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pin-up perfect like Billy, but there was something very attractive about him too.
    â€œGeorgia Abbott, how do you do?” I replied, suddenly a bit shy and formal, but also wanting to burst into hysterical giggles because he had actually said “g’day” and tipped his hat. He was dressed the same way as Billy and I decided on the spot that moleskin pants do something for a man. Specially men with nice long legs like this Rory person.
    â€œGeorgie’s just moved here from London,” said Billy. “She’s working on Glow with Debbie.”
    â€œYeah? Well, I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun there. Say hi to Debs for me, would you?”
    I nodded, starting to wonder if Debbie Brent had first dibs on every attractive man in Sydney. Rory then turned to Billy and said, “Mate, I was looking for you to tell you I’m going. I’ve left Scooby in the ute and I’ve got to let her out. I’ll see you back at the house, OK? Bye Georgia, good to meet you.”
    And he left. Shame, I thought, he’d actually got my name right, but at least I still had darling Billy to flirt with.
    â€œWas he speaking in tongues?” I asked him. “Didn’t make a word of sense to me.”
    â€œOh, that’s just old Rory. Been my best friend all my life. We grew up together. We’re like family. Great guy.” He laughed. “God, we’ve had some funny times together.”
    â€œYes, I saw you laughing after you stuck your tongue in my mouth earlier . . .”
    â€œUh—oh, that was something else . . .”
    I let him squirm a bit. “Anyway, he does seem very nice, but isn’t he a bit young to be grey?”
    â€œYes, he is. He’s the same age as me, but he had a big shock and his hair went grey.”
    â€œWhat on earth happened?”
    Billy turned quiet. “It was really sad. Rory comes from quite a big family—he had three brothers and one sister. He’s the youngest. Eighteen months ago all three of his brothers were killed in a light plane accident on their property. It was terrible—all over the papers here. Debbie Brent was engaged to the eldest one, Drew.”
    â€œOh no—I had no idea. She just seems like one of those people who have a perfect life; how really awful for her. It must have been terrible for all of you.”
    â€œYou’re not wrong. That accident devastated so many people. Rory’s father has never recovered from it. He had a stroke not long after and now he’s paralysed down one side. Rory had to leave Sydney and go and take over the farm, which he never wanted to do. His brothers were always the farmers. Rory was the youngest and thought he was free of it—now he spends his life trudging around in cow shit. But he never complains about it. I get him down here to stay with me as much as I can. Make sure he has a good time.”
    It was a very sad story, but I must confess I was paying as much attention to the movements of Billy’s beautiful mouth as he told it, as I was to what he was saying. Those lips . . . yum. I had to keep him talking.
    â€œWho or what is Scooby?” I asked him, not caring in the slightest.
    â€œRory’s cattle dog. She’s a character. You’ve never seen a dog who can jump higher than Scoobs. They ride along in the ute and she sticks both her front legs out the window.”
    â€œWhat’s a ute?” I was practically cross-eyed, trying to squint down his shirt. He looked at me like I was an alien.
    â€œA utility . . . a van for the farm. You know, you have a little cabin in the front and a big tray in the back where you can put bales of hay, or sheep, or women. Ha ha ha.”
    â€œOh, a pickup . . .”
    â€œYeah, that’s what the Yanks call them, isn’t it?”
    He didn’t get my joke. Antony would have, I thought. Oh well. Billy shifted around in his seat and shuddered a bit.
    â€œStill gets to me,