Page 14 of Meet You in the Waves
“You get some nice presents under the tree?” Rob chided.
“Something like that,” I grinned.
“Oh that’s right, you have that house guest staying with you,” Rob suddenly recalled. “So, what’s he like?” I had mentioned to the guys a couple days ago about Dane’s best friend crashing my summer home for the whole uni break.
“He’s all right,” I admitted with a nonchalant shrug.
“And by that you mean he’s hot and you want to fuck him,” Rob guessed, knocking his elbow against mine.
“Wow, you must think I’m just a walking ball of hormones,” I returned.
“That’s because you are,” Rob returned. “So, I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Well, you’re not wrong,” I admitted with a grin. I carefully avoided Mateo’s eyes. He often let Rob and me do the talking in social settings but I knew we were skirting around a fairly touchy subject.
“Does he play for your team?” Rob asked, a curious smile on his face.
“Ah. That would be sadly no,” I returned. “He’s got a girlfriend. Although I’m pretty sure he hates her. So there’s that.”
“I’m sure you’d be the first to make your shoulder available if he needed one to cry on,” Rob grinned.
“I’m nothing if not a reliable shoulder to cry on.”
“So kind. Always thinking of others is our Nick,” Rob laughed. I flicked a glance at Mateo and was relieved to see him smiling along at our banter. He was good like that.
“You know me well.”
Yep, it seemed I definitely was always thinking of others these days. Well, a specific certain other at least. Even here, at my little escape with my best friends, at our sanctuary in our busy little town, I still couldn’t get a certain someone out of my head.
CHAPTER 6
ajay
It was good to get out and see the town where Dane and his brother had grown up. Esperance was a small seaside village with a long high street packed full of people sitting at alfresco cafes, ice cream shops with queues a mile long and sweet looking homewares and surf shops.
We’d driven Dane’s BMW in but it had been impossible to get a car park. We’d ended up having to park outside the town in an open paddock directed by parking rangers and walk in along with a thousand other people. These coastal towns sure got busy in tourist season.
Dane took us to a place aptly named the Espy Beach Club that had all these fancy blue and white stiped umbrellas on an open air deck overlooking the beach. The drinks were astronomical in price and I’d had to swallow my pride and accept Dane’s offer to buy me one after perusing the drinks list.
My bank account was on the very low side of healthy. I’d taken a whole heap of extra shifts at The Local Brew these past few weeks but I had been expecting to spend the holiday at home where costs were few and I had a mum who would cook for me and cover most of my expenses. Here I was relying on Dane once again but he never seemed to mind. It was clear that he and Nickcame from a well off family. Dane didn’t flaunt his money but then again he didn’t exactly hide it either.
Nick was a whole other equation. If I hadn’t seen the beach side house he lived in or the brand new, bright red Jeep Wrangler in the driveway that I knew was his, I would never have pegged him as someone who came from money. He was as down to earth as they came. There was something about that which I liked.
Dane set our colourful cocktails on the table and I took a quick sip. It was a little on the sweet side for my tastes but Dane loved these types of drinks and I knew better than to mention anything. I would have been just as happy with the cheap and cheerful beer on tap but I knew Dane would be horrified if I had chosen the house pour from the artfully curated ten page drinks menu.
“So, you and Nick,” I ventured, not sure why I couldn’t keep him from the top of my thoughts. “Why don’t you get along?”
Dane huffed out a quick laugh as he set his cocktail down on the table. “How long have you got?”
“I’ve got all afternoon,” I returned with a smile, gesturing at the sun pouring down on the peaceful surrounds. “I don’t know, man. Nick just seems kind of cool to me. I can’t really see what the issue is with you two.”
“Believe me, Ajay. You’ve known him for, like, five minutes. Try twenty years with him.”
“Help me understand. I honestly don’t get it.”
Dane let out a long puff of air as he leaned back in his chair. What I’d said was only kind of true. Less than a minute with the two brothers was enough to tell me you couldn’t have found two more opposite guys if you’d tried. Even just their looks – one dark and serious, the other bright and sunshiny. Dark eyes versus blue sparkles. Nearly black hair versus golden brown locks.
But all of that didn’t automatically lead to this level of animosity.
