tall, lanky man with too confident a swagger for his ageing good looks.
‘Hello, hello, hello.’ He grinned at her. ‘Aren’t you going to introduce me, Boy Scout?’
Will sighed. ‘This is Nova.’
‘Good afternoon and welcome,’ he said with a flourish that lacked only a bow. ‘I have been dying to meet Will’s
special
friend from Perth.’
Will glared at him. ‘And now you have,’ he said with a finality that was strangely unlike him.
In any case, Nova ignored him and continued to address her. ‘Have you been out on the wharf yet?’
‘I only arrived today.’ Emily found it hard not to smile at his over-the-top manner. ‘So no, which is rather disappointing.’
‘Of course it is! After travelling all the way from Perth.’ He crossed his arms and conveyed mock horror to Will. ‘You should take her out.’
‘It’s knock-off time.’ Will frowned. ‘All the utes are leaving.’
‘Not mine.’ Nova jingled some keys. ‘I have to stay late tonight. I could lend it to you.’
‘And get our arses kicked because she hasn’t had her safety induction?’ Will shook his head.
‘The truth is,’ Nova said to Emily, ‘we take visitors out all the time without an induction. It’s just about being careful and staying with your guide. Last week, I showed around this top manager from Perth who just flew in for the day. It’s really no biggie.’
‘Really?’ Emily brightened. ‘It would be nice to see what I’ve flown all the way here for.’
Especially after the horrendous afternoon she’d just endured. She needed some good news, a little boost in confidence.
‘Well, if Will’s too chicken, I’ll take you,’ Nova immediately offered.
‘Give me that.’ Will snatched the keys off him. ‘Come on, Em, let’s go before I come to my senses.’
Nova chuckled as he strolled off, like a man who’d just accomplished his master plan – though what that might be, she’d be damned if she knew.
‘He seems nice,’ she remarked tentatively as she hastily pulled on her vest and rammed on her hat.
‘He’s a busybody is what he is,’ Will said dryly and then sighed. ‘But I like him.’
His eyebrows jumped up at the sight of her in the high-vis vest that made her look like she was wearing a tent.
‘O-kaay, that’s a little sad,’ he said. ‘Didn’t they have anything smaller?’
She put her hands on her hips. ‘You think I didn’t ask that question?’
He grinned ruefully. ‘Okay, let’s just go.’
They exited the main office donga like a couple of rebel teenagers looking for a secluded place to smoke. Crossing the car park, Emily received a couple of whistles from some guys chatting by their utes.
‘Hey, Boy Scout, who’s your friend?’
Will tipped his hat. ‘You’ll find out tomorrow.’
‘Nice vest, honey,’ one of the men addressed her directly. ‘You could probably fit me in there too.’
She blushed, as he gave her a look that seemed to indicate that all he needed was an invitation. Will unlocked the ute and they both hopped in.
She soon became absorbed in her surroundings as he turned the car out onto the dirt track that led to the top of the jetty. They passed through a foreign city of stockpiles with a maze of conveyor belts and plant machinery connecting them – like a giant game of Snakes and Ladders. Will pointed out the surge bins and the drive tower.
‘I’m working on that,’ he revealed.
‘The driver tower?’
‘Yeah.’ He nodded and then looked over at her. ‘And you’ll be helping me with it.’
She sucked in a deep breath. Working on a building that was about six storeys tall as her first project would be pretty bloody exciting. Then the coastline came into view. The ocean, a vast fathomless blue, spread out to infinity. The jetty, though nearly four kilometres in length, was but one small dent in this great expanse. Excitement crept up her bones. It may be one small dent but it was one giant operation for them.
A couple of
‘Hello, hello, hello.’ He grinned at her. ‘Aren’t you going to introduce me, Boy Scout?’
Will sighed. ‘This is Nova.’
‘Good afternoon and welcome,’ he said with a flourish that lacked only a bow. ‘I have been dying to meet Will’s
special
friend from Perth.’
Will glared at him. ‘And now you have,’ he said with a finality that was strangely unlike him.
In any case, Nova ignored him and continued to address her. ‘Have you been out on the wharf yet?’
‘I only arrived today.’ Emily found it hard not to smile at his over-the-top manner. ‘So no, which is rather disappointing.’
‘Of course it is! After travelling all the way from Perth.’ He crossed his arms and conveyed mock horror to Will. ‘You should take her out.’
‘It’s knock-off time.’ Will frowned. ‘All the utes are leaving.’
‘Not mine.’ Nova jingled some keys. ‘I have to stay late tonight. I could lend it to you.’
‘And get our arses kicked because she hasn’t had her safety induction?’ Will shook his head.
‘The truth is,’ Nova said to Emily, ‘we take visitors out all the time without an induction. It’s just about being careful and staying with your guide. Last week, I showed around this top manager from Perth who just flew in for the day. It’s really no biggie.’
‘Really?’ Emily brightened. ‘It would be nice to see what I’ve flown all the way here for.’
Especially after the horrendous afternoon she’d just endured. She needed some good news, a little boost in confidence.
‘Well, if Will’s too chicken, I’ll take you,’ Nova immediately offered.
‘Give me that.’ Will snatched the keys off him. ‘Come on, Em, let’s go before I come to my senses.’
Nova chuckled as he strolled off, like a man who’d just accomplished his master plan – though what that might be, she’d be damned if she knew.
‘He seems nice,’ she remarked tentatively as she hastily pulled on her vest and rammed on her hat.
‘He’s a busybody is what he is,’ Will said dryly and then sighed. ‘But I like him.’
His eyebrows jumped up at the sight of her in the high-vis vest that made her look like she was wearing a tent.
‘O-kaay, that’s a little sad,’ he said. ‘Didn’t they have anything smaller?’
She put her hands on her hips. ‘You think I didn’t ask that question?’
He grinned ruefully. ‘Okay, let’s just go.’
They exited the main office donga like a couple of rebel teenagers looking for a secluded place to smoke. Crossing the car park, Emily received a couple of whistles from some guys chatting by their utes.
‘Hey, Boy Scout, who’s your friend?’
Will tipped his hat. ‘You’ll find out tomorrow.’
‘Nice vest, honey,’ one of the men addressed her directly. ‘You could probably fit me in there too.’
She blushed, as he gave her a look that seemed to indicate that all he needed was an invitation. Will unlocked the ute and they both hopped in.
She soon became absorbed in her surroundings as he turned the car out onto the dirt track that led to the top of the jetty. They passed through a foreign city of stockpiles with a maze of conveyor belts and plant machinery connecting them – like a giant game of Snakes and Ladders. Will pointed out the surge bins and the drive tower.
‘I’m working on that,’ he revealed.
‘The driver tower?’
‘Yeah.’ He nodded and then looked over at her. ‘And you’ll be helping me with it.’
She sucked in a deep breath. Working on a building that was about six storeys tall as her first project would be pretty bloody exciting. Then the coastline came into view. The ocean, a vast fathomless blue, spread out to infinity. The jetty, though nearly four kilometres in length, was but one small dent in this great expanse. Excitement crept up her bones. It may be one small dent but it was one giant operation for them.
A couple of
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