Milieu Dawn Read online

Placing the two mugs onto the wooden coffee table, Matt sank back into the soft worn leather and stretched out his arms. She leant forward to pick up the mug and blew over the surface of the hot drink, as she always did. Sliding her body further on to the dark coloured material, she swivelled her legs across the rest of the sofa and backed her svelte frame against Matt’s side.

  They were several feet away from the hearth; close enough to enjoy the warmth from the log fire but far enough distant so the heat wasn’t uncomfortable. Jenna had positioned herself to be able to gaze out the window, out at the emerging stars in the ever darkening sky.

  “Cosy little place you’ve got here,” she said.

  She was being polite. Minimalist was the best description he could have afforded their surroundings. Apart from a fresh lick of paint and new wooden floors he had changed little to Jack’s home, more out of respect for his friend than anything else. The chunky, old fashioned television in the corner of the room was hardly ever used, evidenced by the layer of dust covering the screen. Matt was rarely in the house enough to bother switching it on, preferring instead to spend most of his waking hours up in the sky ferrying the tourists around.

  “Don’t you close the curtains at night?” she asked.

  “No, I like to be able to see outside.”

  “What, even in the black of night?” she said with an amused laugh.

  “Particularly at night,” he replied.

  She looked over to the expansive window and spotted the expensive looking telescope, next to the single hardback chair with the cloth covering.

  “So that’s what you do at night, watch the stars to while the hours away.”

  “Yeah, and sometimes I peek at the neighbours too,” he said dryly.

  “What a creep you are, Matt Durham.”

  He smiled and enjoyed the ensuing silence between the crackles of the logs.

  “I can’t remember the last time we did this,” she said.

  “It’s been a long time,” he agreed.

  He reached to touch the top of her head with his lips and smiled again. They remained quiet for a while, happy to focus their attentions on the movement of the pear-shaped flames from the wood on the fire, crackling quietly as they bent first one way then the other.

  “Never done it with the lights off in front of a warm log fire before though,” she said.

  He started to laugh and rubbed the top of her hair with his hand.

  “Behave yourself young lady.”

  Matt knew she was smiling even though he couldn’t see her face. There was something comforting about Jenna’s presence in the bungalow tonight. Matt realised how much he’d missed her tactile friendship, the simple joy of her undemanding human contact and warm affection.

  She seemed content with the situation too. It brought back happy memories of times spent together the previous year. Jenna took a sip of coffee and then swiftly another, as though she were readying to break the tranquillity with disharmony.

  “Matt?”

  “Yes”

  “When your friend Jack came to see me last year he gave me an envelope with fourteen hundred dollars inside. He said it was from you.”

  “It was.”

  “But why fourteen hundred dollars?” she asked.

  Matt thought better of revealing his secret examination of one of her bank statements while she slept after a night shift, discovering her overdraft to be that amount.

  “I wanted to give you more, as a way of thanking you for helping me. It was all I could afford at the time,” said Matt.

  He could tell she was less than convinced. Fortunately, she chose not to prolong her line of enquiry. Somehow, he had the feeling something else was on her mind. He waited for the question to be asked.

  “Who are you really, Matt?”

  He started to laugh.

  “You know who I am.”

  “I don’t think I do. The way you took down those two guys tonight ...”

  “I didn’t really have much time to think about it,” he said defensively.

  “That’s exactly my point. You didn’t have to think about it, just did it like it came naturally. For a moment I thought I was watching Jason Bourne at the movies, except he’s prettier than you.”

  He shrugged his shoulders enabling a slight smirk to cross his lips.

  “And the pleasure you seemed to get out of it,” she added.

  “Don’t be silly, I didn’t get any pleasure from it.”

  “Yes you did, I could see it in your face. If that other guy hadn’t spoken you would have really hurt the man with the broken bottle.”

  “Well what was I supposed to do? Ask him if he wanted to dance?”

  She paused for a few moments.

  “How did you get the scar tissue on your shoulder?”

