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‘Don’t spoil our friendship, Seth.’
It was a hard call and had made no sense to him, but he hadn’t pushed the matter. Later, after Polly left for Melbourne, they’d kept in touch for a couple of years—the occasional phone call or email—but it hadn’t been long before Polly was totally caught up in her new life, with her new studies and her new friends and her grumbles over her father’s new wife. It was pretty clear she and Seth no longer had much in common, so it was more or less a given that they’d drifted apart.
Such a surprise it was, now, after fourteen years, that Polly wanted to meet up with him again. Seth was sure it was just a whim, a burst of curiosity for old times’ sake, but talk about out of the blue.
*
Polly settled ona simple, navy midi dress for her dinner meeting. From the outset, she needed to send the right message to Seth and this dress was smart, with short sleeves, high neck and a slightly gathered skirt that should ensure that it wasn’t in any way flirtatious.
She thought about pinning up her hair, but decided to leave it hanging in its uncomplicated jaw-length bob. She didn’t bother with contact lenses either, but wore her specs, black rimmed to match her straight black hair. Seth was used to her wearing glasses. She’d worn them all through high school.
Okay. A final check and Polly was happy enough with her reflection in the motel’s mirror. She reckoned she’d hit the right note for this evening, a balance between business and recreation, but she wished she didn’t look so nervous.
The restaurant was in walking distance of her motel and dusk lingered as she set out along the footpath. The sky was bathed in pinks and golds, while her sensibly medium heels clipped out her progress along the concrete.Deep breaths. Stay calm.
She’d almost reached her destination when she realised that Seth was waiting for her at the restaurant’s front entrance. He’d been standing in the shadow of shrubbery, but now he stepped forward.
‘Hey, Polly.’
Gosh, she’d forgotten how tall he was. Had he kept growing after high school? And his shoulders seemed much broader than she remembered. His thick chestnut hair was the same, though, still carrying a slight wave that couldn’t be tamed. But his jaw carried the hint of a shadow that made him look way more manly than she remembered from their schooldays.
He was wearing a white shirt with long sleeves rolled back, pale chinos and elastic-sided boots. Typical, conservative, country-style clothes, which were exactly what Polly might have expected. And yet, she hadn’t expected these clothes to be quite so arresting, and she felt shy and stupidly nervous, especially when Seth took his time, letting his gaze travel over her.
She had to take another deep breath before she could speak. ‘Hi, Seth. Good to see you.’ Trying for a smile that she hoped didn’t look too forced, she stepped forward and lifted her face for an exchange of polite cheek kisses.
Luckily, Seth bent down to meet her, so Polly didn’t have to get onto tiptoes and risk losing her balance. The greeting achieved without unnecessary touching, she stepped back quickly, slightly breathless. Seth was smiling. He looked way more relaxed than Polly felt and his warm hazel eyes seemed to sparkle, almost as if he found their meeting amusing.
‘It’s been a long time,’ he said.
Polly nodded. ‘Ages.’
‘You look very well.’
‘Yes, I’m really well, thanks.’ She didn’t like to comment on his appearance. ‘How—how are you?’
‘Yep, I’m well too, thank you.’
‘And your family? Your sister and your parents?’
‘They’re great. Mandy’s married and living in Sydney. She had a baby last year. A boy, Archie. And my folks are retired these days. They’ve moved to the coast and left me with the business.’
‘And you’re enjoying that?’
‘Sure.’ After a beat, Seth said, ‘I was very sorry to hear about your father’s passing. I’m afraid I only learned about it recently.’
Polly acknowledged his sympathy with a nod, but she needed to take another deep breath. Any mention of her dad’s sudden heart attack was still painful and she didn’t like to dwell on it—not in public at any rate. She looked towards the restaurant—all glass walls and bright lights and swathes of timber flooring. ‘I was thinking the town hadn’t changed, but this place is very swish.’
‘Yeah, it’s great, isn’t it? We have a few excellent eateries around Wirralong these days.’ Moving aside, Seth indicated that they should head up the stepping-stone path. Polly joined him, walking carefully.
‘So, what’s brought you back?’ he asked.
Polly gulped. It was a totally reasonable question, but there was no way she could explain her situation quickly, certainly not here, outside, before they were even seated. She flashed a quick smile that she hoped was reassuring. ‘It’s a little complicated, but don’t worry. I’ll tell you all about it.’ And then she tried to crack a joke, although jokes had never been her forte. ‘But I promise I haven’t come here to sell you anything.’
Obligingly, Seth chuckled.
*
They were shownto a table beside a floor-to-ceiling window that looked out to a courtyard with brick paving, potted plants and a Japanese maple decorated with twinkling fairy lights.
