Damien sighed. ‘Maybe I’d better stay and have this wisdom rub off on me.’
Phyllie’s eyes narrowed, and she pointed to the chair across from her. ‘Take a seat.’ She turned to Nat. ‘Go and fetch the poor man a drink, would you. He looks exhausted.’
Nat had to admit that Phyllie was right; Damien did look exhausted.
‘Just water thanks, Nat.’
She left the room, still able to hear the conversation clearly from the small kitchen.
‘Are you okay, love?’ Phyllie asked. ‘You seem to have lost all your spark.’
Nat stopped momentarily. Phyllie was right, Damien did seem very flat. He had at dinner the other night too. She wasn’t surprised really, being married to Hannah could hardly be a barrel of laughs, but he’d always seemed upbeat before.
‘Just long hours,’ he answered. ‘Wearing me a bit thin at the moment.’
‘You’re sure that’s all?’
‘I’m sure. Now, I’d better get on. Pam’s waiting for me in the ambulance, and other jobs have probably come in while we’ve been here.’
Nat opened the fridge and poured a glass of cold water from a jug into a glass and took it back to the living room. She handed it to Damien.
He accepted it gratefully, chugged it down and then stood. ‘Now, you look after yourself, Phyllie. I’ll pop back in on Monday and check the wound for you, but if it starts bleeding, oozing pus or smelling, you call me straightaway. It means it’s infected and we’ll need to organise antibiotics for you. I’ve left you fresh dressings, so make sure you change them at least once a day. This one will be alright until the morning.’
Phyllie saluted him. ‘Yes, sir.’
Damien grinned as he handed Nat the empty glass. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow night. You’ve got the address?’
Nat nodded.
‘Be prepared to lose all your money,’ Phyllie called after Damien as he made his way towards the front door. ‘Nat will be ready for Vegas by the time we’re finished this afternoon.’
‘Looking forward to it.’ Damien headed out of the door and along the shrub-lined path to where the ambulance was parked at the start of the driveway.
Phyllie let out a laugh before turning to Nat. ‘Now, why don’t you go and get the cards, the wine and the platter of food that’s in the fridge, and we’ll get on with the real reason you came over today. All this interruption from goats and Damien has thrown us way off schedule. Poker first, then we’ll look at the room. I was thinking that it would suit me if you moved in on Thursday. That will give us both a few more days to enjoy our freedom.’
Nat nodded. It would give her a few days to organise her belongings, not that she had much to move, and give more thought to her job situation.
As Phyllie explained the tips and tricks that would ensure Nat had an advantage over most Texas Hold ’Em players, the two women enjoyed the Prosecco, and the cheese and antipasto Phyllie had prepared. The conversation soon turned to Nat’s unemployed status.
‘Have you had any thoughts about where you’d like to work next, love?’
Nat sighed. ‘I don’t have the energy to even look. I’m pretty sure most employers will look at my résumé and throw it back at me. Five jobs in two years doesn’t thrill prospective bosses, especially when I was fired from all of them.’
‘Put me down as a reference,’ Phyllie said. ‘I won’t say anything negative at all.’
Nat laughed. She could imagine her grandmother singing her praises to a potential employer. ‘Thanks, but I’ll sort it out myself. I can continue my volunteer work at Shared while I’m looking. It keeps me busy and at least I’m valued there.’
Phyllie picked the cards up and dealt them each two cards face down, ready for their preflop betting. ‘You have a good heart, Nathalia. You remember that. It’s much more important than competing for promotions or pats on the back. Stay true to who you are and don’t worry about other people. Good things will come to you if you’re patient, you mark my words.’
A round table with a green felt Texas Hold ’Em mat covering it, poker chips and dim lighting cleverly transformed Damien’s workmate’s family room to provide the atmosphere of a real casino. Phyllie’s words from the previous day replayed in Nat’s head as excitement flittered in her stomach. Was this what her grandmother had meant by good things will come to you if you’re patient? She couldn’t believe the pile of winnings in front of her, which was growing with nearly every hand. Nat turned over her hole cards to reveal an ace and a jack. When added to the five cards already drawn, she had a straight. A collective groan went up around the table, while excitement caught in Nat’s throat. She’d won, again!
‘Why’d you invite her?’ Stu threw his cards down in mock disgust.
Damien laughed. ‘I’ll be asking for commission at this rate. I should have stuck around at Phyllie’s yesterday if her teachings have led to this.’
‘Beginner’s luck,’ Nat said. ‘I’m not doing anything special, just getting lucky draws with the cards.’
‘Let’s take a break,’ Pam suggested. ‘Refresh the drinks and taste test those amazing-looking sausage rolls you brought with you, Damien.’
‘Hannah’s sausage rolls?’ Nat’s eyes lit up. The one area she was quite happy her sister excelled at was cooking. She wasn’t a bad cook herself, but Hannah’s baking was to die for. The pastry on her sausage rolls melted in your mouth.
The group moved from the dimly lit family room out to the back veranda. It was a chilly night, but Matt had the outdoor heaters going and the area was very cosy.
Nat sipped a glass of mineral water. She wanted to keep a clear head to remember everything Phyllie had instructed her on the previous day.
‘Hear you had a run-in with a goat yesterday,’ Pam said.
Nat shook her head. ‘Not me, my grandmother. I’m still not exactly sure how the neighbour gets away with keeping a goat in his back garden, but my grandmother doesn’t want to report him. I hope she doesn’t get knocked over by it and badly hurt next time.’
‘Did you speak to the neighbour?’
Nat shook her head. ‘I went over and banged on his door, but he wasn’t home. He probably won’t be very appreciative of the note I left him.’ Nat had stuck a sheet of paper to Leon’s front door that simply said, ‘Stop your bloody goat from escaping, or the council will be called.’ She knew Phyllie didn’t want her threatening him with the council, but as she hadn’t signed it, Leon would never know who’d written it.
‘So, this grandma of yours is a poker expert?’ Matt joined the conversation.
Nat laughed. ‘I don’t know about that, but some of her tips are certainly helping tonight. Although I’ve been lucky with the cards I’ve been dealt.’
‘I don’t know,’ Matt said. ‘There’s the cards, of course, but there’s a lot of skill and strategy involved too. I think you’re underplaying how good you are.’
Nat’s cheeks burned with a combination of embarrassment and delight. Matt’s words were like a validation. Maybe she was actually good at something. Part of her wished Hannah was here to hear him. To know she wasn’t a complete loser.