Call On Me by Angela Verdenius Page A

out and far away from all those eyes watching her
with horrified fascination. It didn’t make it any easier that she
knew most of the patrons for most of her life. That just made the
humiliation worse.
    “Ali!” Mrs
Swanson, the owner, came towards her.
    When Ali
silently held up one hand, Mrs Swanson halted, confusion and
sympathy warring on her lined face. Opening the door, Ali walked
out of the restaurant, refusing to run, walking steadily to the car
and unlocking the door. Tears burned in her eyes as she got into
the drivers’ seat.
    Chris came
running out of the restaurant. “Alissa! Wait! Don’t be upset, I’m
sorry! I didn’t mean to-”
    Slamming the
door shut, Ali locked it, started the car, and ignoring him tapping
frantically on her window, she put the car into reverse and revved
the engine. That made him leap back. As she pulled away, she
glanced into the rear-view mirror to see him standing on the
footpath with his mouth hanging open. He looked worried.
    Bastard! How
could he say what he did? How could he? Biting her lip, she
felt a tear slip from her eye and slide down her cheek, leaving a
hot trail. Bastard!
    She started to
head for home, wanting to shut the door and close the world out so
she could wallow in misery and shame, but that meant facing her
sister. Lori would not be happy. Shy she might be, but when it came
to Ali, Lori would be ready to fly out the door and confront Chris.
She’d be shaking and nervous, but her fury would carry her through
that, though she’d also be a bit of a wreck after the
confrontation. No, going home upset wasn’t the answer.
    That left one
other place.
    Turning onto
another road, Ali steered the car through a quiet section, then
across another road until she got to the turn-off to the river. A
small distance along a dirt road, she parked the car in the
deserted curving parking bay before the river.
    Turning off the
engine, she looked out at the water. The moonlight glinted off the
smooth surface and the trees on both banks cast protective shadows
across the wildlife within the shelter.
    It was always
one of the places Ali went to when she was upset, angry, or simply
needed a quiet place to get her head together when having
difficulties. This was definitely one of those times. Quiet,
deserted, it was the ideal place for her to sit, sniffle and brood
without anyone being the wiser.
    Wiping her hand
across her cheek, she opened the car door and got out. Moving
around to the front, she hoisted herself up onto the ‘roo bar and
sat down to stare out at the river. The night birds sang, more
noises indicating that animals, mammals and other slithering
species she didn’t really want to think about were alive and well
in the bushes, going about their business.
    God, she
couldn’t believe what Chris had said to her. He’d actually said it
to her, told her he could help with her weight problem, her job
prospects, but ultimately her weight problem.
    Was that what
he’d really thought when he’d first seen her? She was some
overweight person who needed rescuing? Closing her eyes, she felt
another tear slide out. Most times she could shrug off a bit of
rudeness, dealing with travellers from all walks of life coming and
going through the motel toughened one up, but this was different.
He’d asked her on a date then proceeded to tell her he would help
her lose weight.
    What the hell
was it about people who were so fixated on weight? What?
    And why
couldn’t she find a man who was happy with her, who could accept
her? What was wrong with her?
    Another tear
slipped free.
    Then she heard
it, the sound of an engine drawing closer. Solitude was gone, the
last thing she needed was to watch a young couple necking right
where she was having her pity party. Maybe whoever it was would
decide to drive away once they saw her.
    The car rounded
the bend, the lights flaring behind her while she steadfastly gazed
at the river, silently willing the driver to turn around and go
away.
    Then