Restoration in the River

Honey Don't

Julian sat at the dining room table signing the last lot of his seven thousand letters, in the past couple of days, he had managed to sign nearly the entire lot. 

"one hundred to go..." He said, massaging his wrist, and incidentally, another sharpie earned its place in the sharpie graveyard in a box on the chair beside him.

He decided to take a break. 

He smiled as he gazed out at their view, two glasses of champagne in his hand. Their private hammock swayed lightly in the breeze over the crystal clear blue-green water.

That hammock was inhabited by someone.

"Do you think they bought it??" He asked the person as he neared.

"I'm actually sorry that she insulted your songwriting skills and talent and used you just for your name!" She answered.

"Is there room in that hammock for the both of us, Doctor Hatchford??" He grinned

 "Is my name on one of those, champagne glasses, Mr Lennon??" She grinned back.

He handed them both to her and to her surprise, skillfully climbed into the hammock with her.

"She is gonna be so pissed off when she finds out!" He chuckled taking a glass back. "To sweet revenge!" 

She clinked it with his "the sweetest!" 

"Can this come back to bite us though?" He asked her as the hammock swayed lightly.

"One way to find out!" She told him, gently laying into him. "They saw everything right? Us having our 'spat'?" 

"Darling, people were getting front row seats, in the mosh pit even! It was THAT good!"

"We could have played it up a bit more! How's social media looking?" She checked.

"Your longtime colleague Dr James Livingston, who Mark thinks is actually a close friend of his, managed to perfectly capture her sickly sweet but blonde announcement to her guests, right up to where I call her out." He told her, "He said he'd upload it as soon as we give the okay to do so! I can't believe she's so fake...so clueless... so ditzy...and such a gold digger!" 

"What's the title of the video?" She asked.

"Honey...Don't" He answered, "tell me everything Emmaline, hold nothing back!" 

"To put it into perspective, to begin with, that beachfront home, cost Mark twenty-nine million US dollars. Now when my Father died, Mark got a good share of his inheritance, that's one thing he cannot complain about. His wife, Amelia has ALWAYS been like that since he first brought her home! My best friend Tilly hates her! Can't stand the sight of her! Mia came from a disadvantaged American family and to marry an Anesthesiologist well that was just...."

"The icing on the cake!" He finished for her.

She nodded. 

He understood.

They both took a mouthful of champagne.

"So do you feel sorry for Mark?" He asked.  

"If he had the courage and he wanted to end it with her...he would!" She told him "but unfortunately over the years, he has just become more and more wrapped around her little finger! See, I'm different...If I'm not happy with the man I am with, in a relationship, I end it! I try and remain, friends, if at all possible but I don't stay in a loveless relationship for the fun of it.  And he hates that...he hates that I have a spine and a steadfastness that my father had before me... So he goes running to his Mia and she makes it all better, I don't mean to be rude, but I think of Mark and Amelia like your father and stepmother were..."

"Dad couldn't live without Yoko, it was true," He said, not angry or offended by her remark. "I understand, I can relate! So are they made for each other? Considering they're both just jealous beings that hate to be upstaged by anyone, including members of their family. But will our 'so-called fight' blow up in our faces?"

She smiled "Not as long as we've got James' video!"  

"Are they really that petty to hate on us if we were to get together?" 

"The son of the frontman of The Beatles, and a well known, popular Doctor back in Australia AND Egypt! What do you think??" She told him. "We'd upstage them as soon as we decided to enter a relationship and decide to go public! My surname is known all over Australia...your surname is known all over the world! 

He was about to answer when his phone 'pinged' "Oh look at that, I've been tagged in an Instagram post! MiaHatchford has uploaded a video, 'when love goes wrong...'!" 

"Is it our fight?" She asked. "I'm sorry you had to be a part of this!"

"Hey...we're partners in crime now!!" He told her. "But, you'd better be a worthwhile catch!" 

The hammock rocked gently in the breeze as they enjoyed the tranquillity for a moment. "My mate James used a Beatles song as the video title??" She realised.

"Least he wasn't stupid enough to call it a Stones song!" He said as they watched Mia's video again. "It was just an over the top, 'look at me' party, really, and her candy bar was shit! I didn't enjoy mingling with her fake, catty friends... I know I looked as if I did! I just wanted to sit with you in the corner away from all the attention!"

"How are the comments looking? Do we need to give James the 'thumbs up'? We need to defend your name! It's been through the mud enough!" She told him.

"I'll text him now, sweetness!" he said, softly kissing the back of her hand.

"Give me your glass!" She said, prying it from his hand. 

She handed it back when he had let James know to go ahead with the upload.

"What will 2019 bring, sweet Emmaline?" He asked. "I hope we do end up together and when we do go public, you can handle it! Sometimes my name is more of a hindrance than a blessing!"

She smiled at him. "People have already started to take notice, Julian. When we stopped to see the damage of the bushfires, we were photographed..."

"Yeah, you're not stupid at all are you?" He bit his lip. "I was hoping you still might be oblivious to it!"

"Did you happen to hear Mia telling her guests about our little 'cuddle session' on the side of the road looking at the damage?" She asked him, to which he nodded. 

"Everyone heard her Emmaline," he said flatly.

"Of course they did, didn't they?" Emmaline answered.

"Did she set us up, the little blonde tart?" He realised.   

"She knows exactly what she's doing and she's manipulative...remind you of anyone?"

"Yes...Her Highness..." he muttered 

*

"Did you get them all signed, Mr Lennon?" She asked him as they packed their bags. 

"Last hundred this morning, well I guess this is it! Thank you my Emmaline, for spending these last ten days with me, even Mia's bloody party couldn't ruin the amazing time I got to spend with you! And thank you for getting me to hospital and looking after me still, I truly don't deserve you! When do you start back at The Brisbane Private Hospital?"   

 She placed her cosmetic case on top of her suitcase. "Next Wednesday, the ninth. If you're ever in Brisbane give me a call, you are welcome to stay at my place anytime!" 

 Slowly he lifted her hand and kissed the back of it gently. 

"Thank you, Doctor Hatchford! And if you're ever near Lake Como, my home is open to you anytime!" 

She couldn't help it, she leant in to hug him, a warm, intimate, tight hug, and for a while, she didn't let go.

She knew she was falling for him, and falling fast.