The January Wish Page 14

  Soon the cars went limp and the girls clambered out, Lauren mouthing to the others, ‘We’ll meet you around back.’

  ‘I haven’t been in a dodgem car for ages!’ Grace remarked.

  ‘They’re always fun,’ Lauren replied. ‘So tell me, what do you think of Jonah?’

  Luckily it was dark behind the dodgem track so Lauren wouldn’t be able to see her blushing. ‘Um, he’s nice I guess.’ Grace shrugged.

  ‘Just nice? C’mon, I saw the way your eyes sparkled when you watched him work at the café last Saturday night,’ Lauren insisted.

  Grace bowed her head, unable to withhold a grin. ‘Is it that obvious?’

  Lauren nodded. ‘That’s good, because I reckon he has the hots for you too. Big time.’

  ‘What? Huh? Why? What did he say?’ Grace’s speech reverted to that of a five-year-old after a red cordial overload.

  ‘Let’s just say he’s been talking about you. A LOT.’

  Grace giggled like a child and covered her face with her hand. Just then an arm swung around her shoulders.

  ‘Evening darlin’, lookin’ good tonight.’ It was the idiot from the dodgem cars, his beefy skin emitting a combination of alcohol and body odour. Grace shrugged his arm off and stepped back, but he swung his arm back around her, the other around Lauren, pulling them in close to his body.

  ‘Hey, get lost, will ya?’ Lauren had him off her in a second, holding an arm in front of Grace as if to shield her.

  He didn’t get the message. He leaned in towards Lauren, trying to put his arms around her. ‘C’mon babe, show me some love,’ he slurred.

  Lauren pushed his arms down and away. ‘Leave us alone. C’mon Grace.’ They turned away and walked quickly in the direction of the crowd.

  This only irritated the guy. He lurched forwards and grabbed Lauren’s ponytail, pulling her head backwards. Grace’s heart skipped a beat and she froze, not sure whether to run or help Lauren. She didn’t have to do either. In an instant, Lauren had spun around, her forearm pushing his arm out of the way, before grabbing his shoulders and kneeing him in the groin. As he collapsed forwards, crying out in pain, Lauren grabbed Grace’s hand. ‘C’mon,’ she said.

  ‘You bitch, arghhh!’ The guy tried to walk towards them again but couldn’t, his hands cupped around his groin.

  ‘Take that!’ Grace yelled, throwing the plastic toy bird at him. It missed. But at least the sound of the bird’s tweeting shocked him enough to wonder what the hell it was.

  Lauren found one of the security guards who was covering the crowded area and pointed out the guy to him. Moments later he was escorted out of the park.

  ‘You were amazing!’ Grace told Lauren. ‘I thought he was going to drag us off somewhere, but you…you kicked a grown man’s arse!’

  Lauren smiled. ‘I didn’t want to hurt him, he obviously just had a few too many, but when he grabbed my hair my instincts took hold.’

  ‘Damn good instincts! I just froze. Great help I was,’ Grace said.

  ‘It was nothing. Just my training kicking in.’

  ‘What sort of training?’ Grace asked.

  ‘Taekwondo. I got my black belt last year.’

  ‘Awesome! I picked the right girl to hang with then,’ Grace said.

  ‘Actually, the others are black belts too.’

  ‘All of you? Jonah too?’

  Lauren nodded. ‘That’s how most of us became friends, we’re in classes together. Susie and Josh also went to the same school as me, and I’ve known Jonah since I was a kid.’

  ‘Wow. And I came here tonight feeling like the odd one out to start with, now I find out you’re all ninjas!’ Grace laughed.

  ‘Actually, ninjas undergo different training. Anyway, no need to feel like the odd one out, I’m glad you came tonight. You’re a lot of fun.’

  ‘I am?’

  Lauren nodded and smiled.

  It felt nice for Grace to have made a new friend. She missed her friends from Melbourne. ‘So what do you do during the day, Lauren? Do you work, or study?’

  ‘Study,’ she replied, shaking her blonde hair loose from its ponytail. ‘I’m in my final year of a dance degree at Welston Uni.’ She scooped up her hair and retied her ponytail.

