CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
(June 2004)
Heather wasn't superstitious but did believe happenings came in threes. Good happenings and bad happenings, that was. As she put distance between herself and as many Sydneysiders as possible, she reckoned she'd had her share of bad for now. Surely she had. Wasn't breaking up with Ingrid, getting a terminal prognosis on the campervan and having an AIDS scare enough for one losing streak?
Oh, if only she'd known.
Heather parked up for the night on the outskirts of a holiday sort of place called Forster, maybe two hundred miles into her flit. Being a good, responsible tourist, she paid to stay on a campsite. Being in no mood to put up the tent or prepare a meal, she then locked up and headed for the nearest bar.
Mary Rose would have called it "drinking on an empty head". She wasn't there to snipe though, was she? And Heather wasn't a complete dipstick: she ordered sandwiches along with all the beer. That is to say, she ordered a few sandwiches and lots and lots of beer.
After about an hour she realized the barman had his eye on her, in a lusty sort of a way. Sighing, she wondered how to let him down lightly. He was handsome enough, but she felt no attraction to him at all. And, even if she had already scrapped that nonsense about never having "any form of sex" again, men were definitely out of the frame . . . for now at least, possibly for ever. Conveniently, before he could make a move on her, a new customer arrived at the bar.
'Hi,' she said, after ordering three schooners of Tooheys, 'I'm Carole with an E.'
'Hiya, Carole with an E. I'm Hev with a V.'
Carole was about twenty-five and had a strong Liverpudlian accent. 'I'm over there with the rest of the Liver birds,' she said, indicating a nearby table. 'Why don't you come and make up a foursome?'
Something in her eyes intrigued Heather. 'I'm supposed to be brooding,' she said, 'maybe after a few more beers.'
'Suit yourself.' Carole smiled, winked and headed back to her friends.
Watching her, Heather took stock: a sexy smile and even better-looking from behind. Okay, her ass was a bit on the plump side, but that was no deterrent. Plump asses could be as good on the eye as skinny ones. And they could be good in lots of other ways, too.
She had a slurp of beer and signalled for a refill, still watching Carole. Carole was saying something to her mates and they were all looking bar-wards. When they waved to her Heather waved back.
Three bad happenings, she thought. Maybe I'm destined for three good happenings with that little lot.
'You want to be careful with them.'
She turned to find her refill on a drip-mat and the barman staring at her. 'Is that a Shee . . .' She stopped herself just in time. 'Is that a Kiwi accent?'
'Yeah,' he said, 'I'm what the locals call a Sheepshagger. Not that I bother with sheep; not when there are so many beautiful girls in the world.'
'Same here.' Heather raised a wry smile. 'I don't bother with sheep for exactly the same reason. Does that put me on a par with those three?'
'Probably.' The Kiwi helped himself to the right change from the pile on the bar top and hesitated. 'Look, I'm not putting them down, but they're not the best customers I've ever had.'
Heather took that as a challenge. 'I'll have one of those giant jugs of Tooheys as well, please.'
*****
Carole greeted her with another sexy smile before making the introductions. 'This one, the one with all the mascara, is Skanky Sue. And the blonde bombshell's Marigold. They're sort of together, so you can sit next to me.'
Skanky Sue topped up her friends' glasses from the jug while Heather squeezed in beside Carole. It was a cosy fit and their bare legs pressed together. After so long with Rod the fellow-female contact was nice. She didn't complain when Carole's hand immediately settled on her knee.
'We're on our way to Sydney,' Marigold announced, 'thumbing it, because funds are tight until we get there.'
'I'm on my way up north,' said Heather, 'otherwise I'd offer you a lift.'
'What can I do to make you turn back for Sydney?' asked Skanky Sue, giggling. 'Go on, tell me. I'm open to all suggestions.'
'Oi,' said Marigold, 'you're supposed to be my bit of skirt.'
'I'm trying to get us a lift,' her friend countered. 'And you're screwin' Cazza every other night, so what does it matter?'
'Have another Gary Ablett and shurrup, the pair of you,' added Carole.
To Heather's amazement Marigold rooted in her clutch bag and passed Skanky Sue something small. Acting in perfect unison, they both popped "somethings" in their mouths and washed down whatever they were with more Tooheys.
'Manners,' said Carole. 'You haven't offered Hev one.'
'I have,' said Skanky Sue, giggling again.
Heather interrupted before Marigold could reopen her bag. 'Thanks, but no. I need an early night.'
'Well why didn't you say? I'm well up for that.'
'Sue,' said Carole, 'shurrup, will you!' Then, to Heather, 'Is there really no chance of a lift to Sydney? I'm getting ackers off a mate when we get there. I'll see you right.'
'Sorry, I have to be somewhere.' Heather mentally crossed her fingers as she spoke. Time wasn't so tight on her; it would only be a day out of her way and she could spare that. But these three were too much to be with for long. Their bantering was accompanied by gales of laughter, yet it was borderline aggressive for all that. And what the heck had those two just taken?
'Ta anyway,' Carole said. 'And don't worry about it. God will provide. He always does in the end.'
'I'll still have a go at changing your direction.' Skanky Sue didn't actually look skanky. Even caked in mascara she was easily the hottest of the three. Her eyes were odd, however. In fact her pupils were dilated and the rest of her body seemed hyperactive. 'I think you regularly go in my direction anyway, but it can't hurt to find out for sure, eh?'
'Don't listen to her,' said Carole, edging her hand ever higher up Heather's leg, 'after a few drinks she turns into a proper gobshite. And she's just like a fella: all mouth and no trousers.'
Marigold spoke for only the second or third time, her voice like nails scratching on glass: 'Says she! If your tart hadn't effed off we'd be in Sydney by now.'
'What's that got to do with the price of tea in China?' Carole wondered with an extravagant shrug.
'She effed off with our effing money, didn't she? Last seen heading for Cairns Airport . . .'