  “Which shoulder?”

  “The left one, I noticed it when I was dressing your arm.”

  “I don’t remember. It must have happened a while back.”

  “Not that long ago. The injury is still fresh,” she said.

  Matt sensed her unease and chose to say nothing hoping the moment would pass, almost counting each passing second in his head.

  “You’re different now,” she said.

  “Different?”

  Jenna reached sideways to place the mug on the table and turned to face him, wrapping one slim leg under the other to keep her balance. She looked into his eyes with an expression mixed between concern and confusion.

  “There’s another part to you now, a darker side.”

  He gazed back and felt his eyelids betray him by fluttering into brief motion.

  “What happened when you were away, Matt? What horrible things were you involved in that’s made you like this?”

  Matt knew he couldn’t say.

  “Maybe this is the way I’ve always been and you hadn’t noticed before,” he said lightly.

  “No, you were never like this. There’s something changed up there,” she said, pointing to his head. “It’s almost like you are two different people.”

  He paused in an attempt to collect the array of conflicting thoughts swirling around in his mind. She had thought about him a lot more than he realised.

  “So who are you really, Matt?”

  A few more silent moments passed.

  “I’m not sure I know anymore,” he heard himself confess.

  Jenna’s gaze never left his face. Her brow furrowed, trying to make sense of the uncertain reply, trying to understand. Matt gazed back into her eyes while he considered what to say next.

  She looked so pretty tonight. Her almond shaped eyes had a depth and volume about them that oozed warmth and affection. Without doubt they were the most attractive feature of her face.

  “You used to be much kinder and gentler before,” she whispered. “I used to like you then.”

  Now it was his turn to look confused.

  “And now?” he asked.

  She shook her head gently.

  “I don’t know. There’s something dangerous about you now, and it’s gives you a scary edge. I’m not as certain about you as I was before.”

  “Jenna ...”

  She reached up and pressed a finger against his lips.

  “I’ve said enough. It’s time I went,” she said.

  Matt looked at his watch.

  “Stay,” he said quietly. “It’s late now. I can fly you back in the morning.”

  Her eyes revealed she was at least prepared to consider the suggestion.

  “I’ll take the single bed in the spare room. You can use one of the shirts in the wardrobe for a night dress,” he added.

  She was trying to decide.

  “You won’t suddenly jump me unexpectedly, while I’m brushing my teeth perhaps, and then throw me over your shoulder and pin me to the floor?”

  He smiled and gently shook his head.

  “I’d like you to stay,” he said. “Having someone else in the house tonight would be good.”

  She pla
ced a small hand on his cheek, leant forward and kissed him on the cheek.

  “For one night only,” she said.

  “Thanks,” he whispered.

  Jenna was halfway to the bathroom when she turned to look back at him.

  “Will you tell me what happened one of these days, when you’re ready?”

  He nodded and she returned a smile before continuing her way.

  “There’s a spare toothbrush in the cabinet,” he called after her and she acknowledged him with a wave of her hand.

  Matt waited until Jenna had entered the bedroom before rising to his feet. As he walked past the partially open door he glanced inside. She was facing the window, about to push her slender left arm into the remaining empty sleeve of the shirt. He couldn’t help but stand and watch as she drew the shirt over her bare back and then flicked her long hair away from the collar. Her arm movements told him she was fastening the plastic buttons into place.

  Matt was sure he hadn’t made a sound. Jenna sensed his presence at the doorway and turned to look back at him. He watched her fingers manipulate the last button, underneath the collar of the shirt, and fastened it into place. She gave him a faint smile.

  “What time do you need to be back on the mainland?” he asked.

  “Free day tomorrow, there’s no rush,” she replied.

  For a fleeting moment he hesitated, and wondered. This pretty nubile young woman was his friend for Christ’s sake. If he was uncertain before, there were no more doubts in his mind. It really had been far too long.

  “Good night, Jenna,” he said, reaching forward to tug at the handle and close the white wooden door.

