Rocks in Their Heads Pt. 03

"Yeah, yer Mum mentioned something about it. She's the local vet or something?"

"Yeah. She's fifteen years younger than him, and to be honest, it's a bit weird. Especially cos he looks way older now. But they go alright. He's a lot happier and we mostly get along. He doesn't like the fact I'm bi or vegan, but he can get over it cos it's none of his business."

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll get over it. But it's good to hear you and he are going alright."

They chatted into the evening and Nicola came pre-prepared for the alcohol restrictions, producing a small bottle of Bundaberg Rum from her coat. They bought two small Cokes from a convenience store and added the rum, drinking as they walked around the city, reminiscing about their childhood shenanigans, and hoping to find an open night club.

"I forgot how dead this city can be at Easter time," Nicola remarked, as their search proved unsuccessful. She looped her arm through his, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for either of them. They decided to return to Scott's apartment via the path beside the river, and anyone watching would logically assume they were lovers out for an evening stroll.

"You know, Scotty, I'm sorry if I was a little shit to you when we were teenagers. You're one of the best friends I've ever had, but I know I was a bitch to you when I stopped hanging out. At the time I thought the older boys and girls were so cool, but you were way cooler than most of them. I didn't appreciate it back then."

He chuckled. "Yeah, well, it was kinda fucked at the time, but I got over it. If only you'd hung around when we were older to palm off some of the skanky girls you knew onto me!"

She squeezed his arm a little harder. "I reckon you do alright with the girls without any help, Scotty. But I'll be honest, I miss those years when we were besties. God, I wish we could go back and hang, riding our bikes and skating, or play Mario Kart and GoldenEye. Fuck they were good times, and I'd do anything to do that again. We didn't have to worry about life, or work, or anything in those days. Hanging with you were some of the best times of my life."

Scott thought Nicola was romanticising about her childhood, conveniently forgetting all the fights with her mum and dad, plus trying to work out who she was and where she fit in the world. Of course he didn't mention it, and he also recalled how Evelyn previously told him Nicola's happiest years appeared to be in her early teens, when she was hanging with him. "Yeah, they were the best times. It'd be mad fun to catch up again in the old hood and head down the skate park, hanging out. We need to be in the same city more often."

"I like the way you think, Scotty, me old mate," she said, leaning her head against his arm.

Back at his apartment Scott poured them some more rum from his collection, and then selected dance music on his stereo, ensuring it was quiet enough not to annoy his neighbours. It was still pumping enough to dance to, and Nicola pulled Scott into the middle of the room, dancing a little, losing themselves to the frantic energy of the beat. Scott couldn't help but think of the time he and Evelyn swing-danced on New Year's Eve, right on the spot where he now danced with Nicola. At some point Scott flopped down on the lounge and watched Nicola pull off some fancy dance moves. She jumped in the air and spun around, facing him and smiling, beckoning him with her fingers to join her again, but he indicated he'd danced enough for now. She flopped down on the lounge next to him, grinning cheekily. "So, Scotty, old mate, what's it gunna be? My room or yours?"

He'd felt a pull of attraction between them all night, but put it down to their old friendship and because she looked so similar to her mother. Consequently, he was surprised and taken aback by her advance. His reply was simple and to the point. "Hey, Nic, look, I'm kinda seeing someone right now."

She frowned at him and pouted. "Oh, really? You haven't mentioned anyone all night? Come on then, what's her name?"

"She's no one. She and I are friends who are trying to work complicated things out."

"Ahh, friends with benefits, eh? The best kind of friends."

"Nic, I've enjoyed catching up with you tonight, but I'm very tired now and need sleep. I'll see you in the morning, ay."

"You could sleep. Or you could, you know, see what benefits our friendship brings. I've often thought of you, Scotty, and regret we didn't get together." She smiled at him coyly, clearly hoping persuasion would change his mind.

"Hey, Nic, I'm sorry, but I'm goin to bed. Please, let's forget this." He couldn't help but mentally cringe, comparing Nicola's behaviour with his own when he'd drunkenly propositioned her mother at her home. "Here, I'll get you a glass of water. If you need to use the bathroom it's down the end of the hall. Okay?"

He gave her a glass of water, then turned off the music and walked to his room. He heard Nicola go into the bathroom, use the toilet and then wash her hands, so he concluded she'd likely not bring up sleeping together again. However, moments later she stood in the door of his room, holding up a thick bracelet, and asking him in an accusatory tone, "What's this?"

