Little Beginnings Read online

  When Chris and Jeri had decided to go their separate ways, her life had shattered into a thousand pieces. She’d loved him so much and probably still did a little. They’d gone through highs and lows, and in the end they hadn’t been able to hold a normal conversation anymore. She’d quit her job as a teacher because the irony of standing in front of children all day, but not having the chance to have her own, was too much to bare for her. When Chris had come home from work to find her on the couch, the house in a mess, initially he’d picked up the pieces, but after months of being patient, even he’d had enough. The inevitable was to split up.

  She’d tried to ignore the feeling of failure inside her for months, but in the end did some counselling and was now as close to peace with it as possible. Her friends had often encouraged her to move on and not compare Chris to all the many other men out there, but she couldn’t help herself. The fear of going through pain like that again was too great. And after a few years, it had become second nature to hide behind her wall. Yes, she loved flirting, but that was as far as she went.

  Until Ely had stepped into her gallery a few weeks earlier and had waved his magic wand.

  Ely.

  She had considered cancelling the dinner a couple of times, but wasn’t able to go through with it. The thought of being a no-show had come to mind as well, the idea to make him angry and not like her anymore, to back off and let her live her life behind her guard. She respected and liked him too much, though, to follow through on this.

  So every night, she’d watched some action flick to take her mind off her upcoming dinner.

  Thursday night, the doorbell rang when Jeri was eating her dinner. It was Sophie.

  “Come in, darling.”

  Sophie followed her into the lounge room.

  “I hope you don’t mind, I’m in the middle of my dinner. Help yourself to a drink in the kitchen.”

  Shaking her head, Sophie sat next to her. “I should apologise. I’m the one intruding. I won’t stay long.”

  “That’s okay. Anything on your mind?”

  The way Sophie played with the fringe of the tablecloth made Jeri all nervous and suddenly her appetite was gone. She placed a hand on her friend's. “Spill it. You’re making me all edgy.”

  Eyes wide open, Sophie met her gaze. “Oh, no. No, it’s nothing bad. Quite the opposite.” She let go of the fringe and smoothed it again before continuing. “I had a call the other day from a gallery in Melbourne. They’d like to exhibit some of my photos—”

  “This is great news,” Jeri interrupted, but as soon as she noticed Sophia bit her lip, nodding as to say go on.

  “I’m heading over there on Saturday morning. You know, a bit like checking out the place. Mia and Josh have already, but…I suppose I’m a bit over…” She sighed.

  “What’s the name of the gallery? I might’ve heard of them.”

  “Culver Street Gallery.”

  Jeri took another piece of her meal as she thought about the name, but it didn’t ring a bell.

  “Let me check in the gallery listing.”

  She stood, walked down the hall to her study to grab a book of galleries in Australia. As she stepped back into the lounge room, she flicked through the little book under ‘C’.

  “Culver…Culver… There it is.”

  Sophie stood and joined her. They read through the gallery’s description.

  “It’s reasonably new, but it sounds very good. I’ve never heard of them, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Will you join me on Saturday and come with me to Melbourne?”

  Jeri caught her balance and with eyes wide stared at her friend in surprise. “Me? Why?”

  “We'll pay for the trip.”

  “Honey, that’s not the issue. Why would you like me to come with you?”

  “I’d appreciate your advice.”

  Jeri, still staring at her friend, closed the book and placed it on the table, now ignoring her dinner. “Honey, what kind of advice do you have in mind? Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to come with, but the last thing I want to do is waste your money.” She tugged a stray hair behind her ear as she let out a long sigh. “I own a gallery, but only because the idea of going back to teaching didn’t appeal to me. I started my gallery because I love showing off other people’s work.”

  “You’re a teacher?”

  “Nah, I have a Bachelor of Education degree, but, honestly, can you imagine me in front of twenty-five children?”

  Sophie let out a soft laugh. “Actually, yes I can.”

  “I should come with you just for you to get to know me better.”

  Her friend’s sudden hug gave her another surprise. “Deal. Saturday morning, ten o’clock. Return here on Sunday. I think Mark said it was four.”

  Jeri sat down and thought about the offer. A weekend in Melbourne with Sophie sounded tempting…not only inspecting the gallery, but shopping, sightseeing, museums—the list was endless. The guilt for having someone else pay for her to have a nice weekend away was just as long. How much advice would she be able to give? There was no way she’d be able to come up with some solid feedback during a half an hour visit. It’d be more like research by calling people. Which people? She had no idea. Business partners. Melbourne Community Centres.

  But not her.

  “Look, I need you to understand—”

  Sophie sat down next to her and held up her hand. “I get it, Jeri. You’re worried you can’t give me any advice. I get that. Look, they’re very cheap flights on special and we’re staying with Mia. No accommodation costs. I’ve got nothing to lose, but I could gain a nice weekend with you and Mia.”

  Jeri nodded hesitantly. “Okay. Let’s go to Melbourne.” And as she said it, excitement started to grow inside.

  They talked for another couple of minutes, catching up on Sophie's sister Mia, her life in Melbourne, as well as arrangements for the following Saturday when Sophie stood.

