The Student

"Easy for you to say. I will be lucky to escape the electric chair."

"Piss off girl. We never had the chair. If they get you, it will be face to face. Dad always used to stand my boyfriends up by the front door and get right in their faces. Don't worry, you'll be safe."

I had a couple of vodkas to calm my nerves. When Leah, saw me, she dived in as well. In fact, if her parents hadn't turned up when they did, it would have been a whole different introduction.

Leah met them at the door. "Hey, Mum, Dad. This is Audrey, my partner."

When her mother saw me, I saw her gasp in surprise. "Uuuuum, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said uneasily, her hand sticking out to shake.

Henry, Leah's father, scowled, unable to hide his disdain. "Hello, Miss Colling."

Leah rebuked him. "Her name is Audrey, Dad. Don't be difficult."

He nodded. "Audrey." His hand also extended for a handshake.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Leah, gushed, sliding into her mothers embrace. "It's good to see you, Mum."

"You too, dear. Gosh, this is a lovely house."

"Leah and her partner did all the renovations. Isn't it marvellous?"

Her father walked in behind them. "It is a heck of a house all right. Nice location, too."

He turned to look at me, his eyes narrowing. "How long have you lived here?"

"Ten years or so," I replied tremulously. It wasn't hard to see; his question was aimed at discovering my age.

"Ten years, aye. You must have started young."

"No, not really."

"What do you do for a crust?" he asked.

"I'm an attorney."

That seemed to stop him in his tracks. "An attorney, aye. Who do you work for?"

"I work for myself. I have my own practice."

He was about to start over, when Leah butted in. "Dad, stop it. This isn't an interrogation, as much as you would probably like it to be."

"Quite right, dear." Nancy, Leah's mum stated firmly.

I tried to get things moving by waving them through to the dining room. Nancy seemed a little overwhelmed. "So much art work," she gushed. The woman in most of these paintings, who is she?"

"Her name was Rosalyn. She was my partner."

"Was... What happened?" she asked.

"Cancer, I'm afraid. She died approximately three years ago." I tried to keep my voice steady. Tried to keep my emotions in check, but it was still hard.

Leah saw it and slipped into my arms and kissed me lightly. "It's okay."

Nancy saw, as well, and she grabbed my hand. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry. I never know when to keep my big trap shut."

"No, it is fine. I need to get over it. Lets have some snacks, shall we?" I got them seated at the dining table, and Leah and I brought out the cheese platter.

I poured out the wine, and Leah fussed over them. Her father kept giving me that awful appraising stare.

Nancy asked, "How have your studies been going, dear, are you finding it easier?"

Leah winced, her lips drawn back in a thoughtful pout. "No, not really Mum. My hearts just not in it. As I have said many times. I would prefer to drop out and focus on my painting. Audrey thinks I have a real talent for it."

"That'll be enough of that sort of talk, young lady." Henry blustered. "You have to get that damned degree. All this frivolous talk about painting. It's just distracting you from your goal. It's probably why your grades are so blasted poor."

I watched as Leah, bit her lip, choosing not to respond.

Nancy rejoindered quickly. "Dear, you haven't got that long to go. Surely you can stick it out. You're almost there, darling."

"But I hate it, Mum, painting is my passion, it's what I want to do."

"For pity's sake, Leah. You need to stop dreaming. The business world is where you can really make your mark. Nobody makes any bloody money from painting. They all die poor."

"That's not true, Dad. Audrey is a very successful artist. She makes a lot of money from her artworks." She glared at me, looking for support. When she saw I wasn't going to help, she said. "Audrey made over twenty-five thousand dollars from a recent exhibition."

That drew a gasp from them both. "Really dear?" Nancy said as her eyes focused on me.

"Yes, it was a rather good weekend. I do not always get such lucrative returns, though."

"Nonsense." Leah blurted out. "You sell works all the time."

Henry glared at me disapprovingly. "I suppose this is all you. Putting these damn foolish ideas in her head."

"Actually, no. I have been encouraging her to finish her degree. That way she will have options. I do believe she has talent. She is a very gifted artist. I just think she needs to have a back-up plan."

"You're bloody encouraging her," Henry stated.

"I am. She has talent, but I also believe she must finish her degree."

"What in tarnation do you know about the bloody art world? Who made you a bloody expert?"

