Make Love Not War (6 page)

Kerry arrived home right on six o’clock, bringing the fish and chips with her. Caroline rushed to greet her, eager to tell her friend about the dresses.

“Fancy Mr. High-and-Mighty giving you the money for a new dress,” Kerry said. “It’s reasonable when you think about it, though. After all, you are on company business, and he wouldn’t want you to look shabby. Could reflect poorly on him,” she sneered. “He does have an image to live up to, or at least he thinks he does.”

“He’s picking me up at seven on Monday,” Caroline went on happily.

“Yeah, well, don’t get too worked up about it, he’s only using you. He’ll have you taking notes all night.”

“I can’t decide how to wear my hair on Monday. What do you think?”

Kerry snorted. “What about Saturday night? Look, Caro, Saturday should mean more to you than Monday. Andy doesn’t have much money, but he wants to take you somewhere special. Harrington is loaded and he’s taking you to som
e lousy business dinner that he’s not even paying for.”

“Sorry. I’m acting like an idiot. I seem to lose control of my faculties whenever I think of Bryce. It’s pathetic.” Caroline held her head in her hands. “I only wish I could stop loving him.”

Chapter Four

“Hi girls.” Andy greeted Caroline and Kerry with his usual enthusiasm when he arrived at their apartment on Saturday morning. “I have to be back at camp by Sunday night.”

“You can sleep on the couch here, it’s quite comfortable,” Caroline said.

“Thanks. One of my mates dropped me off about ten miles from here, so I hitched the rest of the way,” he explained with a grin.

He was very fair, with corn-colored hair and deep blue eyes. Their mother used to gush about his prettiness when he was a child. Nothing feminine about him now, Caroline decided, after surviving a rib-cracking hug.

He had matured over the last twelve months and now had a determined jut to his chin, his youthful features disappearing as the army molded him into a man. Her heart filled with pride. But what if the army sent him to the jungles of Vietnam? His potential might never be fully achieved. Icy fingers of dread played up and down her spine. Fear filled her heart. War and Dennison men were a tragic mix.

“What’s for lunch?” He flung himself down in a chair. “I’m starving.”

“Spaghetti on toast.” Kerry grabbed a can out of the cupboard and waved it around.

“That sounds good to me.”

Caroline had once hoped Andy and Kerry might become an item, even with Kerry’s anti-war views, but he treated her in a casual, big-brother fashion, and she reacted like a fond sister. It disappointed her that there were no romantic sparks between them whatsoever.

They ate their spaghetti, washed down with cups of coffee.

Trevor arrived at about one-thirty to take them for a drive. He hadn’t met Andy before, but after an initial period of awkwardness between army officer and pacifist, they got on well.

“Where will we go?” Trevor asked.

“What about Elwood Beach, even if it isn’t hot enough to swim,” Kerry suggested. Trevor wore casual jeans and a T-shirt, Kerry and Caroline jeans and lacy tops. Glancing at Andy in his faded jeans and too-tight T-shirt, Caroline knew no one would pick him out as an army officer. Safer that way. Violent elements had infiltrated the ranks of genuine anti-war protesters, and she didn’t want him caught up in any nastiness.

After a short drive, they arrived at the beach and spread their rug on the white sand. The girls rolled up the legs of their jeans to let the sun warm their bare skin and Caroline was glad she had recently shaved her legs.

“We should have worn hats,” Trevor said. “It’s hotter than I thought.” He pulled a packet of cigarettes from his jeans pocket and offered them to Andy.

“No thanks mate. I don’t smoke.”

“Looks like I’ll have to enjoy a coffin nail on my lonesome.” Trevor lit his cigarette and smoked it with enjoyment.

Elwood Beach being a short drive from Melbourne was popular and crowded, even on a day like this. Several children paddled in the water, although most of them built castles or dug in the warm sand.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Trevor suggested.

As Caroline sauntered along the water’s edge with the others, the waves lapped over her feet. Seagulls flew around them, squawking loudly. Some of these birds were tame, having been fed scraps of bread from beachgoers.