Scott's heart sank, because, of course, the bracelet was Evelyn's. Nicola must have recognised it. He felt there was only one course of action, which was to attempt to bluff his way out of the situation, hoping there were a million bracelets similar to this one. "It's my girlfriend's bracelet. She must have left it in the bathroom. Why?"

"Girlfriend?" She raised her eyebrows. "I thought you might say that. You see, I may be a bit drunk, but I wasn't born yesterday. I bought Mum a bracelet exactly like this for her birthday, when she turned fifty, and I had a message inscribed into it. I can't quite recall what the message was though. Hmmm, let me have a look." She peered at the bracelet, upon which Scott noticed, for the first time, tiny cursive characters. Scott felt like he was having an out of body experience, simultaneously fascinated and horrified as Nicola read the inscription, word for word. "Dear Mum. Have the happiest birthday! Remember, life begins at fifty! Best wishes and all my love, Nicky." Nicola and Scott stared at each other.

"How did it get there?" He knew it was the dumbest thing he could possibly say.

"What the fuck, Scott?"

"Hey, Nic, let's go sit down in the lounge room."

"No, you tell me what's going on."

"Oh fuck. Well, you see..." He paused, wondering if he should tell her the truth or a lie, then decided the truth was the only way forward. "Your Mum and I have been seeing each other."

"You're dating Mum?"

"Yes, I'm dating your Mum. Your Mum and I are dating. We go on dates."

"You're rooting my Mum? What the actual fuck."

"Look, Nicky, I wouldn't call it rooting, and it's none of your business what your Mum and I do. We..."

She cut him short, yelling for the first time, "I don't want to hear what you call it, and it fucken well is my fucking business! What the hell, Scott? How long has this been going on?"

Scott looked crestfallen. He should have conducted a more-thorough check of his apartment for signs of Evelyn before Nicola's visit. He'd fucked up. "Since last June," was his solemn reply.

"I can't believe this. You and Mum have been rooting each other since last June. What is wrong with you?"

"Look, Nicky, these things happen, okay. We've been dating. Get over it. Like your Dad with his new lady, your Mum met me. She was lonely and we connected. We have fun together."

"Did you take advantage of her cos she was lonely?" Nicola's question sounded more like a spiteful accusation.

"No, Nicky, I didn't take advantage of your mother. Just listen, please." Scott had had enough of Nicola's outbursts and wanted to take control of the situation and get her onto the back foot. "Look, your Mum and me caught up and things happened, okay. It could have happened to anyone. It could have been you and Jake for all I know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nicola slumped down in the bedroom doorway, her anger still simmering. She was, however, taken aback by Scott's last comment. "Oh God, he told you didn't he. Of course he did. Some blokes can't help bragging. You Mackenzie boys are a pair of fuckwits. But at least there was no chance of Jake and me dating each other. Jake was a random hook up which meant nothing to either of us. It was nothing like you and Mum."

"Exactly! Your Mum and I didn't simply hook up for a one night stand. We mean something to each other!"

"Fucking hell. You mean something to each other? Do you love her?"

"I like her a lot."

"Do you love her? Simple question."

"I think so. I feel strongly for her. Yes, I guess I do love her." Scott now sat on the end of his bed opposite Nicola, who sat on the floor in his doorway.

"This is weird. You were like my best friend once, hanging at my place each day. And to think you'd be getting it on with Mum years later. I don't want to think about it."

"Nicky, can you listen to me for a moment?"

"I think I've heard enough." She looked at him with the same defiant glare she'd given him when they'd first met in her driveway, fifteen years earlier.

"Look, your Mum wanted to talk to you this weekend. She was going to tell you about us. She was concerned you might not take it well and..."

"She's fucken right in that respect," Nicola interrupted him.

Scott tried to keep his voice calm. "She didn't want to stuff up your relationship with her. She was going to tell you in her way, and wanted me to keep this quite. Obviously you weren't supposed to see her bangle, but I fucked up."

Nicola sat there, smouldering. Finally she spoke, speaking quietly. "I'm calling a cab."

"Nicky, please, stay and crash in my spare bed. Sleep it off. We can chat about it in the morning."

"No, Scott, no. I'm gunna catch a cab." She called for taxi and collected her bags.

"Hey, Nic, please, reconsider. Be safe at least."

