Heart in the Field by Jillian Dagg

look good for Don
to see us as a united front.”
                “Well …”
                Nick’s heart actually lurched with
excitement as he saw her succumbing to his plan.
                “All right. It will save taking two cars, and it means I can have a glass of wine or two.”
She smiled.
                “Absolutely.” Nick wished he didn’t feel quite so thrilled about the thought of an actual
sort of date on Saturday evening. Excitement meant more than casual
involvement. Dates were for kids falling in love. But then so was jealousy and
wanting to erase her pain. All these feelings were new to him, new and
exciting. “Tell me where you live.”
                She explained where in West Vale she
lived then he watched the Porsche leaving the parking lot before he turned to
his own car. He looked forward, with a soulful yearning, to tomorrow evening
when he would see Serena once more.
    •
                Her mother had phoned four times and
left messages on the answering machine. Reeva never
used cell phones. While she slipped out of her clothes, Serena pushed the
automatic dial on her cordless phone and listened to the phone ring at the
other end. Gerry answered. She asked Gerry for her mother. She’d never been
very close to her mother’s latest husband. Or any of her
mother’s men for that matter. She was just pleased that her mother had
seemed to settle at last for one man. Gerry Carstairs adored Reeva .
                “Serena, where have you been? You
left me a message, so I called Steel and they said you were in the studio. And also that you have moved offices.” Reeva possessed a beautiful accent. She enunciated every word. She was a very popular
local politician and had been elected in two terms in a row. Serena was never
quite sure of her mother’s platform. Sometimes it seemed geared for the
ordinary Joe or Jane, other times for the upwardly mobile couples.
                “Yes. I moved offices for my new
show, Neon Nights .”
                “Did you have to move far? Up or down?”
                Serena smiled as she wriggled into a
cotton night shirt. “Up, naturally. This show is a step up, Mom.”
                “As long as it is
up. Never go down, baby.”
                Serena spoke the words her mother
would want to hear. “If I go down, I quit.”
                “A positive
attitude. That is what I like. I will be seeing you soon anyway,
sweetie. Don Steel sent us an invitation to his soirée tomorrow evening and
Gerry thought it might be a good idea for us to drop by your place and have a
little drink with you. We’ll drive over in the Lincoln, which will save you driving
yourself.”
                Serena pulled the shirt down around
her thighs. Why did life have to suddenly become so complex? “I’m not driving
myself.”
                “You mean you have a date?”
                “Not really. But Nick Fraser, my
co-host, has never been to Don’s before because he’s just joined Steel. He’s
coming by to pick me up.”
                “That’s fine. No problem. We can all
have a drink and easily squeeze into the Lincoln.”
                Serena knew she had no choice. The Lincoln was large enough
to accommodate them all. Besides, her mother ruled. “I suppose Nick won’t
mind.”
                “Of course he won’t mind. We’ll all
go together. It’ll be fun.”
                Fun , Serena thought, as she hung up the phone. How was she
going to have fun stuck between her bossy mother, meek Gerry and sexy Nick? She
wondered if she should call Nick to inform him about the change of plans, then
decided against the call. He’d find out when he arrived what the plans were,
and he’d also discover you didn’t argue with Reeva Brown- Carstairs .
                Her mother