  Grace’s eyes widened. ‘Wow, I didn’t know you could do dance at uni. I’m starting dance classes in town soon, though I doubt I’ll be any good. You must be awesome if you’re in your final year!’

  Lauren flicked her hand. ‘Ah, it’s what I love to do. I hope to start my own dance school one day.’

  ‘So you’re a dancing ninja,’ Grace said.

  Lauren chuckled. ‘Yeah, maybe I should invent my own style of entertaining self defence.’ She moved her arms in a beautiful flourish and followed up with a sharp punch in the air.

  ‘Sounds like fun!’

  ‘Who knows, it could be the next craze,’ Lauren replied, then burst out laughing.

  ‘What are you laughing at? Do I have food stuck in my teeth?’ Grace slid her tongue across her teeth just in case.

  ‘No, sorry,’ Lauren said. ‘I’m just remembering the way you threw that annoying bird at the guy. ‘“Take that!”‘ she mimicked Grace’s earlier display of aggression, and they both folded forward in giggles.

  ‘What’s so funny?’ Josh asked, the rest of Jonah’s friends coming over from behind the dodgems.

  ‘Oh, nothing,’ Lauren said.

  ‘Actually, Lauren just saved me from getting attacked by some creep. She was awesome!’

  ‘Really? You okay?’

  Grace nodded. ‘I’m fine. He grabbed Lauren by the hair, but she got him where it hurts before he could do anything else.’

  ‘Way to go girl, is he gone now?’ Josh asked.

  ‘Yeah, he got escorted out of here.’

  ‘You’ll have to tell Master Jin at class next week,’ Susie said, before turning to Grace. ‘He’s our Taekwondo instructor,’ she explained.

  ‘I thought so, Lauren told me you guys all do classes together.’

  ‘Hey, you should come along!’ Lauren put her hand on Grace’s arm.

  ‘Yeah, beginners are always welcome,’ Susie said.

  Grace got a mental image of herself in a white suit, trying to kick high but falling over. ‘I dunno, I’m pretty uncoordinated.’

  ‘It’ll teach you coordination, Grace, and there are other beginners in the classes too.’ Lauren hadn’t let go of her arm yet.

  ‘Um…’

  ‘Master Jin gives newbies a free class to try it out, so why don’t you come along next week? We’ve only just started back for the year,’ Josh said.

  ‘Well, okay. I’ll give it a try, but promise not to laugh at me?’

  ‘We promise,’ they all said.

  ‘Classes are on at seven from Monday to Thursday, you can come to any one,’ Lauren said. ‘At the high school hall.’

  After finishing Year Twelve Grace thought she’d seen the last of school halls, but it looked like she’d be paying the Tarrin’s Bay High School hall another visit.

  At nine, Susie and Josh left, while Grace, Lauren, Chris and Jianyu headed over to Café Lagoon to meet Jonah. Grace’s heart soared when she saw him. He smiled widely, and apologised again to Grace for not being there earlier. She so wanted to take a photo of him right now.

  ‘It’s okay, we had fun, didn’t we?’ Grace turned to Lauren.

  ‘Sure did,’ she replied. ‘Even managed to convince Grace to join us at taekwondo next week.’

  ‘Really?’ Jonah’s eyes widened.

  Grace nodded feebly.

  ‘Awesome,’ Jonah said, pulling the apron off over his head. ‘So, you know where to go?’

  ‘Yeah, the school hall. I was there yesterday so I know where it is,’ Grace replied.

  ‘Oh yeah—your audition! How’d it go?’ Jonah asked. Grace had told him about the upcoming audition last Saturday.

  ‘I got in,’ she said.

  ‘Woohoo!’ Jonah clapped. The others joined
in, and she tried to flick their applause away.

  ‘It’s nothing. It’s not like it’s The X Factor or anything.’ Grace tried to will her blushing away.

  ‘Are you kidding?’ Lauren asked. ‘It’s the biggest concert in town each year. They only let the really talented people perform, and they go way out with the sets and lighting. It’s a great night.’

  ‘So…you’ll all be there, then?’ Grace scanned everyone’s eyes, lingering on Jonah’s.

  Everyone nodded. ‘I’ll make sure I don’t have to work that night,’ Jonah said with a definitive tone.

