materialises behind the counter to pull out the invoice.
He hands it over. “Four hundred’ll do it, Sam.”
“Gee, thanks Matt.” I hand over my credit card and he waves it over the machine after punching in the particulars. We wait while the sale goes through, then he hands the card back to me with a written receipt detailing the work he’s done. Knowing the huge discount he’s given, thank you doesn’t really seem enough.
“Anything for a friend of Jack’s,” he says.
Jack appears in the office behind me. “So when are we having that drink? You free tonight?”
Initially I think he’s asking me out, then quickly realise the question’s not aimed at me. Not at all. And I colour at the assumption.
Matt’s eyes light. “Finish at four, mate. I could meet you round six?”
“Cool man. I’ll see you at the pub then.” Jack gives him the thumbs up, backing out the door.
“Are you gonna come?” Matt asks, winking cheekily from behind the counter. “I’m sure Jack wouldn’t mind. In fact, I know Jack wouldn’t mind. Unless of course you’ve already got plans?”
“No, no plans,” I reply hastily, wondering what Jack would think if I turned up. “I’d love to Matt. But Jack didn’t invite me . Maybe it’s meant to be a boys’ night.”
“Well, I’m inviting you,” he encourages, waggling his eyebrows. “So what do you say?”
I giggle. “Thanks, Matt. Maybe. I’ll check it out with Jack.” I give him an appreciative smile and duck out the door with the receipt still clutched in my hand.
Jack’s waiting by his car. “So, um ... do you want to come tonight, too?”
I look up at him. All six-foot-two of him, and realise that this time, he is actually asking me out. “Yeah, I’d like that,” I say, finding it hard to hide the smile niggling at the corners of my mouth. “Matt just invited me, but I wanted to check if it was okay with you.”
A grin fills his face completely. “Mate, that is definitely okay,” he says, beaming that irresistible smile of his.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Six p.m. Tea Gardens Hotel. Tonight I feel weightless and frothy like the sea. In the fading autumn glow the river’s a hazy grey, and trashy coloured lights flicker on above the road. The reek of stale beer and pungent fish and chips fills the public bar. I glance around, trying to locate Jack. He and Matt are already here, concealed in an obscure corner.
Jack spots me as I approach, pushing back his chair. We meet near the bar and greet almost gracelessly. Do we kiss? Do we hug? Eventually he enfolds me in his arms and brushes his lips across my cheek. My jolting heart skips several critical beats. With his arms wrapped round me he’s warm and smells salty like the sea.
“Hey,” he says softly, pulling away. His eyes flicker in the darkened bar and his face is immersed in shadow.
“Hi,” I croak back with a jolt of nerves.
“So what’ll you have? I’ll get it for you.”
“Thanks. I’ll have the same as you.”
He releases me from his arms. “Too easy,” he says, turning for the bar.
I wait for him, hovering a few feet behind while the bar-girl pulls the beer. And he’s gorgeous. His coarse blond hair flops messily over his forehead when he sinks a hand into the pocket of his nicely fitted jeans. He passes over a ten dollar note and spins to face me holding the beer.
“Over here.” He thumbs toward the table, as if I hadn’t seen where he was sitting.
“Hey, Sam. Long time, no see,” says Matt with a grin.
I laugh. “Yeah Matt, it’s been way too long.”
“A full three hours. I’m looking forward to that beer you’re going to buy me for doing all that cheap labour on your car.”
I colour. “Totally. It’s the least I can do.”
“Don’t hassle her, Matt. She only just got here,” says Jack, catching my inelegance.
“All right, I’ll give you ten minutes then, hey? Then I’ll start.”
I laugh. “How about fifteen? At least let me have one drink
He hands it over. “Four hundred’ll do it, Sam.”
“Gee, thanks Matt.” I hand over my credit card and he waves it over the machine after punching in the particulars. We wait while the sale goes through, then he hands the card back to me with a written receipt detailing the work he’s done. Knowing the huge discount he’s given, thank you doesn’t really seem enough.
“Anything for a friend of Jack’s,” he says.
Jack appears in the office behind me. “So when are we having that drink? You free tonight?”
Initially I think he’s asking me out, then quickly realise the question’s not aimed at me. Not at all. And I colour at the assumption.
Matt’s eyes light. “Finish at four, mate. I could meet you round six?”
“Cool man. I’ll see you at the pub then.” Jack gives him the thumbs up, backing out the door.
“Are you gonna come?” Matt asks, winking cheekily from behind the counter. “I’m sure Jack wouldn’t mind. In fact, I know Jack wouldn’t mind. Unless of course you’ve already got plans?”
“No, no plans,” I reply hastily, wondering what Jack would think if I turned up. “I’d love to Matt. But Jack didn’t invite me . Maybe it’s meant to be a boys’ night.”
“Well, I’m inviting you,” he encourages, waggling his eyebrows. “So what do you say?”
I giggle. “Thanks, Matt. Maybe. I’ll check it out with Jack.” I give him an appreciative smile and duck out the door with the receipt still clutched in my hand.
Jack’s waiting by his car. “So, um ... do you want to come tonight, too?”
I look up at him. All six-foot-two of him, and realise that this time, he is actually asking me out. “Yeah, I’d like that,” I say, finding it hard to hide the smile niggling at the corners of my mouth. “Matt just invited me, but I wanted to check if it was okay with you.”
A grin fills his face completely. “Mate, that is definitely okay,” he says, beaming that irresistible smile of his.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Six p.m. Tea Gardens Hotel. Tonight I feel weightless and frothy like the sea. In the fading autumn glow the river’s a hazy grey, and trashy coloured lights flicker on above the road. The reek of stale beer and pungent fish and chips fills the public bar. I glance around, trying to locate Jack. He and Matt are already here, concealed in an obscure corner.
Jack spots me as I approach, pushing back his chair. We meet near the bar and greet almost gracelessly. Do we kiss? Do we hug? Eventually he enfolds me in his arms and brushes his lips across my cheek. My jolting heart skips several critical beats. With his arms wrapped round me he’s warm and smells salty like the sea.
“Hey,” he says softly, pulling away. His eyes flicker in the darkened bar and his face is immersed in shadow.
“Hi,” I croak back with a jolt of nerves.
“So what’ll you have? I’ll get it for you.”
“Thanks. I’ll have the same as you.”
He releases me from his arms. “Too easy,” he says, turning for the bar.
I wait for him, hovering a few feet behind while the bar-girl pulls the beer. And he’s gorgeous. His coarse blond hair flops messily over his forehead when he sinks a hand into the pocket of his nicely fitted jeans. He passes over a ten dollar note and spins to face me holding the beer.
“Over here.” He thumbs toward the table, as if I hadn’t seen where he was sitting.
“Hey, Sam. Long time, no see,” says Matt with a grin.
I laugh. “Yeah Matt, it’s been way too long.”
“A full three hours. I’m looking forward to that beer you’re going to buy me for doing all that cheap labour on your car.”
I colour. “Totally. It’s the least I can do.”
“Don’t hassle her, Matt. She only just got here,” says Jack, catching my inelegance.
“All right, I’ll give you ten minutes then, hey? Then I’ll start.”
I laugh. “How about fifteen? At least let me have one drink
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