Chapter 10

The silver Audi sat concealed behind the pile of gravel. Wheel marks and discarded KFC packaging indicated the spot was well-known locally. Over the wire fence Sharmila could see Mary's cottage, nestled contentedly in her half acre of manicured grounds.

A light was on in the lounge and another, she thought, was probably the kitchen. This was the country and the couple paid little attention to pulling curtains closed. Earlier, she'd seen Jake chopping wood by the side of the house. He was wearing denim shorts and a black singlet. She thought he looked gorgeous, like one of those male models.

Lately, he'd taken to going out to pick up Mary from work. Last night they'd been shopping together and fetched groceries from the boot of the car. She'd watched Jake as he hovered, attentively, and took one of the heavier bags from her. He was a good, decent, loving man, Sharmila mused.

Jake had ordered a jacuzzi-style outside spa and had evidently spent all day landscaping around it. He'd planted mature ferns, hebes and fluffy toitoi bushes around it and rigged free-standing garden lamps. It awaited Mary's inspection and Sharmila was sure she'd be thrilled with it. When they returned, she was sure they'd try it out.

The country night made her feel uneasy. She jumped as every car roared past, but, as the evening wore on, they became less and less frequent. The car engines gave way to the bellbirds and tuneful native owl, the morepork. A swishing in a nearby tree startled her, but it was just a hawk, perhaps spotting some roadkill. Even the hum from the motorway, well over a kilometre away, steadily died as commuters returned home.

As expected, around 7 o'clock, Jake went to his car and pulled out of the driveway. He drove past the layby in a rattle of stones and sped off to fetch Mary. He'd be at least an hour, Sharmila knew, because her office was clear across the other side of the city.

Sharmila walked the short distance down to their gate. The lights were off in the house except for the security lamp on the veranda and the glow from around the back, where Jake had installed the spa. She followed the path around to the yard to see the new installation for herself. It was magic, she thought, all soft greens and the waving white fronds from the toitoi. Jake had placed an ice bucket by the side of the pool and there was a bottle of Chasse de Longue cooling, and two champagne glasses. In the water itself, he'd cast rose petals, yellows and reds, and from a fern was a card with a red heart. Sharmila read it. In Jake's shakey handwriting were the words, 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY LOVE NOW AND ALWAYS'.

Sharmila sat on her haunches and stared at the vision of love and romance. Her eyes moistened and she felt the prick of conscience, that she shouldn't be here and had intruded into someone's most intimate moment.

But there was something compelling about the scene. Shortly, there'd be a pair of happy, loving and, no doubt, naked bodies sharing their secrets, enjoying each other. Sharmila would've like to share that moment, to soak up the passion and emotion as her cellphone sucked up power from its charger. Probably, they'd make gentle love right here, locked together and whispering their love to one another. Two of her most special people in her life embracing and sharing something she'd never experienced.

It was getting late and she didn't want to be discovered here. Reluctantly, she walked back the way she'd come and up the lane to her car. The hum from the engine seemed out of place, intrusive, but she steeled herself and drove out to the lane. Emboldened by the brisk acceleration of the Audi, she put her foot down, the traction control stopping the tyres from screeching.

Mary had decided to take another day off. It was her birthday, after all, and she had an excuse. She was still giddy from last night, with Jake's gift to her, and the lovemaking that'd followed. Last night, she'd run clean out of superlatives and just kept repeating 'I love you, ' to him.

He was awake and sitting up when she returned from making the calls. He had a stupid grin on his face, smug, and terribly proud of himself. This time, however, Mary thought he had a perfect right to be. She told him to stay there, that she'd make breakfast, and they'd have it in bed.

In ten minutes she waddled back, wearing just her panties, and placed the tray on the bed. He sipped his coffee, sighed, and pretended to her it was just the way he liked it. Nothing, she thought, was better than this and she told him it was the best birthday she'd ever had.

His grin should've have warned her. It wasn't the contented grin of a man having breakfast with his lover after a magical night, but of one who had something else to surprise her with. Casually, he reached into the bedside table and took out a ring box in brushed blue velvet. Jake placed it on the tray next to her cereal and smiled, cheekily.

