The Reef by Di Morrissey

Matt Dawn. God, I don’t know how I’m going to tell him about this.’
    Blair yawned, and headed to the bedroom. ‘I thought we might eat later with the two corporate managers. Then you can hear about it firsthand.’
    Jennifer just stared at him. ‘And I won’t be able to complain or say I don’t want to go there and embarrass you.’
    â€˜Don’t you want to go?’
    â€˜Do I have a choice?’ Jennifer turned her back. ‘Just let me get used to the idea, Blair.’

    Later in the week Jennifer had lunch with a girlfriend who worked in the admin department of the university and Trisha, her friend from university. Trisha thought the resort and the island sounded stunning.
    â€˜Jenny, it’s right on the Barrier Reef – one of the wonders of the world!’
    â€˜God, I can see myself sitting by that pool with a pina colada watching the waves crash on the reef outside the lagoon,’ added the other girl.
    â€˜For a week or two, then what do I do?’ sighed Jennifer.
    â€˜Can’t you work on your laptop and email?’ asked Trisha.
    â€˜Or commute? How far away is the mainland? What town do you go from?’
    Jennifer could see they were not seeing this from her perspective. Neither was married and they had office jobs, not academic positions. ‘From Headland Bay. There’s a catamaran service that takes a couple of hours. Or an expensive helicopter trip. It’s a really small place.’
    â€˜How romantic’
    â€˜Yeah. You have to go to the mainland for shopping, entertainment, everything. I’ll probably get seasick.’ The girls laughed but Jennifer was concerned. The more she heard about the place from Blair and Reg Holding and Joe Fanzio, the corporate managers representing the resort owners, the more depressed she became.
    She rang Vi and asked to meet her for a coffee, telling her the basic news. ‘But don’t say anythingto Mum yet. I’ll tell her when I can come to terms with this whole idea.’
    â€˜It doesn’t sound like what you’d hoped Blair would do. What about your book? Could you stay on the mainland and visit Blair on the island?’
    â€˜That’s not a silly idea, Vi,’ said Jennifer. ‘Remember what you told me, the woman always has to compromise. It doesn’t seem fair.’
    â€˜If you love him, that’s the trade-off, sweetie.’
    Jennifer got on the internet and trawled through sites that covered Australia’s magnificent Great Barrier Reef. There were a few mentions of Branch Island and she spent time looking at the resort’s website trying to imagine how she would spend her days. Tears of frustration sprang to her eyes and she wondered what she’d done to deserve this place, of all locations, as her home for the next eighteen months – at least. And home meant a suite in the resort. Not even separate quarters.
    Blair cuddled her tightly curled body, trying to ignore her weepy voice as he held her during the night. ‘It’s going to be fine, trust me. I know you’re not a beachy person, but this is a big move for me. Just support me, hang in there for this first gig and then we’ll get a post in Europe. Somewhere nice. I know it.’
    Jennifer felt mean and selfish. And sorry for herself. The conversation with Professor Dawn about her move and the future of their collaboration had been traumatic. The arrogant and austere professor was relying on Jennifer more than she knew to turn his work of important, but dry, factsabout the dangers of world pollution into a polished and emotive book. He had reluctantly agreed – ‘as I have little alternative’ – to work long-distance by email and exchange drafts of hard copy by post. Jennifer tried to be as accommodating and positive as she could because she saw this as the only intellectually stimulating diversion she’d have on the island and the only means of