Elsewhere in Success Read Free Page A

cutting into Louisa’s attempt at humour, exposing it for what it is. Once she has registered that Louisa has seen her point, she speaks.
    â€˜And how are things with Harry?’
    â€˜He’s infuriating, as ever.’
    â€˜Why, what happened?’
    â€˜Oh, you know, it’s nothing really. It’s me, I suppose, expecting something and then getting annoyed when he doesn’t deliver. I just wish he’d back me up a bit more, that’s all.’
    â€˜Anything specific? Can you give me an example?’
    â€˜I don’t know. There was this thing about him going out for the afternoon and not coming back until, you know, late. Midnight, when I expected him around five. He didn’t have his mobile with him.’ She punctuates the statement with a laugh. ‘I mean that’s the whole stupid thing about it. Here I am really trying to make some sort of connection with him and he doesn’t even think to take his mobile with him when he goes out, so what chance do I have?’
    â€˜Weren’t you worried when he didn’t turn up?’
    â€˜No, not really. I might have. I don’t know. No, he can take care of himself.’
    â€˜Sure.’
    Louisa says nothing, shifts in her seat. She wonders how much more time she has.
    â€˜Where was he?’
    â€˜It’s a whole long story. He got a fine in Fremantle for having his dog off the lead and then thought he’d pull into the pub to drown his sorrows, and a couple of my friends were there. So instead of letting me know, he sat drinking with them all night, while I was stuck at home on my own.’
    â€˜Have you talked to him about it?’
    â€˜I tried. Not really. Don’t look at me like that, Lucy. It’s not that easy trying to pin him down. Any hint of an in-depth discussion and he wriggles out of it. He thinks I’m arguing with him. I’m not. I’m just trying to make some sort of connection. Talk to him heart-to-heart, you know, but he gets annoyed with me. I said I was going to discuss it further when I got home, but I don’t think I’ll bother. I don’t want to push it too far.’
    â€˜Push what?’
    â€˜My luck, I suppose.’
    Louisa closes off her face and her voice, ending the line of questioning. She glances at her wristwatch, crosses her legs and jiggles her dangling foot up and down in a kicking motion.Lucy stares at her foot. Louisa holds it still then replaces it on the floor.
    â€˜I’ve got something else on this afternoon,’ she says. ‘Sorry.’
    Lucy opens her mouth then changes her mind about what she was going to say. She looks concerned.
    â€˜Do you want to stop there for today?’
    â€˜I think so. I’m so tired. I didn’t get much sleep.’
    â€˜Are you still listening to your CDs?’
    â€˜Not really.’
    â€˜You don’t have to. Only if it helps.’
    â€˜I know.’
    Lucy closes Louisa’s file and pushes it to the corner of her desk, stands and smooths out the wrinkles from her skirt. ‘You have to work at it, of course.’ Still smoothing.
    â€˜I love your skirt,’ says Louisa.
    Lucy looks pleased.
    â€˜Thanks,’ she says.
    â€˜I wish I could wear skirts like that.’
    Lucy smiles.
    â€˜I’ll be away for the next few weeks, as I said. You have the locum’s number if you need to make an appointment in the meantime, don’t you?’
    â€˜I’ll be okay.’
    â€˜Have you started doing your art yet?’ asks Lucy as Louisa is leaving.
    â€˜I’ve been thinking about it.’
    â€˜Fantastic!’ says Lucy. ‘Next step is to do something about it.’
    Louisa drives from Lucy’s West Perth office to a vantage point in Kings Park where she can see the changes in the city as the sun descends, the peak-hour traffic builds, and the lights switch on. Despite the heat, the days are getting shorter.
    A man walks past the front