The Rental (16 page)

He left with Mum’s money, not fighting her, but shoving it into his back pocket. The house felt empty after he’d gone. I looked around at the vastness of everything, the gaps between couch to wall, door to door, even wider between Mum and me, and muted the TV. Bright colours danced around us, projecting across furniture and our faces, and she gazed, thoughts biting at her lip for escape.

“He’s quite something isn’t he?”

“Yeah,” I answered.

“Smart, yet nice.”

I grinned thanks to the last part. I guessed if you knew Rick in a platonic way, he’d seem that way. I was half kidding, though. He was so, so good to me. “Yeah.”

“You really like him, don’t you, Vee?”

“Mmm?” I said it instinctively, though I heard her as clear as I heard my pulse hard in my temples. “I like him a lot.”

“Darling,” she pushed a strand of my long blonde hair behind my ear.

I had nothing dangling in front of my face to hide behind, and I wished for anything as such during this honest conversation. She half-smiled, eyes roaming over my face. Yeah, she read me all right. I wondered if she believed me when I said I liked him a lot. My feelings for Rick filled my chest and head so thickly when I thought of him nothing else existed.

“What was Rick doing with that joint?”

“Removing it from me,” I whispered.

“He didn’t want you using it. And I had no opinion about it, because I wasn’t even there for you.” Her expression crumpled into distraught as she went on, so much so that I hugged her tightly, wrapping my fingers around the back of her head. She moved her arms all over my back, like she needed more limbs to hold me as close to her as she felt inside. The desperation in her jerky movements weighed in my eyelashes. I struggled to blink back the weight of tears.

Everything then had fallen into some sort of order. Call it a picture frame, or call it the keyhole through one world, and peering into another, but the image was clear. Mum was hurting because what I’d been doing, and I was hurt by her absence, but one unlikely man had cleared the pain that clouded our relationship.

I started babbling then, speaking fast to win the race against my emotions. “Justin and Cara used drugs, and they’d tell me to have a go of stuff at parties. I used to try some, and then when Dad died, all I could see was them, and how damn carefree they were when they were on it, and I didn’t think if it was right or not. I was sick of being right when everything decided to go wrong on me. I just … had some with me, for the hard days.”

“Oh, Vee,” Mum whispered, brushing my face with her fingers. She hid behind her hand for a moment, composing herself. “Vee, I’m not mad. I’m really, devastatingly
sad
for you. I want to be the person who helps you. I don’t want those nasty things destroying your pretty soul, mind, and face. Have you used …”

“Not since Rick took the stuff with him.”

“I want to fill that spot,” she said. “Please forgive how selfish I’ve been. I even blamed Rick.”

“
Mum
… you’ve been strong. You haven’t been weak like me. But even strong people falter. I miss Daddy so much …” My voice hitched on a sob. “I want Daddy so much, so much more than I needed those stupid things. I want him so much I can’t—” I gasped at the air for the words and wishes I’d never have. Mum pulled me to her again, comforting me with her soft hand and lips to my cheek, my forehead.

Rick returned then and opened the front door. One arm was slipped through the handle of a small plastic bag, and in that hand, he held another bag with what seemed like gummy lollies.

Rick excused himself, taking his purchases to the laundry room with him. Mum and I were wiping the old expressions and putting on happier ones as he emerged. He headed to the door, but Mum told him he should stay, and I asked what he’d brought along in his other bag. He retrieved the bag of gummy snakes and handed them out to us. He felt silly he brought something to enjoy ourselves in retrospect, and tried to shove the $20 back in Mum’s hands. We scuffled, the three of us in the entrance, juggling the money and the bag, until I said we should just eat the damn gummy snakes. I didn’t want Mum going to bed so soon after what had happened, and I didn’t know how I’d sleep after I’d told them both I would behave. And it would be the perfect opportunity to spend time even though this wasn’t going out like I’d suggested to her.

We shovelled them in, palms slapping our open mouths like it was a contest to get to the bottom. The sugar rush was better than being drunk or high, and we all sat close, stuffed on that couch together, me falling onto the floor with Rick. Mum and I made jokes at Dad for leaving us, and Rick cursed Justin for stuffing us over.

