Colder Than Ice Part 6

"Last time I was here there was a place called The Net. It's casual but the food is to die for. How about we meet in the foyer at, say, seven-thirty? It isn't that far from the hotel and afterwards, those who want to can hit the night clubs."

Ewan rubbed his hands together. "Sounds like a plan. Fine food, fine women, who could ask for more?"

He ducked as the group threw serviettes and chips at him.

DINNER THAT EVENING turned out to be just as Michela promised. The finest seafood Tasmania had to offer, complemented by wines from the Tamar Valley made the group's evening a pleasant one.

Michela spent the meal silently observing the interaction between her comrades. They all seemed in good spirits, keen to start their journey regardless of the relative uncertainty that awaited them. As the meal drew to a close, Ewan was good to his word, pulling the men away, less Rick, for a tour of Hobart's seedier hot spots.

Michela was relieved at Sarah's suggestion of something a little more sedate, and Sarah guided them to a coffee shop, well known for its wonderful desserts.

The coffeehouse's soft musical tones and muted lighting were a welcome change from the noise they'd left behind at the restaurant. Michela searched for a seat in the stained wood booths that lined the walls. Before she could find one, Dianne pulled back from the group. "I think I'm going to have to take a rain check. I feel a headache coming on. You lot stay though. I'll find a cab to take me back to the hotel."

Allison turned to her. "Don't be silly. You've never been to Hobart before and you're not feeling well. We'll take you back to the hotel. We can get a coffee in the bar upstairs."

Rick lightly grabbed Allison's sleeve. "There's no need for everyone to miss out. How about I take Di back to the hotel and you girls have a bit of a night of it. I'll be fine. Ewan mentioned where the men were going. I'll track them down and keep them honest."

Michela internally cringed at Rick's use of "girl." Why is it they're men, but we're girls? "Are you sure?"

He quickly kissed Allison and patted her backside. "It's fine. Alli, honey, you hang onto the key and I'll get a spare one from reception." He gently guided Dianne to the door. "You girls have a good night."

Allison pointed to a vacant booth along the opposite wall. "I'll grab us some menus and meet you over there."

Sarah made herself comfortable along the length of one side of the booth. "I swear to G.o.d if he calls me girl again I'm going to flatten him."

Michela chuckled. "I thought it was just me. I wonder if he consciously does it? As for that d.a.m.n patting on the backside thing, what's that all about? Anybody would think Alli's his property."

"It's so b.l.o.o.d.y condescending. If he was my partner, he'd have lost his arm by now."

Allison tossed the menus on the table and slid into the booth beside Michela. "Who'd have lost their arm?"

"That waiter at the restaurant. If he'd stroked my arm one more time I'd have decked him," Sarah replied.

"I thought he was merely trying to be polite." Allison smiled at Sarah. "I think he fancied you."

Sarah shifted. "He's b.l.o.o.d.y-well not my type."

Michela laughed at Sarah and the three took time to peruse their menus. After the waitress finished taking their orders, Michela glanced up and found her eyes locked on the blonde headed woman heading toward their table.

The woman stood head and shoulders above the other patrons, her confident walk testimony enough to acknowledge the eyes, both male and female, that followed her. Michela's body instinctively responded to what she saw and she barely managed to school her features before the woman stopped in front of them.

"Sarah Knight, as I live and breathe, don't you ever get enough of this place?"

Sarah propelled herself from her seat and into the woman's outstretched arms. "Maddi Walker. The things you see when you don't have a gun. What are you doing here?"

Maddi cast an appreciative eye at the two women at the table. "Just having a drink with some of the old crew. What brings you to this part of town?"

"s.h.i.t, where are my manners. Maddison Walker, meet Dr. Allison Shaunessy and Dr. Michela DeGra.s.se. We're part of a team going down to the Finlayson site."

Maddi's hand lingered in Michela's. "Maddi will do fine. Pleased to meet you both. That means you'll be on my territory, so you better behave. I'm the Team Leader for Wills Station and I'll be your immediate backup during your stay. So, Sarah, all the crew are here from your last tour. Got time for a quick h.e.l.lo?"

Sarah was torn between catching up with old friends and deserting her new team.

"I'm sure Alli and I can look after ourselves. Go and see your friends and we'll catch up with you later," Michela said.

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked.

Allison stood and sat where Sarah had been. She stretched her legs out on the bench. "There. Now you've got nowhere to sit, so you're going to have to go."

Nodding her thanks, Sarah took Maddi's hand and they wove their way around the tables and across to the group of women.

