One: The Childhood Sweetheart. (84)
"If the army accepts your application," Tirria said, propping herself up on one elbow, "We'll have to get married."
Jack laughed, looked up at her and saw she was serious. " Married?"
"I looked it up," she said. "Spouses get housing, relocation allowances when you get posted to ... to wherever. Gotta be married, though."
"Bit of a big step, eh?" Jack said. "I mean, don't you think ... we should wait a bit? I don't think it's even legal until I'm eighteen."
Tirria settled back down beside him, mop of auburn curls tickling his jaw. "Yeah," she said, tracing a circle on his chest with one fingernail. "But do you really want us to be spending all those long months apart?"
"Well, no," Jack said.
"If we don't get married, we will be." Her hand drifted lower. "And I'd miss you, Jack."
He caught his breath. "And if we're married, the army will bring you with me?"
Tirria nodded.
"Right," Jack said. He stretched, snagged an empty tinnie from the bedside table and snapped the ringpull from the top. "Tirria Arbias, will you do me the honour of becoming Mrs Tirria Madison?"
She held out her hand to let him slip the flimsy scrap of tin over her ring finger. "Why Jack, I thought you'd never ask."
Two: The Ballroom Dancer. (88)
"So how'd you get that nick-name?" Jeppie asked, leaning back against the bar.
"Prudence is my middle name, love," Jack said. "Jack Prudence Madison. Pleased to meetcha."
"Oh, yeah?" she said, sounding unconvinced. "Prudent, are yah? Gotta tell you, Pruzza, 'prudent' ain't even my dictionary." She grinned. "Everything from 'probably' to 'prune' went the night I couldn't find any other paper to get the fire going."
Jack took a long swallow of his beer, watched the way her throat moved as she did the same. "What fire?"
"Long story," Jeppie said. She glanced around at the crowd, then turned back to him, playing with a lock of ginger hair behind her ear. "Hey, you want to get out of here? There's a place down the row with a real sprung floor, live band."
She's decided I'm the best on offer, Jack thought, amused. For a slow night in small town.
"Can't dance," he said.
"I'll teach you," Jeppie offered. "And you can teach me about prudence. All about prudence."
He grinned. "Sounds a fair deal."
Jeppie tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and tugged him towards the door. "You and me, Pruzza," she said. "I reckon we'll make quite the team."
"If the army accepts your application," Tirria said, propping herself up on one elbow, "We'll have to get married."
Jack laughed, looked up at her and saw she was serious. " Married?"
"I looked it up," she said. "Spouses get housing, relocation allowances when you get posted to ... to wherever. Gotta be married, though."
"Bit of a big step, eh?" Jack said. "I mean, don't you think ... we should wait a bit? I don't think it's even legal until I'm eighteen."
Tirria settled back down beside him, mop of auburn curls tickling his jaw. "Yeah," she said, tracing a circle on his chest with one fingernail. "But do you really want us to be spending all those long months apart?"
"Well, no," Jack said.
"If we don't get married, we will be." Her hand drifted lower. "And I'd miss you, Jack."
He caught his breath. "And if we're married, the army will bring you with me?"
Tirria nodded.
"Right," Jack said. He stretched, snagged an empty tinnie from the bedside table and snapped the ringpull from the top. "Tirria Arbias, will you do me the honour of becoming Mrs Tirria Madison?"
She held out her hand to let him slip the flimsy scrap of tin over her ring finger. "Why Jack, I thought you'd never ask."
Two: The Ballroom Dancer. (88)
"So how'd you get that nick-name?" Jeppie asked, leaning back against the bar.
"Prudence is my middle name, love," Jack said. "Jack Prudence Madison. Pleased to meetcha."
"Oh, yeah?" she said, sounding unconvinced. "Prudent, are yah? Gotta tell you, Pruzza, 'prudent' ain't even my dictionary." She grinned. "Everything from 'probably' to 'prune' went the night I couldn't find any other paper to get the fire going."
Jack took a long swallow of his beer, watched the way her throat moved as she did the same. "What fire?"
"Long story," Jeppie said. She glanced around at the crowd, then turned back to him, playing with a lock of ginger hair behind her ear. "Hey, you want to get out of here? There's a place down the row with a real sprung floor, live band."
She's decided I'm the best on offer, Jack thought, amused. For a slow night in small town.
"Can't dance," he said.
"I'll teach you," Jeppie offered. "And you can teach me about prudence. All about prudence."
He grinned. "Sounds a fair deal."
Jeppie tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and tugged him towards the door. "You and me, Pruzza," she said. "I reckon we'll make quite the team."
Three: The One With The Ex (92)
"Hey, careful there!" Jack stooped to snag the toddler before he could run past him and into the traffic. "Where do you think you're going, little man?"
"Oh, thank you!"
