Page 31 of Under Southern Stars
Jack: No worries. I can handle Troy.
Something about his confidence makes me smile. Troy with his Tesla and his wellness girlfriend and his cryptocurrency portfolio. Jack with his paramedic salary and his easy smile.
Sophia: Okay. Field 3. 11am.
Jack: I'll bring real coffee. For medicinal purposes.
Sophia: See you then.
I set my phone down, heart racing. This is happening. Jack McKenzie is coming to my daughter’s soccer game. He’s going to meet my ex. He’s stepping into my real life, not just the after-hours version.
My phone rings. Maria.
“Do NOT ‘hey’ me, Sophia Mitchell. I need every detail from last night or I’m coming over there with wine and a lie detector.”
I slump into a chair. “It was perfect.”
“Define perfect.”
“He remembered how I like my coffee. He speaks Italian. He told me about his sisters and their rugby careers. He makes pavlova.”
“What’s pavlova?”
“Some New Zealand dessert. The point is, he was…wonderful.”
“But?” Maria knows me too well.
“But nothing. That’s the problem. It was too perfect. Like there has to be a catch somewhere.”
