‘Yeah, back in my day, your father would have had to offer me some cows or something to convince me to sleep with you.’
She laughed, and I touched my hand gently to her cheek. Her laughter faded to a soft, contented smile. ‘I am a modern woman, Leo. I find no shame in enjoying sex and I’m not the kind of girl who is looking for a fairy-tale romance and a happily ever after – I wanted you tonight, and I could see that you wanted me, and I had a feeling that you could handle it if I skipped the nonsense games. I was right.’
‘You were.’
‘I just don’t think an encounter has to end with a lifelong commitment to have been worthwhile, you know? Wherever a relationship ends, I’m always glad for the time I shared with that person.’
‘I completely agree.’ I was actually excited to hear that her thoughts on the matter aligned almost perfectly to mine. Closely aligned expectations meant that whatever happened between us, there was less chance of someone getting hurt.
‘Good.’
‘But, now that I think about it,’ I said slowly. ‘I actually asked you for two secrets, and I don’t think that your philosophy on romance really counts.’
Molly shifted away from me, so that she was on her side looking towards me. After a while, in a very small voice, she murmured, ‘I desperately want to leave TM, Leo.’
‘I already know that. You don’t really hide it that well.’
She sighed. ‘I can’t let Dad down. I don’t even know what else I’d do with my life anyway. Imagine if I left TM and just sat around doing nothing – it’s just not right.’
I wanted her closer again, so I rolled onto my side to mirror her posture and I cupped her cheek with my hand. ‘So you hate your job. That’s one secret. What’s another?’
‘I only have one more.’
‘Well?’
‘I think this was a really, really good idea.’
I laughed softly and shook my head. ‘You’re not getting out of it that easily.’
Molly’s lips curved in a coy, secretive smile – then she brought her face closer to me and tried to distract me with a kiss. I let her try for a minute or two, then I pulled away and whispered, ‘That’s not going to distract me either, although you’re very welcome to keep trying.’
Molly giggled and dropped back onto her pillow. ‘All right,’ she sighed. ‘But I really don’t have any other secrets. Give me some ideas; what do you want to know?’
‘What’s the best thing about being Molly Torrington?’
She rolled back towards me and rested her chin on my chest to stare up at me. ‘The best thing about Molly Torrington is that I don’t even know how lucky I am.’
‘Is that a good thing?’
‘Up until that conversation with you on Tuesday, it had never occurred to me that people who want to get an education would be prevented from accessing one because of money – not here in Australia, anyway. In the world I live in if you want something, you just get it. You said poverty feels like an insurmountable wall – well, so is wealth. I don’t even have a clue what’s on the other side of that wall, that’s how sheltered I’ve been, and I’d never even thought about it until I felt like an ignorant, privileged idiot talking to you the other night.’
‘I asked you what the best thing was, not the worst,’ I laughed softly, and she grimaced at me.
‘It’s both. But this definitely does meet the criteria of “things I’ve never told anyone before”, so I think we’re even.’ Molly reached up to brush her lips gently against mine, and she asked in a whisper, ‘Will you stay over tonight?’
I opened my mouth to tell her that I needed to leave but it suddenly occurred to me that the alternative was to fall asleep in her bed. I wanted that – I wanted to encircle her in my arms and to sleep with her body pressed against mine. And then I could wake and yes, there might be an awkward morning after to face – but the flip side of that meant that there would be a morning after. I would see her again – just as soon as my eyes opened. Suddenly, I couldn’t wait to go to sleep, just so I could experience what it felt like to wake up beside her.
‘I’d love to,’ I told her.
13
Molly – July 2015
It’s always busy on Circular Quay. When we arrive, there are hordes of tourists and inner-city types swarming around the ferry wharf and along the foreshore enjoying the afternoon sunshine.
‘Where to first?’ I ask Leo, and he glances back at me with a wry smile.
‘You’re telling this story, Molly. Where does it start?’