The Day of the Gecko Read Free

about yourself?’
    â€˜Pretty much the same. Trying to keep the wolf from the door. To tell you the truth, I’ve just finished training. I got down here earlier.’ Les glanced at Susie’s tracksuit and the two weights. ‘What are you up to?’
    â€˜I’ve just been for a power walk round to Bronte and back.’
    â€˜Shit! That’s not a bad hike for a young city girl on her own.’
    â€˜Yeah, I did it a bit bloody tough this morning, too.’ Susie puffed her lips and blew a couple of drops of sweat from the tip of her nose.
    Les nodded. ‘Yes, I think there has to be a better way than this.’
    â€˜Tell me about it. My feet feel like lead.’
    â€˜Well, why don’t you plonk your sweet little backside down here and I’ll shout you a bottle of Gatorade?’
    Susie seemed to think for a moment as another drop of sweat formed on her nose. ‘Yeah. I think that might be a good idea. I feel buggered.’
    Les got up to let Susie in. ‘Orange?’
    Susie seemed to think for another moment. ‘Lemon-lime.’
    â€˜Coming right up.’ There were a few people in the take-away side so, while he was waiting, Norton reflected on how he got to meet Side Valve Susie.
    It wasn’t long after Les finished with Easts. He met her at a party in Rose Bay. They went out, got on famously, and even managed to get into each other’s pants on a couple of occasions when they were consumed by the demon alcohol. They bumped each other in a hotel one night where Les was in an argument with two old Easts officials he was unlucky enough to come across. Susie put her head in, half-drunk, and started needling Les. Les was a bit testy and sort of told her to piss off. For which Norton copped what was left ofSusie’s Bacardi and Coke over his head and she left with another bloke. Les bumped her again in the street and apologised for what he said, though he didn’t feel like a drink tossed over him was needed. Susie sort of apologised too. She was a bit drunk. But the bloke she left with turned out to be not such a bad chap and had plenty of money. So see you round, Les, anyway, and no hard feelings. And that was that. No hard feelings. Les would see Susie now and again and Susie would always give Les a bit of cheek and they’d laugh and share a joke.
    Susie’s cheek, however, got Side Valve her comeuppance and her nickname one night at The Bridge Hotel in Balmain, listening to a band. Susie kept pitching up to this bloke she fancied, even though his girlfriend was there. As the girlfriend got drunker, she got shittier and ended up belting Susie on the chin with a roll of ten cent coins, breaking Susie’s jaw. It wasn’t all that bad, but somehow it took ages to knit and every time Susie spoke it came out the side of her mouth with a lisp a bit like Sylvester the cat. Some horrible, low, insensitive, sexist men at the North Bondi started calling her Side Valve Susie. And it stuck; amongst a few callous women too. Even today, Susie’s jaw caught occasionally and she lisped the odd word now and again. Somehow, after that, Susie stopped going after other women’s men and throwing drinks over blokes as well.
    Les returned with the two Gatorades and sat back down alongside Susie. She thanked him, then they both took a drink. Susie had taken off her sunglasses to wipe her face and, despite a sweaty red face and nomake-up, Les couldn’t help but notice Susie still had those attractive Joan Collins type of features and when he bumped her getting up from the stool he noticed there was nothing wrong with her body. Side Valve Susie was still very much a good sort.
    â€˜Oh yeah. Good one, mate.’ Susie belched politely into her hand. ‘Thanks again, Les.’
    â€˜My pleasure, Susie.’ Les took another swallow, then looked at her for a moment. ‘So what are you doing with yourself now, Susie? I haven’t seen you around