Short Soup(26)

“Yeah, the season starts next week,” Rod replied. “You should come along. Stewey’s playing again, and Brad. We’re having a team barbie on Sunday at our place. Come along, bring the girls.”

“Sounds good,” Mick replied, his eyes not leaving the dance floor.

“So is that the missus?” Rod nodded in the direction of Tina, who was now working on an interpretive dance to ‘It’s Raining Men’, ensuring that the lyrics had corresponding actions.

“Nah. We’re neighbours. Or at least our parents are, and we lived next door to each other from the time I was five.”

“Not childhood sweethearts though?”

“No. Just friends.” Mick hadn’t taken his eyes off Tina. He grinned as security had a quiet word to her. Security didn’t get Tina’s creativity when it came to her dance moves. Just because she was doing a terrible impression of the moonwalk did not mean she was drunk. He could tell this wouldn’t end well.

“You’ve never even kissed?” Rod asked. Mick shook his head. “That sucks man,” Rod empathised. “She’s hot.”

Mick nodded. “Anyway,” he said, “suppose that’s my cue to leave.” Security were escorting Tina to the door while Mei Jing tagged along behind, finishing her Thai Salad Sensation. “You gonna say goodbye to the girls?” Mick asked Rod.

Rod and Mick caught up with the girls outside the door to the bar, where security were doing their best impressions of Greek pillars.


“Where are you guys going now?” Rod asked the trio.

Mei Jing looked at Tina and Mick, but they were leaving this up to her. She hesitated. Where did she want this to go? It’s not like she hadn’t imagined meeting Rod again Natural curiosity. But in all her daydreams, he knew exactly who she was. In none of her imaginings was she in the least bit attracted to him. Eeek! Confusing! What to do in the absence of a daydream to direct you?

“Have you tried the Caprioskas at the Green Buddha?” she asked.

“Hang on.” Rod pulled a creased napkin from his wallet. “Let’s see … Green Buddha … Green Buddha …” He ran his finger down a list. “Yes. Yes I have. No, they were crap. Didn’t even bother to crush the ice.”

“You’re kidding!” Mei Jing said, outraged. Her heart was beating faster. He wrote lists and carried them around. “OK, how about the Jubilee?”

“Not a chance. They brought me a cappuccino.”

Mei Jing closed her eyes and shook her head in shared disgust. “How about Andy’s House? It’s a new reggae place in New Farm?”

“Yes! Let’s go there,” Tina butted in, no longer leaving it up to Mei Jing. This could take all night; besides, she had some mean reggae dance moves. “You coming, Rod?”

“Sure,” said Rod. “I do have an interrogation to finish after all.” He smiled at Mei Jing.

When Rod went inside to say good-bye to his mates, Tina gave Mei Jing her ‘talking to’.

“He’s nice, good looking and at first glance does not appear to have homicidal tendencies. You’ve got to tell him. You like him—tell him.”

“But if I tell him,” said Mei Jing, “the dynamics will change. He’ll like me for what I did for him, not for who I am. It’s too much pressure. Let’s just see how tonight goes.”

“We’re going to his house for a barbie on Sunday,” said Mick. “You can always tell him then.”

“We are?” asked Tina. She pulled out her phone to check her calendar. “We’re supposed to be at home on Sunday morning for Mum’s birthday brunch.”

“I know,” said Mick. “But I can go to your Mum’s, then we can pick M.J up on the way to Stewey’s. I picked up your Mum’s present, by the way.”

“Thanks,” said Tina distractedly as she typed the new appointment into her calendar. “How much do I owe you?”

Mick smiled, shaking his head. “I’ll add it to your tab.”


Andy’s House was actually a house. An old Queenslander, complete with verandahs around three sides, set amongst a small but lush rainforest garden. Inside, the restaurant had polished wooden floors and small candlelit tables. The restaurant was half-full, mostly with couples soaking up the relaxed atmosphere. On one of the side verandahs the reggae band was set up with a dance floor in front. Steps led down into the garden, which had a scattering of outdoor furniture arranged in beer garden style. The whole house was decorated in bright prints, bright table-cloths and flowering pot plants.

Although it was only eight o’clock, it was already buzzing.

