thought he was a smart boy, which anyone with half a brain would discover in a second. And he
worked hard and doted on his daughter, which she already knew.
"Good night. Thanks for calling."
"My pleasure."
What on earth would his wife be thinking?
Sebastian and Alex sat on the terrace under the shade umbrella
again the next morning. The boy had scrubbed and scrubbed until
the foul words had completely disappeared. The driveway had a very
clean patch, which contrasted strangely with the surrounding grayed
concrete. It had taken him two solid hours and then some.
"Should I do next door's now?" Sebastian asked.
"Do you want to?" Jeannie would be pleased. Four-year-old Kenneth had taken to announcing the spray-painted phrase at all sorts of
inopportune moments.
"Might as well, while I've got the stuff."
"All right, but have a break and a drink first."
"Did you get the word?" Sebastian peered at the paper, opened to
the puzzle page.
"Yes, I did." Alex smirked. He poured water into a tall glass.
Ice cubes tinkled against the sides.
"How long did it take you?" Sebastian grinned.
"Not long."
Sebastian drained the glass and refilled it. "Did you watch the oneday game yesterday?"
"Only caught bits on the car radio between appointments. Close
one, huh?"
Sebastian embarked on an analysis of the Australian bowling attack and the weakness of the South African batting lineup, which
lead to an in-depth discussion lasting at least half an hour.
Alex finally looked at his watch and stifled a gasp of annoyance.
Half the morning gone, and the Robertson bathroom renovation quote
still not typed up, plus Smythe's kitchen. Too much work. Not for
the first time the thought crossed his mind that he needed a partner. Or at least a secretary. When he set himself up solo, he'd had no
idea just how busy he'd become. "Listen, mate. It's probably too hot
to be using that stuff on the driveway now. How about you do it first
thing tomorrow?"
Sebastian nodded and got up to put the equipment away in the
shed. "See ya," he said.
Alex waved and went inside. A part-time secretary-that's what
he needed. Someone to take care of the reams of paperwork. The
phone rang stridently. And to answer the phone.
"Bergman Design."
"Is Seb still with you?" asked a desperate voice. A secretary to
answer the phone unless she was on the other end.
"He's just wheeling his bike out the gate."
"Thank goodness. I thought he must have ... I don't know," she
finished pathetically.
Alex grimaced with a belated realization of the situation, her natural, albeit panicky, assumption that the boy had nicked off somewhere. "I'm sorry. I should have phoned to let you know he'd be
late. He worked overtime, and then we had a drink."
"A drink?" interrupted Chloe in a squeak.
"Iced water," said Alex. "Then we talked about cricket."
"Oh."
Silence. How did she know Sebastian wasn't at home? Grandma
must have reported in.
"Are you at work?"
"Not today. I have Wednesdays off."
"He might be late again tomorrow. He's doing the same thing at
the neighbors."'
"I'll tell Simone."
"He should be home soon."
"Thanks. Sorry to disturb you. Bye."
Click in his ear. Alex shook his head, smiling. Chloe was a case,
all right. Worse than any mother. She needed a focus in her life other
than all those children. Did she go out? Did she have friends? A
boyfriend? He'd ask Sebastian tomorrow.
Alex posed his query idly over their morning drink the next day. He
justified the break to himself-he'd started very early, and Sebastian had worked slavishly on Jeannie's driveway, with Kenneth supervising and asking questions in a piping voice Alex could hear from his
office.
"Yeah, Chloe's got friends," Sebastian said. "Although most of
them have left town now. They were mainly her friends from Uni
and school. She had a boyfriend, but he dropped her after the
bombing."
"Really?" Just when she'd need the guy most.
"He was a loser."
"What did she study?"
worked hard and doted on his daughter, which she already knew.
"Good night. Thanks for calling."
"My pleasure."
What on earth would his wife be thinking?
Sebastian and Alex sat on the terrace under the shade umbrella
again the next morning. The boy had scrubbed and scrubbed until
the foul words had completely disappeared. The driveway had a very
clean patch, which contrasted strangely with the surrounding grayed
concrete. It had taken him two solid hours and then some.
"Should I do next door's now?" Sebastian asked.
"Do you want to?" Jeannie would be pleased. Four-year-old Kenneth had taken to announcing the spray-painted phrase at all sorts of
inopportune moments.
"Might as well, while I've got the stuff."
"All right, but have a break and a drink first."
"Did you get the word?" Sebastian peered at the paper, opened to
the puzzle page.
"Yes, I did." Alex smirked. He poured water into a tall glass.
Ice cubes tinkled against the sides.
"How long did it take you?" Sebastian grinned.
"Not long."
Sebastian drained the glass and refilled it. "Did you watch the oneday game yesterday?"
"Only caught bits on the car radio between appointments. Close
one, huh?"
Sebastian embarked on an analysis of the Australian bowling attack and the weakness of the South African batting lineup, which
lead to an in-depth discussion lasting at least half an hour.
Alex finally looked at his watch and stifled a gasp of annoyance.
Half the morning gone, and the Robertson bathroom renovation quote
still not typed up, plus Smythe's kitchen. Too much work. Not for
the first time the thought crossed his mind that he needed a partner. Or at least a secretary. When he set himself up solo, he'd had no
idea just how busy he'd become. "Listen, mate. It's probably too hot
to be using that stuff on the driveway now. How about you do it first
thing tomorrow?"
Sebastian nodded and got up to put the equipment away in the
shed. "See ya," he said.
Alex waved and went inside. A part-time secretary-that's what
he needed. Someone to take care of the reams of paperwork. The
phone rang stridently. And to answer the phone.
"Bergman Design."
"Is Seb still with you?" asked a desperate voice. A secretary to
answer the phone unless she was on the other end.
"He's just wheeling his bike out the gate."
"Thank goodness. I thought he must have ... I don't know," she
finished pathetically.
Alex grimaced with a belated realization of the situation, her natural, albeit panicky, assumption that the boy had nicked off somewhere. "I'm sorry. I should have phoned to let you know he'd be
late. He worked overtime, and then we had a drink."
"A drink?" interrupted Chloe in a squeak.
"Iced water," said Alex. "Then we talked about cricket."
"Oh."
Silence. How did she know Sebastian wasn't at home? Grandma
must have reported in.
"Are you at work?"
"Not today. I have Wednesdays off."
"He might be late again tomorrow. He's doing the same thing at
the neighbors."'
"I'll tell Simone."
"He should be home soon."
"Thanks. Sorry to disturb you. Bye."
Click in his ear. Alex shook his head, smiling. Chloe was a case,
all right. Worse than any mother. She needed a focus in her life other
than all those children. Did she go out? Did she have friends? A
boyfriend? He'd ask Sebastian tomorrow.
Alex posed his query idly over their morning drink the next day. He
justified the break to himself-he'd started very early, and Sebastian had worked slavishly on Jeannie's driveway, with Kenneth supervising and asking questions in a piping voice Alex could hear from his
office.
"Yeah, Chloe's got friends," Sebastian said. "Although most of
them have left town now. They were mainly her friends from Uni
and school. She had a boyfriend, but he dropped her after the
bombing."
"Really?" Just when she'd need the guy most.
"He was a loser."
"What did she study?"
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