life.
She took the building
in for a few more moments then, reminding herself she was happy, climbed back
into the car.
‘Can you please
check the map again and find us a way out of here?'
Charlotte took one
last look before putting the car into gear.
‘Okay, okay,’ said
Emily. ‘Go straight ahead and then turn left, then right, then a sharp left. That
should be the street with the shop on it.'
It was, and the
shop was of the same vintage and style as the Hardgrave Road option. It was a
little out of the way, and the customer base would be completely different. While
a lick of paint might work for the Hardgrave Road place; in this neighbourhood,
it would definitely not be enough. This was the money part of town. It was
infinitely suitable, but this space would require a refurbishment befitting a
more exclusive clientele.
As they left, they
were subdued. The surprising lack of substitute gallery spaces made Charlotte
question whether she should actually be exploring some entirely different ideas
altogether. She thought of the magnificent Art Deco apartment block and felt
the faint tingle of inspiration. Perhaps she could…
No. Her sister
still needed her.
‘Let’s get some
lunch,’ Emily suggested. It was after 2pm. ‘There’s a cute little place Geoff
and I discovered on Margaret Street in the city.’
Charlotte found a
parking space right outside the café. She turned off the Mazda and looked at
the building’s beautifully preserved façade. 1890s vintage, she guessed. As she
took it in, the solid oak front doors opened and a familiar figure stepped out,
dressed in a strappy, floaty, white sundress that blew around her in the gentle
breeze. Charlotte’s eyes narrowed. A run in with Cassette would be difficult to
stomach right now. As she watched, Cassette turned to tug someone out on to the
street behind her. Charlotte’s dread escalated, and her mouth went dry.
‘Bloody hell, I
think your secret little café has been discovered,’ she grumbled, finding her
voice.
Emily glanced up,
clocked Cassette and turned to eyeball her sister. ‘Hey, she’s mine to loathe,
not yours. Oh but I get it, you’ve got issues since seeing her fawning all over
Mr Property Developer. There’s something going on with you two, isn’t there?
You're going to spill over lunch, young lady.’
‘Don’t be
ridiculous,’ Charlotte snapped.
Emily laughed. ‘No
need to fret over Cassette though is there?’ she teased. ‘What is it you’re
always telling me? She’s harmless?’
But as Emily was
speaking, Charlotte decided that Cassette, performance artist extraordinaire,
was very harmful indeed. The man following her out of the café and being swept
into her clingy embrace was not Craig Carmichael.
‘Oh shit!’ Charlotte
exclaimed and froze, paralysed with shock.
‘What ...?’ Emily looked
back at Cassette in time to see her husband playfully pull her into a
passionate and extended embrace. Emily turned to stone.
After what seemed
like an eternity, Charlotte found her faculties and fumbled to reinsert the
keys into the ignition. She stole a glance at her paling sister. ‘Hang on a
minute, honey. I’m going to get you out of here.’
Before she could
start the car, Emily opened the door and threw up on the street. The sound of
retching distracted the lip-locked lovers, and they both turned in scorn
towards the source. Then, recognising his wife, Geoff raced towards the car,
leaving his flummoxed lover behind.
‘Emily!’ he cried,
as she pulled herself back into the car, slamming and locking the door.
‘Please, Char,’
she begged, whispering.
Charlotte revved
the engine excessively as she pulled out, causing an approaching car to brake
suddenly in a cloud of burnt rubber. Without an apology she sped off, leaving
Geoff chasing after them, calling, ‘Emily, it’s not what you think!’
They were
instantly foiled by a red light, giving him the opportunity to catch up, run
out into the
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