Chapter 7

Sally hadn’t been up this way for years. Familiar signs flashed past: Avoca, Terrigal, Wamberal. Great memories—in their teens she and Sonia had spent a lot of time at the Central Coast, hanging out with their friends on weekends. Having fun, being silly, enjoying life.

When had it all stopped?

Two years and two months ago when Blake the bastard had broken her heart.

As she drove along the expressway after the built up areas north of Hornsby, Sally let herself think about Blake. For a long time, she’d refused to think about the relationship, or talk about it. When they’d been together, Blake hadn’t liked spending time with her friends—or Sonia—and they’d gravitated towards his finance crowd. She’d made some acquaintances but hadn’t had a lot in common with the wives and girlfriends who liked to “do” lunch and spend most of their time in beauty spas and dress shops. So no new lasting friendships had formed. She and Blake had been together for just over a year when he’d decided he wanted a change but he hadn’t had the courage to tell her.

No, she’d come across him and the bimbo in a bathroom at one of his work functions. The only satisfaction Sally had got that night—and by the look of things, Blake had been getting plenty until she’d walked in on them—had been tipping the whole jar of Dolce and Gabbana hand wash over his head.

By the time, she’d surfaced after the break up, many of her friends had left town or were married and had moved west of the city to more affordable housing estates. Rosie and Taj and the kids spent most of their time overseas, and Sonia—well Sonia was just Sonia. She was the party animal and fitted in with all crowds. After the third time she’d dragged Sally out to a club, Sally had had enough and opted to stay home.

Where she was happy in her own company. Or so she tried to convince herself.

And thus Sonia’s comment, “you’re turning into Aunt Aggie” had been born.

But Sonia was right. Sally knew she’d been used and she’d let it affect her for way too long. And if she wanted to be catty, the sex hadn’t been that good anyway. Blake had been more interested in how he looked than how he performed. A giggle escaped her lips and happiness lifted her heart as she looked forward to seeing Sol again.

Sonia’s ad, and meeting Sol, had been the catalyst for her rethink.

From today, life was about having fun!

She turned the radio on and smiled as her favourite surfing song came over the airwaves. It made her think of Rosie and Sonia over in Hawaii; even though she’d forgiven Sonia for the ad she’d placed, it would still be fun to wind her up.

Sonia had always said Sally had lost her sense of humour since Blake was on the scene; she was about to find out it wasn’t lost; it had just been buried in an avalanche of low self confidence.

As long as Sol was willing to play along.

And if it meant that she had to spend a little more time in his company on the way, well, so be it. That would be a bonus.

Seeing the way he’d looked at her the other night had done wonders for Sally’s self confidence. Today she’d taken a little bit more care with her appearance. She’d blown dry her hair and put a tiny bit of makeup on, and taken care to choose a nice T-shirt to go with her slim fitting jeans. She’d lost a lot of weight over the past year.

As Sally got closer to the Peats Ridge turn off, she pulled over in a parking bay and opened Sol’s text and typed the address he’d given her into Google Maps, and then let the robotic voice guide her to the place that Sol had said he was farm-sitting. She passed the Australian Reptile Park, and then Somersby Falls, but there was still some distance to go. The small township of Peats Ridge flashed by, and then the tarred road turned to gravel. When she turned onto Bloodtree Road , she recognised the address and knew she was going in the right direction.

Only a few more kilometres according to the digital map.

But it seemed to take forever as she wound down narrow dirt roads, over hills and through creek crossings.

No wonder Sol had been disappointed when she’d tried to fob him off on Friday night, after driving all this way into the city.

 To answer her—Sonia’s—ad. This place was hours away from Bondi Beach. Trees formed an avenue above the last narrow road and the lacy shadows danced on the windscreen. The closer she got as the small blue dot on her phone headed for the farm, the more the little niggles of excitement fluttered in Sally’s stomach. It was like being sixteen again, and she had no idea what had caused the feeling. Maybe it was the decision she’d made to start having fun again.

Maybe Sonia’s ruse had worked?

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