Beneath The Surface

Chapter Two

As they drove through the torrential rain, Kevin sang poorly along with the country music blaring through the speakers. The road was bumpy and several times Olivia had to brace herself against the sudden jolts and jerks of the old white ute as it hit potholes and large rocks.

"How much farther is it?" Olivia's voice wobbled as they drove over some ruts in the road.

"'Bout another five minutes to the station."

"Station? Like a train station?" Olivia asked.

Kevin laughed. "You're funny. A cattle station. Hope you like cows."

Olivia glanced out the window into the darkness. The rain, combined with the moonless night, made visibility poor. She winced as Kevin started singing again; he sounded like a dog who had been wounded—although she was certain she was the one who was suffering.

The absence of her phone and the broken clock on the car stereo made it impossible to tell the time, but Olivia assumed that it had been close to a half an hour drive from the town. Through the rain she could see the main house to her left.It was magnificent. Dark blue with white trims and rails around the wide verandah. The granny flat was only ten metres or so from the main house. It was like an exact replica, only smaller.

Kevin stopped the car and grabbed her suitcase which had been wedged between them on the seat, then he made a dash for the granny flat. Olivia followed closely behind, running as fast as her legs could carry her, which wasn't very fast at all as her heels kept sinking into the soggy ground. Finally she made it onto the verandah and looked down at her outfit: wet, muddy, and ruined. What were the chances that there was a dry-cleaner in town?

She found the anti-bacterial wipes in her handbag and began wiping the mud from her shoes when Kevin re-emerged from the granny-flat. He screwed up his face as he looked at her then began to laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Olivia asked, continuing her task.

Kevin shook his head. "Ah, Miss, you're a funny one. The boss is gonna love you."

She could tell he was being sarcastic, but why? Olivia straightened up, satisfied with her work and dusted her hands together. "Well, Kevin, thank you very much for the lift." She held out her hand.

Kevin shook it firmly. "No worries. Sandy'll be here in the morning to pick you up. Good luck." He gave her a lazy salute before dashing back into the rain.

Olivia watched as Kevin raced over to the main residence and went inside, switching on the lights as he did so. Olivia walked inside the granny-flat and looked around. It was much nicer than she had imagined. Furnished with a French provincial feel. Two grandfather chairs and an ornate glass table sat in the centre of the room. A small kitchenette with white cupboards and a blue splash-back were in the kitchen to the far right. A small round table to the left of that and a distressed white buffet on the rear wall. The bedroom was through the door behind the dining area. It was small but cozy with a white dressing table and set of drawers. A door to the left lead to the bathroom. A toilet, shower and sink. Basic, yet satisfactory—and almost twice the size of her apartment in Sydney.

A small book-case caught her eye. Gardening books, home-decorating books, healthy-eating books, and a few other books. Noteably, one titled 'The Problem of Pain' stood out amongst the rest. Pain? That seemed an odd title to have beside books on improving one's lifestyle and surroundings.

Another loud crack of thunder made her jump and she peered out the window. The water poured from the roof and the sound of the rain on the tin roof filled the house with a deafening roar. Olivia peeled off her wet clothes and slipped into her cream, satin pyjamas. She cleansed and toned her face, then applied her seaweed ionic tightening mask. This nightly routine was an essential part on her to-do list. She was rubbing some hand cream on her hands when there was a knock at the door.