Someone Like You(33)

Dan swallowed the water in one huge gulp. Lizzie sipped hers slowly and  seemed intent on watching the ice melt. He wondered if she was going to  look at him. Maybe if she did, he'd find the right words to say to her.

'Thanks for the drink,' he said, leaning forward to drop his elbows on his knees.

'It's no trouble, really. It's hot work out here today.'

'Trees and shrubs should arrive tomorrow.'

'Great.' She paused. 'It'll be over then.'

Dan looked back at her, slowly took off his sunglasses, pushed one of  the silver arms down inside the neck of his T-shirt. He got the feeling  she was talking about more than the renovation job. Other things would  be over, too.

'Yeah. It'll be done.'

She gripped her glass tighter. 'Thanks for your help. I couldn't have done it without you.'

He took a deep breath, tried to find the words. She'd never pushed him,  never judged him, never pitied him. And what had he done? He'd slammed  the door in her face. Growled at her. Stood her up. Kept secrets from  her. He'd let her down. And there she was, beautiful as ever, thanking  him.

He heaved a huge sigh. 'You don't need to thank me for anything, Elizabeth.'

'Of course I do. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.'

'It was a team effort, as far as I'm concerned.' He reached over,  covered one of her hands with his. When she didn't pull back right away,  he entwined his fingers with hers. 'This project, your idea for this  community is fantastic. People will come from all over to check out the  market. This is really something.'

She found a smile. 'I can't wait to see it all come to life. It doesn't  seem real until then. I was wondering … ' Her eyes dipped down towards her  lap, into their entangled hands. 'Will you be here for the first  market? I figure I owe you a cup of coffee. Or at least, breakfast.'

'Elizabeth.' Dan gave her fingers one last squeeze and then let go. 'I  can't. I'm going up to Adelaide for a few days. Maybe a week.'

'Oh.'

Hearing the disappointment in that one word almost undid him.

'That'll be nice. You'll be able to catch up with people, go out and eat  somewhere that's not the pub. I hope you have a good time.'

Lizzie kneeled down to pick up the tray, loaded the glasses on to it.  Turned to him. 'I've got to get back. I'll let you know when the trees  arrive.'

Dan stood, wiping his hands on the front of his T-shirt. He adjusted the  tool belt so the hammer hanging from it didn't dig into his thigh.  'Okay. I'll still be around for the next few days if you need me.'

She held his gaze for just a moment and gave him a minimalist smile before heading back inside.

Dan sat back down, took off his cap, tried to tame his hair and tugged  it back on. He was as disappointed as she was that he wouldn't be there  for the opening. He really wanted to celebrate all their hard work. And  her brilliant idea. He wanted to see it come to life, ask her if it was  just as she'd imagined it to be.

But he'd made a promise to Anna. She'd arranged for him to meet with one  of her doctor mates, had convinced him that it was what he needed to  do. He knew what Lizzie was thinking, that he was heading back to  Adelaide to dive back into his old life, filled with bars, nightclubs,  women and too much to drink.

It was easier to let her think that because the truth was too hard to share.

He was heading back to Adelaide to try to get his life back.





CHAPTER


17


Dan weaved his way through a crowded, cobblestoned laneway off  Adelaide's Hindley Street. It was early Friday night and half a dozen  small bars with funky names were already doing a roaring trade. Crowds  of people spilled out from the doorways of neatly restored heritage  buildings, chatting and laughing around small tables on the wide  footpaths. Advertising types, PR women, business-suited couples who'd  arrived directly from their offices. The hipsters and the suits, mixing  it up with uni students carrying takeaway coffees and young girls  wearing very high heels and very short skirts, obviously walking through  on their way to the nearby nightclub strip.

Dan stopped, looked to his left and right, searching the buildings for  the bar Luke had mentioned that afternoon on the phone. It was  called … what the hell was it called and where was it? There'd been a  time, and not that long ago, when he knew about the opening of a new bar  before almost anyone else in Adelaide. Not now, clearly.         

     



 

A hat. The hat. It was something about a hat.

He saw a new place across the street and ducked over. The Mad Hatter.  Dan walked through the open doorway and saw Luke immediately, leaning  back on the bar like he owned the place. He had a designer beer in one  hand, his phone in the other and a smug grin on his face.

