nudge her hands with the glass. She took it back from him and held it steady with two hands pressing it to her knee.
He followed Natasha into what looked like the kitchen. From behind he looked a lot like David after the haircut.
***
Somehow, it worked out that Brooke sat opposite Natasha at the dinner table. Between them a mix of tattooed hands with dirty fingernails grabbed spoons and tongs, assembling mince, salad and sauce into tacos.
Natasha tapp ed at the table top. Nerves? Madness? Brooke couldn’t tell. She was on alert, helping herself to what was left over when the boys started eating. She was only half aware of the dirty jokes that Foley and Tyler were sharing.
“Okay that one was offensive. Bring in a bit of censorship, eh?” Josie sat down at the table, beginning to fill a couple of taco shells.
Tyler started on another joke.
Josie held up her hand to him . “Next one goes and eats on their own in the kitchen. Just ignore them Brooke, they’re showing off for you.”
After spooning in the mince, Brooke offered the serving spoon to Natasha. Their gazes met, but Natasha didn’t extend her hand. Josie took the spoon from Brooke instead, “Not hungry tonight, Natasha?”
Natasha shoved her plate aside.
Brooke heaped her shells with salad, the tongs pinging in her nervous grip.
“A nun, a priest and a lesbian walked into this bar - ”
“Foley, you got your tacos finished matey,” Josie interrupted, surveying his plate, “Up you get and take it to the kitchen.”
Foley stood up exchanging a grin with Tyler and then winking at Brooke, as he shoved his chair in and disappeared to the kitchen, mumbling, “It wasn’t even goin’a be dirty. That was the freakin’ joke.”
“ Love the effort to tone down the swearing. Duly noted,” Josie replied.
Natasha stood up and strode down the hallway, slamming the door to the girls’ bedroom.
“She hates sharing her boys,” Tyler said.
“She doesn’t have to share no one,” Foley called out.
“Can’t hear you mate,” Josie said. “You’ve been banished.”
When Brooke took the first bite of her taco it collapsed in her hand.
***
With the phone on charge beside her bed, Brooke slipped it under her pillow. The bed rocked as she turned over, smothering her face with the doona, flashing back to the ute disappearing up the highway leaving her standing there alone. Brooke longed for the moments before it back, imagining what she could have said to stop him from driving away, now that she knew what had been on his mind. It was all the little arguments that kept drumming through her mind most. She hated anyone who said they had no regrets. It was crap. When it came to losing David, if she could turn back time, she would.
“What are you doing in that bed all by yourself?” Natasha snipped from the bunk above. “Moaning and groaning like that? Are you sick or something?”
“I’m fine.”
“No, I mean sick in the head. I tell ya I’m sick of sharing this room with weirdos. Every fucking intake, strange, sick, perverted…”
“Sorry.”
Natasha peered over the edge, full lips curled. “You’re so weird.”
Brooke turned to the wall. “Sorry,” she muttered.
Chapter Nine
David
“Where are you from?” the truck driver asked, popping more macadamias into his mouth. He offered some to David, but David looked at them rolling around in the man’s puffy greased up hands and declined. He still couldn’t believe he had to sit outside the Big Pineapple for two hours while the guy reminisced about a lost childhood.
The driver cleared his throat again , and flexed his meaty arms. “Going to see your family?”
David rolled a shirt up and used it as a pillow against the window.
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
David fixed his eyes on the highway , grateful for the occasional bend in the road breaking the scenery. He’d never been that far north before.
“A dog ?...A cat?...A blue budgie by the name of Barney?...I have all
He followed Natasha into what looked like the kitchen. From behind he looked a lot like David after the haircut.
***
Somehow, it worked out that Brooke sat opposite Natasha at the dinner table. Between them a mix of tattooed hands with dirty fingernails grabbed spoons and tongs, assembling mince, salad and sauce into tacos.
Natasha tapp ed at the table top. Nerves? Madness? Brooke couldn’t tell. She was on alert, helping herself to what was left over when the boys started eating. She was only half aware of the dirty jokes that Foley and Tyler were sharing.
“Okay that one was offensive. Bring in a bit of censorship, eh?” Josie sat down at the table, beginning to fill a couple of taco shells.
Tyler started on another joke.
Josie held up her hand to him . “Next one goes and eats on their own in the kitchen. Just ignore them Brooke, they’re showing off for you.”
After spooning in the mince, Brooke offered the serving spoon to Natasha. Their gazes met, but Natasha didn’t extend her hand. Josie took the spoon from Brooke instead, “Not hungry tonight, Natasha?”
Natasha shoved her plate aside.
Brooke heaped her shells with salad, the tongs pinging in her nervous grip.
“A nun, a priest and a lesbian walked into this bar - ”
“Foley, you got your tacos finished matey,” Josie interrupted, surveying his plate, “Up you get and take it to the kitchen.”
Foley stood up exchanging a grin with Tyler and then winking at Brooke, as he shoved his chair in and disappeared to the kitchen, mumbling, “It wasn’t even goin’a be dirty. That was the freakin’ joke.”
“ Love the effort to tone down the swearing. Duly noted,” Josie replied.
Natasha stood up and strode down the hallway, slamming the door to the girls’ bedroom.
“She hates sharing her boys,” Tyler said.
“She doesn’t have to share no one,” Foley called out.
“Can’t hear you mate,” Josie said. “You’ve been banished.”
When Brooke took the first bite of her taco it collapsed in her hand.
***
With the phone on charge beside her bed, Brooke slipped it under her pillow. The bed rocked as she turned over, smothering her face with the doona, flashing back to the ute disappearing up the highway leaving her standing there alone. Brooke longed for the moments before it back, imagining what she could have said to stop him from driving away, now that she knew what had been on his mind. It was all the little arguments that kept drumming through her mind most. She hated anyone who said they had no regrets. It was crap. When it came to losing David, if she could turn back time, she would.
“What are you doing in that bed all by yourself?” Natasha snipped from the bunk above. “Moaning and groaning like that? Are you sick or something?”
“I’m fine.”
“No, I mean sick in the head. I tell ya I’m sick of sharing this room with weirdos. Every fucking intake, strange, sick, perverted…”
“Sorry.”
Natasha peered over the edge, full lips curled. “You’re so weird.”
Brooke turned to the wall. “Sorry,” she muttered.
Chapter Nine
David
“Where are you from?” the truck driver asked, popping more macadamias into his mouth. He offered some to David, but David looked at them rolling around in the man’s puffy greased up hands and declined. He still couldn’t believe he had to sit outside the Big Pineapple for two hours while the guy reminisced about a lost childhood.
The driver cleared his throat again , and flexed his meaty arms. “Going to see your family?”
David rolled a shirt up and used it as a pillow against the window.
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
David fixed his eyes on the highway , grateful for the occasional bend in the road breaking the scenery. He’d never been that far north before.
“A dog ?...A cat?...A blue budgie by the name of Barney?...I have all
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