"I'll be okay. Just leave me be for now." She sounded almost reasonable and calm. But she refused to let Scott help her with her bag, and he watched her go, making sure she at least entered the taxi safely. It was after midnight, but he immediately called Evelyn.

"What's up, Scott? It's one o'clock in the morning."

"Nicky knows. She found your bracelet in my bathroom. The one she gave you for your fiftieth."

"Oh, shit. What did she say?"

"She's not exactly pleased for us. She yelled at me a bit."

"Where is she now? Is she there? Can I talk to her?"

"She left in a taxi. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't have a bar of it."

"Okay. There's not much we can do about it now. She might come here, or she'll go to a friend's place."

"I'm sorry, Eve, I should have checked the bathroom before I invited her back."

"Oh, Scotty, it's my fault, I shouldn't have left it there."

Scott tried to sound optimistic. "Hey, Eve, it's going to be okay, I think. She'll settle down and come around, I'm sure of it. She'll know she over reacted."

"Okay, honey. Let's get some sleep and I'll talk to you tomorrow when I get the chance."

"No worries. Hey, Eve?"

"Yes, Scotty?"

"Um, I'm really sorry." He'd almost told her he loved her, but balked at the last second. This was not the time or place.

"It's okay, so am I. Get some sleep. I'll call tomorrow."

~0~

Scott and Evelyn met at a café in a suburb approximately halfway between their respective homes. They ignored the coffees on the table in front of them.

"Nicola's not happy. She called me a cradle snatcher." Evelyn said. "She yelled a lot."

Scott almost sighed his reply. "She does like to yell. Why does this have to be a problem?"

"Because she's head strong and she's my daughter."

"Why does she care?"

"I think she thinks you are going to steal me from her. Anyway, she's not happy with us and accused me of simply having a fling with a younger man. She said that you said..." Evelyn left the rest of the sentence hanging.

"I said what?"

"Oh nothing. Scott, what are we doing? This shouldn't be a drama. I don't need drama like this."

"Is she still here in Brisbane or has she gone back to Sydney?"

"She's still here. Why?"

"Perhaps I could talk to her. Now she's sober."

"I don't think it's a good idea, Scott. Let me handle it."

"Okay, sure." Scott sighed. "So, I guess we aren't catching up anytime soon then?"

"No, not likely. Sorry."

When they stood to say their farewells, Scott leant in to give Evelyn a kiss, but she turned her face slightly, presenting her cheek to him.

"Well, I guess I'll hear from you at some stage?"

"I'll call you, okay? Scott, honey, things will be okay."

"Sure."

~0~

Scott's phone rang on Sunday morning, waking him. "Hello," he answered with a groggy voice, not checking who was calling because he assumed it was probably Evelyn.

"Sweetheart, did I wake you?" It was his mother, Tammy.

"Oh hi, Mum, yeah, you woke me," he said, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "It's okay, I should get up anyway."

"I'm calling to see if you're okay. That's all."

"Sure, Mum, why wouldn't I be?"

"Nicola came around. She told us...you know."

"Oh? What'd she say?"

"That you were seeing Evelyn. Though, she didn't use the word dating."

"What'd you say?"

"I told her it was none of our business. But is it true?"

"Yeah, it's true." Scott sat on the end of his bed, resting his head in his left hand, trying to clear the fog from his brain. He was over the drama. "It's no big deal. At least, it shouldn't be. Nicola's making a fuss about it, that's all."

"Scott, sweetheart, it is a big deal to Nicola. And to Evelyn."

"I didn't mean it that way, Mum. You're right, it is a big deal, but I don't think it should be seen by others as a big deal. This is between Evelyn and me. Anyway, Mum, is it a problem for you and Dad that I'm dating Evelyn?"

"I don't know, Scott. I haven't had enough time to process it. I guess it shouldn't be a problem to us, but Evelyn is our neighbour and friend."

"Exactly! She's a family friend. If you didn't know her, would it be a problem I was dating her? Should anyone care? Can't people live their lives without interference, right, Mum?"

Tammy took a moment to reply. "You're right Scott. But it's not quite as simple as you think. Look, sweetheart, how about you come over for lunch today. We can talk more then."