"Last gift," he said, as if he was handing her a spoon.

Mary had no doubt what it was and stared at it, a mix of emotions making her tremble. At first was the fear, the horror, of what he was implying. It was way too soon, they hadn't known each other that long, she was not ready for such a commitment, it was a step she vowed never to take again as long as she lived. Jake dismissed the future as something that will take care of itself, but she couldn't. She'd grow old and withered and he'd be a dignified gentleman. Women would be flocking to him and how could he resist, with a wife he had no attraction for anymore?

"Jake, I..." she choked. She stared at the box as if it would burn her fingers.

"Open it?" he insisted.

She steeled, and fumbled with the catch. Jake took it and opened it for her. Inside was a cluster diamond engagement ring in 24 carat gold. The centre stone shone clear and mesmerising and she stared at the white radiance in awe. The ring broke into sections like a cubist painting as tears flooded her eyes. Jake put his arm around her and she blubbed, uncontrollably, into his shoulder.

"Arsehole!" she howled into his chest. She slammed her fist into his pec, but not hard enough to make him flinch. "How dare you do this to me?"

'So?"

"So? What? You dumb fuck!"

"What's your answer?"

"I don't know!" she groaned, "it's all a little too soon."

"How long do you need to wait?" he said, a tinge of anxiety in his voice.

"Oh, I don't know, babe," she wined, "it's just come all of a sudden... I... I don't know what to do. Can I think about it?"

"Sure," he said, looking at his watch.

"I'm sorry I'm such a bitch," she told him, "how dare you spring this on me without warning?"

"What the Hell kind of warning did you want? 'Hey, babe, tomorrow night I'm going to ask you to marry me.' Isn't that kinda dumb?"

"Oh fuck!" she swore, sitting up and putting her hands over her eyes. "I must look terrible!"

"No, babe. You're adorable!"

"Stop it!" Mary burst into tears once more.

"Cath?" Mary asked her friend, anxiety in her voice, "you know what he's done?"

"Do I want to?" she laughed, "how'd your birthday go? What did he get you?"

"Um, a spa pool... with lights and ferns... and it's wonderful..."

"Ho, Mary, lucky bitch! You try it out?"

"Of course, but that wasn't what I was calling for. Cath, he... he asked me to marry him. You should see the ring, Cat, it must have cost him ten grand!"

"So what did you say? You handed it back with a thanks but no thanks?"

"I don't know what to do."

"You want me to tell you?" she laughed, "c'mon, you must have known it was coming."

"I didn't, honestly, it was right out of the blue. What do I do?"

"Marry him, you stupid bitch! What's there to think about?"

"I don't have a dress..."

"Aw, ferchrissake, Mary. Can't you do better than that? Shit, you can borrow mine if you want."

"No, I can get my own... Cath, this is so sudden!"

"So? We going to have a hens' night? Let me know?"

"They still have those?"

"Don't care, we're going to have one. I'm coming to dinner with you tonight. Tell Jake to cook up something really nice. I want to check out this ring."

"I worry about you sometimes," laughed Mary.

"I worry about you all the time. See you tonight!"

"Honey!" she yelled for Jake, "we're having a guest for dinner. Can you make something nice for us?"

"Sure... ah... I've got some fillet steak. How about sauteed with a bit of lime and..."

"Sounds fine, and Jake? 'Yes, ' babe, the answer's, 'yes'!"

"Y'sure?"

"You want me to think about it some more?"

"No." Jake swept into the room and wrapped his arms around her. Mary looked into his face and told him he'd better have a shave.

Sharmila could see Jake and Mary were having a guest tonight. She could see the red Toyota pulled up behind Jake's car. She could make out faint laughter. Clearly, they were having a happy time.

The three of them had shared a spa, although the women wore swimsuits and Jake was in his underwear. She could smell cigar smoke and figured Jake must have taken them up. She didn't mind, though, she thought it a kinda manly thing to do.