Maddi looked back at Michela's booth, nearly causing her to run into one of the tables. "So, are they a couple?"

Sarah laughed. "No way. Allison's straight. Her partner's currently out with the boys. As for Michela, she's family but let's just say she's not out and proud."

"What, she's not closeted is she?" Maddi asked.

Sarah shook her head. "No. She just doesn't see the need to share her private life with those who don't need to know about it, that's all."

Maddi laughed. "Ooh, I'd like to share her private life with her. By the way, that young biologist who you were all over last year is here, so be prepared for a heartfelt welcome."

"Sarah." A young woman stood and pulled Sarah into a long kiss and hug.

Sarah chuckled to herself. Well, I never said I was discrete.

MICHELA WATCHED ALLISON'S curious eyes follow Maddi and Sarah as they approached a crowded table. Allison's expression turned to surprise as she witnessed the display between Sarah and the short woman who greeted her.

Allison returned her gaze to Michela and struggled to conceal her embarra.s.sment.

"Are you all right? Do you want to go home?" Michela asked.

Allison picked at a paper napkin. "No, I'm okay. Surprised that's all."

"About what?"

Allison motioned toward the loud group on the other side of the room. "I didn't realize she was gay. I mean, it's not as if I haven't met gay people before, it's, well, it came as a bit of a surprise."

Michela accepted her coffee from the waitress and directed Sarah's coffee to where she was now sitting. She sweetened her drink and looked at Allison. "Each to their own, I suppose."

Allison silently sipped her coffee. She surrept.i.tiously looked at the group and then turned back Michela. "Doesn't it bother you? You know, to know you'll be bunking with her when we get to the continent?"

Oh, if only you knew the full story. I wonder what your reaction would be. "Firstly, I haven't finalized the accommodations arrangements and secondly, no, it doesn't bother me at all." Allison tilted her head. "Just because Sarah's gay doesn't mean she's interested in every woman she sees. For example, do you like Rob? Would you like to take things a little further with him?" Michela laughed as Allison's lip curled up in disgust.

"You've got to be joking. I mean he's nice guy and all but, well, he's not my type." Allison smiled and nodded in understanding. She took a sip of her coffee and boldly regarded Michela. "So what's your type?"

Michela's features sobered. While she'd had occasional partners, Natalie had been her one and only long-term relationship. If only I'd spent more time at home.

Allison touched her on the arm. "Michela, is everything alright?"

Michela put her hands to her face and rubbed it vigorously as if to scrub away sad memories. "It's okay, I'm fine. It's just I had a bad break-up after four-and-a-half years of what I thought was love ever after. I think your question shook me, that's all."

"When did it happen?"

Michela smiled in resignation. "Oh, not long before I flew out to Christchurch. Not the best timing I'll admit."

"I'm terribly sorry. It can't have been easy coming all that way, when there was unfinished business at home."

Michela shook her head. "That's the good thing about high paid lawyers. They managed to come to an agreement that suited us and didn't involve too much financial acrimony. No, coming to New Zealand happened at the right time."

A comfortable silence descended between them as they retreated into their own thoughts.

"I've never really thanked you for saving me that day," Allison said.

Michela frowned before realizing Allison was referring to her fall at Mount Cook. She shrugged. "There's no need to thank me."

Allison took Michela's hand. "No, I'm serious. I don't know what I'd have done had you not acted so quickly. I was a right royal pain in the backside over there and you never once lost your temper. I'd hate for you to think I was ungrateful as well."

Michela looked at the smaller hand softly clasped around her own. Despite the lightness of touch, the heat between them was palpable, forcing her to wonder if Allison could also feel it. She locked eyes with Allison, seeing something there she couldn't readily discern. Was it recognition or fear?

"I don't know about you two but I'm about ready for bed and if I stay here any longer, someone's going to try and get me into theirs." Sarah c.o.c.ked her head toward the group she'd just visited.

Michela smiled as she removed her hand from Allison's light grasp. "Yes, well, you will get yourself into these situations, won't you? Alli, you right to go?"

Allison stood and pulled her purse from her bag. "I'll just fix up the bill."

Sarah watched Allison until she was a safe distance from the booth. "What was that all about? Did I interrupt something?"

Michela quietly laughed as she stood. "Not at all. She was merely thanking me for saving her in New Zealand."

Sarah smiled. "That's a relief, because I'm here to tell you, you've got a not-so-secret admirer in Maddi."