"Victoria University, actually. They gave me a bachelors of arts degree."

He gave me a very sullen glare. "I thought you said you were a bloody lawyer?"

"I am, I went back to University as an adult student. Ros, my partner, ran the practice while I focused on my BA."

That flummoxed him; he sat chewing on his food. Leah had a very smug grin on her face. Even Nancy had to stifle a giggle. Henry was a man who liked to be in charge, who liked things to go his way. He did not take kindly to being put in his place, especially by a woman.

We finished the cheese platter, and Leah brought out the entrée. Garlic prawn salad wonton cups. Leah had spent as much time over these as she had the main, and they were delicious. The perfect starter.

At least it shut Henry up. I grabbed another bottle of wine, hoping it might placate Henry.

I cleared the table as Leah, never one to back away from a fight, restarted the war with her father. I almost felt sorry for him. As I was loading the dishwasher, I sensed a presence, and found. Nancy standing beside me, handing me dishes as I was bent over, loading the dishwasher.

"You have a wonderful home, Audrey. It is very warm and inviting."

"Thank you, it took quite a while to get it where it is today."

She leaned down and added conspiratorially, "I'm sorry about Henry. He can be a little overpowering."

"It's all right. I am actually on your side. Leah, must finish her degree."

She laughed softly. "Thank you, she is becoming quite forceful. She gets that from her father, I'm afraid."

"I see it, they are like peas in a pod, aren't they." I said lightly.

When I finished loading the dishwasher, Nancy stayed close, and asked, "Could I have a look around the rest of your home? I don't want to listen to them fighting. I had hoped this would be a pleasant visit."

We grabbed our glasses from the table, where I interrupted their verbal battle. "I'm going to show, Nancy around the house. Would you like to come, Henry?"

He glared angrily at me, obviously annoyed I had intervened. "No thanks, we are busy."

Leah looked up at me, hoping for help, but hiding behind that look there was a determined set to her face. She wasn't done with it either.

Nancy and I set off, as I gave her the guided tour. When we got to the studio, she gasped. "My word, what a gorgeous light-filled space. This is delightful, it must be wonderful to work in here."

"It iso it is probably my favourite thing in the world."

She looked around the walls, mostly still covered in portraits of Ros.

"You must have loved her very much. Did she paint, as well?"

I showed her Ros' works, and she sighed deeply. "She was very talented as well."

"More so than me; she was really making an impression when the disease took her. She would have gone on to become a real star."

"I think your paintings are equally as good. Did she sell many?"

I nodded. "A lot, actually. Before her death, she was really prolific, and it was her paintings that helped pay for the renovations."

"You've kept these ones," she said with a wave of her hand.

"Yes, none of these will be sold. They are mine, they are my memories."

She gave me a light hug. "Of course, dear. I understand. She must have been a remarkable woman."

"She was everything. I miss her just as much today as I did after her passing."

"Then what of Leah?" I sensed the concern in her voice.

"Leah has been my kick in the pants. I was wallowing in self-pity, and she dragged me up into the world of the living. She has been incredible. Such a positive influence."

She smiled, "That's nice to hear. We were a bit worried about her. When she told us she was in love and had found this wonderful person, we were dubious. Some of her older boyfriends were... how do I put this kindly, awful."

We both laughed at that. "What about girlfriends?" I asked.

"That has been a recent revelation. We did meet a couple, but honestly, they were flaky. One was so covered in tattoos I thought she was a boy. None of them had jobs, terrible people. Without sounding unkind, we hoped it was a phase."

"A phase... oh dear, I think it's more than that."

"Yes, I think so, as well. Henry, though, thinks she is just doing it to piss him off." She laughed lightly. "I don't believe that. Leah is in love, I saw the way she looks at you; she is deeply in love. I have never seen her like that. Well, not since Bradley Smith, in year ten. She was infatuated with him."

We finished looking through the canvases, and as we walked out the door, she said, "I am happy for you both. All I have ever wanted was for her to be happy."

It was a moment, I wanted to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out. The moment we walked into the hallway, we could hear, Leah and her father going at it hammer and tongs.

"Oh dear," Nancy sighed. "It's going to be one of those days."

When we walked into the dining room, I patted Leah on the shoulder, and said, "Would you like to help me get the main out?"

