Any Name You Can Think Of;
Bomber/Spider.
NB; sequel to Any Excuse Will Do
Jessica Carlisle sat at the crowded restaurant waiting somewhat patiently for her sister to arrive. As usual, she was late. Jess checked her watch again, flicking her long brown hair out of her face as she did. At only 19 Jessica was a picture of teenage beauty, every inch of her skin flawless save for the two beauty spots below her nose and left eye. Her hair was long, a light brunette and wavy. She was a gorgeous figure, 179cms tall and thin. No one could've guessed she was a country girl with a baby son named Alexander and a 22-year-old husband. She fit almost seamlessly into the Cairns lifestyle, just the right amount of beach and the right amount of southern Queensland sass. It was Cairns or Brisbane and she chose Cairns for the obvious reason – her sister was here. The last of the Brown family, Jessica and her wild-child big sister Rebecca were becoming closer and closer everyday, and with Jess leaving their family farm in Mount Isa to go coastal it seemed likely to be closer. Now, if only she would run on time. When she was 20 minutes late Jess tapped the table. At 30 minutes late she ordered a drink. At 40 minutes late she attacked the complimentry bread rolls. Then, 45 minutes late, Rebecca Brown finally walked into the room. And with her, the elusive William Webb. Or so she'd been told he was called, though a second later he introduced himself as Billy and Jess preffered that. Though she'd sworn her sister to secrecy, Jessica had been born with a conjoined name, one that she had hated even more than she now hated being called Jessica. Jessica-Renee. Not a middle name. Her first name. The hyphen died, she became Jess, and the world was a happier place. So when she realised 'William Webb' was actually a bit of a country bumpkin himself and preffered Billy, Jess was about ready to scream 'welcome to the family' and sign the marriage certificate. She may have also been thinking of ensuring none of their children got double-barelled first names. And then Bec waved her hand in her sister's face.
"Jess? Yo, you in there?" She laughed. Billy smiled.
Jess grinned. "Sorry, thinking about…" She paused. Anything but the truth. Freak out the poor guy. It was common knowledge that Brown women were eccentric, but he didn't need to know how much. "Uh, how late you were. Got some 'splainin' sister!" She joked.
Billy put up his hand. "Sorry, that was me." He and Bec shared a smile. Jess didn't ask for an explanation. Especially when her stomach grumbled.
"Look, hate to break this up but Auntie Jane can't cook to save herself so I need food now!" She muttered, casting her eyes towards the menus at the end of the table. It was true, their mum's sister was a shocking cook and her little house outside Cairns smelt like cats. Even if she could cook Jess knew she wouldn't be hungry anyway.
Bec smiled up at her sister. "Your stomach first little sis, then we talk about your moving plans." She threatened. Jess pretended to be worried, but gave up (she'd failed drama – didn't think that was possible but she had) and returned to the menu. But this restaurant was classy and she couldn't read half the words. She looked up to find Billy struggling too, having cast Bec a look. Rebecca had always been the classier one of the sisters, speaking French the top of her classy list, and knew what a jus was.
Jess sighed dramatically. "I just want a piece of steak, medium well, and a coldie." She put her cheek down on her first.
Billy shot her an appreciative look and Jess liked the guy more and more. She wondered whether the child would get Bec's nose or Billy's? His was a little crooked. Bec's was cute. Jess had always envied her sister's nose. And her chin. But now she looked she preferred Billy's chin. It had a dent in it. Dents were cute. And his dimples. Cutest baby ever. What about G… Her thoughts were lost to the appearance of the waiter.
Jess glanced up at him after Bec ordered for she and Billy, the man just watching her appreciatively. Yeah, definitely his dimples… "Uh," She glanced at the menu. "Smoked salmon with asparagus and sour beet jus." She ordered. He nodded and took the menus.
Bec laughed as he walked away. "Fish with beans and beetroot sauce?" She asked.
Jess shrugged. "Had the most English in it. You take my asparagus, hate the stuff. Tom eats it straight out of the can. Disgusting." She grinned at the thought of her husband and wondered how he was going at home. She'd be back soon. It was good, cos she missed her boys terribly.
As if reading her mind, Bec asked about Alex. "How's Alexander going?" She asked.
Jess' face lit up at the mention of her son. She fished into her bag and pulled out a small army of photos. "He's doing great. Had a cold last month. Tom nearly died. He's an insane father!"
Billy glanced at the photos from beside Bec. "He's gorgeous. How old is he?"
"16 months, 2 weeks, 6 days. Not that I'm counting or anything." Jess grinned stupidly.
Bec laughed and passed Billy the photos. Jess smiled. Paternal. Good, good. She wondered how he was with kids. She'd ask Bec that later, when she didn't run the risk of getting one of her sister's trademark death stares. "So, how's your baby, the galley of the HMAS Hammersley?" Jess teased, putting the photos away as Billy pushed them across the table.
