Decision Time

Warkworth River, Northland, New Zealand

So I've been at a low ebb these last twenty four hours . There are some big decisions to be made in the week ahead and I guess it is anxiety that has drained my energy.
Let's face it: Fear is a dirty word. May be if I sit still  and keep my mind quiet the tide will turn

Drawing from Life continues:

Chapter 10

The first week working for Philip went smoothly enough. The routine of getting up and opening the gallery by ten seemed to Rhona to be useful and productive. Gracie came to the gallery after school and sat with her until 4.30 when Philip usually came in. He was in phone contact during the day too but Rhona thought he rather enjoyed their evening “post mortem”, as she called it.

She made good sales in the first couple of days, as well as clearing the back-log of administration which Philip had been trying to keep on top of in the evenings. Her employer was delighted. He told her he hadn’t dared hope for business acumen as well as art knowledge. The only negative about the position was that she found she thought of Bill often, especially when it was quiet.

It was being in Parnell that did it, she decided. It was so close to his home and their shared surroundings. When the bus went past his house in the mornings she formed the habit of deliberately looking the other way. It was childish and pathetic, she knew. So was the way she imagined him walking into the gallery and saying “Hi Rhona, I’m back. Lock up and come home with me.”

The last Wednesday before Christmas killed that particular fantasy. Gracie had finished school and come in with her for the day. They had had a good morning chatting and making plans for the holidays. Early in the afternoon a young couple came in and asked for Philip. The girl had a short bleached pixie hair cut and cerise lips. Her partner was an earnest androgynous looking boy with a satchel. Rhona asked if she could help. The girl said they were there to pick up the key for the apartment in Domain Drive. There were only a few apartments Rhona knew of on that road and only one that Philip could be involved with.

Rhona was all efficiency, unaware that she was chewing her lip, until the girl asked her if there was a problem. She dialled Philip to enquire. He sounded shocked at her question and started to stammer an explanation. She cut him short, asking the whereabouts of the keys. They were in the kitchen drawer. She briskly thanked him and hung up.

Making small talk as she located them, Rhona discovered the young man was in Auckland for six months research at the medical school. Evidently these two were older than they looked. He told her it was just by chance that they had seen the advert’ on line. The short term, semi-furnished lease suited them perfectly. They had driven past it and hoped to have a look through the place quickly before they finalised terms.

Rhona agreed it was perfect.

It was all she could do to keep a professional demeanour when they returned a little later, saying they would definitely take it. The girl was in such raptures over the “retro styling” and two bathrooms.

When Philip came that afternoon he started apologizing before he was through the front door.  Bill was to let him know when the ad’ went live but he hadn’t checked his email. He paused in front of where she was sitting behind the counter and hesitated before he reached over to touch her arm. She only glanced up saying icily “He’s away obviously.” Gracie was in the kitchen on the lap top and her look in their direction made him pause.

“Look”, he said more quietly, “can I ring you tonight?”

“There’s no need, really” She was avoiding eye contact and concentrating on making up the till for the day. He came around to her side and stood very close beside her. He lowered his voice even more. “This is awful. We’re in touch of course but Bill doesn’t know you’re working for me.” He went on explaining that he had been so busy he forgot to make better arrangements about the keys. She sat listening, reassuring him occasionally, thinking how ridiculous it was that she should be doing the comforting in this situation. Finally running out of patience, she moved aside for him to finish the job of cashing up the till saying “Forget it, life goes on.”

Philip watched her nod to Gracie and gather her things. “Right” he said in more his usual style. “I’ll see you Friday then.”

Rhona moved with Gracie to the door and looked back to wave, her lips forming a smile.

As soon as they were out on the Rise Rhona set off at a furious pace, explaining as she went. “I have been so worried about Mr Ego Egan, how he was getting on after losing his job and everything. I needn’t have wasted my energy. It turns out he’s fine. He just never bothered to get in touch.”

Gracie was trotting to keep up. She managed to say “Stink. That’s not kind.”

Rhona was puffing before she realized how fast she had made Gracie walk up the hill. She slackened her stride.

Gracie flopped into the seat at the bus shelter saying “Anyway it’s his loss. Bill’s I mean. You can tell Philip thinks so.”

Rhona sank down next to her without answering that remark. She was thinking how Philip was so professional he would be considerate to whoever was working for him. It was probably the potential for an ugly scene which appalled him the most. Still, if he wasn’t such an honourable man he wouldn’t get himself into these situations in the first place. She wouldn’t have expected his level of courtesy from anyone else.

Friday was Christmas Eve and Philip was going to stay with Bill for Christmas. Not that he told Rhona that, not after Wednesday’s drama. He only said he was going out of town and that he would close the gallery until the middle of January. He left after locking up and only just made the five o’clock boat.

