Page 65 of Nothing Without You

They all laughed and Melanie added, ‘These five fellas are all on another billboard. I’ll have to show you a photo. Models for Vivre.’

‘Well, it has saved me a heap of money,’ Chris remarked. ‘Better to use your mates rather than someone you don’t know. Besides, we’re all the real deal.’

‘Wait ‘til he brings out his bikini line,’ Jason said. ‘You girls would be perfect to model for him.’

Evie giggled along with the other women, and they all chatted easily until the meals arrived. She avoided the hard questions about what she had done in Yeppoon, and talked more about the times at Stradbroke, when she was a kid.

Leaning back in her chair as she listened to everyone talking and laughing, she felt a calmness descend. It was a feeling she had forgotten. It was as if some of the tightness and stress had left her body, and she relaxed even more. The beer was icy cold, delivering a delightful tang to her taste buds with each sip, and she relished the freedom and company of the welcoming people around her.

The boys were drinking more than the girls, and she watched them with interest. If things got out of hand, she would just leave. Their beers were going down nicely, and the laughter was getting louder as the jokes got funnier. The girls were also downing their wines quickly. Everyone, except for her, was walking home, so they were making the most of the night out.

After the meal, Chris stood up. ‘Right, who’s up for a game of pool?’

Melanie and Taneesha jumped up. ‘Count us in. Do you play, Evie?’

‘Sure she does,’ Chris said. ‘She used to be the sharpest shooter in the west.’

Evie shook her head. Chris’s words were a bit slurred, and she laughed as he winked at her. ‘Used to be. I haven’t played pool since I was here at Stradbroke as a kid.’

Great. Us three girls will play you boys,’ Taneesha said. ‘Losers shout the meals here next time.’

Chapter Seventy-Six

The room consisted of a few different pool tables, and thankfully the largest one was not being used. Chris put his money in the slot and stacked the balls on the table. He handed her a cue. ‘Let’s see what you’ve got, young Evie.’

‘Probably not much,’ she said, as she put some chalk on the tip of her cue.

She surprised herself at how quickly the skills returned. As kids, they had spent hours on the pool tables here at the pub, while the adults indulged in a few cold beers. The two other women jumped up and down, pulling Evie in for a hug when they beat the boys for the third time. ‘Doesn’t help that they’re all drunk,’ Taneesha whispered in her ear. ‘Keep giving them beers. They’re way off the mark.’

The trepidation and fear of what would happen when the men in the group had too much to drink was soon lost amid the jokes and banter that went back and forth between the two opposing teams. The pool tables around them were also being used, and every so often one of the players from next to them would make a smart comment, or throw a jibe at the men for letting the girls beat them. In the background, music rang out of a jukebox, and Evie completely forgot about everything else, except the company she was with and the game she was playing.

The area around them started filling up with others who used the narrow space as a dance floor. Evie’s foot started tapping as she waited for her turn on the table, one of her favourite songs, ‘Down Under’, blaring out from the speakers. While she waited, she shared a cigarette with Taneesha, who passed it back and forth. ‘Love this song,’ Taneesha said, as she danced where she stood. Saw them at Festival Hall in 1983. Those were the years. Should’ve stopped smoking back then. I’m trying to give up. Melanie is trying to help me.’

Evie took a long drag, then handed it back to Taneesha. ‘Why don’t we give up together? Like now? Make that the last. I’ll give up with you. They’re too expensive anyway. Last packet I bought was nearly three dollars. I can’t afford it.’

‘Me neither. Pinky promise. We give up.’

Evie wrapped her little finger around Taneesha’s. ‘Pinky promise. We just had our last cigarette.’

Chris came up behind them. ‘Melanie and Ben’s go next. Did you say you’re giving up smoking?’

Evie looked across the room, a cloud of smoke hovering just below the ceiling. ‘You don’t need to smoke at pubs, you could just breathe in the air. Yes, we’re giving up.’

As Taneesha moved away, a new song came on the jukebox. Evie stood like a statue as Chris stared at her, his eyes looking straight into her soul. ‘It’s our song,’ he murmured.

She went to talk, but no words came out. Chris leaned his cue against a chair and took hers from her hands. The rock’n’roll beat of Stevie Wright’s song Evie started to play. Someone yelled out to ‘turn it up’ and before she knew it, Chris had taken both her hands. He steered her to the side where others danced, and she soon found her feet moving to the beat, her body moving in unison with his. How many times at parties had they danced to this song? Memories flooded back, and for a while she felt like she was a teenager again, with the whole world at her feet.

Taneesha and Xavier danced next to them, and Taneesha bumped her backside up against Evie’s. ‘Love this song.’

She smiled and let herself go with the music. Chris still moved the same as he did when he was younger. Tonight, he didn’t let go of her hands, nor did he take his eyes from hers. It seemed like the whole pool room was dancing, and everyone started singing when the chorus played. ‘Evie, let your hair hang down,’ she sang loudly along with everyone else.

When the music slowed a little, Chris’s arms wrapped around her waist and she swung her hips in time with his movements. Her hair flung around her face and she let her body go, moving with the beat. They had danced to this song a million times, and the way they moved together seemed so natural. Chris had always loved to shake his head up and down and she laughed loudly as they swung their heads in time when the chorus played.

When part one of the song finished, they stood still, their hands still joined. The haunting tune of Evie Part Two filled the space, and Chris wrapped his arms around her and drew her in close. Her entire body resigned to his embrace, and she rested her head on his chest and allowed him to pull her closer. They swayed to the music and the rest of the world disappeared. Her skin tingled from the intimacy, while the lyrics resonated between them. She clung to him, every fibre of her being releasing the pent-up sorrow and misgivings of the past. His arms were strong and gentle, and she felt his lips on the top of her head. He sang quietly, whispering the words in her ear, the touch of his hands on her back sending sensations through her body.

When the song finished, he held her for a long time, as if he never wanted to let go. Eventually, they drew apart. His eyes were full of longing when he looked at her, and she stared back at him, unsure what was next. Slowly, he led her through the crowd that was still dancing, out onto the back veranda of the pub. She followed him down a set of stairs to a grassy area underneath a sprawling tree. When they stopped, he held both her hands. ‘I love you, Evie. I never stopped loving you.’

Tears filled her eyes and she blinked, wishing they would go away. When she looked down, he lifted her chin gently with his hand. ‘Look at me. I don’t care about the past. I just want the future. Us. Together.’

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