“Sorry, mate, I haven’t got anything for you to eat,” Andy said to one venturesome gull hopping near his foot. Obviously finding this human a lost cause, the bird flew away.

On the way back to where they had left the rug, Kerry and Trevor held hands and whispered together.

“How have you been?” Andy asked Caroline.

“Fine.”

“You seem different, sort of sad or something. You wouldn’t be keeping anything from me, would you?  I mean, if anything is troubling you, you’d tell your big brother, right?”

“I’m okay, honestly. Except, I’ve got a crush on someone who doesn’t know I exist.” She gave a rueful smile.

“Is that all?”  He laughed with relief. “But I mean it, you have changed. It’s subtle, but there is something just the same.”

“Do you think they might send you to Vietnam after you graduate?” she asked, trying to keep the worry out of her voice.

“I don’t know, but I hope so.” He thrust his hands in his pockets. “They’re conscripting thousands to increase the size of the army, so they’ll need officers to lead them. I’d prefer to fight with volunteers, though.”

“You don’t agree with conscription?”

“No. None of the men I’m with like it. We don’t think it is right, conscripting men to fight overseas against their will. Drawing their birth dates out of a barrel is criminal.” His eyes burned fiercely. “It could turn into a death lottery. I wouldn’t want to have that kind of blood on my hands.”

She was glad when they caught up with the other two and the discussion ended. The whole Vietnam War issue worried her as she battled with her conscience. If it wasn’t for Andy being in the army, and being disloyal to him, she would probably have joined the anti-war protesters.

They lounged around until the cool wind turned cold. Trevor dropped them off at the apartment. “I’ll be back about six to pick you up.”

Andy was showered and dressed in his uniform, sitting at the table reading the evening papers, when the girls finished getting ready. He whistled his approval on seeing them.

“Wow, Trev and I will have to fight off every male under forty,” he teased.

Caroline felt pleased with her appearance. The dress certainly flattered her figure as it clung in all the right places, and the pale blue material emphasized the color of her eyes. She had applied a light liquid makeup, blue eye shadow and a pink pearl lipstick. Her hair, newly washed and dried, fell in a soft cape about her shoulders.

Kerry’s cream georgette tunic had a metallic gold trim. She strutted up and down in front of Andy, pretending to be a model on the catwalk. “Aren’t you the handsome soldier boy?” She gave him a mock salute.

Trevor arrived a short time later, looking smart in a brown suit and tie with a beige self-striped shirt. “Wow, you girls look terrific.” He turned to Andy with a grin. “Do I have to salute you?”

“No, mate, I’ll let you off this time.”

They arrived at Marianne’s restaurant, where without any fuss or fanfare a dinner-suited waiter escorted them to their table. All the tables were set around a circular dance floor. A pink piano reposed on a stage up at the front.

A wine waiter brought them the wine list. Trevor, who professed himself a connoisseur, took charge. “We’ll have a bottle of sparkling white wine for the girls, and two bottles of crown lager, thanks.”

Caroline glanced around at the impressive décor. Hurricane lamps hung from the ceiling, casting a subdued glow on the rectory-style tables. The patrons were a mixture of well-heeled young people and middle-aged couples.

As an appetizer, they ordered Avocado Stuffed with Macadamia Nuts on Watercress Puree.  “This is yummy.” Caroline ate an avocado wrapped in a thin, almost transparent veil of filo pastry.

The band played softly, never intrusively. It wasn’t that type of establishment. The lights were dimmed, the atmosphere romantic.

“Would you like to dance?” Andy asked.

“Thanks. I didn’t know you could dance,” Caroline said.

“The army’s taught me a few useful pursuits.” He chuckled. “Including how to trip the light fantastic, but our kind of music has a lot more rhythm than this morbid stuff.”

Trevor and Kerry stood, too, and the four of them made their way to the dance floor. Pride surged through Caroline at the admiring glances her brother received. He looked so handsome in his uniform.

