Page 18 of Jump Start

“I think I like you, too,” I spoke softly as I pulled him off the chair and wrapped my arms around him for the second time in one night.

We stood in silence for a few moments, holding each other, silently getting to know one another like we hadn’t before.

I’m not sure how much time had passed when Thomas pulled away first.

“I better get going.” His voice was low and soft in my ear.

It was better than listening to music or hearing him on the radio.

‘Yeah, okay. Thanks for coming around,” I replied as I watched him start to clean up our small mess.

I placed my hand on his bicep as he started to clean the dishes. “Don’t worry about that.” Smiling, he turned me around to face him, placing a hand on the side of my face and kissed me softly on the cheek.

“Okay, well I’ll see you soon, hopefully,” he said, letting me go and opening the door to leave.

I watched him walk out, the feeling of his hands on me, and his lips on my cheek, lingering long after.

I was in trouble.

After Thomas left, I laughed out loud in my apartment. What a whirlwind the last few weeks had been. I did, however, feel grateful that he was finally being open and honest with me. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I was attracted to him, but initially, it was greatly overshadowed by his attitude and hostility towards me.

I guess in his ownThomasway, he was trying to show me that he was both sorry and that he cared. While we may have had a rough start, even as friends, I was starting to see fragments of his real personality; the dry humour, wit, and a calm nature that I was envious of.

Now that I had learnt more about who he was, I knew he was much more capable of being soft and caring. I was willing to put myself on the line and see if he truly meant it about making things up to me. What did I have to lose?

I decided then and there that the only way I could really make my mind up about Thomas was to let him take me on a proper date. I dialled his number, and he answered in two rings. “Harper.”

“Thomas, I’ve decided that you can take me on a date if you would like. Your choice of place, just make it good.”

He laughed on the other end, and I could tell he was already in his car.

“Sure. Thursday night too soon?” he asked while an indicator clicked on and off in the background.

“I might have to go straight from work, but yes, Thursday is perfect.”

“Great! I’ll think of something and let you know.”

We hung up the phone and I threw it on my bed, feeling an odd sensation of excitement at the thought of spending moretime with Thomas. This had been an unexpected turn of events, but I didn’t mind. I hoped that letting him in wouldn’t be a mistake. He hadn’t exactly filled me with confidence. He was often unapproachable, cold and distant, which didn’t screamdating materialto me. I had seen flickers of the real Thomas, though, and I looked forward to seeing more of him. Preferably the softly spoken, gentle guy that was just in my apartment.

Nine

Thomas

It had been a few days since I asked Harper out on a date, and I had almost cancelled several times. I wasn’t sure if starting something was a good idea or not. There wasn’t a lot of room in my life for a partner. I was away a lot and the time we’d have together would be short. I did get the feeling, however, that Harper would understand. She was more than accomplished in her own right.

I chose a Thai restaurant not far from Harper’s work, which came highly recommended from the engineers at work. It had views of the city and the food sounded tasty as fuck. Unlike most Sydney restaurants, this one had a car park, and I was able to get out of my car without the prospect of dinting the one next to me, a novelty in itself.

I was greeted at the door by a friendly waitress who led me to a table by an open bifold window. Those sorts of windows always reminded me of my parents’ house back on the farm. I remember standing at the kitchen window looking out towards the paddocks with my horse, Roo, munching on grass. I should go and visit home.

I sat down with my back to the entrance as I thought Harper might like to sit on the booth seat rather than the chair. It was quite uncomfortable, but I was used to sitting onshit chairs.

I wasn’t sure how this was going to play out. I felt like I might have to spend the next few months of my life profusely apologising to Harper. The way I acted around her was inexcusable and I needed to get a reality check, one I could count on my brother giving me at any given time during our phone calls.

One of the benefits of growing up on a racehorse stud in the Hunter Valley was living in the vicinity of many world-class wineries, and it was my party trick, of sorts, to be able to pick a quality red wine out of any menu. It was something that most people didn’t expect from me, but I liked doing it. Sometimes, I felt like I was a walking juxtaposition.

I was pleasantly pulled from my thoughts by a light tap on my shoulder, followed by Harper’s glowing face.

“Thomas, hey.”

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