Donna Joy Usher - Chanel 01 - Cocoa and Chanel Read Free Page A

good husband.
    ‘Maybe I won’t get in,’ I said.
    She dashed her arm across her face, mopping up her tears and said, ‘I always knew you’d go on without me.’
    ‘It’s not like you’re dying.’
    ‘You know what I mean. You’re not meant for this town. You’re bigger than this.’
    It made me ponder what it was that everybody else seemed to see in me. Was it a good or bad thing?
    ‘Even if you don’t get into the Police Force you’ll leave to do something else.’
    The thought of not being accepted into the Force made me realise that I really wanted to get in. Apart from the fact that blue was an excellent colour for me, I was craving the excitement the Police Force would bring. Now that I had embraced the idea, the thought of not getting in was totally unacceptable.

    ***

    My phone rang on Monday night, disturbing my contemplation of the state of my toenails. I picked it up without checking the caller identification, expecting it to be Becky; so I was surprised when a male voice said my name.
    ‘Speaking,’ I said, shifting the phone up under my chin so I could rifle through my nail-polish bag with one hand and pat Cocoa with the other.
    ‘This is Chanel Smith of 56 Swallow Crescent Hickery?’
    ‘Yes,’ I said, holding up a bottle of hot pink polish for Cocoa’s approval.
    ‘We have received your application and want to know when you can start?’
    ‘Pardon?’
    ‘You did send in an application to the NSW Police Force?’
    ‘Yes,’ I said.
    ‘You haven’t changed you mind?’
    ‘Of course not.’ I hadn’t had time to change it. I had only posted it the day before.
    ‘Excellent.’
    ‘What, that’s it? I’m in?’
    ‘Pretty much.’
    ‘Don’t I have to do an interview?
    ‘Nope.’
    ‘A fitness test?’
    ‘Your BMI looks good.’
    ‘A psychological evaluation?’ I had been reading up on the process on Google and was pretty sure all of that was standard.
    ‘You sound sane to me.’
    ‘Oh. When do you want me to start?’
    ‘How’s next Monday?’
    I know I had fully embraced the idea of joining, but now that the prospect loomed I found myself back-pedalling. And then I thought of my life here, and how the most exciting thing that would probably happen to me this week was the hot pink polish I was about to apply to my toes, and I found myself saying, ‘Of course.’
    ‘That’s the spirit,’ the man said. ‘I’ll email you the details and we’ll see you on Sunday afternoon at the barracks in Goulburn.’
    ‘Ok.’ I was stunned by the sudden turn of events. Cindy was going to kick my butt all the way to Goulburn and back for the short notice, but hey – what else could I do? If I didn’t seize the moment, it may never come again.
    I heard the click of the recruiter hanging up and felt a huge smile form on my face. I was going to go to Goulburn and I was going to ace the training and I was going to be the best damned police officer I could be. And if I didn’t? Well it didn’t really matter – because that’s what I was going to tell everybody anyway.

    ***

    Cindy had, as predicted, been livid when I’d handed her my four days’ notice. The red of her face had reflected in her blonde highlights giving her an evil glow. I had decided at that point it was best to vacate the premises.
    I didn’t have a lot to pack – just my clothes and shoes, a few photos of home, and at the last minute I stuck the Viagra tablets in the zip pocket of my vanity bag. It wasn’t that I wanted to use them; I just didn’t want Mum finding them.
    I stocked the cupboard with dog food for Cocoa, trying very hard not to think about the fact that I wouldn’t see him for the next few months. I was going to miss his fluffy body nestled up against me at night. I knew if I thought about it too much I might change my mind.
    And then suddenly it was Sunday morning and time to go. It seemed like half the town had come to wave me off. The locals from The Brimstone had even made a banner wishing