shower she went straight to the mess for dinner. It was the first time in a week since she had done so, so unwittingly she created a bit of a buzz when she walked in. If she hadn’t wanted to be alone with her thoughts, her spirits would have lifted slightly. It was the first sign of friendliness the guys had shown her in days. Ever since she’d started handing out memos and carrying out inspections, they’d been doing their absolute best to avoid her.
On the one hand, it was great not to have to deal with the flirtatious teasing. On the other, it was just as unpleasant to be treated like someone with an infectious disease. It wasn’t as though she was deliberately picking on people. Any criticism she made, she gave serious thought to and only delivered if absolutely necessary. Tonight, however, she was off duty and the men in the mess seemed to sense that. They waved to her, shouted greetings across the room and offered the news that apart from lasagne there was a lamb roast which she might like if she thought Charlie’s efforts were ‘safe’ enough to taste.
Charlie was the new chef who had started last week. He was very young and very shy. She had a feeling the guys enjoyed embarrassing him as much as they did her. She smiled reassuringly at him as he stood behind the steaming counter and requested a little of his lamb roast. Relief swept through her as she spied Lena and Sharon sitting nearby. She made a beeline for them.
‘Hi, guys!’
Surprisingly, they were equally pleased to see her. She knew Lena had been struggling a little with Wendy’s role as safety manager. All the engineers were. But to give the girl some credit she hadn’t uttered a single rude word to her, which couldn’t be said about Fish or Craig or any of the other engineers.
Except Gavin.
Gavin had said nothing at all. Stone cold silent on the subject.
Do you honestly want him to say something? Isn’t it better that he stays away from you?
She blushed as her mind automatically revisited each encounter they’d had. He was flirtatious, shameless and persistent. But she still had no intention of taking him up on the offer he was obviously making.
Lena interrupted her thoughts.
‘We were just talking about you.’ Her smile was bright. ‘What are you doing on the weekend?’
‘Oh, we have this Sunday off, don’t we?’ The realisation was like picking up fifty bucks on the side of the road. ‘I completely forgot!’
‘How on earth did you do that?’ Sharon laughed. ‘I’ve been counting the days.’
They only got one Sunday off a fortnight. They had to wait five weeks before they earned R and R, which was a week off. Most of the boys flew home for it, but some stayed to bum around in town. It was definitely a long time to wait for a break but Wendy had been so preoccupied with her search for her father and getting a head start on her new job that every day had seemed to blend into the other.
Radar and a man called Leg were also seated at the same table. They immediately put their cutlery down. ‘What’s it to be this time, Madame E? Another fishing trip?’
Lena stuck out her tongue. ‘Who said I was inviting you? This is going to be a Girls’ Day Out.’ She turned to Wendy. ‘What do you reckon? A day on the beach, bit of a swim and a sunbake with your gal pals? We can have lunch in Point Samson or something.’
‘It sounds wonderful. But . . .’ I might be tracking down Hector Warner that day.
‘But what?’ Lena seemed disappointed. ‘You can’t mean to stay in the camp. You’ll be bored batty. Tell her, Sharon.’
‘Lena has a point.’ Sharon nodded. ‘You’ll be stuck with these guys and all they’re going to do is drink and read dirty magazines.’
Leg sniffed haughtily. ‘You don’t know that.’
Radar snorted.
Wendy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn’t want them to think she was a snob. She had too many other labels already, like: nit-picker, spy, tattle-tale, Bossy Boots
On the one hand, it was great not to have to deal with the flirtatious teasing. On the other, it was just as unpleasant to be treated like someone with an infectious disease. It wasn’t as though she was deliberately picking on people. Any criticism she made, she gave serious thought to and only delivered if absolutely necessary. Tonight, however, she was off duty and the men in the mess seemed to sense that. They waved to her, shouted greetings across the room and offered the news that apart from lasagne there was a lamb roast which she might like if she thought Charlie’s efforts were ‘safe’ enough to taste.
Charlie was the new chef who had started last week. He was very young and very shy. She had a feeling the guys enjoyed embarrassing him as much as they did her. She smiled reassuringly at him as he stood behind the steaming counter and requested a little of his lamb roast. Relief swept through her as she spied Lena and Sharon sitting nearby. She made a beeline for them.
‘Hi, guys!’
Surprisingly, they were equally pleased to see her. She knew Lena had been struggling a little with Wendy’s role as safety manager. All the engineers were. But to give the girl some credit she hadn’t uttered a single rude word to her, which couldn’t be said about Fish or Craig or any of the other engineers.
Except Gavin.
Gavin had said nothing at all. Stone cold silent on the subject.
Do you honestly want him to say something? Isn’t it better that he stays away from you?
She blushed as her mind automatically revisited each encounter they’d had. He was flirtatious, shameless and persistent. But she still had no intention of taking him up on the offer he was obviously making.
Lena interrupted her thoughts.
‘We were just talking about you.’ Her smile was bright. ‘What are you doing on the weekend?’
‘Oh, we have this Sunday off, don’t we?’ The realisation was like picking up fifty bucks on the side of the road. ‘I completely forgot!’
‘How on earth did you do that?’ Sharon laughed. ‘I’ve been counting the days.’
They only got one Sunday off a fortnight. They had to wait five weeks before they earned R and R, which was a week off. Most of the boys flew home for it, but some stayed to bum around in town. It was definitely a long time to wait for a break but Wendy had been so preoccupied with her search for her father and getting a head start on her new job that every day had seemed to blend into the other.
Radar and a man called Leg were also seated at the same table. They immediately put their cutlery down. ‘What’s it to be this time, Madame E? Another fishing trip?’
Lena stuck out her tongue. ‘Who said I was inviting you? This is going to be a Girls’ Day Out.’ She turned to Wendy. ‘What do you reckon? A day on the beach, bit of a swim and a sunbake with your gal pals? We can have lunch in Point Samson or something.’
‘It sounds wonderful. But . . .’ I might be tracking down Hector Warner that day.
‘But what?’ Lena seemed disappointed. ‘You can’t mean to stay in the camp. You’ll be bored batty. Tell her, Sharon.’
‘Lena has a point.’ Sharon nodded. ‘You’ll be stuck with these guys and all they’re going to do is drink and read dirty magazines.’
Leg sniffed haughtily. ‘You don’t know that.’
Radar snorted.
Wendy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn’t want them to think she was a snob. She had too many other labels already, like: nit-picker, spy, tattle-tale, Bossy Boots
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