golf maybe. And that'd be good for the oul' knee, too, of course."
"Thanks, Dad, I'll think about it."
"Mind you, it needn't be golf," he amended. "It could be any oul' thing. Lady things. And we
might be over at some stage to help with Rachel's oul' wedding to that hairy molly."
A t the airport Mum studied the departure board, looked from me to Rachel, then exclaimed,
"Isn't it a bloody shame that both of you live in New York." She put her hands on her hips and
thrust her bosom at us. She'd persuaded Claire to give her her "My Boyfriend Is Out of Town" T-
shirt and kept trying to draw attention to it. "Would one of you ever move somewhere else so
we'd have a free place to stay. I've always liked the sound of Sydney."
"Or Miami," Dad said, then he and Mum bumped hips and sang, "Welcome to Miami!"
"Say your good-byes," Rachel said coldly.
"Ah right, of course." They looked a little red-faced, then took a deep breath and launched into a
flurry of kindness and concern. "Anna, you'll be okay, pet." "You'll get over it." "Just give it
time." "Come home anytime you want." "Rachel, make sure you look after her."
Even Helen said, "I wish you weren't going. Try not to go too mental."
"Write to me," I said. "Keep me posted with your screenplay and send me funny e-mails about
your job."
"Okay."
But the really peculiar thing was that despite all their well-wishing and hand squeezing and
encouragement, no one so much as mentioned Aidan.
15
A fter Jacqui had decreed that Aidan would be a hard dog to keep on the porch, she told him,
"You pass. We like you. You can come out with us whenever you like."
"Er, thank you."
"In fact, tomorrow night it's Nell's strange friend's birthday. The Outhouse on Mulberry Street.
Come along."
"Um, okay." He looked at me. "Okay?"
"Okay."
The love-in between Jacqui and Aidan continued the following night, when, in the heaving bar,
Jacqui indicated an Adonis leaning against a wall. "Look, your man's gorgeous. On his own.
Think he's waiting for someone?"
"Ask him," Aidan suggested.
"I can't just go over and ask him."
"Want me to go?"
Her eyes nearly fell out of her head. She clutched him. "Would you?"
"Sure." We watched Aidan shoulder through the crowd, say something to the Adonis, saw the
Adonis say something back, then twist his head to have a look at the little knot of us. Further
chat ensued, then Aidan turned to come back...followed by Adonis.
"Sweet Jesus," Jacqui hissed. "He's coming over."
Sadly, Adonis turned out to be called Burt and up close he had a peculiar immobile kind of face
and no interest in Jacqui, but as a result, Jacqui thought Aidan was the cat's pajamas.
Great stuff. Everyone getting on well. However, because Aidan had come out with my friends
twice, I was obliged to meet Leon and Dana and I was not looking forward to being judged and
found wanting. But--unlike the last time I'd met them--they didn't treat me like a cardboard-
cutout woman, and we had an unexpectedly (unexpected on my part, anyway) nice time.
Then, a few days later, the Real Men had a Halloween party, where they (the Real Men) dressed
up as themselves. I was standing around wondering whether Aidan was going to show when
someone appeared in front of me, wearing a sheet over his head and going, "Wooooooh!"
"Right back at you," I said.
Then the person lifted the sheet and exclaimed, "Hey, Anna, it's me!"
It was Aidan; we shrieked with surprise and delight. (Not that it was that surprising to see each
other, but anyway.) I launched myself at him and he grabbed me, his arms around my back, our
legs tangled together, and a jolt of want leaped from me. He felt it, too, because his eyes
changed, instantly becoming serious. We held the gaze for a timeless moment, then Nell's
strange friend
could not, talk about emotions.
"Maybe when you get back, take up an oul' hobby," he suggested. "Keeps the oul' mind off
things. Golf maybe. And that'd be good for the oul' knee, too, of course."
"Thanks, Dad, I'll think about it."
"Mind you, it needn't be golf," he amended. "It could be any oul' thing. Lady things. And we
might be over at some stage to help with Rachel's oul' wedding to that hairy molly."
A t the airport Mum studied the departure board, looked from me to Rachel, then exclaimed,
"Isn't it a bloody shame that both of you live in New York." She put her hands on her hips and
thrust her bosom at us. She'd persuaded Claire to give her her "My Boyfriend Is Out of Town" T-
shirt and kept trying to draw attention to it. "Would one of you ever move somewhere else so
we'd have a free place to stay. I've always liked the sound of Sydney."
"Or Miami," Dad said, then he and Mum bumped hips and sang, "Welcome to Miami!"
"Say your good-byes," Rachel said coldly.
"Ah right, of course." They looked a little red-faced, then took a deep breath and launched into a
flurry of kindness and concern. "Anna, you'll be okay, pet." "You'll get over it." "Just give it
time." "Come home anytime you want." "Rachel, make sure you look after her."
Even Helen said, "I wish you weren't going. Try not to go too mental."
"Write to me," I said. "Keep me posted with your screenplay and send me funny e-mails about
your job."
"Okay."
But the really peculiar thing was that despite all their well-wishing and hand squeezing and
encouragement, no one so much as mentioned Aidan.
15
A fter Jacqui had decreed that Aidan would be a hard dog to keep on the porch, she told him,
"You pass. We like you. You can come out with us whenever you like."
"Er, thank you."
"In fact, tomorrow night it's Nell's strange friend's birthday. The Outhouse on Mulberry Street.
Come along."
"Um, okay." He looked at me. "Okay?"
"Okay."
The love-in between Jacqui and Aidan continued the following night, when, in the heaving bar,
Jacqui indicated an Adonis leaning against a wall. "Look, your man's gorgeous. On his own.
Think he's waiting for someone?"
"Ask him," Aidan suggested.
"I can't just go over and ask him."
"Want me to go?"
Her eyes nearly fell out of her head. She clutched him. "Would you?"
"Sure." We watched Aidan shoulder through the crowd, say something to the Adonis, saw the
Adonis say something back, then twist his head to have a look at the little knot of us. Further
chat ensued, then Aidan turned to come back...followed by Adonis.
"Sweet Jesus," Jacqui hissed. "He's coming over."
Sadly, Adonis turned out to be called Burt and up close he had a peculiar immobile kind of face
and no interest in Jacqui, but as a result, Jacqui thought Aidan was the cat's pajamas.
Great stuff. Everyone getting on well. However, because Aidan had come out with my friends
twice, I was obliged to meet Leon and Dana and I was not looking forward to being judged and
found wanting. But--unlike the last time I'd met them--they didn't treat me like a cardboard-
cutout woman, and we had an unexpectedly (unexpected on my part, anyway) nice time.
Then, a few days later, the Real Men had a Halloween party, where they (the Real Men) dressed
up as themselves. I was standing around wondering whether Aidan was going to show when
someone appeared in front of me, wearing a sheet over his head and going, "Wooooooh!"
"Right back at you," I said.
Then the person lifted the sheet and exclaimed, "Hey, Anna, it's me!"
It was Aidan; we shrieked with surprise and delight. (Not that it was that surprising to see each
other, but anyway.) I launched myself at him and he grabbed me, his arms around my back, our
legs tangled together, and a jolt of want leaped from me. He felt it, too, because his eyes
changed, instantly becoming serious. We held the gaze for a timeless moment, then Nell's
strange friend
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