An Endless Summer(60)
He was another one to add to the mix. I still hadn’t forgotten how angry I was at him for not telling me about my invite to Sean’s. What else had he been deciding on my behalf?
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“A group of us are headed up to the Point, for old times’ sake.”
“Yeah, well, I guess I have no prior invitations so it looks like I can close.” I watched for a reaction, but he didn’t even flinch.
“Thanks, Amy, I owe you one.” He ruffled my hair in that annoying way boys do. I sneered as he went back into the main bar. I would still have words with him, but just not right now. I turned to see Sean standing before me, placing his empty glass on the bar.
“Nice hair.”
I must have visibly flamed, as I cut him a searing look that only seemed to amuse him more.
I changed the subject, running my fingers through my hair. “So, didn’t get a lecture from Chris last night?”
Sean crossed his arms and leaned on the bar. “What about? Keeping you all to myself yesterday?”
It would have been a perfect opportunity to flirt back; it was an open invitation waiting for me to wipe that devilish grin off his face. Instead, I fought the flame of crimson and settled for my usual snarky comeback.
“Not brave enough to say that in front of Chris, though, are you?”
“Ha! Chris doesn’t scare me. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve come to blows.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised.
Sean looked on reflectively. “Year Ten, we had a duel in the school ground over Sharnie Maynard.”
“Over a chick?” I asked. “Now why doesn’t that surprise me? Who won?”
“Neither. It turns out she had the hots for Toby all along.”
“Oh dear!”
He shook his head. “Broke my heart.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, my best friend had the massive hots for you.”
Sean stilled, his brows furrowing. “Who?”
I sighed. “Tammy Maskala.”
The blankness never left his face, just like I suspected all those years ago: he didn’t even know she existed.
I rolled my eyes. “About so high, mousey brown hair, big blue eyes, lurking in the shadows every place you went.”
“Don’t know her.”
“Well, trust me, she loved you!”
“Is that so? So what’s Tammy up to these days?”
Something unexpected jolted in the pit of my stomach, a sudden urge to shut up about Tammy.
I shrugged. “I think she’s married.”
Liar!
“Probably got a couple of kids.”
Liar!
“Probably doesn’t even live here anymore.”
Liar! Liar! Liar!
As far as I knew, Tammy had never moved away and I had never heard of her mythical marriage or children, but for some utterly disturbing reason I didn’t want Sean asking questions about her. I knew it was insane; it wasn’t like she was his type anyway and she was probably long over him by now …
Oh, my God, I was going straight to hell.
Sean studied me for a long moment as I tried to act nonchalant by picking an invisible thread off my top.
“Fair enough,” he said. “You seem to have your finger on the pulse there.”
I smiled weakly. “Yeah, we kept in touch.”
Liar!
“Sean, mate, we’re up!” Stan called out as he racked up the billiards.
“Thanks, mate! I was starting to get a bit weary of Amy’s incessant flirting.” Sean rolled his eyes at Stan.
My draw dropped and I gaped incredulously.
Stan laughed. “Yeah. Jeez, sounds rough.”
***
The more attuned I was to Sean, where he was and what he was doing, the more it made everything about me wooden and unnatural.
I cursed Ellie and her idiotic advice – it was a stupid idea; I was not going to flirt with Sean Murphy.
“Because it’s you … you’re like everyone’s kid sister.”
I glowered to where Ellie and Tess sat on the couch, taking my fury out on the ice bucket, stabbing it violently with the spoon.
“Whoa, easy! What did that ice do to you?” Chris squeezed past me, grabbing a couple of pot glasses to fill at the tap.
“I just called last drinks; do you want to sweep around and do a glass run for me?” Chris asked.
Thank God, a means to an end!
I was mentally exhausted by what had been a massive day and a never-ending night. I swept around the bar, collecting empty glasses and the odd empty chip packet. I weaved my way through the poolroom and all the people holding onto the dying minutes of the night. One last drink, one last pool game, one last smoke before the strike of the clock, one last song on the jukebox. I headed towards it to collect the empty glasses on top of the flashing fluoro pink dome. I stilled, seeing the familiar broad back of Sean, one arm leaning against the machine while the other flicked through the song choices.