BooksBarbecue
Back Again, Rachel
Chapters (98)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. Acknowledgements

Shock bounced around the room. Two thousand? Even Roxy, who was far enough along to understand denial, hadn’t expected that.

‘Two thousand?’ I asked.

‘Oh, look, I don’t know.’ Trassa went the full-on, dithery granny. ‘My old head.’

‘It was four thousand.’ She knew it. I knew it. And now everyone else knew it too. ‘How did you get the credit card?’

‘The bank offered it to me.’

‘The bank offered it to you?’

Pink heat spread across her face.

‘You mean you applied for it?’ I said.

‘Yes, yes.’ She was desperate to shut me up.

‘In your husband’s name. Because your personal credit is shot to pieces.’

The mood in the room was dismayed—Trassa was regarded with great fondness—and this story didn’t fit their picture of her. Dennis in particular looked desperately confused.

*

At lunchtime I stuck a hopeful head into the admin office, hoping to see a FedEx box in the corner, but Brianna said, ‘Nothing. Sorry. What have you ordered this time?’

‘Sneakers.’

‘More sneakers? Anyone would think you were an addict.’ We both did fake-wheezy laughs.

Like any sensible person with a job, I got my online purchases delivered to work. Brianna was as good as a personal concierge. Ted disapproved: our personal lives shouldn’t overlap with our professional lives. If any of my ducklings stumbled across me gleefully tearing boxes open and shrieking with delight, it might be difficult to retain their respect in group.

But what was the alternative? Arriving home from work to find a little card bearing the dread words, ‘Go to depot’? I don’t think so.

Despite the disappointment, I got on with my day and around 5 p.m. I was in the office typing up the daily notes when my phone rang. As soon as I saw who was calling, my heart nearly stopped. What on earth… ? Joey. Narky Joey? Why was he… ? He would never be ringing for a friendly chat.

But mixed with the shock was curiosity and—madly—hope. My heart was pounding in my ears as I answered. ‘Joey?’

‘That you, Rachel? Listen, Luke’s ma died yesterday. He’s on his way home. Funeral’s on Friday.’

‘Luke? What…How… ?’ I had so many questions. How had he been for the last six years? Had he got married again? Had kids? ‘How…’ I stammered. ‘How is he?’

‘His ma just died. That’s how he is, Rachel.’ Then Joey was gone.

At the best of times, Joey would never have won a Mr Conviviality contest. That hostility, though…

My hands were shaking so much that I needed to sit on them. Had that really happened? Did Joey just call me? Momentarily I worried that I’d imagined it.

‘You all right?’ Murdo gave me a sharp look.

‘Mmmmm.’ My lips felt numb. ‘Fine. Just…stuff.’

‘Sure?’