The Aftermath Of You

Chapter Twenty Two

"Here we go." Lulu pushed the door open with her hip and lugged in a big brown box.

"What is this?" Toni stared at her mother in horror. She'd only just covered her unruly hairdo in time.

"What does it look like? Brochures and business cards." She dumped the box on Toni's dinner table and fished a card out. Lulu read aloud, "Arrowtown on foot. Try the Handcock experience! They printed them all today; aren't they fantastic?"

Toni picked one up and tried to suppress her horror at the sight of her cellphone number. "Oh, well, I don't think I'm ready to ... uhhh ..."

"Expand your business?" Lulu smirked. "Don't worry; we don't need to charge our customers at first ..."

Toni choked silently, wondering when it had become a collective business venture. "I don't think I'm ready for this kind of exposure. Why don't I take them and think about it?" Toni lifted the box, her mind already planning where to dump them.

"No," Lulu cried as she snatched the box back. "I just came to show them to you, I'm taking them home to my place. I can't just leave them here; your house is too mouldy."

A brief tug of war ensued. They tugged this way and that until finally Toni caved in.

"I rang a few friends when I got home last night and promised that you'd take them through town tomorrow morning - you know, show them historical points of interest... and if they think it's up to scratch they'll tell their friends and customers. One of them is the owner of an expensive hotel in Queenstown."

Toni shuddered. "Honestly, Mother, I'll find my own clients."

Lulu shrugged. "If you don't want to take them then you'd better ring them and let them know why you're not going to be there."

Great, Toni thought with a sigh. So now I'm supposed to find out which friends she's invited along and just ring them up out of the blue. Why is it my job? If only I had enough energy to tell her where to stick it.

"They're going to be at your house tomorrow at eight."

Eight in the morning? Who was awake at that time of the day?

She tried complaining to Danny later but he was a little distracted. He stood in the middle of her lounge in front of the most bizarre contraption: four stool legs bound together by four leather belts.

Toni observed his invention suspiciously. "What on earth is that?"

"I'm making it for you," Danny told her with a smile. "It's a dance contraption. See these belts - you strap them around your thigh and then you can put your shoe on the ground and these stool legs will take your weight, without putting pressure on your foot."

Toni squealed and hopped over to hug him. "That is so thoughtful!"

"Do you want to try it on?"

"Sure!" Toni offered him her bad leg. She was wearing a three quarter length skirt made of the softest cotton, and she could see it now: spinning wildly around the dance floor as she won award after award for most improved new entrant. Danny knelt down beside her and began to strap the contraption to her leg. Every time his slightly calloused fingers brushed her thigh she felt more and more unnerved. She grimaced a little in case he got the wrong idea.

"Okay, try that," Danny said proudly as he stood up and stepped back. "Are you alright? You look-"

"Me? I'm fine just thinking about how I have to pay the power bill soon." She started to dance slowly. "It works!"

"Great!" He laughed, catching her hands. "Teach me how to Rock'n'Roll."

"Right, I go this way and you mirror my movement."

They began dancing slowly; he wasn't as talented as the Toothless Wonder but he was far more enjoyable.

"Hey, Danny, Lulu bumped into Wayne Kerr, he gave her his number to pass on. He was such a cute kid."

"Wayne Kerr?" he snorted. "Wow, that is a match made in heaven, Adenoid. I think it's a positive sign that your names merge so well; if you get married hopefully you'll encourage him to hyphenate. Wayne Kerr Handcock. Wanker Handcock."

"I don't really get that, sorry," Toni replied angrily.

And yanking at the strap on the dancing contraption, she threw it off and stomped on one leg to the sofa. What did he know, anyway?