She looked up at me, her eyes a fiery glazed darkness. "Yes, probably a good idea."

We wandered off into the kitchen, and I heard Nancy giving Henry a piece of her mind.

We took removed the garlic-butter steak bites from the warming oven, added the asparagus and vegetables. They smelt delicious as we set the food on the plates.

The table was quiet for a while, as everybody enjoyed the tasty meal. It was, however, a truce that wasn't going to stand the test of time.

Henry, he furiously chewed his food. Anger filled his stern demeanour. He was quietly fuming, his fight with Leah was not done. I think we all knew it. We were just waiting for the volcano to erupt.

"What the hell is all this?" he said with a vicious snarl. "This mock bloody relationship."

His eyes zoomed around the table. I was too shocked to say anything; I was stunned. How could he be so rude?

"This charade, what is it about? Christ, you must be as old as I am," he spat at me.

Leah snapped, any pretence of polite war was now gone. "How dare you. I can't believe you could be so disgusting. Audrey is my partner, and we're in love. If you can't be polite, then I think it's best you leave."

He sat there petulantly. "Don't play games with me, my girl. I know you better than you think. She's older than your mother. This isn't about love, it's about rebellion. You just want to piss me off."

"You self-centred jerk. You think everything is about you? We are in love, we will be together forever, and don't expect an invite to the wedding either."

"Stop it, please just stop." Nancy cried out. "I am sick of listening to you two fighting. We are here in Audrey's home, and you are both behaving like children. Henry, you need to apologise. That was just rude."

He glared at her, "Don't you lecture me, I'm not saying anything we haven't said at home."

Nancy looked mortified. Her eyes clouded over, and she couldn't hold my gaze. She stood quickly. "I think we should leave. You've said quite enough."

She picked up her shawl and handbag and headed for the door. I felt for her, and got up to give her a hug. She leaned close, and whispered. "Sorry."

"No need, I understand."

Henry stormed out without so much as a goodbye. Leah stepped past me and slammed the door. "What a fucking arsehole. I'm sorry, Audrey. I never expected him to be like that."

"It is all right. He is a very angry man; at least he was honest."

"For gods sake, stop being polite. He was an arse. You're allowed to be angry. He had no right."

"Leah, I think you need to take a breath. He is your father, and he is concerned. I would rather he said what he thought, rather than be polite to my face and think that behind closed doors."

She scowled. "What a load of crap. Nobody has the right to say things like that."

I started cleaning up and tried to lighten the moment. "The garlic-buttered bites were lovely. You did good."

She smiled and slipped into my arms. "Thanks, I'm really sorry about my folks."

"Stop, you have nothing to apologise for. They are entitled to their opinions. If I was in their position, I might say the same thing."

She stepped back. "You would not."

"Leah, I have said it many times. We will have to accept people staring and gossiping for the rest of our time together. Everybody will be thinking exactly what your father said."

"That's ridiculous, none of our friends say things like that."

"Don't lie to me, Leah. I know for a fact some of your friends think you are making a mistake."

Her eyes dropped, her cheeks flushed a bright red. "Audrey, everybody likes you. I guess some things were said when we first got together, but now they know. They're behind us, babe."

"You don't get it. You are not the one people point at. They all think I'm like your sugar mama or something. The last time I went out with you and your friends, the barman asked me if I was your mother."

"He did not." She gasped in shock.

"He's not the first, Leah. I don't fit in with your friends. Yes, they are polite, but that is where it ends."

She jumped back into my arms, her mouth leaving sweet kisses everywhere. "I love you, Audrey. I'm not playing around. I love everything about our relationship."

"As do I. I cannot believe how lucky I am that you came into my life. I will forever be grateful for that. You dragged me out of my stupor. Without you, I would still be mourning and grieving."

Our embrace tightened, and our kisses grew in intensity. Our tongues danced as we sated our hunger for love. Leah was a sexual beast, so much more sexual than me. We often made love late into the morning, not full on passionate love, but a loving sensual enveloping luxurious gentle intimacy.

Our relationship was at a crossroads. Little cracks appeared. Leah seemed to be focused on us, as a couple. She stopped going out with her friends, and we spent nights painting, listening to music, and talking, and now the conversations were deeper. The more we talked, the more our issues became apparent. Leah seemed desperate to express her love. Unfortunately, I couldn't do the same. As much as I loved having her around, and I did love her, I just couldn't see a life together with her. I felt guilty because she was cutting herself off from her friends, simply because she wanted to show solidarity with me.

