up. ‘I know, I’m just kidding around. Though I hear these are the latest fashion statement for all the cool tour guides this year.’
‘I bet.’
Beth rolled her eyes, grimacing at the ugly black-rimmed glasses, ignoring the faintest ring of ‘four eyes, four eyes’ in her ears.
If she’d hated being a brain as a kid she’d hated wearing glasses more and the memories had lasted way too long; long enough until she’d got a part-time job and earned enough money to buy contacts at the age of sixteen.
As for the old saying ‘guys didn’t make passes at girls who wore glasses’ it had been all too true in her case and she’d set about correcting that impression the second those contacts slipped in. She’d transformed from shy geek to flirty femme fatale and hadn’t looked back.
‘You sure? It would complete your new look.’
Lana stood back, folded her arms and admired her handiwork while Beth felt like the bride of Frankenstein in her ugly shoes and uglier clothes.
‘You know I’m not really going to wear this get-up, don’t you? I’m merely doing this to humour you?’
‘Yeah, I know. You’ll probably rock up to the museum in a micro mini and halter top, right?’
‘Now that you mention it…’
Lana groaned. ‘Tell me again why I helped set up the interview for you.’
Beth patted her arm as she shimmied out of her cousin’s clothes and slipped back into her own, rehanging the awful suit and slamming the wardrobe door shut before she had to look at it for another second. ‘Because you think I’m the bee’s knees. Because blood is thicker than water. And any other soppy cliché you can think of.’
Lana’s mouth twitched, her patient expression one Beth had seen many times before. ‘So what are you really wearing?’
The image of her new David Lawrence raven pinstripe suit with the fabulous pencil skirt complete with flirty frill flashed across her mind and she did a little jig complete with arm twirl and cancan leg kicks.
‘I’ve bought a gorgeous suit. Me, in a suit. Can you believe it?’
Lana chuckled. ‘Actually, no, I can’t. This I have to see.’
‘I’ll drop by on my way home so you can check it out. Speaking of which…’ she glanced at her watch and grimaced ‘…I better hit the road.’
‘Yeah, you’re pushing for time. You should get going.’ Lana took a hop towards the door and a ripple of pain flashed across her face.
‘Hey, you need to sit down. That ankle isn’t going to heal if you don’t take it easy. And as much as I appreciate your help in telling me about the vacancy for this job, it isn’t going to be the same traipsing around that mausoleum without you.’
Lana’s presence would’ve made her induction into monotonous regular work bearable. Given a choice she would rather be holed up in her warehouse apartment creating the metal sculptures she loved, but she needed this job desperately and while acting as tour guide at Melbourne Museum wouldn’t set her world on fire, it would take her one step closer to her dream.
‘God, you’re pushy.’
Lana slipped the crutches back under her armpits and hopped to a hard-backed chair a few steps away before sinking onto it with a barely suppressed groan. ‘And I’ll be back on deck just as soon as this damn ankle heals.’
She winced as she lifted her leg beneath the knee and propped the ankle on a pouffe. ‘I’m sorry I won’t be there to show you the ropes like I promised. I know this isn’t your ideal job and I said I’d help ease you into it…until this!’ She pointed at her plaster cast and scowled.
‘Don’t worry, cuz. All I have to do is remember the stuff we swotted and take a bunch of curious geeks around the museum. Easy.’
Lana didn’t look convinced.
‘You’ve heard about the new boss? He’s the son of the old CEO and a major player in archaeological circles so, while Abe Voss hired you, I have no idea how tough Aidan is.’
Beth plopped on a nearby footstool and gently patted the cast. ‘I’ll have to smile my way into his good books. I’m sure this new boss won’t be any different.’
‘So you think you can charm him, huh?’
By the dubious expression on Lana’s face, she could see what her competent, super-intelligent, serious older cousin thought of that.
‘Either that or dazzle him with my tour-guide skills, one or the other. Come on, you know you can trust me to do a brilliant job and keep the Walker girls’ prize-employee reputations intact, right?’
Lana chuckled and rolled her eyes. ‘Do you really want me to answer that?’
‘Actually, no.’
They laughed in unison, remembering the countless times Beth had asked Lana to trust her only to stand her up in favour of a boy, a cool party or the latest fashion sale.
‘You’ll be fine. If you have any questions during the day, you can always sneak into the Ladies and buzz me on your mobile.’
‘Hmm…real professional.’ Beth grinned, bounced up and slung her designer bag over her shoulder. ‘Right. Time to strut my stuff.’
‘Okay, off you go. And remember—don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.’
‘Yes, m’am.’ She saluted, sending Lana’s ankle a pointed look. ‘Aren’t you going to wish me luck? Something along the lines of “break a leg”?’
Lana pointed towards the door. ‘Out. And take your lousy sense of humour with you.’
Beth pouted and stuck a hand on a hip. ‘Now is that any way to talk to the museum’s new star tour guide?’
Lana quirked a bushy eyebrow in desperate need of a good plucking. ‘Star, huh? I’d be happy with good, sensible, dedicated tour guide. You know, the type of tour guide who does a great job and impresses the new boss so much he can’t wait for his new star curator to start.’
‘Sensible? Mmm…’ Beth grinned, yanked down her funky top and did a little shimmy in her tight denim mini. ‘Don’t worry, cuz. You can count on me.’
She only just heard Lana’s murmured, ‘That’s what I’m afraid of,’ as she strolled out the door with a spring in her step.
‘These shoes are something else,’ Beth murmured, staring down at her new Sonia Rykiel satin-toed sable pumps with delight.
She really should’ve worn something more comfortable for her first day on the job, yet considering she was currently squashed on a peak-hour tram between a sweaty businessman and a scruffy uni student who hadn’t discovered the joys of deodorant yet, the snazzy new shoes were a comfort.
She’d dithered over
