Page 64 of Nothing Without You

Chris threw his head back and laughed. ‘You never change, Bert. I’m going to the pub with a few of my mates and their partners tonight. Why don’t you come?’

‘Not for me, thanks anyway. Once I have my dinner and my allocation of one stubbie, I like to watch the news and then go to bed. My drinking days are over.’

Chris turned to Evie. ‘You should come, Evie. It’s a good way to meet people. They’re a good bunch. I can pick you up.’

Bert and Chris both waited for her answer. ‘Oh, I don’t know. I don’t drink much these days.’

‘You don’t have to drink. We play pool. Come. It’ll be fun and I’ll shout you dinner.’

Bert stood up and passed her his empty glass. ‘You should go. When was the last time you went out and had fun? All you do is work here and then go home. She’ll go, Chris. I said so.’

‘Good. I’ll pick you up at six.’

‘Thank you. But if I can still use your Datsun for a bit longer, I’ll drive myself.’ That way, she thought, she could leave when she wanted. She wouldn’t mind eating out. It was a long time since she’d been to a pub or had someone else cook her a meal.’

‘Okay. But if you’re not there by six, I’m coming to get you.’

Chris bought the most expensive reel and rod in the shop. ‘My gear is old and broken. I’m going to get into fishing again. I miss it.’

Bert had gone back to his house for a rest, leaving Evie and Chris alone in the shop. She rattled off the qualities of the gear he had bought. She had often eyed off the dearer rods and reels but even at the wholesale cost, they were way out of her price range. Besides, she was catching good fish with the old bamboo rod and Alvey reel that had been in the shed at The Magic Fish.

As if he had read her mind, Chris proposed a competition. ‘Let’s see who can catch the best fish. One for quality and one for size. You, with your old rod and reel you were using the other day, and me with this new setup. Let’s say over the next two weeks.’

‘You’re on. I’ve got some days off work coming up, and I might have found a good spot that I’m not going to share with you.’ She laughed. ‘Game on.’

Chapter Seventy-Five

The pub was positioned high on the headland, just north of the small cluster of buildings that made up Point Lookout. Its location was one of the best vantage points on the island, facing north-east, looking straight out across the ocean.

Evie arrived at the carpark and spent some time readjusting her hair, looking at her reflection in the rear-view mirror. Thankfully, the last month spent on the island had allowed her to put some weight on and the sallow, gaunt look had disappeared from her face. Her cheeks had regained their fullness and her complexion radiated a healthy, golden glow, the result of days spent walking along the beach and going fishing.

Tonight, she had even put on some mascara and foundation. Her fingernails had grown, and she had neatly filed and shaped them for the first time in her life. A flowing floral dress that had been a hand-me-down from Rose fitted her perfectly now she had filled out a little. Her clothes no longer hung on her frame. Instead, they wrapped around her body, accentuating her trim waist and small rounded breasts. At least with some weight gain, she had regained some of her curves, and her legs no longer looked like matchsticks. They also had regained some tone and muscle. It was amazing what stress and unhappiness could do to your body. But with time away from all that, she felt like she was gradually returning to herself; her body and mind had healed and revitalised.

Most days, the events of that fateful night found their way into her thoughts though. As much as she tried not to think of Bob’s fate, it was difficult to push it completely away. A night out would do her good, and hopefully the food and company of Chris’s friends would make for a pleasant night.

Chris was at the bar and he waved as she walked into the room. She could feel his eyes on her as she neared him. ‘Wow, Evie. You look fantastic. Island life is suiting you.’

She leaned on the bar next to him. ‘It is. I love it.’

‘What do you want to drink?’ Chris had a tray of beers and wines in front of him and he called the bartender back to order something for her.

‘I’ll just have a beer to start with. One now, and I can still drive home later.’

His eyes hardly left her, his gaze soft and lingering when he spoke. ‘I’ve already had a few, and so have the boys. We got here earlier. I’ll be walking home.’

Chris wore board shorts and a T-shirt with his company’s insignia on the front. She looked at the clever design of the word Vivre, with the V created by two surfboards. It was vintage-style, and she admired the embroidered logo design with clouds and waves in the background.

‘Follow me and meet everyone,’ Chris said, as he picked up their drinks and walked towards the middle of the room. ‘They’re a great bunch.’

Nerves rattled in her stomach and she really wanted to stay at the bar and not follow him back to the table. But he turned around to make sure she was behind him. ‘C’mon. don’t worry, they’re all friendly.’

Chris was right, and it didn’t take long for everyone to greet her and make her feel welcome. The group sat around a long table, the shape of the glossy timber surface that of a surfboard. Chris was directly across from her, and four of his mates—Ben, Liam, Xavier and Jason—also sat on that side. Two of their partners, Melanie and Taneesha, sat next to Evie. Both women were a bit older than she was. Melanie was a naturopath and had a clinic in the small town-centre at Point Lookout, while Taneesha made children’s clothing in a garage at the back of her house. The small business was booming, and she sold her stock at the local markets and on the mainland.

The men were also welcoming, wanting to know how she knew Chris. All of them were tradesmen, except Xavier, and were dressed much the same as Chris; boardshorts, T-shirts and thongs on their feet. Xavier was very good-looking with dark skin, dreadlocks that hung down to his waist, and the whitest teeth she had ever seen.

‘Xavier’s a famous surfer you know, Evie,’ Liam said. ‘He’s also Chris’s poster boy. In California, there’s a billboard that’s fifty feet high, and our mate Xavier here is on it, dressed in all the Vivre merchandise, with one of Chris’s boards under his arm.

Xavier shook his head. ‘Leave me alone.’

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