ONE
Queen of River City's spring carnival in 1998, Linda Stevens was one of the cutest babes to have been born at the River City Maternity Hospital.
Linda's father was handsome and cool; the city's youngest-ever chief of orthopaedic surgery at the Walter Regan Memorial Hospital. Linda's mother, Mandy-Jane, owned and operated a network of seven hairdressing salons throughout the county.
It had been assumed by everyone, including Joel and Mandy-Jane, that they would conceive a daughter with outstanding attributes, and happily everyone (family and friends) were not disappointed.
Now, at the aged of twenty-seven, seven years after winning her 'crown', Linda was returning home after a four-year working holiday through Europe, gaining experience in hotel reception management.
The Europeans had adored her classical Americana pedigree of a slim physique, blue eyes, long blonde hair and an engaging personality. It was that same combination that blew away her opposition in the 1998 home city beauty/personality contest that, for the judges, turned into a one-horse contest by the time they had completed the first-round of judging.
Many mothers throughout River City fanaticised about the possibility of their son miraculously taking Linda as his wife, or just taking her, as that would be socially advantageous for the family.
In the week leading up to Linda's return, the more committed mothers pressured their sons to get a hair-cut – some even insisting on a manicure – and endowing them generously with expensive new clothes.
Linda's arrival was supposed to be an unheraled family event, but a newspaper reporter, Bud Wilson, callously leaked the imminent homecoming.
Bud's mother wasn't aware of the arrival until reading Bud's story under an old photo of Linda. It made no difference anyway; she never would have assumed that her son would get within a bull's roar of the queenly Linda. Her assumption was that her son was eventually marry some slut from the newspaper – they were plenty of them.
Ten days after Linda's triumphant return home, reported ad nauseam in the women's pages of the 'River City Messenger', Bud was having lunch alone in the River City Café. Linda came up and greeted him warmly; they'd spent much of their early children and teenage years together.
"May I sit with you to have my lunch?" Linda asked, expecting the usual thrilled response.
"Oh, if you wish," replied Bud, looking around at the numerous empty tables.
"Thank you, then I shall go and collect my plate," she said, about to sit down.
Bud smiled at her, and carried on eating. This was no big deal. Pigtails Stevens may have won the Queen of River City contest and gone to Europe and made quite an impact, but remove all the hype and she was still Miss Ex-Pigtails Stevens.
Bud had observed that the pigtails had gone, the thin lips were now full and stunningly inviting, she'd changed from being intent on being the class egghead into a woman of slight mystery. Oh, one other thing: her flat chest was now looking rather interesting.
"Glad to learn that you've had some really big years in Europe," he said, as Linda arrived back at the table carrying her own plate of food, something she'd not done for a very long time.
"And you've achieved what, Bud?"
"Oh, I've done a bit of this and that."
Linda struggled to try to keep communication going. Bud was so laid back that it almost seemed they were in different locations.
After a painful hour of trying to establish common ground, and basically failing, Linda left after thanking Bud for his company, kissing him on the forehead.
"Only my mother kisses my there," he said, indicating she'd transgressed.
Fuck you sweetie, thought the new darling of the social scene. I'm off to events you've never experienced and associating with people who'd never give you the time of day.
Two minutes later Linda was prickling with remorse. She needed to make peace within herself to avoid a possible outbreak of hives.
"I'm a bitch, Bud. I apologise for mangling you with unjustified slurs. I am sorry. I remember the days when you were a real buddy to me and helped my through the times when male predators were closing in."
That mind cleansing delivered aloud made her feel very much better.
Linda entered a round of social engagements that left her almost exhausted. The price of being popular was beginning to tell.
On Thursday in make-up before appearing on live TV with fifteen minutes to go, Linda received a phone call from Bud of all people.
"I'm going up to the cabin on Saturday, I would love you to accompany me."
The invitation was interesting, very tempting in fact, but it had to be rejected.
"I'm sorry Bud, but I have a full schedule on Saturday. Some other time, perhaps."
"Okay," and the call terminated.
