Page 23 of Gypsy's Lady
Melbourne, Australia, five years later
Kelsey
She stumbled when aheavy weighthit her back, then as arms wrapped around her throat, she heard a familiar voice whisper in her ear, “I can’t believe you’re not coming back for a whole year. Say it ain’t so!”
Kelsey Rye dipped her head, reachingupa hand to stroke along the back of her friend’s arm. “Only for a year.”Finances were tight, and grant money at her job study program hadn’t been renewed for next year. That meant she needed to postpone additional credits and work a regular job for a bit, to sock money away until she could come back and finish. She knew thirty was older than the norm for gettingone’sdegree, but Kelsey’s life hadn’t followed the typical path to now.
“But then we’ll be in all differentgroups and have different friends.” Kate’s arms tightened,andKelsey pulled away, turned and smiled at Kate. The girls had met on their first day and had beenclosesince. “I’ll miss you.”
“I-I’ll miss you, too.” Witheaseborne from long practice, Kelsey hid her flinch at the stuttered sounds and forced a smile. She reached out, smoothing her palm down Kate’s hair. Not wanting to let the damnedthing get the best of her, she pushed her tangled tongue through her stress-induced stutter. “I-It’ll go fast.”
Lips pursed in a pretty pout, Kate grabbed her hand, dragging Kelsey at her side as she stalked up the sidewalk. “One last drink. Come on. Come with. You just had a birthday, we can have a party.”
Kelsey dragged her feet as she pulled her hand free. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I’m meetingKevin at the pictures.” Kelsey dipped her chin, trying to hide her smile.Kevin. She’d met him in a coffee shop a few days ago, shocked when he strolled up to her table and asked her name, bold as could be. He was working in an office. Kevin had told her he was in sales, and if his late-night hours seemed odd for that career, she reasoned she didn’t know exactly what he was selling, after all.He was sweet andkind,and seemed to be definitely interested in her.
“Kevino, he’s a wanker. Stay clearofhim, Kels. That one’s up to no good.” Kate sounded genuinely concerned,andKelsey’s heart gave an errant thud in her chest. “Come on. Come with me,andwe’ll have one last beer before you get on the coach to go home.”
Not bothering to correct her friend’s misinformation, Kelsey leanedforwards, wrapped her arms around Kate’s neck, and pulled her close. “I’ll miss you, Katie.”
Arms cramped tightly around her shoulders as Kate folded around Kelsey. “I already miss you more.” Kate gave her a squeeze then pulled back to look into her face. “I’m not kidding about thatKevino. He reeks of bad news. You should stay clear away.”
“I-I love you, crazy girl.” Kelsey brushed her lipsacross Kate’s cheek in goodbye. “I’ll ring you every week.”
“Oi!You better!” Kate smoothed her skirt with bothhands,and looked at Kelsey from under lowered lashes as she tried to hide her tears. “I love you, too, Kelsey.”
Three hours later, Kelsey was seated in the back row of the cinema, a nearly empty bag of popcorn balanced on one knee, all of Kate’s caution forgotten as Kevin curled hishand around her shoulder. Credits rolled upwards on the screen as the other patrons climbed to their feet and shuffled out of the darkened cinema, into the darkness outside. He leaned close enough his breath ghosted against the shell of her ear, and she shivered in anticipation of all the things he might do next. “Pretty, pretty Kelsey. What shall we do now?” Fingers touched her knee, trailinga delicate stripe of heat upwards. “What say we head out the back doors, take a shortcut to the car park?”
Kevin had volunteered to drive her and her possessions home to Croydon. He said he had family nearthere,and had grinned when he told her it’d be no hardship making the trip in the company of a pretty woman. They’d stopped at the housing unit for the program before coming to the cinema,and all of Kelsey’s things were currently stowed in the boot of his car.
“Okay,” she told him, turning her head in time to see a sly smile break across his face. There and gone in a flash, she eyed him cautiously for a moment as they stood and settled into an easy stride to the door leading into the alleyway behind the cinema.
“Pretty, pretty Kelsey. We’re going to have such fun with you.”
