apartment.
“Did you see how happy you made all those people Mum?” Kylie said, putting her arm around her as they walked back.
“Yeah, they were a captive audience. Literally,” she laughed.
“They loved it.”
“Yes they did.”
“I thought that after you head back to the Isa I would take over from you and go there on Tuesdays and play those pianola rolls for them for an hour. So they still would have something to enjoy. See if they like that?” Kylie said.
“I’m sure they’ll love it. It’s a lovely idea,” Kylie’s mum said. “I’ll bring you another three boxes of rolls next time I come over and we’ll do a swap.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Kylie said.
Taking The Plunge
Kylie went to head office to pick up the Port mail on Tuesday, the day after yet another rigorous training session with Shooters working them all hard. It had been a few months since she had last invited Mila to try Outrigging and she was yet to receive a positive response. But she had not let Mila’s lack of interest stop her from going out to meet new people on her own. Even after the belly laughs she had enjoyed the day she met the Port crew, Mila had not seen Kylie very often since. In the meanwhile, Mila had been busy going on regular overnight mine site visits and settling into her new role. When Kylie was in the mailroom, her boss walked up to her and asked her to come and see him back at his desk.
“Hi Mila,” Kylie said as she entered their section.
“Hey Kylie,” she replied pleasantly. “How are you?”
“Man, I’m sore! Since joining outrigging I think I’ve found new bones in my body!”
“Oh okay, are you enjoying it, besides the pain?”
“Yeah, it’s really different and the girls seem nice. Not that I really get a chance to talk to many of them during training, but I remain optimistic.”
“Oh right.”
“They are still looking for one more girl to join if you want to come and have a go after work Monday, Wednesday, and then 5.30 am on Sunday?”
“What? That’s early. I don’t know. I broke up with my man so I have more time, Ahhhh, I’ll have a think about it,” she said.
Kylie wasn’t a psychic but she had known Mila would finish her sentence with those very words. Despite being friendless and newly single, apparently Mila would still not commit to having a go.
“Sorry to hear you broke up with your man,” Kylie said sincerely.
“I’m okay, but thank you,” Mila said not going into it.
“So Kylie, I have something for you,” her boss said rubbing his hands together.
“Oh yeah, what is it? More work?” Kylie replied sarcastically.
“No, it’s something after work,” he said.
“Overtime?” Kylie asked.
“No, I have a ticket for you to go to the football this Friday night, in the Cannington corporate box.”
“Really? One ticket. That’s lucky, I don’t have any mates. I hope I don’t have to sit next to a dead shit. I’ve never been to the footy before. I hear the box is awesome!” Kylie said excited to be given free shit and talking without thinking.
“Oh that’s nice!” Mila replied.
“What’s that?” Kylie asked.
“Your seats are together, I thought it might be a chance for you to get to know each other better,” the boss said.
“What? Are we going on a date?” Kylie said winking at Mila and completely forgetting she had just called her a dead shit.
“Just remember, I don’t put out on a first date,” Mila replied sternly.
“That’s okay baby, I’ll go out with you twice if I’m on a promise!”
“Ladies. I just thought you would like to go and that you might enjoy the footy,” the boss said.
“Righto. I’ll go. What about you Mila? Are you keen?”
“Yeah, I’ll go. Thanks Boss,” Mila said professionally.
“No worries,” he replied. “Have fun.”
And go to the football they did. Kylie arranged for Shonky to give them a lift out to Dairy Farmers Stadium after he finished work on Friday night and the car came alive with laughter and chatter on the twenty-minute journey. By the time the girls found their seats at the Cowboys football match they were not even interested in the game anymore let alone know who the Cowboys were playing against. As they drank and continued to laugh and talk, they realised how much they had in common. They loved the same music, they watched the same shows, and they bonded something fierce, so they swapped mobile phone numbers. By the end of the night they were arm in arm, giggling and swaying as they walked out, reliving the fun they’d had at Mila’s welcome morning tea, in between fits of laughter.
“I can’t believe you called Shonky a Hamrod! To his Face!” Mila laughed.
“I can’t believe his folks actually NAMED him Hamrod so I could!”
“You work with some funny people,” Mila said.
“Yeah, funny looking,” Kylie said.
“Pffft. That’s funny too!”
When the football was over they headed to the bar in the Western Stand and when that closed they caught the bus into town. Neither of them had been nightclubbing since they arrived in Townsville. Kylie rediscovered the Mad Cow and a love affair was born.
“Oh this place is tops! Listen! All the music they’ve played in the last twenty minutes was all country number one hits! On normal radio! And they play it here!” Kylie was starting to slur and over pronounce her words.
“Yeah, I really like Shania Train,” Mila said.
“Toot Toot!” Kylie said laughing at Mila’s mistake.
“What?”
Kylie had to shout over the loud music, “You’re on the right track mate but you said Shania Train, so I said Toot-Toot, because it’s actually Shania Twain!”
“Ha ha ha, that’s funny.”
“You think everything is funny right now ‘cause you’re smashed,” Kylie said.
“Yep!”
The