The woman's voice was flustered, but when Jack looked up he met the gaze of a tall, slim strawberry blonde who looked like she'd keep her cool on the hottest day of the blazing end of summer. Like a tall glass of iced milk, he thought, swinging the toddler up and depositing him back in his mother's arms.
"No worries, love," he said genially, taking the opportunity to look for a wedding ring on her hand. "Got a few myself. They move pretty bloody fast at that age."
She laughed. "A 'few'?"
"Two," he said, then corrected himself. "Three. Four, if you count the one I found out was the other bloke's."
"And do you?" She shifted her son to one hip and shaded her eyes with her free hand, looking up at him. "Count that one?"
Jack shrugged. "She's gonna grow into a beaut sheila one day. May as well take all the credit I can, eh?" He held out his hand. "Jack," he said.
She hesitated, and then lowered her hand, squinting against the glaring sun. "Machai," she said, putting her long, cool fingers into his. "Machai Tennigal."
"Mrs Machai Tennigal?" Jack asked, holding her hand just a little too long.
Machai shook her head, her sleek bob flaring slightly with the movement. "Miss," she said. "Now."
"Buy you a milkshake, Miss Machai Tennigal?" he asked.
"Buy him a milkshake," she said with a gesture to her son. "Buy me a beer."
Jack laughed. "I think you might be my kind of sheila, Machia," he said.
She gave him a sly sidewise smile as she stepped past him toward the pub. "You know, Jack," she said. "I think maybe I might be."
Four: The Marine (98)
"I could kill you with one hand," Arlinna said, tucking a lock of hair dyed blood-red behind her ear. "Does that turn you on?"
"Not especially, love," Jack admitted. "It's more the rest of the package."
She laughed and leaned forward, bringing the rest of the package within reach of his eager hands. "You know, Pruzza, if we got married, we could do this every night."
"Sign me up," he said hoarsely.
Five: The One With The Tattoos and the Headlights.(101)
Jack rolled over, winced, and swallowed hard. 'cestors, how much did I have to drink ... last ... night?
Cautiously, he opened his eyes. Looks like my room, he thought. That's a good start. It's not a gutter. Well done, Pruzza.
"Hey, honey," a voice from the other side of the bed said.
He rolled over and stared at the redhead smiling at him. "G'day love. You would be?"
She raised her hand and displayed the gold band on her ring finger. "Mrs Jack Madison," she said.
"Hey, careful there!" Jack stooped to snag the toddler before he could run past him and into the traffic. "Where do you think you're going, little man?"
"Oh, thank you!"
The woman's voice was flustered, but when Jack looked up he met the gaze of a tall, slim strawberry blonde who looked like she'd keep her cool on the hottest day of the blazing end of summer. Like a tall glass of iced milk, he thought, swinging the toddler up and depositing him back in his mother's arms.
"No worries, love," he said genially, taking the opportunity to look for a wedding ring on her hand. "Got a few myself. They move pretty bloody fast at that age."
She laughed. "A 'few'?"
"Two," he said, then corrected himself. "Three. Four, if you count the one I found out was the other bloke's."
"And do you?" She shifted her son to one hip and shaded her eyes with her free hand, looking up at him. "Count that one?"
Jack shrugged. "She's gonna grow into a beaut sheila one day. May as well take all the credit I can, eh?" He held out his hand. "Jack," he said.
She hesitated, and then lowered her hand, squinting against the glaring sun. "Machai," she said, putting her long, cool fingers into his. "Machai Tennigal."
"Mrs Machai Tennigal?" Jack asked, holding her hand just a little too long.
Machai shook her head, her sleek bob flaring slightly with the movement. "Miss," she said. "Now."
"Buy you a milkshake, Miss Machai Tennigal?" he asked.
"Buy him a milkshake," she said with a gesture to her son. "Buy me a beer."
Jack laughed. "I think you might be my kind of sheila, Machia," he said.
She gave him a sly sidewise smile as she stepped past him toward the pub. "You know, Jack," she said. "I think maybe I might be."
Four: The Marine (98)
"I could kill you with one hand," Arlinna said, tucking a lock of hair dyed blood-red behind her ear. "Does that turn you on?"
"Not especially, love," Jack admitted. "It's more the rest of the package."
She laughed and leaned forward, bringing the rest of the package within reach of his eager hands. "You know, Pruzza, if we got married, we could do this every night."
"Sign me up," he said hoarsely.
Five: The One With The Tattoos and the Headlights.(101)
Jack rolled over, winced, and swallowed hard. 'cestors, how much did I have to drink ... last ... night?
Cautiously, he opened his eyes. Looks like my room, he thought. That's a good start. It's not a gutter. Well done, Pruzza.
"Hey, honey," a voice from the other side of the bed said.
He rolled over and stared at the redhead smiling at him. "G'day love. You would be?"
She raised her hand and displayed the gold band on her ring finger. "Mrs Jack Madison," she said.
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