Mum smiled all that time, broken only by bellyfuls of laughs. I could see from the glint in her eye that she hadn’t been happy like this in half a year. I’d only just re-discovered that type of happiness thanks to the same man who’d given it to her.

I wanted to kiss him and wrap my body around him, so much I felt an ache in my chest, but I kept my distance, making sure the three of us all were included in this rare time I got with Mum.

It was nearly midnight when Rick mentioned he should get home. He held my waist, gazing into my eyes as time slowed, and I wished for more. Woozy from the sugar-induced headache, I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck, reaching his lips and melting into him. He was soft against my lips, and then he was exploring my face with his hands, and then his breaths were ragged as he pushed me away, his fingers curling around my jaw like he didn’t want to push me back at all.

“Goodnight, LV,” he said, kissing my cheek one last time.

“Goodnight, HM.”

I nodded and tipped my lips up to his ear, explaining the nickname I gave him last night. “You’re becoming a handy man to have around. You should see how fast my heart is pumping these days—faster than the cycles of our new and improved washing machine.” I pulled back and winked.

He smiled, wide and full of love, and then kissed my forehead. “I’ll see you.”

I didn’t stop smiling that night, and it was all because of him.

12

I
HAD A
couple more shifts at Smiths Leisure Centre, and after my short but explosive hours at The Rental, they dulled in comparison, much like the faithful swimmers whose bathing suits had been vivid black, but were a now bally, semi-transparent grey.

Rick was the source of that explosion, blasting open my eyes about what I really wanted. And that something was him with me—us as an unstoppable team. I loved what he did to my body without the clothes, but loved how he affected my whole self with the clothes on even more.

But first, I had a task to take care of. That late afternoon, I drove to The Rental, parking inside the big black gates of the secured parking. I needed to face Amber and summon the courage to see if I had a job since my ‘Rick’ stunt with Jimmy’s booking.

When I got to the reception desk, Nix was there, leaning over the counter. One of her knees was bent, her sandal on the carpet and her toe tickling her calf. Her hip was tilted to the side, hour glassing her figure.

I called her out, and she directed me somewhere more private to talk in the building. We hadn’t actually exchanged words since our naked and orgasmic romp, so as we travelled through the corridors, I focused on breathing calmly although my nerves were still high-strung like a wired fence.

We arrived at what must have been the kitchen, but it was far from a typical, dingy eating area like in most workplaces. The main area was built along the far wall, under the stretched window overlooking the road. Closer toward the door sat a dining table and tucked in a side corner was a sofa and TV. We sat on the latter since two women were already eating at the table.

“Are you new?” Nix asked, settling her butt into the corner. “I haven’t seen you round.”

“Just a few days old!” I said, upbeat, but it wasn’t very funny. “Um, actually, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Mmm?”

I strummed my fingers along the sofa cushion under me. “I was wondering if you had any advice about what I should say to Amber. About turning up with Rhett like that? I’m wondering if I should tell her like it was.”

“Yeah, I definitely suggest you don’t try to pull the wool over her eyes. She has cameras all over the corridors and you guys certainly gave Jimmy and me a hot welcome.”

I bit my lip and smiled involuntarily. “Anything for the show, right?”

“Right.” She nudged my arm with her elbow. “But you know that can’t be a regular thing, right? Jimmy loves the idea of you two, but you don’t want him thinking something is actually—”

“Oh, I know!” I exclaimed. “I don’t want Amber thinking that anything …” I circled my fingers between us, trying to mime, not say, the truth. I didn’t know how stellar my lying voice would be when it came to denying Rick.

Nix cracked a smile, but I wasn’t convinced she bought my antics. I played with the hem of my tank top. I hoped I didn’t sound like I was trying too hard.

“Can I give you a word or two of advice?”

“Sure,” I said, focusing on her eyes.

“When girls grow up into adults with this place, too many of them crawl back here after they think they’re done. It becomes their lives. They can’t stand ‘normal’ relationships. Have trouble being monogamous. Have trouble asserting themselves. It fucks with you. Everyone goes along routines, and you get lost in a sea of no one and everyone with bodies, yet faces of ghosts. I guess what I’m saying is be careful of how attached you become.”