Despite the holiday crush he managed to find a seat inside. It was a hot afternoon and groups of excited children were thronging the decks. It suited him to be away from their exuberant noise and have the benefit of the air conditioned cabin. Normally he avoided seasonal festivities of any kind but he was keen to see Bill and inspect the progress on the cottage. He planned to surprise Grace Fielding with a visit too. There was no harm in mixing work with pleasure. Besides, being a particularly good client, she could always be relied on for conversation and hospitality.

Philip sat gazing out the window, trying to distract himself from the appalling smell of sour milk and stale food. It was also difficult to block out the inanities of his fellow passengers. He began mulling over what he now called the Keys Fiasco.

He had expected Rhona to be a bit cool to him after that business on Wednesday, but she was her usual friendly self this morning. If she was going to be working for him next year Bill will have to be told. He would have to say something about it on this visit – face to face. He didn’t want to take the flak if Bill walked in and found her there. Not to mention how unfair it was to Rhona keeping her in the dark. She obviously still felt something for Bill, even after being left like that.

Philip sighed and turned away from the window. He had never found it easy to get along with women. Rhona was the first female he had ever employed and he wasn’t entirely sure of his motivations for doing so. Still, there was no denying it was a pleasure to have her there. She was reliable, pleasant to the clients, knowledgeable and, it seemed, even tempered.

The daughter was no problem either. You hardly knew the child was there most of the time.

He smiled to himself thinking of his fiancée. He was only a baby then, a twenty year old engaged to his eighteen year old sweetheart- just three years older than Gracie was now. He thought his world had ended when she took off to Australia a month before the wedding. Well he had got over it in the end and it had cured him of chasing after girls. He had his work and his small pleasures in life that sustained him.

He sat idly watching the other passengers around him. There was a harassed mother of two school age boys near him who looked like she had been too busy to check in the mirror for weeks. Her clothing seemed to be chosen for maximum coverage and minimum care. He thought it was sad somehow. Of course there was nothing like a bit of spending money to improve a woman’s looks.

By association his mind wandered back to Rhona. She had smartened up her appearance a lot lately and obviously knew what to buy with her income. He particularly liked the outfit she had on today. It was a cool lavender coloured wrap dress, made from some light fabric that draped itself nicely about her figure. She had looked fresh and summery but professional at the same time.

He smirked to himself remembering an incident that morning.  A client had called in to settle payment on three new works for his boardroom. He kept following Rhona with his eyes and it was a job to keep his attention long enough to do the business. When she had gone out the back, the man had asked him casually if the lady was French. He said the new assistant was the greatest asset in the gallery, which Philip thought was a bit over the top.

There was no denying Rhona was attractive, in an unconventional sort of way. It was her animated movements and speech that were most appealing, though she was striking to look at these days. The thing was that she had this direct way of looking or speaking sometimes, as if she knew everything about you all along, and found you wanting. Her manner made a chap feel dodgy being on the receiving end, as he had been on Wednesday.

Philip he had been on the point of asking her why she didn’t just forget about Bill altogether, but it was none of his business. The last thing he wanted was to get involved with other people’s relationship issues. Besides, her honest answer would have been too much for him.

He shook himself and got to his feet as the boat docked. There was a distasteful crush as he made his way out on to the wharf. Nothing would possess him to take public transport over to Bill’s and he had no intention of walking, so securing a taxi was of the first importance to him. With an authoritative wave of his arm he managed to attract the attention of a cabby parked outside the ferry buildings. It was a van and would likely be shared, but it was the best that could be expected in the circumstances.

To his surprise they got away almost immediately, once the driver knew his destination. The chauffer further informed him that he knew Bill was having company because a new beer fridge had just been delivered to his house. Philip sat next to the driver in appalled silence. Throughout the entire journey as he was regaled with all the recent gossip relating to his host.

Never more glad to reach his target address, Philip paid the man off as fast as possible. He thought to call in on Grace Fielding first, to wish her the best of the season, but as he walked down her path there was the taxi driver again, yelling at him as he turned his van around “She’s gone to town mate. Back Boxing Day.”

Philip made his way to Bill’s door, which was the cottage adjacent to Miss Fielding’s.

When his friend appeared Philip blurted out “This place is a Bloody Village. They all know your business and share it with whoever they meet.”

Bill stood there relaxed and grinning. His calm voice just made things worse as first.

“Come in you poor bastard.” Philip found himself being plucked from the front step. “Who pushed your button anyway?”

“That taxi driver…” Philip was still furious. “The most unprofessional…”

“Short guy?” Bill was still grinning inanely.

“I don’t know. He was sitting down – probably short, definitely old, nosey and indiscreet.”

Bill grinned. “That’ll be Casey. He’s alright. Look mind that wiring on your left. I haven’t quite finished in the hallway yet.”

Philip raised his hand, the beginnings of a smile around his lips. It was a well known fact that he did not do camping. “You mentioned a guest room. What do you mean you haven’t quite finished?”

“Well the roof’s on isn’t it? The plumbing works. Some rooms have power. You can rusticate a few days Phil. Come and get a beer.”