wondered if Alice had a boyfriend. That generally improved her sister’s mood – for a short time, anyway.
Her mum had disappeared into the bedroom. She emerged with a small box that Georgia recognised at once – it was used for her mother’s own jewellery designs.
‘I was going to give this to you for Christmas, but you might as well have it now. It will go so well with your dress.’
Her mother was right. The silver and aquamarine pendant went perfectly. Georgia could see Alice’s eyes flitting between the wedges and silver pendant. A flash of concern crossed her face. Then she relaxed. ‘Looks all right, actually. Good, even. And seeing as you’re borrowing my wedges, maybe I could borrow that pendant sometime.’
‘Sure,’ Georgia replied. It seemed a small price to pay to maintain Alice’s good mood.
‘I’d like to know a bit more about this fellow, if you’re going to be spending time with him,’ Georgia’s dad said as she headed for the door. ‘We don’t know a thing about him.’
‘Sure, Dad,’ Georgia said. She had no trouble agreeing to that request. Finding out about Nik was her top priority. After a week of running together, Nik knew all about Georgia – her family, her friends, her plans to study medicine – but she still knew almost nothing personal about him. Sure, she knew which running shoes he liked, his favourite skis, where he liked to scuba dive and even his favourite art museum – the Hermitage in St Petersburg. But otherwise Nik was extremely skilled at evading questions. All Georgia had to show for her six mornings was a collection of Nik snippets. It was adding up, but she still didn’t know what it was adding up to .
She was particularly concerned about Nik’s accommodation arrangements. He could be staying with a girlfriend for all Georgia knew. But after several hours with nothing to do but talk and eat, Georgia hoped she’d come home with some answers.
Nik was already sitting at an outside table when Georgia arrived at the restaurant. She couldn’t believe she was at Sails on her first actual date. Surely the world’s most romantic restaurant – fine dining on the beachfront. She’d dreamt of coming here with a guy forever. And now it was really happening.
Massive torches lit up the pandanus palms, and the surf rumbled gently in the background. Couples occupied most of the tables. Many of them looked like honeymooners – sitting close and smiling over oysters and champagne.
Nik stood as Georgia approached and kissed her on both cheeks. He looked unfeasibly cute, dressed in a watermelon-coloured shirt, his eyes sparkling in the torchlight. She did her best not to stare, reminding herself that she had all night to admire him.
‘Great necklace,’ Nik said, as Georgia sat down.
‘Thanks,’ she replied. ‘My mum made it for me. I’m just wondering if she put a hidden camera in it.’
Nik leant over and took the pendant carefully between his fingers, inspecting it and the delicate silver chain it hung from. His fingertips brushed against her neck, putting every nerve ending in her body on high alert. He replaced the pendant with a serious expression.
‘All clear,’ he reported.
She breathed out and tried to calm her nerves. ‘I was only kidding,’ she said, smiling. ‘Mum actually trusts me. She’s a little highly strung sometimes, but I don’t think she’d really be spying on us.’
‘I know,’ Nik said, but something about the way he said it made Georgia wonder if he did.
‘What’s your mum like?’ she asked, seizing the chance to raise one of the topics on her list.
Nik looked a little taken aback by her question. He paused. ‘She used to be fine. But now …’ He shrugged his shoulders.
‘Is she okay?’ Georgia asked.
‘She’s up and down – you know how mothers are.’
Georgia nodded, but she could tell Nik was evading her question. He looked away and the shutters had come down. She knew that look by now.
Georgia was
Her mum had disappeared into the bedroom. She emerged with a small box that Georgia recognised at once – it was used for her mother’s own jewellery designs.
‘I was going to give this to you for Christmas, but you might as well have it now. It will go so well with your dress.’
Her mother was right. The silver and aquamarine pendant went perfectly. Georgia could see Alice’s eyes flitting between the wedges and silver pendant. A flash of concern crossed her face. Then she relaxed. ‘Looks all right, actually. Good, even. And seeing as you’re borrowing my wedges, maybe I could borrow that pendant sometime.’
‘Sure,’ Georgia replied. It seemed a small price to pay to maintain Alice’s good mood.
‘I’d like to know a bit more about this fellow, if you’re going to be spending time with him,’ Georgia’s dad said as she headed for the door. ‘We don’t know a thing about him.’
‘Sure, Dad,’ Georgia said. She had no trouble agreeing to that request. Finding out about Nik was her top priority. After a week of running together, Nik knew all about Georgia – her family, her friends, her plans to study medicine – but she still knew almost nothing personal about him. Sure, she knew which running shoes he liked, his favourite skis, where he liked to scuba dive and even his favourite art museum – the Hermitage in St Petersburg. But otherwise Nik was extremely skilled at evading questions. All Georgia had to show for her six mornings was a collection of Nik snippets. It was adding up, but she still didn’t know what it was adding up to .
She was particularly concerned about Nik’s accommodation arrangements. He could be staying with a girlfriend for all Georgia knew. But after several hours with nothing to do but talk and eat, Georgia hoped she’d come home with some answers.
Nik was already sitting at an outside table when Georgia arrived at the restaurant. She couldn’t believe she was at Sails on her first actual date. Surely the world’s most romantic restaurant – fine dining on the beachfront. She’d dreamt of coming here with a guy forever. And now it was really happening.
Massive torches lit up the pandanus palms, and the surf rumbled gently in the background. Couples occupied most of the tables. Many of them looked like honeymooners – sitting close and smiling over oysters and champagne.
Nik stood as Georgia approached and kissed her on both cheeks. He looked unfeasibly cute, dressed in a watermelon-coloured shirt, his eyes sparkling in the torchlight. She did her best not to stare, reminding herself that she had all night to admire him.
‘Great necklace,’ Nik said, as Georgia sat down.
‘Thanks,’ she replied. ‘My mum made it for me. I’m just wondering if she put a hidden camera in it.’
Nik leant over and took the pendant carefully between his fingers, inspecting it and the delicate silver chain it hung from. His fingertips brushed against her neck, putting every nerve ending in her body on high alert. He replaced the pendant with a serious expression.
‘All clear,’ he reported.
She breathed out and tried to calm her nerves. ‘I was only kidding,’ she said, smiling. ‘Mum actually trusts me. She’s a little highly strung sometimes, but I don’t think she’d really be spying on us.’
‘I know,’ Nik said, but something about the way he said it made Georgia wonder if he did.
‘What’s your mum like?’ she asked, seizing the chance to raise one of the topics on her list.
Nik looked a little taken aback by her question. He paused. ‘She used to be fine. But now …’ He shrugged his shoulders.
‘Is she okay?’ Georgia asked.
‘She’s up and down – you know how mothers are.’
Georgia nodded, but she could tell Nik was evading her question. He looked away and the shutters had come down. She knew that look by now.
Georgia was
Similar Books