I sighed relieved she thought I had a fling with the first hot guy I’d found. It was safer than the truth.

“Um, I appreciate your help, but I think I fucked up with that Rhett stunt. Jimmy was cool with it, but it doesn’t change what was expected of me professionally.”

Nix laughed. She curled up next to me and hung a limp hand over my shoulder. “I’d pay you a grand if you ever did something here Amber didn’t know about. I’ve heard the woman let her marriage fall apart for this place. She’s the definition of driven. The reason why we don’t have competition at our elite level? They don’t make it like The Rental does.”

“She knows what I did.” I confirmed. Of course, she did. The cameras caught us in the hallway. Doing exactly what we weren’t meant to be doing between
just friends
.

“Yes, but she shouldn’t be terrible about it. I’d just toughen up for the talk she’ll give about honesty. Mother Amber expects us to do right. She would have expected you to tell her you planned to include him.”

Because only people with feelings for each would latch onto each other. I planned all that. All the better for the booking, the client. Right. I’d have to sell that story even if I already sounded dubious.

“Okay, thanks. I need to go.”

“Happy to chat or give you any pointers,” Nix said, rubbing my shoulder as she left.

I went around to the reception and knocked on Amber’s door and her footsteps approached in seconds. “Come,” Amber beckoned, pushing open the door.

When I met her eyes, she gave me a stern glare. I sat down, placing my hands over my thighs while Amber moved a stack of papers to rest her arm on her desk.

“I won’t torture you any longer. Cut through the bullshit, should we?”

“Okay,” I said. “Are we talking about …”

“Your booking with Jimmy, yes. I saw Rhett come onto you and you enjoyed it. Nix’s client loves as many bodies as he can get, but I myself don’t appreciate your dismissal of my rules. No personal relationship between staff is something I expected you to abide by.”

“Sorry,” I said and bowed my head.

“I would have fired you for that, but I’m giving you a warning instead.”

“You are?”

She pressed her lips together and nodded. “The surprise impressed Jimmy so much he tipped us more than three times his usual. Anything that makes our clients want to come back is far from a bad thing, so for this unexpected luck, I’m simply reminding you today of our non-negotiable rules.” Amber paused and raised her eyebrow, crushing the harsh mood between us. “I think you’ll be interested to know your client, Jimmy, has scheduled you in personally in the future.”

“Really!” My voice was exuberant and my shoulders felt weightless. That first night wasn’t a one off.

“Want to see your schedule, then?”

“Yeah, sure. I feel like I’m getting ready to perform for a concert.” When Amber only greeted me with a set of questioning eyes, I added, “Like I’m setting myself up to be adored and screamed at or booed and dragged off to get eaten alive.”

“We condone biting, Victoria, if you were wondering.”

At the front desk, Amber leant down to the computer in the space the receptionist had vacated for her. She worked there for a couple of minutes then pointed at the screen. “Here’s your profile.”

At first, my gaze scattered over the page. There was a bit of paragraph text at the top, and then a chart below of an overview. I skimmed and clicked around the screen, finding a tab with the booking details.

“So,” Amber said, “what do you think?”

Jimmy was listed as I expected. Two new unknowns were booked weeks ahead. A Greg Simmons and an Ian Welling.

“You have to go over their profiles, go through the booking information, and confirm the client and their preferred time.”

Amber gave me a laptop, which I took to the sofa in the lounge bit of the kitchen. And there, I read in quiet more of the details. I had just begun when Amber returned with an environmentally friendly bag, with the handle over her forearm. She held it out in a
for you
way. “A belated welcome pack.”

“Thank you.”

Inside, there were a few condom packets stamped with: ‘Welcome to The Rental’ on them. There was an empty make-up bag, three shades of lipstick—one, a gorgeous cherry red—mascara, bronzer, body and facial cream, a brush set, and also branded pens, notepads, and other knick knacks.

I’d just finished searching it when I felt the presence. His voice accompanied it, saying, “Like a child in a chocolate factory.”

Rick was in gym shorts, cut-off mid-thigh to show bulging muscles and popping veins. There must have been a gym on the premises, which he used to stay fit for his job. My eyes travelled up his white tank, and to the toned muscles of his shoulders, chest, and arms, slick and sweaty.