Michela glanced at the group and straight into Maddi Walker's appreciative gaze. Gallantly tilting her head in Maddi's direction, she smiled and turned to Sarah. "Yes. Well something tells me she'd be a bit of a handful and not one after long term commitment."

"Maddi would be devastated to discover you'd worked her out in less than one meeting." She nudged Michela good-naturedly. "Given she's on the same ship as us, you'll have to tread warily."

Michela visibly cringed, while at the same time a twinge of excitement coursed through her. "Great. Just what I need. An over-s.e.xed G.o.d's gift to women on the same boat as us. Give me strength."

MICHELA LET OUT a relieved sigh that her team was present for the ship's final brief before sailing. The final day on the Australian mainland had been a frenzy of activity, with cargo manifests confirmed and personal equipment checked one final time.

The authoritative tones of Durville's captain forced her mind back to the meeting.

"Dr. DeGra.s.se, are you with us?"

Michela looked up. "Yes, I'm sorry, captain, I was doing one final crosscheck. What was it you said?"

"I was recommending that your team get a final good meal inside of them before we get into open water. If you remember from your first trip to the continent, maintaining your energy is important, especially if you suffer from seasickness."

"Thanks, captain. By the looks of some of them, they've indulged in nothing more than a liquid diet over the past few days and could do with some solid fare." Michela looked at Ewan. He was already green and they hadn't yet left the harbor.

Feeling a tug on her arm, she turned to Dianne. "You didn't mention you'd been down to Antarctica before."

Michela realized she had the immediate attention of her group but was reticent to yet again upset the captain.

"Yes. I was down there a little while ago, but I broke my leg in the opening days of training and was evacuated home," she whispered.

Michael Gribbin groaned and held his head in his hands. "Not more b.l.o.o.d.y training! I thought we finished that in Christchurch."

Michela patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. There won't be too much. I'm sure you'll be over your hangover by then."

The group chuckled lightly, resulting in the captain clearing his throat. They again returned their attention to the front of the room.

"I KNOW DINNER isn't going to seem like such a good idea, but at least try to get some food inside of you. If you're unlucky enough to be seasick during the voyage then the last thing you're going to want to do is eat." Michela turned to Sarah, who was busy tucking into her meal with gusto. "Did you manage to chat with the ship's doctor?"

Sarah swallowed and nodded. "Yep. He's more than happy to have some of the workload taken off him. So after dessert it'll be needles all round."

Ewan dropped his fork. "Needles. What for?"

"It's only a precautionary measure, but there's a greater chance of fighting seasickness if you have a needle while you're still well." Sarah wickedly smiled. "I promise I'll be gentle."

SARAH WAS ONE of the first of the group to recover from seasickness and she quickly checked on the rest of the team before volunteering her services to the ship's overtaxed medical staff. After an hour of confined s.p.a.ces filled with less than savory aromas, she was in dire need of fresh air.

She walked to the bow of the ship, and was surprised to see Allison, clothed in her wet and cold weather gear, standing legs astride as she rode the rise and dip of the ship in the mountainous waves.

As if sensing someone beside her, Allison turned. "This is great. It's just like catching one of the old Sydney-Manly ferries on a really rainy day. You could stand at the bow of the ship, open to the wind, and get soaked by the spray as you crossed in front of Sydney Heads. It was terrifying and yet exhilarating at the same time."

Sarah laughed. "I remember. I think all Sydney-siders did that at some point in their life." She motioned with one hand at the rough seas, leaving the other hand safely grasping the railing. "But I don't think they were anything like thisa"this is magnificent."

Allison nodded as she hung on and rode the waves, like a cowboy riding a bronco.

"How's Rick coping? Has he managed to keep anything down?"

"He managed to keep down a little broth this morning. But at the rate he's going, he's going to run out of clothes. I swear he deliberately misses the b.l.o.o.d.y barf bag and throws up on himself." Allison shuddered.

Sarah shook her head. "I don't know how you put up with him."

Allison shrugged. "I suppose it's something you don't have to worry about."

"You saw what happened at the coffee house then?"

Allison snorted. "It was hard to miss it."

"Does it bother you?" Sarah watched Allison give the matter some thought.

"It did at first, but I don't think I was looking at it from a total perspective. I was more focused on the fear factor."

Sarah chuckled. "Ah, yes. Evil lesbian openly preying on unsuspecting straight women."

"It sounds awful when you say it like that, but I guess that's how I felt," Allison said. "Michela gave me a different perspective on it though, asking me to see it from a heteros.e.xual viewpoint. It made sense when she put it that way."