“A lovely young couple,” she overheard a middle-aged gentleman remark to his wife.  She suppressed a grin because people assumed he was her boyfriend.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

She giggled. “Everyone thinks you’re my boyfriend. I can see their minds ticking over. Isn’t she a lucky girl having such a dashing young officer dancing with her?”

“Yeah, well, in some parts of
Australia
they’d be throwing buckets of red paint over me and calling me a murderer.”

“I know.” Caroline shuddered. “It’s awful.”

“It doesn’t bother me much. Some of those protesters are absolute raving rat bags. Others are genuine people exercising their democratic right.”

A few minutes after they returned to their table the main course arrived. Chicken Maryland with banana and pineapple cooked in a crumbed batter. Trevor waited until they finished eating before asking Caroline to dance. Although an accomplished dancer, he wasn’t as light on his feet or as supple as Andy. He led her back to the table when the dance finished so they could start eating their dessert, her favorite, Strawberry Romanoff.

Later on in the evening, as she danced again with Andy, a sexy male voice drawled in her ear. “Well, if it isn’t Miss Dennison.” 

She almost collapsed in a heap. Bryce and Shereen danced beside them.

“Oh, hello, Mr. Harrington, Miss St. Clair.”

“How are you, darling?” Shereen, superb in a skintight black dress, smiled at Caroline. “My, you are a handsome one,” she cooed in Andy’s ear.

“Thanks.” He grinned. “Caroline thinks I’m handsome, too.” The music stopped and Caroline tugged at Andy’s hand.

“Would you care to join us for a drink?” Bryce asked, giving one of his devastating smiles.

“No, thanks, we’re dining with friends,” Andy replied, much to her relief, as she had been rendered speechless. Fancy meeting Bryce here. Was it pure coincidence, or had he chosen Marianne’s knowing she would be here? Stop it, you fool. This was one of his favorite haunts, for goodness’ sake.

He looked movie-star handsome in a dark navy dinner suit with matching tie and pale blue silk shirt. A red silk handkerchief poked out of his breast pocket.

“We’re celebrating Caro’s birthday,” Andy said, by way of explanation.

“I didn’t know it was your birthday, Caroline.”

She liked the way Bryce drawled her name. “It’s actually on Wednesday.”

“But I could only get leave this weekend,” Andy explained.

Bryce’s speculative gaze drifted over her and she flushed at his scrutiny. Did he like what he saw?

“Which table are you at?” he asked.

“The one over there.” She waved an arm vaguely.

“Table ten,” Andy filled in.

The music started up again. “We’ll change partners,” Bryce shocked her by saying. The next minute she was in his arms and waltzing around the dance
floor. It was
pure magic being held by him. Oh, God, how many times had she dreamed of this?  She glanced at Andy, who appeared quite happy to be dancing with the glamorous redhead.

“You dance well,” Bryce whispered in her ear, his warm breath fanning her cheek.

If only the music would last forever. He was a superb dancer, holding her firmly, close but not too close. He could glue her to his side and she wouldn’t complain. How pathetic could a girl get?

She inhaled the subtle scent of his tangy citrus aftershave lotion, a change from the Old Spice most of the men she knew wore.

His heart beat strong and steady, hers raced, and she prayed he didn’t notice. How humiliating if he ever found out the extent of her feelings for him. He would probably fire her, to avoid embarrassment.

She melted against him, her cheek resting against the soft fabric of his jacket until she realized what she was doing.

“Sorry.” She made to pull away.

“No.” His hand in the small of her back kept her close.

His hard thighs brushed against hers through the thin fabric of her dress, agony and ecstasy in equal measure.

“You look beautiful tonight.” His soft compliment stirred the loosened strands of her hair.

All too soon the bracket of Peter, Paul and Mary folk songs stopped, and she would never listen to them again without remembering this magic night. He escorted her back to her table with a firm but now impersonal hand under one elbow. The episode on the dance floor might never have happened.