Later in the morning Scott drove to his parent's place, parking his car on the street where he knew it would be visible from Evelyn's house. Tammy and Harry gave Scott their support, however Tammy voiced her concerns about Scott and Evelyn's age gap. Harry didn't mind the age gap, but cautioned Scott about potential issues between Evelyn and Nicola, giving Scott some fatherly advice. "Mate, I know you're well aware, but parent and child relationships are unique, and no matter how old a child is, they're still the priority in their parent's life. Children often see their parent's new partner as a threat, and even if Evelyn has strong feelings for you, if it becomes a tussle between you and Nicola, she'll choose Nicola every time. It might be a good idea to give them some room for a while."

"I agree with your father, sweetheart. Give them some room to sort things out. If you have developed feelings for Evelyn, you'll need to win Nicky over if you want to keep seeing her. It might take some time, so please, take it easy for now," Tammy added with a look of concern on her face.

Scott followed his parent's advice and gave Evelyn and Nicola room, deciding to wait for either of them to contact him first.

~0~

On Easter Monday Scott was again woken by a phone call, and this time it was Evelyn.

"Nicky's gone home, but at least we're talking now," she said.

"That's good. Everything okay with you?"

"Yeah, we had a heart to heart. She's a little mad, but she's okay now. She didn't yell at me this time."

"Good to hear. So what about us? Is she okay with us? I want to see you."

"Scotty, look, it's been a hectic few days. Let's take a bit of a break."

"What do you mean by a bit of a break?"

"I mean we should take a step back a bit."

"What do you even mean?"

"Please, Scott, try to understand," Evelyn was clearly upset.

"Okay, sure. Let's just take it easy. Call me when you're ready."

"Okay, Scotty. You take care now."

"Yeah, you too."

Scott, tried to shake off his brooding feelings and put his energy into checking his rock climbing gear, multiple times, to take his mind off his recent dramas and prepare for the afternoon's climbing.

When Scott arrived at the cliffs, he was pleasantly surprised to find Carole waiting with a rucksack of climbing gear at the predetermined meeting spot near at the top of the steep stairs which wound down to the cliff base.

"Bonjour, stranger. How wonderful to see you again!" Carole was clearly pleased to see him too.

"Hey, Carole! How's it goin?" Scott was genuinely happy to see Carole, but was surprised by the sudden feeling of butterflies when they shared a friendly greeting hug. He enjoyed the feeling of her hard body against his when they embraced. Before they released one another, Scott was sure Carole let out a soft, pleasurable sounding "oooh," and felt the chemistry from their first meeting, several months before, still clear and present. And, once again, he immediately felt guilty he was betraying Evelyn in some way.

A thought rose from the back of his mind for the first time since Evelyn and he began dating, where he wondered if he could leave Evelyn and move on with Carole. Initially his thought shocked him, given his natural distaste for infidelity. However, even now as he caught up with Carole while waiting for Drew and Yumi to arrive, he wondered what constituted cheating, since the lines appeared increasingly greyer to him on what he'd always thought as a black and white issue.

Drew and Yumi arrived and they all took the stairs to the bottom of the cliff. The rock face at Kangaroo Point was located in a disused quarry, first hewn by convicts on the bank of the Brisbane River, facing the city on the opposite bank. It was very popular among climbers, and Scott and his friends were familiar with most routes because they'd climbed there regularly for years. The climbing and bouldering was enjoyable, and helped keep Scott's thoughts away from Evelyn and Nicola. Not long before sunset, they all headed up the long stairs to their cars at the top of the cliff. Drew and Yumi were attending a family gathering at Drew's parents place later in the evening, and bid Carole and Scott a quick farewell.

Each in their own thoughts, Scott and Carole watched the sun drop behind the city and the ranges on the horizon to the west. Sharing a beautiful sunset with an attractive girl could easily be a romantic moment if circumstances were different, and Scott wrestled with his conundrum of his overpowering attraction to Carole. He knew he should say goodbye to Carole and leave, walking away from temptation. However, he also knew Carole faced a walk of several kilometres back to her house, with her heavy rucksack of climbing gear, and he should at least offer her a lift home. It would be the gentlemanly thing to do of course. At least, he convinced himself, offering Carole a lift would be strictly for gentlemanly reasons. As the sun finally disappeared, replaced by the city's bright lights, Scott said, "I can give you a lift back to your place if you'd like."

"Oh, are you sure? I don't want you to go out of your way on my account," Carole replied in her accented English.

"Nah, it's all good. It's not that far out of the way."

They threw their gear into the boot of his car and climbed in. When he turned the key in the ignition, the car's sound system pumped out loud electro music, and Scott turned the volume down.