Beach Reading by Lorne Elliott

Author:Lorne Elliott [Elliott, Lorne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9781894838924
Publisher: Acorn Press
Published: 2013-09-05T04:00:00+00:00

“No. The other one,” she said, but there was no other guy around except Rattray, so she must have been mistaken, or hallucinating. Perhaps I should put my hand to her forehead to see if she was running a fever, and if so, administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Right then, Fergie headed towards his truck, leaving one person only to whom she could be referring. “Him,” she pointed.

“You mean Rattray?” I felt like spitting, to rid my mouth of the contamination of his name.

“Rattray?” she repeated, making even the ugliest two syllables in the universe seem almost musical. Then she turned to me eagerly. “What’s his first name?”

“I don’t know,” I said, hoping to suggest that nobody knew his name, nobody cared enough to find out, and that it was rumoured he hadn’t even been given one, his own parents never having felt he was worth it.

Apart from everything else that distressed me about this conversation, I did know that Rattray’s first name was Barry, and it occurred to me this was my first real lie to her.

“I’ll ask him,” she said, seeming not only to be curious, but positively excited.

And on the far side of the earth, as though that tiny tremor had dislodged something, the tectonic plate slipped a miniscule distance.

“Do you want something from him?” I said. “Because I could ask him, if you wanted.”

“He’s coming in,” she said. “Introduce me,” and with a quick motion she undid the top button of her shirt.

Appalled but obedient I waited till Rattray shouldered his way through the door, his eyes not yet accustomed to the lighting inside, and not particularly interested in seeing anybody anyway.

“Rattray? This is Claire,” I said, trying not to make it sound like she was the most special thing in the world. I was no longer celebrating, but denigrating her, and dark and twisted feelings squirmed out of my soul where before had been only truth and purity.

“Oh yeah?” said Rattray barely looking up, and he turned away.

Rattray seemed not to see her beauty. Yes! Good man Rattray! And in a further twist of perversity, I found myself actually grateful to him. Everything was upside down.

But now his indifference seemed only to increase her curiosity. She took a quick step after him, following him to the counter. “Putting in boxes, eh?” she said.

“Yep.”

“Need a hand?”

“No.”

“I don’t mind.”

“There’s only a few more,” said Rattray, thumping the box on the counter and then crossing back towards the bathroom, still ignoring me.

“I guess those are the boxes of new stationary we were promised,” I said to Claire. “High time, too. Those guys in Ottawa! I’ve been asking for them for a week now. Phoned in a requisition just yesterday. I needed some for that report I’m doing. Which is something I wanted to ask you about, like I was saying. I was wondering if you’d be up to making some illustrations for it.” I knew I was babbling, but I couldn’t stop myself.

“What?”

“Illustrations, like the ones you made in The Flora and Fauna of Barrisway Park.

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