Luke Harrison had been an asset to Blackburn and Son Developments over  the past five years, when Ry and Dan had worked their arses off to save  the company from going under. He was a few years younger, maybe just  thirty, was smart and worked hard, and had stepped up big-time during  Dan's absence over the past few months. Dan felt a smile crease his  face. It was good to see him.

'Mate,' Luke exclaimed. He put his beer on the bar and thrust out a hand  to shake Dan's. They did the bloke thing and leaned in and patted each  other on the back in a half hug. Then Dan leaned back on the bar and  surveyed the crowd as Luke talked.

'C'mon Sarah,' he implored down the line, giving Dan a wink. 'Just one drink. I'm here at The Mad Hatter with Dan McSwaine.'

Luke held up a finger and mouthed almost silently, 'One second.'

Dan looked around the bar while he waited for Luke to suss out his  obvious booty call. The fitout was nicely done, so cool that it wouldn't  have been out of place in Melbourne. The lights were dim, the furniture  and fittings eclectic, and the floor to ceiling rough-hewn shelves on  the wall behind the bar were filled with bottles of wine and what could  only be described as retro knick-knacks.

The crowd was elegant and Dan glanced down at his black jeans and  T-shirt, his scuffed boots. He looked perfect for the front bar of the  Middle Point pub. Maybe not so much for this place. But he hadn't  exactly planned on going out that night. He'd wanted to go back to Ry's  apartment and sleep. But after he'd spoken with Luke that afternoon,  going over some details about the Windswept Development, Luke had  twigged that Dan was up in Adelaide. He'd insisted they meet for a drink  and Dan had reluctantly agreed. He owed the guy. In fact, he owed  everybody at the company who'd stepped up when he'd stepped back. He was  self-aware enough to laugh at that thought. He hadn't stepped back.  He'd fallen off the fucking map.

Luke nudged Dan in the side and raised his eyebrows. 'Sure, bring her  along too. I reckon we can get Dan to buy her a drink. Okay, great. Five  minutes.'

Luke ended the call and slipped his phone into the inside pocket of his  suit jacket. 'So Dan, it's so good to see you.' He threw an arm around  Dan's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. 'Shit, you look good. How's  everything? How's the leg?' He checked Dan out from his hair to his  shoes, as if he was inspecting him for signs of damage.

'I'm good, mate, yeah, good.' Dan felt his back stiffen under the cool  of his T-shirt. He tried to relax, leaning an elbow back on the bar.

'That was Sarah. She's around the corner having a drink with a friend,  Rachael. She's going to bring her along.' Luke grinned. 'We could turn  this into a night, just like old times, huh?'

Just like old times. Dan mulled it over. Maybe part of getting his life  back was this stuff. Getting out. Seeing how it felt to go to the old  places. And some new ones. Trying out the old Dan to see if he still  fit.

'Sure,' Dan replied, trying to find an enthusiasm to match Luke's. 'Just like old times.'

Luke slapped him on the back. 'Excellent. Sarah's a great girl. Wait 'til you meet her.'

'Is she your girlfriend?'

Luke grinned and took a swig of his beer. 'No, not really. We have an arrangement. She wants exactly what I want.'

Dan was surprised to hear that, knowing what he did about men and women. 'Exactly the same thing you want? Which is?'

Luke slapped a hand on the bar. 'Which is nothing. It's casual. It's hot. And it's brilliant.'

Dan looked at Luke and saw an echo of himself six months ago. Tried to  sort out in his head if he missed it. 'Good luck with that.'

'Oh, you know what it's like, mate. You work hard and play hard. I don't  have time for anything more. It's been great stepping up at BSD while  you've been … '

Luke suddenly looked stricken, embarrassed. He took a nervous gulp of  his beer and his eyes darted to the door. And then Dan was right back to  the accident. The looks of pity and confusion. People not knowing what  to say, either saying too much or nothing at all. And then for the first  time, he realised that everyone in the company would have been talking  about him. He hadn't shown his face at the office for months. Hadn't  talked to or seen anyone from there until now. And what would Luke  report back next Monday when he turned up at work?         

     



 

'It's okay, Luke. I've been recovering.'

Luke tugged at his collar. 'Shit, Dan, sorry. I just didn't know what to … you know.'