  So not only would she have to work up the courage to perform in front of strangers, but new friends, and possibly her as-yet-unknown grandparents too. At least it was a few months away, time to get prepared and build up her confidence.

  ‘I’m off now.’ Jonah turned to a staff member, and came around the counter to the group. They walked across the road to Miracle Park, where some of the stalls were packing up, and hung out for a while by the stage where musicians were still playing. When things died down, Jonah looked at his watch. ‘Only nine-thirty—anyone feel like catching a late movie?’

  ‘Sure,’ Grace said, nodding. Lauren nodded too.

  ‘I’ve got an early morning mate, might give it a miss,’ said Chris.

  ‘Yeah, me too, I’m off to the city tomorrow,’ said Jianyu.

  So, it would just be Jonah, Grace, and Lauren.

  Lauren looked awkwardly at Grace. ‘Actually, I remembered I have to take my sister to…a, um…thing, early tomorrow before uni.’

  Just Jonah and Grace. Alone. Together. Would he still want to go, just with me?

  ‘Looks like it’s just us,’ Jonah said, raising his eyebrows at Grace. ‘Shall we go?’ He held out his elbow and she took it. They said their goodbyes to the others, and Jonah led her in the direction of the car park around the back of the shops on Park Street. A tiny Italian restaurant Grace had never noticed before was lit by a frame of red and green lights, a sandwich board listing specials sat out front in the car park. It was so cute, Grace took a photo of it. Jonah smiled at her curiously.

  ‘What?’ she asked.

  ‘You like restaurants I take it?’

  ‘I like photography. I’ve been collecting photos since I came to Tarrin’s Bay.’

  ‘Cool. You’ll have to show me what you’ve got so far, sometime.’

  Grace nodded. ‘Which movie should we see?’ she asked, as they got into his car.

  Jonah got out his phone and loaded up the session times for the local cinema. ‘There’s either Time out, or Never Again—both comedies.’ He looked at Grace.

  ‘Um… I like the sound of Never Again, wanna see that one?’

  ‘Sounds good.’ Jonah revved the engine and drove to the cinema in the next town.

  Three hours later they were back in Jonah’s car, driving home. Grace allowed a small yawn to escape her mouth. Although tired, she could easily stay up all night and hang out with Jonah if the opportunity presented itself. Unlike her friends from Melbourne, she hadn’t had many boyfriends, nothing serious anyway. She’d never felt as strongly about anyone as she did with Jonah, and she couldn’t get enough. Of his eyes, his smile, his laughter, and his gentle strength. Okay, so she didn’t know him that well yet, but what did that have to do with anything?

  At the cinema, their hands had brushed against each other when they both went to put their arms on the armrest between them. Jonah had moved his away, letting her arm take the spot. And then, amidst an episode of laughter from a funny scene in the movie, he’d put his arm back on the armrest, on top of her arm, entwining his fingers with hers. A tingle had rushed from her arm to the rest of her body, and she hoped he couldn’t feel the goose bumps on her arm that felt as big as golf balls.

  Grace hummed along to a song on the car radio, and Jonah joined in. He looked at her for a moment, a smile playing on his lips, then belted out the chorus of the song with one hand curled into a microphone-shaped fist in front of his mouth. He moved the ‘microphone’ to her mouth, and she did her best to outsing him. Soon, the car was filled with enthusiastic, out of tune singing, followed by laughing. After some unsuccessful channel switching to find another suitable sing-along-song worthy of their performance, they arrived at the caravan park.

  ‘Thanks for the movie,’ Grace said, walking as slowly as possible to her caravan, Jonah following.

  ‘My pleasure. Sorry I wasn’t there earlier for the festival.’ Jonah slid his hands into his pockets.

  ‘That’s fine. It’s more important all those thirsty people got their fix of gourmet coffee—Jonah style!’

  Oh God. Did I really say that?

  ‘True, and coffee is an in demand industry. People will always need their coffee.’

  ‘Do you think you’ll stay at the café long term, maybe take over the family business someday?’ Grace asked.

  ‘Who knows?’ Jonah replied. ‘Maybe. It does allow me to talk to people all day, I love doing that. And I get discounted food and coffee.’ He removed his hands from his pockets and let them swing beside his body.

  ‘That’s a good enough reason.’

