8.
Alex's hands were warm, wrapped around Claire's. They lay squashed together in the hammock facing the sunset. Jodi ran out the door and stopped when she saw them.
"Hello Jodi!" Claire beamed. Jodi could see they were enjoying themselves!
"Uh, hi Claire, hi Alex. you guys look pretty comfy. Uh, I'm just - getting my shoes." She went back inside as fast as she had entered.
"Hey Meg, Becky, Tess - you know bout them!?"
"What?"
"Alex and Claire - They're outside."
".SO?" Becky was confused.
"In the hammock!"
"I told you it was comfy!" Tess laughed.
"HOLDING HANDS!"
Everyone was at the window in a flash. They looked in amazement as the couple sat talking and whispering to each other. "Dammit - I wish I could hear what they're saying." Jodi whispered to Tess.
"Oh no you don't!" Tess told her.
Alex put his arm around Claire as she laid her head on his chest. "You know what this reminds me of?" Claire asked.
"Nope."
"When you fell off Phoenix, I was real scared. Thought I might lose you." Claire's voice was quiet.
"So you put your head on my chest? I remember that!" She smiled at him.
"I still can't believe that nurse thought we were married! Do you think we look like it?" Claire asked. The sunset was at it's best now. Golden orange with purple shades, and hardly any clouds.
"Maybe we suit each other?"
"Yea, well that's a good thing isn't it?" "Of course it is!" Alex laughed. His chest shook and Claire moved her head to his shoulder. He smelt real good. "If I asked you for something pretty big, would you say yes?"
"Depends how big it is." Claire was curious again. She prayed he didn't ask if it's OK for him to have another girl in his life.
"Well, it's pretty big. It would affect our relationship - a lot."
Claire was listening hard now.
"How would it affect me?"
"Well, I wouldn't be able to spend any more money on you. You know, for romantic things such as roses, chocolates etcetera."
"What are you saying, Alex?"
"Well, I sort of went a spent a heap of cash today. I know it might sound stupid, but I want to show you what a spent it on." Claire was very concerned. She was relieved he hadn't been talking about another girlfriend, but she was worried he had got himself drunk and had now gambled too much at the Gungullen Pub.
Alex reached into his jeans pockets and pulled out a little horse-shoe shaped box with velvet covering. It looked like the ones Claire had seen for holding diamond bracelets in the jewellery shop. "Oh my God Alex, it's so sweet! Is it for ME?"
"No, it's for Meg - just joking Claire, of course it's for you!"
Claire hardly wore any jewellery, but she liked necklaces best, so she was excitedly opened the box, trying not to rip any of the tissue paper. Alex watched for her reaction and he sat up straight in the hammock so he could see her face clearly.
Claire continued to unveil the package. When she opened the latch to the container, she almost cried.
Alex's hands were warm, wrapped around Claire's. They lay squashed together in the hammock facing the sunset. Jodi ran out the door and stopped when she saw them.
"Hello Jodi!" Claire beamed. Jodi could see they were enjoying themselves!
"Uh, hi Claire, hi Alex. you guys look pretty comfy. Uh, I'm just - getting my shoes." She went back inside as fast as she had entered.
"Hey Meg, Becky, Tess - you know bout them!?"
"What?"
"Alex and Claire - They're outside."
".SO?" Becky was confused.
"In the hammock!"
"I told you it was comfy!" Tess laughed.
"HOLDING HANDS!"
Everyone was at the window in a flash. They looked in amazement as the couple sat talking and whispering to each other. "Dammit - I wish I could hear what they're saying." Jodi whispered to Tess.
"Oh no you don't!" Tess told her.
Alex put his arm around Claire as she laid her head on his chest. "You know what this reminds me of?" Claire asked.
"Nope."
"When you fell off Phoenix, I was real scared. Thought I might lose you." Claire's voice was quiet.
"So you put your head on my chest? I remember that!" She smiled at him.
"I still can't believe that nurse thought we were married! Do you think we look like it?" Claire asked. The sunset was at it's best now. Golden orange with purple shades, and hardly any clouds.
"Maybe we suit each other?"
"Yea, well that's a good thing isn't it?" "Of course it is!" Alex laughed. His chest shook and Claire moved her head to his shoulder. He smelt real good. "If I asked you for something pretty big, would you say yes?"
"Depends how big it is." Claire was curious again. She prayed he didn't ask if it's OK for him to have another girl in his life.
"Well, it's pretty big. It would affect our relationship - a lot."
Claire was listening hard now.
"How would it affect me?"
"Well, I wouldn't be able to spend any more money on you. You know, for romantic things such as roses, chocolates etcetera."
"What are you saying, Alex?"
"Well, I sort of went a spent a heap of cash today. I know it might sound stupid, but I want to show you what a spent it on." Claire was very concerned. She was relieved he hadn't been talking about another girlfriend, but she was worried he had got himself drunk and had now gambled too much at the Gungullen Pub.
Alex reached into his jeans pockets and pulled out a little horse-shoe shaped box with velvet covering. It looked like the ones Claire had seen for holding diamond bracelets in the jewellery shop. "Oh my God Alex, it's so sweet! Is it for ME?"
"No, it's for Meg - just joking Claire, of course it's for you!"
Claire hardly wore any jewellery, but she liked necklaces best, so she was excitedly opened the box, trying not to rip any of the tissue paper. Alex watched for her reaction and he sat up straight in the hammock so he could see her face clearly.
Claire continued to unveil the package. When she opened the latch to the container, she almost cried.