  Matt had only just started to gently massage the shampoo into his wet hair when he heard the doorbell ring.

  “Fiddle my sticks,” he moaned and reached to switch the shower off.

  “It’s okay, I’ll get it,” Jenna’s voice called out.

  He cursed again for being absent minded enough to forget to shut the bathroom door.

  “Thanks,” he yelled at the pair of bare skinny legs sticking out from under his shirt, scurrying past the door. Resuming his ritualistic morning shower he wondered who could be calling on him at this hour of the day. It was much too early for the postman and he wasn’t expecting anyone. Heat threw itself against him once more as he immersed his body under the water from the power shower, and he began to rinse the oily cleanser from his hair. With any luck, Jenna would make breakfast.

  Fresh coffee was as much as she’d prepared by the time he’d finished dressing. Filling the mug he glanced at Jenna seated at the light wooded table, lightly blowing over the surface of the hot drink. The short sleeved white linen shirt hung around her svelte frame like an oversized lifejacket.

  “Will scrambled egg and some toast suit you?”

  “Only if I make it,” she teased.

  “I have got better,” he protested.

  She gave him a sunny smile. The sort of happy, friendly smile she used to give him and it warmed him.

  “Okay, I’ll jump in the shower and freshen up while you’re designing breakfast,” she said cheerfully and darted quickly away.

  “Jenna,” he called, “who was that at the door earlier?”

  “Someone delivered an envelope for you, a young woman with blonde hair. Said she didn’t have time to wait so I took it off her and put it on the coffee table.”

  “Okay, thanks,” he called back as he cracked the last of the eggs into the pan and set about assembling the ingredients into some sort of attractive shape.

  “Funny thing though,” said Jenna, suddenly reappearing at the door. “I thought I recognised her from somewhere. Don’t know where exactly, but I’ve definitely seen her before.”

  “Huh, blondes,” he said. “They’re forever knocking on my door.”

  Jenna laughed out loud on her return to the bathroom. The probability wasn’t too much of a stretch, surely?

  Matt returned his attention to stirring the mixture without giving the matter any further thought. After lightly buttering the toast, he tipped the contents of the pan onto the plate and placed it on the table next to Jenna’s coffee.

  “It’s ready,” he shouted.

  “Okay, nearly done,” she replied.

  He decided to wander into the lounge and search for the envelope. Look at this, had been scribbled hurriedly in pencil across the front. Prising open the flap he freed the newspaper cutting and read the headline.

  Consumption Proposals Shelved, it read.

  The article was dated some several days ago, after a recent environmental conference held in China had ended. He read further. The conference chair, an EU politician by the name of Catherine Vogel, had attempted to propose measures limiting the consumption of individual countries in order to try and conserve natural resources. As ever global leaders declined to discuss the issue, choosing instead to focus their attentions on the growth of the world economy. Once again, money had won the day from reason. There was only one person likely to have brought him this news. He hurried towards the door of the main bedroom, where Jenna was dressing inside.

  “What made you think you knew the woman?”

  She thought for a moment.

  “Her eyes,” said Jenna. “Blue and piercing they were. I don’t know why, but they seemed familiar for some reason.”

  Instantly, Matt had the confirmation he sought. The caller had to be Rosa Cain. Like buses, two of the women in his past life had decided to turn up almost at the same time.

  Shit, he thought. Rosa would have been greeted at the door by Jenna, draped in nothing other than one of his linen shirts first thing in the morning. The scene was a certain recipe for jumping to the wrong conclusion.

  “I’ve got to go, Jenna,” he shouted. “Use the spare key in the jar above the sink to lock up, and leave it with Donna at the jetty.”

  “Matt?” she called out.

  The front door thumped shut as she entered the kitchen.

  “Matt, where are you?”

  Peering out of the lounge window she saw the red pick-up disappearing from the drive at speed.

  “Where the hell has he gone now?”

  Chapter Four

  A Series of Unfortunate Events