that everyone can be with the people
they love.’
‘So I have to hide the fact that, Lisa, and I are together?’ I asked.
‘That would be helpful,’ replied Nathan. ‘Will you do that for us? Will
you help up keep our secret for the next six weeks?’
‘Okay,’ I replied.
‘Thank you.’ Miranda almost seemed to be singing the words.
‘You don’t know how much this means to us,’ announced Nathan.
‘I do.’ I replied. ‘I know you too, Nathan. I have never seen you like
this about a woman before. If I can help protect your happiness then, Lisa, and
I will pretend to be nothing more than just friends for the next six weeks. I
won’t let, Frank, find out about the two of you’
‘Thank you, Conner.’
* * *
I walked into the kitchen just as mum got off the phone. ‘Good news,’ she
announced. ‘That was the airport. They said that your bags have finally arrived
and that they are ready to be picked up. Once I get through here I will go and
collect them for you.’
‘It’s okay,’ I interrupted. ‘I don’t mind picking them up.’
‘Oh?’ Mum raised a suspicious eyebrow.
‘I mean to say that I don’t really have anything else to do today. A
drive would get me out of the house.’ I forced a smile.
‘Well, if you say so.’ Mum returned her attention to the kitchen counter.
All sorts of different types of food had been strategically placed in nice
little neat lines all around the chopping board. Mum bent down and opened the
oven door. The smell of something hot and spicy instantly flared within my
nostrils. My stomach growled softly. It wanted whatever was cooking inside the
oven.
‘You, away,’ ordered mum. She flicked a kitchen towel at dad and me, as
we moved towards the oven like wild predators stalking their prey. ‘Dinner will
not be ready for a while yet so go away and do whatever it is you have to do.’
‘I better go find, Lisa, and tell her they have our bags.’
‘You know,’ said mum. In that tone mums use when they are plotting
something. ‘Miranda’s daughter, Sheridan, will be arriving here in a few days.’
‘Mum,’ I sighed.
‘No, no. Hear me out,’ she shushed me into silence with a wave of her
hand. ‘Sheridan is the same age as you and she’s really very pretty. Miranda
told me that she is bringing some of her girl friends along.’ Mum gave me a
cheeky wink. ‘It might be a good opportunity for you to meet a girl. It’s about
time you got yourself a girlfriend after all.’
‘Mum.’
How could I tell her I already liked someone?
And that someone just happened to be Nathan’s pretend girlfriend?
‘Don’t pick on him,’ said dad. He was busy packing things into his
backpack on the kitchen table. I couldn’t help but smile at the clothes he was
wearing. My dad the man who ate, slept and lived his job and never seemed to be
out of his tailor-made business suits was now standing in a bright blue shirt
and dark red shorts. He wore a strange green hat on his head and flip-flops on
his feet. ‘Say, Conner, you fancy going fishing with me today?’ he asked, as he
pointed towards the fishing rods laid out on the kitchen table.
‘Um, maybe another day,’ I replied. ‘I really want to go pick up my bags
from the airport and that may take a few hours.’
‘Well, the offer is always open. You know where to find me if you change
your mind.’
‘Okay, Dad.’ I headed passed them both and opened the back door of the
lake house. ‘Has anyone seen, Lisa?’
‘I believe she went down to the lake for a swim,’ replied mum, as she
began to chop away on the kitchen counter.
‘Thanks.’
I turned away and headed out of the lake house.
* * *
It was a five-minute walk from the lake house to the lake. The path was
covered with muddy puddles, which were a reminder of the storm from last night.
Although the storm had felt like some sort of biblical punishment from the
gods, had I just arrived at the lake house today, I would have never known
they love.’
‘So I have to hide the fact that, Lisa, and I are together?’ I asked.
‘That would be helpful,’ replied Nathan. ‘Will you do that for us? Will
you help up keep our secret for the next six weeks?’
‘Okay,’ I replied.
‘Thank you.’ Miranda almost seemed to be singing the words.
‘You don’t know how much this means to us,’ announced Nathan.
‘I do.’ I replied. ‘I know you too, Nathan. I have never seen you like
this about a woman before. If I can help protect your happiness then, Lisa, and
I will pretend to be nothing more than just friends for the next six weeks. I
won’t let, Frank, find out about the two of you’
‘Thank you, Conner.’
* * *
I walked into the kitchen just as mum got off the phone. ‘Good news,’ she
announced. ‘That was the airport. They said that your bags have finally arrived
and that they are ready to be picked up. Once I get through here I will go and
collect them for you.’
‘It’s okay,’ I interrupted. ‘I don’t mind picking them up.’
‘Oh?’ Mum raised a suspicious eyebrow.
‘I mean to say that I don’t really have anything else to do today. A
drive would get me out of the house.’ I forced a smile.
‘Well, if you say so.’ Mum returned her attention to the kitchen counter.
All sorts of different types of food had been strategically placed in nice
little neat lines all around the chopping board. Mum bent down and opened the
oven door. The smell of something hot and spicy instantly flared within my
nostrils. My stomach growled softly. It wanted whatever was cooking inside the
oven.
‘You, away,’ ordered mum. She flicked a kitchen towel at dad and me, as
we moved towards the oven like wild predators stalking their prey. ‘Dinner will
not be ready for a while yet so go away and do whatever it is you have to do.’
‘I better go find, Lisa, and tell her they have our bags.’
‘You know,’ said mum. In that tone mums use when they are plotting
something. ‘Miranda’s daughter, Sheridan, will be arriving here in a few days.’
‘Mum,’ I sighed.
‘No, no. Hear me out,’ she shushed me into silence with a wave of her
hand. ‘Sheridan is the same age as you and she’s really very pretty. Miranda
told me that she is bringing some of her girl friends along.’ Mum gave me a
cheeky wink. ‘It might be a good opportunity for you to meet a girl. It’s about
time you got yourself a girlfriend after all.’
‘Mum.’
How could I tell her I already liked someone?
And that someone just happened to be Nathan’s pretend girlfriend?
‘Don’t pick on him,’ said dad. He was busy packing things into his
backpack on the kitchen table. I couldn’t help but smile at the clothes he was
wearing. My dad the man who ate, slept and lived his job and never seemed to be
out of his tailor-made business suits was now standing in a bright blue shirt
and dark red shorts. He wore a strange green hat on his head and flip-flops on
his feet. ‘Say, Conner, you fancy going fishing with me today?’ he asked, as he
pointed towards the fishing rods laid out on the kitchen table.
‘Um, maybe another day,’ I replied. ‘I really want to go pick up my bags
from the airport and that may take a few hours.’
‘Well, the offer is always open. You know where to find me if you change
your mind.’
‘Okay, Dad.’ I headed passed them both and opened the back door of the
lake house. ‘Has anyone seen, Lisa?’
‘I believe she went down to the lake for a swim,’ replied mum, as she
began to chop away on the kitchen counter.
‘Thanks.’
I turned away and headed out of the lake house.
* * *
It was a five-minute walk from the lake house to the lake. The path was
covered with muddy puddles, which were a reminder of the storm from last night.
Although the storm had felt like some sort of biblical punishment from the
gods, had I just arrived at the lake house today, I would have never known
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