knew it was more than his appearance that was lingering. There was something about him that was not easy to forget, for some strange reason. But she had to do just that. She had to find her bags and get to her accommodation or face being homeless.
‘It’s been a long day and I have to get to the realtor by five-thirty to get the keys to my rental property...and I have nothing except these,’ she told him tilting her head in the direction of her carry-on and her handbag that she was holding up.
‘I must apologise that the rest of your bags didn’t arrive. It doesn’t happen too often, I must say, but that doesn’t help you. If I can have your name I’ll start the process to find them.’
‘Dr Jessica Ayers,’ she replied.
‘Nice to meet you, Dr Ayers,’ he said as he reached for the extended handle of her carry-on bag.
‘Please call me Jessica.’
‘Certainly, Jessica. Let’s get you over to check-in,’ he said, pointing to the other side of the terminal. He added, ‘I can get some more details and chase the bags up for you. If you can give me the baggage receipt that was issued with your boarding pass, I’ll call through to Sydney and make sure that your bags are sent here on the next flight, which is at eleven-thirty—’
‘That’s late but at least there’s another flight coming in tonight,’ Jessica cut in with a faint strand of renewed hope colouring her voice. Excitedly she handed over the documents he requested and then followed him from the departure and arrival lounges and in the direction of the main entrance.
The man’s brow wrinkled as he shook his head from side to side and with it swept away Jessica’s hope of a swift solution.
‘Unfortunately, your flight was the final one from Sydney today. There next one arrives at eleven-thirty tomorrow morning and I can have your bags couriered to your home,’ he said as he maintained a fast pace. He was a man on a mission and that gave Jessica some small level of comfort as she kept up with him.
‘My home? I have no idea if I’ll have one. I think my deadline to pick up the keys from the realtor is just about to pass.’
He raised his wrist and glanced at his watch as they reached the check-in counter. ‘It’s five-fifteen but a cab can have you into Armidale in ten minutes. Let me make a call to the agent and ask them to stay back in case you’re a few minutes late getting there.’
‘Do you honestly think they will?’ she asked, confident that in her home town of Sydney there would be somewhere between a fat chance and absolutely none that they would actually remain open for her. Their care factor about her having to find accommodation for a night would be around about the same—zero.
‘Do you have the business name?’
‘There’s more than one in town?’
Garry smirked and shook his head. ‘Armidale is actually a rural city and we have hot running water, traffic lights...and more than one real estate agent.’
Jessica felt quite silly. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘No need to apologise. You’re obviously a big city girl. Is this your first visit here?’
Jessica nodded sheepishly as she scrolled through her emails on her mobile phone until she found the realtor’s name. ‘Dunstan Boyd is the property manager—’ she paused as she squinted to read the fine print in the signature block on the email ‘—at...’
‘Boyd and Associates Real Estate,’ Garry finished her sentence.
Jessica dropped her chin a little and stared up at him curiously. ‘You know them?’
‘Yes,’ he told her. ‘My sister-in-law works there. Not that I thought you’d have any trouble anyway, and we do have some nice motels in town if there was a problem, but I can almost guarantee she, or one of her colleagues, will stay back and you won’t be homeless.’
Jessica drew breath and then emptied her lungs just as quickly with relief at Garry’s announcement. While she had nothing to wear and she would have to wash her underwear in the basin and dry it over the bath, she would at least have somewhere to do that.
‘Now, if you can give me your contact details, someone from the airport will call you tomorrow and arrange to have your bags sent to you when they arrive.’ He pulled a pen and paper from the pocket of his bomber jacket.
Jessica took the pen and paper and scribbled down her mobile telephone number, which he then tucked back in his jacket pocket as they walked outside to the cab rank.
‘It might be best sending them to the Armidale Regional Memorial Hospital,’ she told him as she tugged her jacket up around her neck. The air was even colder than when she’d alighted from the plane. ‘I’ll be there so they’ll be no one at home to collect them, that’s assuming you’re right and I have a home.’
‘You’ll have a home, Jessica. Don’t worry.’
There was an empty cab already there and no one else waiting. Garry opened the rear door of the cab for Jessica and she quickly climbed in the back as he leant in the open front window and spoke to the driver.
‘Can you please take this young lady to Boyd and Associates Real Estate, Twenty-nine Marsh Street.’
‘Sure.’
Flooded with a relief she’d thought impossible ten minutes previously, Jessica put the window down. ‘Thank you so much,’ she said as the cab pulled away from the kerb.
‘You’re very welcome.’
* * *
Garry was right; his sister-in-law’s colleague didn’t mind staying back and the cab driver waited while she rushed inside. The young man asked her for identification, had her sign two documents and then gave her the house keys and the keys to the rental car that had been left that morning in her driveway. Jessica had arranged for everything to be in the one place, and it was a glimpse of her previous attention to detail. Although twelve months ago she would have shipped clothes ahead and arranged for the local dry-cleaner to press and hang them in her closet and have the pantry and refrigerator stocked with low-fat food. The kind that Tom liked. Tom, the womanising, cheating bastard whose cholesterol levels she had worried about for the better part of a year.
But, thanks to said two-timing low-life, the Jessica of late was nowhere near that organised when it came to her personal needs. On the job, though, she hadn’t changed. She was as dedicated and focused with her patients as she had ever been.
‘Call me on my mobile if you have any questions. It’s a nice little house, clean, tidy and fully furnished, as you saw in the photos. I think you’ll like the street.’
Jessica was not about to be fussy. A bed and bath was all she needed right now, and a car for the morning to get her to the hospital.
‘I’m sure it will be great and thank you again for staying back for me,’ she said as she held on tight to both sets of keys as if they were her lifeline.
‘Not a problem, happy to help.’
* * *
Half an hour later, with two bags of groceries