Ten minutes later, with her mind careering around like a rioting crowd, Linda picked up her phone and called the number showing as Bud's incoming call.
"The lake Saturday sounds fine, I'll reschedule my diary."
"Will you stay the night? There are separate rooms. I ought to be able to find you a key."
"Yes."
"That's a mighty short response for Miss Personality."
"I'm tired, Bud. I would like to join you for a completely relaxing weekend."
"No problem, babe. I'll pick you up at your parent's house at seven on Saturday morning.
"Seven?"
"Seven."
"All right, Bud. You are the host."
The front door of the Stevens mansion opened before Bud could push the bell button, and Mandy-Jane wearing a poorly composed smile greeted him as Buddy, the name he hated. But licked his lips, eying the pushed out front under a nightdress and gown. Man, was that something.
"Buddy?"
"Sorry, Mrs Stevens. I was thinking of something."
"I said, we don't really approve of Linda going away with you alone."
"Your approval is not required – your daughter is twenty-seven."
"I am aware of the age of my daughter Buddy," was the chilly response. "Well, take care of her and please leave her reputation intact."
Bud refrained from giving a smart-ass response to that unnecessary remark; no one but he and the Stevens knew about this jaunt into the mountains so how could Lindy's reputation be harmed?
"Be home before dark tonight," instructed Mandy-Jane, attempting to stare down Bud. He didn't notice this battle of wills because it was one-sided; he was thinking that Linda had not lost her smart-ass quality she had as a young girl. Obviously she'd not told her mother they were staying on the mountain overnight.
If Mandy-Jane returning to the door with her daughter was expecting to feel disgusted when the old friends kissed, she was disappointed. They were ever so casual.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"We're off, mother."
And they were gone.
Mandy-Jane sniffed when noting that Linda had to open her own door and stuff her big carry bag into the back of the cheap two-door vehicle, but at least it appeared to be four-wheel drive. The size of the carry bag failed to register, otherwise she may have suspected it was an over-night bag.
"Was mother her usual defensive self at the door?"
"Yeah, but what's with the big chest?"
"She had corrective surgery, twice I believe."
"Daddy must be thrilled," grinned Bud.
"He was the instigator but mother absolutely adores her new self. Wait until in a few year they are hanging around her waist."
"Do implants do that?"
"I really don't know. Can we talk about something else?"
"Yeah, I threw in a bottle of vodka hoping you still drink it."
"Oh Bud, that's lovely. Yes, it's my only drink apart from wine. Remember those session we had as young teenagers?"
They laughed and glanced at each other warmly as the stories were retold.
TWO
Pete's cabin looked unchanged since they last visited it together with a group of friends as sixteen year olds, staying almost a week.
The cabin had been built by Peter Wilson, Bud's deceased grandfather.
"Fancy, it's eleven years since I was inside this cabin and it looks untouched."
"It is, Lindy – mum and dad and Meg whose pregnant now, married to a really nice guy, regard it as a place to sleep and eat so just like me that see no reason to change anything for the sake of changing. Just the basics are good enough up here."
"You are the only person who calls me Lindy," said Linda softly.
Bud glanced at her and shrugged. "Come on, you take mum's room and I go in the kid's room. There are no keys; I just made that up. Get changed and we'll go to Mason's Peak for lunch, unless there's somewhere else you'd rather go."
"No, that's fine," said Linda, still undecided. Her mother, angry that Bud had published news of Linda's imminent homecoming, called him a jerk. Was he?
Changing into shorts, shirt, long socks and putting on her old tramping boots she'd oiled a couple of nights earlier, Linda entered the main cabin and stuffed a jacket and towel into her small backpack.
Bud, who'd come already dressed for tramping, entered carrying his pack he'd fetched from the vehicle. He stopped mid-track and whistled, looking at Linda in admiration.
Surprised that anyone would react to her in relatively shapeless tramping clothes, Linda blushed, thinking it had been a long time since she'd had blushed, a very long time.
"Come on you stupid mutt, let's get cracking." It felt good trying to talk as she did in the old days.