Pictures of Lily

it soon,’ she says. ‘Long engagements are so tedious.’
    ‘We’ll let you know as soon as we know,’ Richard assures her firmly.
    ‘Don’t get married in January,’ Sally interjects. ‘I’m going to Thailand then.’
    ‘Are you?’ Joe turns to her in surprise.
    ‘Yeah. We haven’t booked our flights yet, but that’s the plan.’
    ‘Who’s we?’ Anne asks, similarly taken aback.
    ‘Me and Cathy from the shop.’
    ‘But you’ve never travelled out of Australia!’ Anne exclaims.
    ‘About time she did, then,’ Brenda says. ‘When I went to Bali in my twenties’ – she says this as if her twenties were decades ago, but she’s only thirty-one – ‘I swore I’d partake in international travel every year.’
    ‘What happened?’ Richard asks.
    ‘Life took hold,’ she says, trying to project an aura of mysterious wisdom. Then: ‘Anyway, we should eat up before our dinner goes cold.’
    And that’s the end of the discussion for now.
    ‘That went well,’ Richard says later when we’re in the truck on the way home. He rushed me out of there at four forty-five because the Australian Grand Prix is about to start and he’s a bit of a sports nut.
    I look at him and grin. He smirks back at me. ‘At least they didn’t subject you to the Spanish Inquisition,’ he adds.
    ‘True. That’s probably on the cards next time.’
    For want of something better to do I sit with him to watch the start of the race. I don’t mind Formula 1. Some of the drivers are quite sexy, especially that Brazilian Luis Castro, who’s starting from pole position.
    ‘Do you really not want a ring?’ Richard glances at me with a doleful expression on his face as the drivers set off on their warm-up lap.
    ‘No. Honestly, no,’ I assure him. ‘A wedding band will be fine.’
    ‘A wedding band with diamonds though – right?’ He smiles at me hopefully.
    ‘Yes.’ I smile back. ‘A wedding band with diamonds would be lovely.’
    ‘And what about getting married in January next year?’
    ‘The January that Sally’s going to Thailand?’
    ‘Or February, if we have to.’
    I shake my head. ‘It’s too soon. Really, it’s too soon.’
    ‘We could have a winter wedding?’
    ‘No. Summer would be better.’
    ‘Spring?’
    ‘Summer. Summer 2011.’
    He sighs. ‘Okay, then.’
    ‘Brenda will just have to suck it up,’ I add.
    ‘Indeed she will.’
    ‘Look, the race is about to start.’
    And until sexy Luis Castro crosses the line in first place and snogs his annoyingly beautiful girlfriend, that – for the time being – is the end of the matter.

Chapter 17
     
    Nathan and Lucy get back from their honeymoon on the same day that Josh arrives from Adelaide. He catches a taxi to our place.
    ‘What’s with the rain?’ he humphs when I open the door. ‘It was thirty degrees in Adelaide when I left.’
    ‘It’s supposed to clear up tomorrow for Easter Sunday,’ I assure him. ‘Anyway, you moody bugger, give me a hug.’
    He grins and steps into the hall, dropping his bag to engulf me. ‘Even after all these years you still sound like a Pommie.’
    He’s still unbelievably good-looking, but after my initial attraction, I only ever had eyes for Ben.
    And now Richard, of course.
    ‘Where’s Richard?’ He glances past me to the living room.
    ‘He’s gone to welcome his mate back from his honeymoon.’
    ‘Three’s company . . .’ he says jokily.
    ‘He won’t stay long. He just wanted to drop in some supplies.’ Which I thought was very nice of him, actually .
    ‘Can I get you something to drink?’
    ‘What have you got?’
    ‘Coke, Fanta, apple juice, wine, beer . . .’ My voice trails off.
    ‘Fanta, thanks.’ He never did go back to drinking and driving. ‘Hey, this is cool.’ He looks around. ‘I like the garden.’
    We’d only just moved in when Josh last came to Sydney to visit. It’s changed tenfold since then.
    ‘Thanks. Do you want to chuck your bag in your room? It’s that one there.’ I point across the hall.
    He comes back as I’m pouring our drinks into glasses. We take them to the sofa.
    ‘How are Michael and Janine?’
    ‘Really good. Busy at work, as ever. Janine’s been caring for a baby koala at home for the last few days.’ I wince as a memory of Ben gently holding a tiny Olivia comes back to me. ‘I popped in to see them last night before I left,’ Josh continues, oblivious to my pain.
    ‘How’s Tina?’
    He shrugs. ‘Yeah, she’s good.