“I have a good feeling about this place,” said Rod. “I’ll get the first round.”

Mick hunted down a table while the girls found the bathroom. Mei Jing checked her appearance. Normally she didn’t fuss. Her long, straight black hair rarely did anything but be long, straight black hair. Her eyeliner was intact and she touched up her lip gloss. Done.

Mei Jing watched while her friend did the fussing. Tina added powder, enhancing her naturally fair complexion, added another layer of eyeliner, touched up her eye shadow, brightened her blush, re-did her lipliner and finished with three coats of lipstick. Tina was cute in an under-age kind of way, which was a bit of a drawback when they headed out on the town for a sophisticated night out. Tina often looked like she was playing dress ups.

“Do you think you can get plastic surgery to add wrinkles?” Tina asked.

Mei Jing shook her head at her friend. When she’d first met Tina at the Queensland Uni orientation, they were both just out of school, still underage and both scared witless. Tina sat next to Mei Jing in the lecture theatre and after standard small talk introductions, they’d spent the rest of the presentation playing hangman.

Luckily for both of them, Mick, who was a year older and therefore so very much more experienced, took it upon himself to show the girls the ropes. He got them false ID’s, taught them how to skull a beer, and introduced them to Sunday sessions at the Regatta Hotel. He protected them from sleazebags, carried them home when they fell over drunk and expected nothing more than to be introduced to their gorgeous girlfriends—most of whom he slept with and then moved on.

Eight years later they still watched out for each other. Tina had only lasted a semester at Uni before deferring, promising to come back. She never did and was now a barista at a funky coffee shop in New Farm.

“You don’t need to add wrinkles,” said Mei Jing. “You just need to dress like an old woman. You know, floral prints and big vinyl handbags.”

Tina pretended to gag. She was wearing black satin shorts and a black halter top with dangling gold ear-rings and, of course, ridiculously high heels. Mei Jing was certain Tina would choose unnecessary surgery over floral prints.

“Come on. Let’s go,” said Tina. “I’m thinking tonight could be my lucky night. Mr. Right might be out there now, just waiting for me to walk by.”


Mick had secured a table in the garden near the dance floor. Rod still hadn’t returned with their drinks, so Mei Jing went to check on him.

She found him at the bar, an enraptured expression on his face. “Check this out!” he said excitedly. “They actually heated the sugar till it melted, then added vodka, then they’ve crushed the lime with a mortar and pestle. Look at the effort going into this.”

It was impressive. The bar tender, pleased that his endeavours were being appreciated, was working with flair. He added umbrellas, and with flourish, presented the drinks to Rod.

Rod paid and they headed outside just as Mick and Tina got up to dance.

“OK—let’s do this together,” he said. “1 … 2 … 3.” They both sipped at their drink and then waited for the others’ judgement.

“Best in Brisbane?” asked Mei Jing finally.

Rod took another sip. “I’ve … I mean … We’ve found it,” he said reverently. “The best Caprioska in Brisbane. I’ve been searching for months and here it is. And it’s all because of you.” He looked gratefully at Mei Jing. “I have so much to thank you for, Mei Jing. Where would I be without you?”

Mei Jing smiled. There’s a story.





Excerpt from Summer Fling by Serenity Woods


‘I should be on top,’ the willowy blonde protested.

She sat on the bench in front of Garth with her back against his chest and her butt nestled between his thighs. He stifled a groan. What red-blooded male wouldn’t misconstrue that statement?

His brain had been in sex mode since she’d pulled on her jumpsuit. She’d leaned forward and the neck of her T-shirt had gaped to reveal generous breasts only just covered by the cups of her lacy white bra. He’d fought hard to concentrate on her training, too rusty at flirting to make a comment, but now the image of her sitting naked on top of him returned in full force.

He attached the last clip of his safety harness to the one on her right shoulder and chuckled in her ear. ‘That’s kind of forward, Chloe, considering we’ve only known each other for thirty minutes. But I’m not going to argue with you.’

The aeroplane’s engines roared, but she’d obviously heard him because she glared reproachfully over her shoulder and her cheeks turned a delightful rosy pink. Her dancing eyes told him she wasn’t really insulted though. ‘I meant when we freefall. That way, if the chute doesn’t open I have something soft to land on.’