She'd crept down a little closer where a pine tree was growing by the side of the lane. It gave her some shelter and she had a better view around the back of the house. She could hear their voices clearer, now, although it was difficult to make out what they were saying. She heard Mary yell 'shit' when she trod on an Arizona thistle and Jake had lovingly pulled the thorn out for her. She told him, 'I thought you'd got rid of this shit from the lawn.' He'd apologised and said the stuff was hard to spray for.

Sharmila thought Mary was a little tough on him and would've told her to go easy. It wasn't his fault she wasn't looking where she was walking. But, it was all right, though, because they were cuddling soon after and their friend walked away in mock disgust.

She recognised the friend, now, as that counsellor she and Jake went to. She seemed nice enough, she thought. She and Mary seemed to share a close relationship because they were always talking and laughing together like sisters.

It was getting late, Sharmila thought, and there was little more to see. The trio had moved indoors and it appeared they were going to have a late night. Mary had obviously had a fabulous birthday with the spa, then the dinner party after.

The boundary fence to Mary's cottage was a typical wire and wooden batten affair. On the other side was a drainage ditch, but it had dried up. There hadn't been any rain in the area for a month or more. It was in a small field and Sharmila hadn't seen any stock in it. She thought she could get even closer to the house by using the ditch and she'd spied a gap through Mary's boundary shrubbery that seemed a good place to hide. She thought she might try that the next evening. From there, she would have a clear view of the spa and of Mary's little corner, with the Chinese lantern and the chimes.

On the way home, Sharmila analysed her own actions, this compulsion, that drove her to spy on Mary and Jake. She was quite capable of moral judgement and knew it was wrong. Mary and Jake had a right to their own life without interference.

On the other hand, she couldn't see the harm providing they didn't discover her activities. She wanted to part of it, part of them, and share their love. She didn't think it was too much to ask to be happy.

The yard, the bedroom, even the kitchen, was perfumed with eroticism. A perfect love nest.

Jake and Mary had watched Cath drive off down the lane in her aged Toyota sports. Jake had told Cath he thought the mileage was getting too high and she ought to sell it. She refused to part with it, however, saying it was red, it zipped and it was her's. The logic seemed obvious to Mary if not to Jake. She chided him for being practical, which Jake thought wasn't a bad way to be.

They were tired from the evening and decided to head straight to bed. it had been an eventful, and emotional, day for each of them.

The ring had been a perfect fit on Mary's finger. Jake had taken one of her old rings to size it. She told him she'd never take it off lest she lose it. The ring felt strange and itched her finger. She couldn't stop running her fingers over the diamonds. Jake had told her they wouldn't fall out but she wasn't sure.

Mary had never had such an expensive item of anything on her finger, or anywhere else. Jake wouldn't tell her what he'd spent but Cath whispered she thought it would be over $15,000. That figure was too much for her and she doubted she'd cope. But Jake had seemed offended when she asked him if he'd kept the receipt. He told her there was 'no way he was going to take it back and she'd bloody well better get used to it.'

Jake asked her if they could just cuddle and Mary agreed. She told him she was too tired as well and just wanted to fall asleep in his arms.

In the morning, Mary brought breakfast into him. He was sitting up, bare chested, and she was reasonably certain they were shortly going to have sex. She'd thrown on a T-shirt and just had her knickers on, but she was sure she'd be losing them in the immediate future.

She got into bed nexT to him and pressed her bare leg against his. He smiled and kissed her before grabbing his coffee.

"Babe?" she said, "you still think about making love to Sharmila?"

"Mary, I..." he began. She'd asked him that very question a number of times and he was growing tired of answering it.

"No, no," she said, "it doesn't matter. I'm just kinda curious. After all, you're a guy and she's a babe and..."

"Honey? How am I supposed to answer? If I see a beautiful woman walking down the street am I supposed to tell you, 'hey, I really fancy her. I wonder what she looks like nude?' You think I'm going to do that? You think I want to hear everytime you have some fantasy about the postman, or a bloody footy player on TV..."