Page 2 of One Weekend in Sydney

“Uh-huh. He wants to show voters that Tara is not ready to become the mayor because she’s still too young and too focused on having fun. He’ll claim that she should have stayed at Moonstruck Cove to entertain would-be investors to the region at a fancy dinner tomorrow night.”

“A dinner he only told me about a couple of nights ago,” I say dryly. “He arranged it and made sure it coincides with Odette’s bachelorette weekend so that I won’t be able to make it.And, to counter my perfectly good excuse that I’m celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime event with my best friend, he’s been telling everyone that he cancelled his attendance at his cousin’s wedding in Melbourne so he can wine and dine the investors.”

Odette snickers. “We think it’s a made-up wedding just so he can make himself look like a hero.

Anne shakes her head in disbelief. “That’s very manipulative! How did you know about this?”

“A Mooner told me.” At the blank look on Kelly’s and Anne’s faces, I add, “That’s what we locals call ourselves.”

They let out a chuckle. “For a second there, I imagined a person baring his ass to you,” Anne says.

I laugh. “We’re proud of our nickname for ourselves. We’re a fun-loving lot. But I don’t find Eric’s actions funny. Thankfully, several people encouraged me not to change my plans. They can see right through him. And I also called the other councillors to make sure they knew about the dinner and encouraged them to join even if Eric hadn’t invited them.”

“Why some Mooners are willing to vote for him remains a mystery to me,” Odette muses. “He’s only lived in Moonstruck Cove for three years. And aren’t there whispers that he’s in bed with unscrupulous developers who are likely to ruin the town if they get their way?”

I smile grimly. “Well, Eric’s a liar. He categorically denies his close ties with those developers. Plus, he’s very good at spinning things. He knows that most Mooners have a soft spot for me because I’ve been active in community matters from a very young age. So, he’s telling them that there’s plenty of time for me to become a mayorafterI’veenjoyedlife more. He’s basically suggesting that it’s unfair both to me and the town to put mayoral responsibilities on my shoulders at this time.”

Kelly gasps. “And he’s going to use the video of you with the strippers to prove you’re craving more fun in your life!”

I nod. “I wouldn’t even be surprised if he suggests that Moonstruck Cove is too tame for a fun-loving girl like me and that I might prefer to live in a big city like my best friend, who left our hometown for better career prospects.”

“I’ll wring his neck myself if he says anything like that!” Odette cries. “I know I haven’t lived there in four years, but I still love that place. I wish I could vote for you.”

I pat Odette’s arm. “Thanks. Fortunately, a lot of Mooners know how passionate I am about what’s best for Moonstruck Cove, and they don’t see my being only twenty-eight as a negative.”

“If you win, you won’t even be the youngest mayor in Australia,” Anne supplies. “The mayor in our district is only twenty-two.”

“Yeah, age doesn’t matter,” Odette says. “Anyway, that’s why Tara and I decided it would be best for her not to go with us to the Wild Boys showboat. We don’t want to give Eric any ammunition. He’s getting desperate because, despite his efforts, the polls are tipping Tara to win by a wide margin.”

“But you’ll be joining us for the other activities planned for the rest of the weekend, right?” asks Anne.

I nod. “Absolutely.”

“Where are you going tonight, then?” Kelly asks.

“To A Musical Night in Masquerade at Sydney Olympic Park.”

“Get out of here!” she cries. “When I heard that the Glowing Devils are part of the line-up, I immediately rushed to buy tickets in the hope that we could add the event to our weekend plans. But it was sold out by the time I checked. How did you score one?”

I grin. “As you know, the Devils grew up in Moonstruck Cove, and Theo Cresswall is still best friends with a Mooner—Gia. She learnt that I wouldn’t be joining you on the showboat, and she offered to get me a ticket through her connections. I thought, why not? It would be a new experience for me.”

“I’m so jealous! The Glowing Devils are my favourite rock band, and Theo is the hottest member.” Kelly lets out a swooning sigh. “I’m assuming they know you. Will you get to hang out with them tonight?”

“No. Gia said the Devils are on a strict schedule. They’re only showing up to perform a couple of songs, and then they’ll have to leave straight away. I did get a VIP ticket, which includes dinner. I’ll be sitting at a table with strangers, and I guess it’ll be nice to meet new people.”

“Oh, yeah, that should be fun,” Anne says. “Let’s see your outfit.”

I take out a burgundy gown with a sleeveless corset top and a flowing, floor-length skirt from my suitcase. Fortunately, the material isn’t the type to crease. It’s unseasonably warm tonight for the last day of autumn, and I’ll be fine not wearing a cardigan. “Gia lent me this and a push-up bra to go with it. Luckily, we’re the same size. And I got this mask from a local shop.” I retrieve a velvet pouch and pull out a red and black half-mask adorned with fake pearls and flowers. “I didn’t have time to find a full-faced one elsewhere.”

“I think that should be good enough to hide who you are,” Odette says. She holds up my dress. “This looks great! Put it on.”

I change in front of them, and all three help me get ready. Anne starts doing my make-up while the other two decide on a suitable hairstyle for my outfit. I’m content to just sit here and let them make me look good.

“I think you should wear your hair down,” Odette says.

Kelly agrees. “You have gorgeous, long, wavy hair. You should showcase it.”

“Okay.” As someone who hardly styles my jet-black hair, I’m happy with that decision.

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