  ‘What about you? Do you want to have your own bookshop one day?’ Did Jonah step in closer to her just now?

  ‘I don’t think so. But I don’t really know what I want to do yet. I’m just trying a few things out,’ Grace said.

  ‘What about music? That is, if you’re any good,’ he suggested, elbowing her cheekily in the ribs.

  ‘You’ll have to wait till the concert to find out.’ Grace elbowed him back, a smile curving at the corners of her mouth. ‘This is mine,’ she said, coming to a stop in front of her temporary home.

  ‘I like it, it’s very…you.’ Jonah glanced at the colourful garland of fake flowers she’d framed the caravan with.

  ‘Do you mean to say that I’m fake?’ she teased.

  He tilted his head back with a chuckle. ‘No. That it’s pretty, like you.’ He was looking straight at her now.

  ‘Well, thanks.’ Thank God it was too dark for him to see her blushing. ‘And thanks again for tonight.’

  Jonah simply nodded, and leaned in towards her. Grace felt her lips part ever so slightly, as she felt his warm breath on her face. Her dream guy was right here in front of her, coming in closer, getting ready to…

  ‘See you again soon,’ he whispered, pursing his lips and planting them on her cheek.

  What happened to the perfect kiss she’d imagined? A combination of bliss from the sensation of his lips on her skin and disappointment from the anticlimax of the moment stirred around her heart, as he walked back to his car and waved before driving away.

  Chapter 22

  If she hadn’t looked down to shy away from the glaring sunlight that welcomed her on opening the caravan door, Grace would have stepped on it. A rectangular package about the size of a book lay on the ground in front of her caravan. Gold wrapping paper reflected the sun’s bright rays, and a red ribbon tied into a lopsided bow made her smile with curiosity.

  She bent down to pick it up, and tugged at the ribbon to release the bow. Turning the package over to undo the sticky tape, she noticed a small card attached to the bottom.

  HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY was printed in a flourished font on the front of the card, and Grace brought a hand to her mouth in surprise. She didn’t even realise it was the fourteenth of February today. She also wondered for a moment why Mrs May’s Bookstore hadn’t planned any sort of promotion for this global day of love; it would have been a perfect excuse to create a new, romantic window display.

  Knowing who it must be from, she inched the card open and found obviously male handwriting that read: This is only half your gift, meet me at the café at 6 p.m. and I’ll give you the other half. Jonah.

  Quickly, Grace tore off the wrapping paper to reveal a cardboard box. Inside the box was a beautiful silver photo frame, covered with diamantes that glimmered in the sunlight. She squinted as her eyes wat
ered, both from the glare, and from the fact that Jonah had remembered she liked photography. Like a love-struck actress overacting her part, she held the gift to her heart in a dramatic gesture, lifting her head to the sky, and closing her eyes. Warmth permeated her eyelids and she felt like the luckiest girl on the planet.

  The day couldn’t go fast enough. It was her day off, so Grace kept as busy as possible, cycling, walking, reading, and catching up with her friends on Facebook. Just after five she was showered and dressed for her mystery evening with Jonah. She wondered what the ‘other half’ of the gift would be.

  As she had a half hour to spare, Grace plugged her phone into her laptop computer to upload the latest photos from the last few days. Then she opened her ‘My Pictures’ folder to have a look at her growing collection. All of a sudden the screen froze, and when she tried clicking nothing happened.

  ‘C’mon, stupid computer!’ she said, as though that would make it behave. A pop-up window appeared and then disappeared before she had a chance to read it, then her folder disappeared, and the internet browsing windows she’d opened closed down. When she tried opening up ‘My Pictures’ again, the folder was empty.

  ‘What the?’ Grace’s eyes furiously searched for a solution. She tried opening the internet again, but it wouldn’t load, and all her pictures were gone.

  Just like that.

  ‘No!’ she lifted her hands to her head and stared at the screen, as if the magic remedy would suddenly appear and fix the problem. It must be some kind of virus, she thought, as the computer began shutting down. Maybe she shouldn’t have accepted that invitation from one of her friends to play ‘Which movie star are you most like?’ on Facebook. What if that somehow caused it? Then again, she’d also been Googling and reading blogs about ‘How to tell if he’s the one’, and ‘Ten things NOT to do on a date’.