‘Hello, Nicolas,’ she said. ‘Sorry about the phone. It’s a habit of mine. So what’s up?’
There was a short sharp silence at the other end of the line, then Nicolas laughed. ‘I get it. Your mum’s there, isn’t she?’
‘Yep.’
‘And you haven’t told her about us.’
‘Not exactly.’
‘You bad girl, I’m going to have to take you in hand.’
‘Yes, please.’
‘Ooh, you are a bad girl. So when can I take you in hand? This afternoon too soon?’
‘I’ll have to see what Felicity is doing first. I’ll give her a call and then get back to you.’
‘Don’t make me wait too long. I’m not a patient man. Not when I want something.’
Serina almost opened her drying mouth to ask him what he wanted. Fortunately, common sense won and she remained silent.
He laughed again, softly, sexily. ‘You can’t talk. I get it. Shall I tell you what I want in minute detail, with accompanying sound effects?’
‘Not right now, Nicolas.’
‘Oh, I love that schoolmarm voice you have at times.’
‘I’ll call you back after I’ve contacted Felicity, all right?’
He sighed. ‘Spoilsport.’
Serina finally began to find some amusement in the situation.
‘Yes, I know it’s terribly hot,’ she said. ‘Why don’t you go have a swim and cool down? ’Bye now. I’ll call back soon.’
She hung up, but her mind was already on the time when she could be with Nicolas again, when he could take her in hand.
‘Serina…’
Serina blinked, then turned her head towards her mother.
‘You were going to call Felicity,’ her mother reminded her.
‘What? Oh, yes. I forgot for a moment.’
‘I can see that….’
Serina resented the note of disapproval in her mother’s voice. Heavens, it wasn’t as though she was a neglectful mother.
Felicity answered straight away.
‘Hi, Mum. How’s things? You have a good time last night?’
‘A great time,’ Serina admitted. ‘And you? I suppose you and Kirsty stayed up all night.’ Sleepovers between girlfriends never involved much sleep.
‘We passed out on the lounge around two, didn’t we, Kirsty?’
‘So what time do you want me to pick you up today?’ Serina asked, knowing full well that it wouldn’t be anytime soon. When those two got together, wild horses couldn’t drag them apart.
‘Not till dark,’ Kirsty replied straight away. ‘How about eight o’clock?’
‘I don’t like driving along that road in the dark.’ Kirsty’s place was a few kilometres out of town along a narrow winding road that had no lighting whatsoever. ‘Could we make it seven?’
Serina heard some fierce negotiations going on in the background. ‘Look, Kirsty’s mum said I could stay for another night, if that’s all right with you.’
‘Are you sure? I think I should talk to her.’
Janine, Kirsty’s mother, came on the phone and it was finally agreed that Felicity could stay another night.
‘How’s the weather out your way?’ Serina asked.
‘Very hot,’ Janine said. ‘And windy.’
‘Don’t let the girls go too far into the bush, okay?’
Kirsty’s place was on the edge of a state forest that was simply huge and very thick.
‘Will do. Oh, and Serina?’
‘Yes?’
‘I thought you looked really lovely last night.’
‘Why thank you. What a nice thing to say!’
‘A little bird told me you went out with Nicolas Dupre after the party?’
‘My, my, that little bird flies fast.’
Janine laughed. ‘That’s Rocky Creek for you. So is it true?’
‘Yes.’
‘And is it also true that he’s an old flame of yours?’
Kirsty’s family only moved into the area a few years ago, so they knew nothing of the time when Nicolas Dupre and Serina had been teenagers. Serina decided that she was tired of denying that they had some kind of relationship in the past. But she wasn’t about to admit too much.
‘Yes, he was,’ she said.
‘Lucky you. Do you think anything will come of it this time? I mean, is he sticking around or is this just a whirlwind visit?’
‘I’m not sure yet, Janine.’
Which just about said it all. She wasn’t sure. About anything.
The adrenalin rush that she’d felt earlier when Nicolas called had totally dissipated by the time she hung up. Was she being a fool, thinking they could make a lasting relationship this time?