Page 5 of Be My Baby

He’d avoided coming over to take their orders, something that hadn’t happened in years. He always made a point of chatting with her, his understated calm soothing and predictable, especially if she’d had a bad day. She always looked forward to seeing his easy smile, hearing his warm, smooth voice.

No. He wasn’t some young guy who was easily spooked.

If he wasn’t interested, he’d simply say so. She’d have to go back to the drawing board, but she could handle it if he refused.

I hope he says yes…

“Is that right, Millie?”

She turned at the sound of her name on Joanne’s lips and glanced around the group to try and glean what on earth they’d been discussing.

Nope. She had not a clue.

“Sorry, I missed that. What are we talking about?”

Mandy narrowed her eyes but didn’t question her. “She asked if it’s true that the old warehouse on Davidson Street has been sold. Someone told Miss Appleton it had and is being turned into some upmarket nightclub.”

They both waited, expecting an answer.

She shrugged one shoulder. “I can confirm it’s been sold. The contract went unconditional a few days ago, but I can’t say who bought it—confidentiality and all that. I have no idea why they bought it.”

Millie truly hoped not. They didn’t need a nightclub in the Crossing. There were several restaurants and the Bistro, and Max’s. A nightclub would take away clientele he’d worked so hard to build up. There were a couple of nightclubs in Bialga. It wasn’t that far to go if people wanted something different. She liked the Crossing the way it was.

Even if it could feel too small at times.

She loved her hometown, but sometimes the need formoregrew too much to contain. So, she took weekends away at the coast, out west, even going as far as Far North Queensland to see what else was out there. Her annual holidays were often spent on a beach in Bali, skiing in Japan, or anywhere that wasn’t here.

But she always came home and was glad of it, her thirst for adventure or that elusivesomethingquenched for a while.

Perhaps that something was the fact she had no one to come hometo?

“Millie!”

Mandy’s exasperated voice intruded on her musing. She faced her friends, pasted a repentant smile on her mouth and shrugged. “I’m sorry. I’m a little distracted tonight.”

“Gee, we hadn’t noticed.” Joanne’s snark-laced comment had Millie’s back straightening instinctively.

What was up her nose tonight?

Millie raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. She let the imperious smirk tilt her lips, the one she’d perfected years ago that usually stopped anyone in their tracks.

No one needed to know that most of the time she resorted to it, she was often quaking inside. Not this time though. She didn’t need her supposed friends on her back after finally getting up the nerve to ask Max that oh-so-important question.

Joanne’s face twisted and she looked away into the crowd. “Sorry, Mil. I had a bit of a crap day.”

Millie shrugged and picked up her soft drink. “All good. Anything I can help with?”

It wasn’t okay, but she wasn’t going to pick a fight here. Joanne had become more distant and cagier each passing year. She wouldn’t be surprised if Jo stopped joining her and Mandy altogether in the not-too-distant future.

She waited for the pang of pain that had come with that insight the first time she’d realised it, then swallowed the sadness that followed when it didn’t materialise.

Joanne shook her head and shrugged. “It’s nothing much. Just someone being a jerk at work.”

Their friend group was splintering, it had been coming for years now. It was only a matter of time until they fell apart completely.

That the realisation didn’t eviscerate her made her sadder than if she actually lost them.

What did that say about her?

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