Bec glanced at Billy. "Oh yeah, you know, inhabited by bugs." Jess guessed an inside joke but smiled anyway. "Everything's good. And the farm?"
"Failing miserably, but we got a buyer. I think he wants to build on the land though, does a great impersonation of a Texan oil chief. Says we're basically on the edge of one of the fastest growing country towns in Queensland. The only growth we've had in Mount Isa over the last 5 years was attendance at Snakey's Bar, but I'm not going to tell him that."
"So that's why you're moving here? Bad farming land?" Billy asked.
Jess nodded. "That, and Alex needs a good place to grow up. Cairns offers so much more for him, and he can be near Aunty Bec-Bec." Jess teased.
Bec frowned at her sister. Billy laughed. "You should bring him down to the docks, he'd probably like the big ships."
Jess nodded. "Yeah, he might. You can take him on a tour. Aunty Bec-Bec and her toyboy." Jess joked. Billy laughed. Bec growled.
"Ignore her. She's only 19."
"20, in a month." Jess pointed out. She glanced at Billy. "Sorry, didn't mean that."
Billy just smiled. "It's fine." He laughed at Bec's expression. "Calm down Bomb, it was a joke." Bec smiled hesitantly. Clearly the age difference between she and Billy was a no-go zone. Not that it really mattered, two years. It wasn't like Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. Jess stopped. Ashton, there was a nice name for a child. Ashton Webb, she could see it. Bec's eyes, Billy's dimples.
Dinner turned up. Thank goodness, because Jess knew she was getting a bit odd. Good thing neither of them could see into her head, cos it was a bit messed up in there right now.
"Bomber has a confession to make." Billy said, glancing at Bec with a cheeky grin. They were half-way through their meal and a rather empty conversation about politics (a date killer if there ever was one, but thankfully Bec and Billy seemed to agree that all politicians were morons) and the comment was completely out of the blue.
Jess put down her fork as Bec glared at Billy. He didn't seem fazed by it. "Yeah, what up sis?" Jess enquired.
Bec said nothing, so Billy continued. "Bomb came to me last week begging for an excuse to get out of this." He revealed.
Jess gaped at her sister. "Awww, Bec-Bec. Don't you love me anymore?" Jess teased, knowing her sister would've come anyway, with or without Billy.
Bec growled at Billy. "Spider has a confession to make. He slept with a nightlight until he was 12!" She returned.
Billy gaped this time. "How did you… you?" He stuttered. Jess just cracked up laughing at the looks on their faces.
"I spoke to your mum." Bec revealed, looking like that cat who'd got the cream. "I also learnt about Mr Snuggles, the stuffed elephant. That's a bit sad Billy."
Billy looked so beaten Jess had to speak up. Bec had clearly forgotten Jess was there, or underestimated just how much she enjoyed watching Bec and Billy taunt each other. "So it's a good thing he doesn't know about Francine, your stuffed cat you kept on your bed until you were 14, right?" She grinned.
Billy laughed and smacked his hand down on the table. "Ha." He glanced at Jess. "Got anything else?"
"You mean like her fear of the garden hose when she was 10? Oh, no i…" Jess was getting warmed up, but Bec stopped her.
"I hate you both, you know that?" She said, but a stupid smile was on her face and she looked at them both affectionately. She stabbed a piece of Jess' asparagus and threatened to flick it at her. Billy took the fork from her hand and ate it instead.
"Hey, this isn't too bad." He said, obviously having never had asparagus before. He stole the rest off Bec's plate. The sisters laughed. All was good.
"So, when you back to the Mount?" Bec asked, walking her sister to her car.
"Next Friday I'm off. Then packing up, back here in two months, that's when the house is officially ours." Jess grinned excitedly.
"Need any help moving stuff, just call us okay?" Billy offered.
Jess gave him a smile. "Thanks." She shook Billy's hand. "It was nice to finally meet you." She said. Billy returned the shake and then wandered off, giving the sisters some time. "I love him. Can you just tie him down now so he can't get away?" Jess whispered to her sister as Billy got a good distance away.
Bec laughed. "You are twisted Jess, you know that right?"
Jess shrugged and pulled open the car door. "I get it from you." She hopped in and started up the car as Bec took a step back. She wound down the window. "I'll call you tomorrow?" Jess asked.
Bec nodded. "I'll be waiting."
Jess smiled and then suddenly it came to her. "That's it! Samuel!" She called to her sister as she pulled the car out of the parking spot. Billy gave her a wave from the other side of the road. "Samuel!" Jess called back to her sister.
And from the frown and glare on Bec's face, Jess knew she understood.