followed her knock on the door.
‘Jen? I know you’re in there.’
‘Oh, all right,’ Jen called at last. ‘You’d better come in, then.’ She didn’t sound enthusiastic.
Charlotte followed the sound of her voice through the empty kitchen and into the lounge. She looked around. Something was different — it took her a moment to work out what. All Zoe’s stuff was gone.
‘Hi.’ Jen was curled up on the old Dralon couch — Charlotte had forgotten how grotty it was under Zoe’s natty country-check cover. She had a glass in her hand and a bottle of red by her side.
‘Hi,’ said Charlotte gently.
‘Want a drink?’
‘Thanks.’
‘Help yourself. The glasses are in the kitchen.’
Returning with one, Charlotte settled herself in the armchair and poured. They sipped their wine in silence.
‘So …’ Charlotte ventured at last. ‘How’re things?’
Jen shrugged. ‘Zoe’s gone. I took her into town today. Her sister came and picked her up.’
‘Yeah. Kath saw you leave. I’m really sorry.’
There was another silence. Charlotte glanced around the room, taking in the empty hooks where pictures had recently hung.
‘So what happened?’
Jen stared into her glass for a few seconds, swirling the wine. ‘She thinks I’m in love with you.’
‘She
what
?’ Charlotte nearly choked. She couldn’t help but laugh just a bit. ‘That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever …’ She trailed off as Jen looked up and into her eyes. ‘Oh Christ. Jen …’
Jen dropped her gaze quickly. Oh God — were those tears?
‘But,’ stammered Charlotte, ‘you know I’m not … that I’m …’
‘Into men?’ Jen sighed bitterly. ‘Of course I do. I used tosleep across the hall from you, remember?’
Charlotte winced. ‘I’m so sorry … I didn’t … it just never occurred to me that you might …’
‘Have feelings for you?’ Jen’s voice softened. ‘I know. That’s one of the things I love about you — that it never occurred.’
Silence again.
Jen took another gulp of wine. ‘It’s nice for a girl to think she might occur just once or twice, though.’
Charlotte smiled. ‘Well, maybe once or twice … you know …’ She studied Jen’s face, hoping for a smile in return. ‘Just not …’
‘Long term?’ Jen’s mouth twitched. ‘Katy Perry has a lot to answer for.’
‘I swear,’ said Charlotte, hand on heart, ‘if ever a girl was going to occur, it would be you.’
She held out her wine glass. Jen refilled it.
‘So now what do we do?’
Jen sighed. ‘Well, I think the usual drill is, we promise not to let this get in the way of our friendship, you go home, I get drunk, and in the morning we pretend we never had this conversation.’
‘Is that going to work for you?’
‘Maybe. I don’t know.’ She shrugged. ‘I know what I probably should do.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Leave.’
‘No!’ Charlotte was horrified. ‘You can’t do that!’
‘I need to get over this. I’m not sure I can do that if I stay here.’
‘You could try.’
‘Yes, I could try.’ Jen sighed again. ‘Shit. Why is it that knowing you should do something doesn’t make it any easierto do it?’ She picked at her sleeve. ‘I love working here.’
‘Then stay! Move back into the homestead with me — it’ll be like old times.’
Jen raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.’
‘I am,’ said Charlotte firmly. ‘I miss you being there. And besides’ — she looked around — ‘this place is a dump.’
Jen smiled. ‘It has lost a bit of its charm.’ She got up. ‘Fancy another drink? I’ll open a new bottle.’
As she walked back from the kitchen, a gust of wind shook the cottage. They looked at each other. Crap. Charlotte checked her watch. Fourteen hours early — the front had obviously picked up speed. Rain slammed against the roof.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. ‘I’d better go open some gates, just in case.’ They should have a
‘Jen? I know you’re in there.’
‘Oh, all right,’ Jen called at last. ‘You’d better come in, then.’ She didn’t sound enthusiastic.
Charlotte followed the sound of her voice through the empty kitchen and into the lounge. She looked around. Something was different — it took her a moment to work out what. All Zoe’s stuff was gone.
‘Hi.’ Jen was curled up on the old Dralon couch — Charlotte had forgotten how grotty it was under Zoe’s natty country-check cover. She had a glass in her hand and a bottle of red by her side.
‘Hi,’ said Charlotte gently.
‘Want a drink?’
‘Thanks.’
‘Help yourself. The glasses are in the kitchen.’
Returning with one, Charlotte settled herself in the armchair and poured. They sipped their wine in silence.
‘So …’ Charlotte ventured at last. ‘How’re things?’
Jen shrugged. ‘Zoe’s gone. I took her into town today. Her sister came and picked her up.’
‘Yeah. Kath saw you leave. I’m really sorry.’
There was another silence. Charlotte glanced around the room, taking in the empty hooks where pictures had recently hung.
‘So what happened?’
Jen stared into her glass for a few seconds, swirling the wine. ‘She thinks I’m in love with you.’
‘She
what
?’ Charlotte nearly choked. She couldn’t help but laugh just a bit. ‘That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever …’ She trailed off as Jen looked up and into her eyes. ‘Oh Christ. Jen …’
Jen dropped her gaze quickly. Oh God — were those tears?
‘But,’ stammered Charlotte, ‘you know I’m not … that I’m …’
‘Into men?’ Jen sighed bitterly. ‘Of course I do. I used tosleep across the hall from you, remember?’
Charlotte winced. ‘I’m so sorry … I didn’t … it just never occurred to me that you might …’
‘Have feelings for you?’ Jen’s voice softened. ‘I know. That’s one of the things I love about you — that it never occurred.’
Silence again.
Jen took another gulp of wine. ‘It’s nice for a girl to think she might occur just once or twice, though.’
Charlotte smiled. ‘Well, maybe once or twice … you know …’ She studied Jen’s face, hoping for a smile in return. ‘Just not …’
‘Long term?’ Jen’s mouth twitched. ‘Katy Perry has a lot to answer for.’
‘I swear,’ said Charlotte, hand on heart, ‘if ever a girl was going to occur, it would be you.’
She held out her wine glass. Jen refilled it.
‘So now what do we do?’
Jen sighed. ‘Well, I think the usual drill is, we promise not to let this get in the way of our friendship, you go home, I get drunk, and in the morning we pretend we never had this conversation.’
‘Is that going to work for you?’
‘Maybe. I don’t know.’ She shrugged. ‘I know what I probably should do.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Leave.’
‘No!’ Charlotte was horrified. ‘You can’t do that!’
‘I need to get over this. I’m not sure I can do that if I stay here.’
‘You could try.’
‘Yes, I could try.’ Jen sighed again. ‘Shit. Why is it that knowing you should do something doesn’t make it any easierto do it?’ She picked at her sleeve. ‘I love working here.’
‘Then stay! Move back into the homestead with me — it’ll be like old times.’
Jen raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.’
‘I am,’ said Charlotte firmly. ‘I miss you being there. And besides’ — she looked around — ‘this place is a dump.’
Jen smiled. ‘It has lost a bit of its charm.’ She got up. ‘Fancy another drink? I’ll open a new bottle.’
As she walked back from the kitchen, a gust of wind shook the cottage. They looked at each other. Crap. Charlotte checked her watch. Fourteen hours early — the front had obviously picked up speed. Rain slammed against the roof.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. ‘I’d better go open some gates, just in case.’ They should have a
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