Page 52 of Now and Again

‘Err, thanks, yeah. It’s a Mia original. I might just go and run a brush through it, though,’ she said, dashing past Riley and into the house. She took the stairs two at a time. But she couldn’t outrun her embarrassment, and as Juliet sat in front of a mirror and looked at her bananas hair and her pink cheeks, she wondered if she’d ever recover.Then again, she’d come back from worse.She brushed her hair out hastily and waited for her colour to return to something less tomatoey.

***

By the time Juliet got back down, the garden was filling with guests. There were toddlers and parents everywhere, wait staff milling among them.Amanda and Mike were talking to another couple, standing side by side, doing a pretty good impression of a functional marriage. But Juliet didn’t watch them for long. Her eyes went straight to Riley. She was ladling a drink from a bowl that was strictly for the adults. Juliet didn’t know what she should do now. Though maybe there was no actual reason she had to feel weird around Riley? Because wasn’t it true that most of this had only occurred in Juliet’s head, very little of it making it out into the physical world? It probably wasn’t that obvious that she’d fallen in love with Riley.

Wait. What was that word she’d just thought?Love? No, delete. That wasn’t right. It was a crush—an intense, brain-melting, heart-splitting crush. They’d known each other for about a week when they were eighteen and, more recently, a few months of ups and downs. You couldn’t fall in proper love with someone in that patchy time frame. Though it was entirely possible to think so, to fool yourself. She’d done it twice now. She had to kick this habit—today. She had to shake it the hell off and talk to Riley like she was just anyone. Like she was Mia. Maybe not Mia. Mike? No, she needed someone she liked. Amanda? That worked. She was her very nice boss, and the way Juliet talked to her was just right. Warm, with a slight layer of professional distance. Not a buddy, not family, a really good employer. She could use that voice for Riley.

Well, no time like the present, Juliet thought, helping herself to the adult cocktail bowl. Drink in hand, she began to walk in Riley’s direction, winding around toddlers and a few fatigued mums and dads, headed for her target. She was standing at the edge of the pool beyond the locked security gate, looking into its depths. Juliet let herself through the gate, shutting it behind her.

‘Hi,’ she said.

Riley turned to her. ‘You’ve changed your hair.’

‘Yeah. I felt that it might be too eye-catching of a look to debut at a three-year-old’s birthday bash. I wouldn’t want to make the day about me.’

Riley chuckled, and Juliet felt good about the opener. Even tone, light joke. Spot on.

‘Well, you rocked it,’ Riley said, smiling. Juliet felt slightly less capable for a moment, but gathered her strength and plundered on. ‘So, err, how’s it going at India’s?’

Riley took an infinitesimal pause and said, ‘It’s a nice place.’

Juliet thought she detected subtext. ‘And India? She a good housemate?’

‘Well, she’s hardly ever home,’ Riley said. ‘She’sverysocial.’

‘Mmm, I remember,’ Juliet said, trying not to add a tone to that.

Riley laughed. ‘Yeah. Same old India. A boy in every port.’

Juliet laughed, slightly surprised. She’d always had a theory about India. ‘I didn’t know that about her. I always thought… Well…’

‘What?’

‘Nothing. I mean, I didn’t know her. We weren’t exactly friends.’

Riley paused and looked down at her drink, and Juliet thought the conversation had come to an end. But then Riley said, ‘Funny you should mention that… India told me something. About the old days.’

That grabbed Juliet’s ear. ‘Yes?’

Riley bit her lip. ‘Yeah, she said… It’s silly to talk about it, really.’

Juliet felt nervous. Was this going to be about something uncomfortable? ‘What did she say?’

Riley frowned. ‘She said—’

‘Whoo!’ said a voice, and they both turned in surprise to see India herself suddenly appear between them. ‘That traffic was shitty!’ she said too loud in a garden full of kids. A few adults threw her a look she didn’t see. ‘But I made it.’ She let herself through the pool gate.

‘Oh,’ Riley said, looking thoroughly thrown. ‘I didn’t think… I didn’t realise you were free?’

‘For little Mina? I made the time,’ India smiled.

‘Mia,’ Juliet corrected.

India turned to her. ‘Oh.You’rehere?’

Juliet flashed her teeth in what she hoped was a decent imitation of a smile. ‘I live and work here. I’m not sure why it would be a surprise.’

‘I guess I thought you might have the day off.’

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