  "I've really got to go now. I'm sure Hope and Mark are causing havoc in my kitchen."

  Jeri laughed. "I can't imagine that."

  "You've got no idea."

  They both headed to the front door when Jeri said, "Thank you, Sophie. This is very generous of you to invite me. It might be good for me to see another gallery and compare or let some ideas float into my head."

  "I thought so, too. And don't worry too much about being generous. I'd say more selfish."

  Jeri wasn't sure about going to that extent, but was able to see where her friend was coming from. "I'll see you Saturday morning."

  She closed the door and stood there for a long moment. Melbourne. So many different thoughts ran through her head. Having a look at another gallery was definitely a big bonus in this whole scenario. Of course, she’d been to other galleries, but it’d been before she’d opened hers and she’d obviously focussed more on the items on display instead of how everything fit together or the layout, lighting, pricing etc. She’d never given these things any thoughts.

  Then there were the obvious things to consider, what kind of clothes to wear or to pack? Did she still own a decent suitcase? What did she want to see while in the Victorian capital? And most importantly, who’d cover for her at the gallery Saturday morning?

  Saturday!

  Dinner!

  A wave of dizziness overcame her as she held on to the door handle for support. With her pulse up a notch, she cringed at the thought of having to tell Ely about not coming to his rather delightful dinner date. Fighting tears, she cursed at the fact that she’d forgotten about it, and despite wanting to stay detached, it gave her a pang of pain to know she wasn’t going to see him.

  She had to call him as soon as possible and explain the situation. Surely, he’d understand. After all, she wasn’t cancelling the dinner because she was going out with somebody else, but she was going on a semi-business trip to Melbourne.

  Jeri went into the kitchen for a glass of water before heading into her study to find his invoice. It had to be
somewhere, considering the money was still outstanding. Her bad.

  She had a sip of water to calm her down when she finally found what she was looking for. One day, she had to take the time and tidy up this mess. Better still, one day there had to be more money to afford someone to do her administration part time.

  It took her a while, but she finally found the invoice – with his number on it.

  She grabbed the phone, took a deep breath to calm down, and dialled.

  * * *

  Ely was on his way to have a beer with his friends at the local pub. The guys usually met after football training for a drink and to catch up on the latest news.

  It’d been a good week. He’d had some decent jobs and knew the money this month would be good enough to put some money aside as well as pay some creditors. Cara was brilliant doing his accounts and even though she drew a small salary, he wanted to get her something special like a holiday. She and her family deserved it.

  He was about to park when his phone buzzed. Checking the number, a grin spread across his face as he recognised the number.

  “Ms. Belmont. What gives me the honour of your phone call at this hour?”

  There was a little pause, and he wasn’t sure whether she’d hung up on him or not. Turning off the engine, silence engulfed him and he was able to hear her breathing.

  “Spill it,” he demanded.

  Her soft laugh went right through him, and he leaned back into the seat, closed his eyes, and tried to picture her in his mind.

  “I’ve got to postpone the dinner on Saturday,” she finally whispered.

  The image of her in his mind exploded into a thousand pieces.

  “Beg yours?”

  “You heard me, Ely.” Her voice was still barely audible, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. Did she get cold feet? Had she played him at Olivia’s party and now it was check-mate?

  "Is this payback for me not showing up to the date?"

  Another pause before she replied, her voice more like he’d come to known it over the last couple of meetings. "It's your guilt that keeps bringing up that fact. One has nothing to do with the other."

  "Hasn't it?"

  Another deep breath. He wasn’t sure why he was giving her such a hard time, because she didn’t really deserve it. After all, she was polite enough to call him, whether to cancel or postpone it, whether they’d have a dinner together or not—she was on the other line telling him she wasn’t coming. She deserved some respect for that.

  "I'm not cancelling it, simply postponing it."

  "I’m sorry for being an idiot,” he said, hoping she’d take his apology better than vice versa. “How about you give me a call when you're free for some dinner?"

  “I promise,” he heard her saying.

  “I hope whatever it is that the reason for the cancellation is worth it.” But as soon as the words were spoken, he regretted them, knowing they came across bitter.

  Yet, she let out a little laugh. “Yes, well and truly. Sophie asked me to accompany her to Melbourne to visit a gallery there. They’ve contacted her with the idea of exhibiting some of her photos. It’d be a massive opportunity for her, but she wants to make sure first they’re the real deal.”

  At that moment, anger crept through him like a little deadly disease. Anger at himself for being so arrogant to assume the worst of her from the moment she’d whispered the words that she wasn’t able to come. And in all fairness, so far it’d always been her who’d been honest and straight-forward. Jeri had been the one letting him know about the blind date. Letting him know she had reservations about them seeing each other again. Last but not least, she’d been honest enough to call him to explain about her no-show the following Saturday.

  “Will you be able to help her?”

  He heard her sigh. “I’m not sure. I’m a bit worried that I'll come along and will be completely useless.”

  He laughed. “I doubt that. At least she’ll have some good entertainment.”

  “You think I’m entertainment?” Her voice was back to the one he was used to, confident and strong.

  “I like being around you, I told you.” He admitted.

