Episode 52 - Taxi!!!!
The drive back with Jules for Lee was almost unbearable. Jules was all over Helen and cooing sweet nothings as the pair sat in the back of the car, leaving Lee to feel like a chauffeur.
She kept sneaking glances in her rear view mirror and caught Helen staring back at her a few times, almost apologetically. Lee found herself being furious at Jules. The green eyed monster had bitten Lee hard on the arse.
She had made up her mind that she would drop the two love birds off at the pub and just go home and wallow in self pity. She pulled over and told them to go on ahead and she’d see them when they got home. Jules got a bit pissy with her.
‘Why aren’t you coming in?’ she grumbled.
‘I’m tired and I’ve got shit to do. You go on and I’ll see you both later.’
Jules shrugged and grabbed Helen by the hand and dragged her out of the car.
‘Are you sure you won’t join us, Lee?’ Helen pleaded. Lee gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white and shook her head.
‘C’mon,’ Jules whined, ‘Doctor Laura might be waiting.’
Helen watched as Lee pulled away from the curb and allowed herself to be led into the pub.
Jules said hello to the bar staff and a few of the regulars. They all asked how her eyes were and if she had any more gossip on the bomb fiasco in Carlisle Street. She gave them all the sordid details and kept a watchful eye out for Doctor Laura. Helen stood back quietly and waited to be introduced to these strangers. Jules seemed to have forgotten her so she picked up her drink and sat at a corner table and waited to be noticed again. She shredded cardboard coasters and sipped her wine and wished Lee had stayed with them.
Helen was the first to notice Doctor Laura walk into the bar. Jules was still gossiping and revelling in the attention of the bar flies. The MD looked around and recognised Helen. She smiled and sat herself down at the table.
‘Hi, Helen isn’t it?’ Laura asked and offered her hand. Helen shook it delicately, ‘And where is the patient?’
Helen gestured towards Jules over at the bar,
‘She’s entertaining her fans,’ she said ruefully.
‘Now, that’s no way to treat a sweet thing like you,’ the doctor purred and stroked Helen’s hand that was clutching her wine glass. Helen pulled it back sharply and the glass went crashing to the floor. She bent down to pick up the fragments of glass while the whole bar looked in her direction.
‘Taxiiiiiiii!!!’ Jules shrieked out and the bar crowd laughed for some reason. Helen was blushing furiously, obviously the brunt of some bizarre Australian ritual and angry at the blatant pass the doctor had made towards her. She started to wonder if she had fuck me written on her forehead.
The barman, Doug, came over and helped clean up the mess and gave her a kind smile,
‘Don’t worry about it. If I only lose one glass a day it’s a good day,’
Helen smiled, relieved.
Laura ordered a drink for herself and offered to buy a replacement for Helen. She declined. Jules joined them, seeing that the doctor had arrived.
‘I’ll have a beer thanks, Doctor Laura,’ she chirped and sat down. Doug looked at Laura and she nodded. He left to get their drinks.
Jules fawned over Laura and Helen started to get very uncomfortable.
‘What was the meaning of the ‘taxi’ comment?’ Helen asked.
‘When someone breaks a glass at a pub, it usually means they are wasted and time to go home in a cab,’ Jules chuckled.
‘Oh?’ Helen grunted, ‘How perfectly droll.’
Jules dismissed the obvious annoyance of Helen and returned her attention to the doctor, who in turn, was ignoring her and eyeing Helen like a predator.
Helen stood up and grabbed her bag,
‘I’m leaving,’ she announced.
‘You still jet lagged, babe?’ Jules asked without much concern.
‘I guess,’ replied Helen.
‘Ok then. If you walk up that street you’ll come to the apartments. Lee can let you in.’
Helen stood wide mouthed, astonished at Jules’ indifference. She certainly was not the person she had known on the Net. Her reserved British upbringing was the only thing that kept her from tipping Jules’ beer over her head.
She stormed out of the bar towards Carlisle Street. The only good thing that had come out of this trip was meeting Lee, who her heart ached for. But as it seemed, that was also fast turning into a disaster. Lee obviously had changed her mind after a night of what Helen had thought was mutual adoration. She hadn’t connected with someone so intensely before, from the first time she set eyes on Lee. Now Helen felt she was obviously nothing more than a sordid liaison to her. She felt cheap and hurt.
She had made up her mind to arrange the next available flight back home.
to be continued... |