It started to feel like imprisonment, for both of us. Arguments started to creep into our conversations, and with the chatter came accusations, and with that came blame. It was her fault, or my fault. It had never been a part of my life. I had always tried to focus on the positives. Now I felt myself being dragged down into Leah's methods.

She started going out with her friends. She did ask me to go with her, but I was over that. All I wanted was some breathing space. Thankfully, her nights out achieved the goal of us getting some time apart. Strangely, it wasn't until I was by myself that I saw how our fighting had affected my painting. Even I could see the frustration in my brush strokes.. It may have given a certain depth, but I didn't like what I saw.

It was several weeks later when I received an invitation to a welcome home party for an old friend. Sabine had been working overseas for years, and the old gang were getting together to welcome her home with a party.

I replied immediately. That was a party I did not want to miss.

When Leah arrived home, I was getting dinner. She, as always, walked in behind me and cuddled. Her hot body melded to mine, her mouth wet and hungry on my ear. "Hi, babe. Dinner smells nice.

"Seared salmon, if that's all right?"

"More than okay, but this is what I really want."

Turning in her arms, I kissed her, my mouth crashing into hers, the hunger burning. The timer alarm on the oven sounded, startling us. "Guess I'm going to have to wait," she said with a wickedly teasing grin.

Over dinner, we talked about day to day stuff, her mostly moaning about university.

As we chatted, I said, "A friend is returning home after having worked overseas for many years. The girls are organising a welcome home party in two weeks. Would you like to go?"

I could see by her scrunched up face the idea didn't excite her. "I'm going, it will be nice to catch up with the girls."

"Make you a deal. You come out with me and my friends on Friday night, and I'll go with."

"Are you negotiating?"

"Well, more like blackmailing, but. Yeah, I suppose I am."

"Leah, it's not funny. I'm not negotiating when and who we go out with. If you don't want to come with me, then don't. I'm not going to be treated like some commodity."

"Lighten up, who is your friend?"

"Her name is Sabine. She has been working in the middle east. She works as an employment consultant."

"Sounds boring. It would have been cool if she worked for a sultan, hiring girls for his harem. Now that would've been cool."

"She is an old friend, and a very nice person. Apart from Ros, she was my best friend."

Leah walked around the table and plonked herself down in my lap, her arms loosely circling my neck. Our noses rubbed as she inhaled my breath. "Best friends, huh. Did you sleep together?"

"No, we did not," I stated rather too firmly. Leah giggled. "My, my, touchy aren't we. Me thinks there's more to this than meets the eye. C'mon, babe, spill."

"There's nothing to tell. We met at university, she was Ros' friend. That's how I met her."

"Hhhhmmm, Ros' friend, you say."

"Yes, we all used to hang out together."

"Did she date Ros?"

I recognised she wasn't going to let go. "Yes, when I first met Ros, she was dating, Sabine."

"Ohhhh, gossip, I love it. So, what happened?"

"Nothing really, they dated for a few months, but decided they weren't meant to be."

"Just like that? It doesn't sound right. What happened when you and Ros started dating?"

"Nothing, Sabine was already dating somebody else. We remained friends. As I say, I considered her my best friend."

"If she was your best friend, how come I've never heard mention of her before?"

"Because she has been working overseas and she has been busy. We exchange emails frequently."

"But you've never even mentioned her name."

"I suppose it just never popped up. Can we move on? Are you coming to the party, or not?"

"Oh, I am definitely going now. I have to meet her," she said with a passionate intensity.

The days drifted by, and Leah tried desperately to find out more about Sabine. I laughed at her failed attempts at investigation. She wasn't going to make it as a PI, that's for sure. She was good natured about it, but I sensed her curiosity was becoming more anxious.

The night of the party arrived, and if I was anxious the day of Leah's parents visit, she was a step above that. She spent the entire day preparing. I have to say, she did look exquisite. Her hair was divine, her makeup, although heavy, did bring out her beautiful features.

"How do I look?" she asked as she did a sexy playful pirouette.

"As beautiful as ever. You will be the standout, for sure."