  There was silence, but he still heard her soft breathing.

  “Sweetheart, I’ve just finished two hours of football training. I’m thirsty like a fish. How about you call me when you come back?”

  She replied without hesitation. “Deal.”

  Ely hung up with contentment settling in his stomach. Surprised how much he liked her, surprised about the conversation they’d just had, him being hostile at the beginning turning into understanding, and Jeri being patient with him throughout the conversation. It not only surprised him, but impressed him as well.

  Had he had fights with Tina? Oh yes. Big ones. They had clashed on a regular basis, and now that he was thinking about it, it’d been him most of the time giving in to make her happy. There was no doubt in his mind that he hadn’t been the angel in the relationship, but something close to the peacekeeper. A phone call similar to the one he’d had with Jeri would’ve had ended in a huge fight and long days of silence between them.

  He hoped so much for her to have time soon for that dinner, because he couldn’t wait to see her again. Never, not even with Tina, had he felt something so intense. Opening the door, he rolled his eyes at himself at the thought that popped into his mind: Love at first sight.

  He needed a beer and some male conversation before he lost the plot.

  Love?

  He had to be kidding.

  His friends were already at the bar, half way through their first drink when he stepped inside. Scott waved him over.

  “Mate, what happened?”

  “Phone call.”

  His friend laughed. “The pretty one from the gallery?”

  Ely wasn’t sure why the expression annoyed him, because Scott had used it often and not in a negative connotation. Yet, this time it was different. Was he already protective, or in this case, overprotective of Jeri? He looked at his friend and finally nodded. “Lucky guess?”

  “Nah. Olivia cancelled on me for lunch. Has to work on Saturday at the gallery.”

  “What made you think she’d call me?”

  “Apparently there was supposed to be a dinner at your place.”

  Ely leaned against the bar, rubbed his face, and ordered his drink. Apparently things were going well between his friend and Olivia, which evidently meant no secrets any more.

  He lifted his finger. “She still owes me a dinner. So I thought I’d catch two flies with one hit. I’ve got little Rafe over Saturday night as well.”

  “I thought you liked her.”

  Ely tried to sound as casual as possible. “I do.”

  “Dinner with Rafe?”

  Annoyed about the whole conversation, he said, “For Pete’s sake, you’re making a mountain out of a molehill.”

  Scott laughed, had a sip of his beer, and said, “You’re smitten.”

  Ely, knowing his friend was right on the money, grabbed his beer and walked over to the other end of the bar and mingled with his friends over there. But he wasn’t able to participate in the conversation. He pretended to listen, here and there he nodded and smiled, but had no clue what the guys were talking about.

  Scott was right. He was smitten. What a crappy word. Did they use that for a man? He’d been so careful not to get attached to a woman since Tina had declined his marriage proposal. It’d taken him months to get over her. Months to figure out he had not only been hurt, but his pride had received a big dint. In the end he’d guessed it’d been a good thing to go separate ways. But he promised himself he’d never go through this again. Never would he let a woman close to him.

  Especially not one that was outspoken, big on principles, one who knew what she wanted, and was very intelligent.

  Yet, amongst all those traits, she carefully hid a very caring nature, her wit, and her sexiness. Oh, she was sexy all right.

  He chugged the rest of his b
eer, gave a quick wave to Scott, who knowingly smiled, and left. There was too much going on in his head. He needed a good movie to distract him. If it hadn’t been dark already, he’d gone for a run, which would’ve been overkill anyway, considering he’d finished his training only an hour ago.

  He got in his car and sat there for a moment playing with the idea of giving Jeri a visit. A smile played on his lips. Perfect plan.

  But within only a second, he banged his head against the steering wheel realising he didn’t have her address.

  Half an hour later he was home. Alone. Not able to get a certain person out of his head.

  Chapter 7

  Jeri had a wonderful weekend in Melbourne. After an uneventful flight, they met Mia at the airport. Sophie and her sister were excited to see each other again, and Jeri was greeted with the same delight.

  It didn’t take five minutes before Sophie screamed, pointing at Mia’s hand – she wore a wonderful diamond ring.

  With Sophie not able to form one proper word, Jeri said, “I have a feeling she’d like to know whether that means good news.”

  Mia held up her hand and nodded as she showed off the ring. “Happened on Wednesday night and with you coming,” she said to Sophie. “I thought it’d be nicer to tell you in person.” There was a moment’s pause as she raised one eyebrow. “That is, should you ever be able to calm down and speak again.”

  Sophie took a deep breath, took Mia’s hand into hers, and whispered, “I can’t believe it. My little girl’s engaged.”

  “You’re not going to cry, are you?” Mia asked.

  Her sister straightened. “And if I were, so what?”

  Jeri smiled as she watched the sisters. They deserved their happiness. It’d been a rough couple of years when Mia was a child.

  “We have to call Father Mahoney,” Sophie said.

  “He’s the one overseeing the organisation with the orphaned children, isn’t he? Why call him?” Jeri asked.

  Sophie nodded and said, “Father Mahoney was mum’s friend back in Sydney. He was a godsend when she passed away. He looked after us for the next few months and really helped us out to get our feet back on the ground.”