Page 42 of Begin Again Again

“And what am I supposed to introduce you as? The guy who fell asleep on top of me?”

Byron pressed his free hand to his chest. “Ouch! That’s a bit violent. Didn’t see any of that on the touch rugby pitch.”

“Field. And why did you have to call Josh ‘mate’ like that?”

“What’s wrong with calling someone mate?”

“Nothing. Unless it’s the way Australian men say it to people they don’t like. In which they clearly mean, ‘cunt.’”

Byron laughed; the sensation as welcome as the feel of her in his arms. “You’re funny.”

Beth looked unimpressed. “I love the way guys say that like you should be so flattered. I hosted a podcast for five years, Aquarius. I could banter you under the table.”

“Is that right?”

“It’s so right it’s in danger of going full circle and becoming left.”

Byron held up a hand in surrender. “For the record, I didn’t fall asleep on top of you. And I remember asking you to stay.”

Beth was silent, but she still had her arm around his waist, so he figured everything was okay. They hit the sandy track that went around the park and kept walking, arm in arm like two people in love. Joggers smiled at them as they passed, and Byron found he liked the assumption he and Beth were a couple. That he was a fully functional guy, going for a walk around the park with his girlfriend. He was about to ask Beth about the podcast when she spoke. “I would have felt awkward staying. We don’t know each other.”

He steered her around a patch of dog shit. “Technically.”

“What does that mean?”

He shrugged.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

Byron hadn’t realised he was smiling, but the second she said it, he felt it spread wider. “I dunno. I guess it doesn’t feel like we just met. Does it?”

She paused. “No. I suppose not.”

Byron looked across at her. She had high cheekbones and a pretty mouth, long, dark red hair fluttering around her face. She was beautiful. He wasn’t sure why that kept taking him by surprise.

She gave him a suspicious look. “What?”

“You don’t drink, do you?”

She started a little, then smiled ruefully. “Daisy blew my cover, huh?”

“Yeah. At first I thought you were faking sobriety to get out of team drinks, then I remembered the cup of tea on the porch last night.”

“Well, I’m glad the whole thing wasn’t a blur, Aquarius.”

Byron grimaced. “Look, I’m sorry I passed out. I get up at six on weekdays and I was pretty pissed and—”

“You don’t have to explain.”

He stopped them in their tracks and turned to face her. “I do. I’m into you. And I’m sorry for falling asleep.”

A small smile touched her lips. “Yeah, I kind of got that from you showing up here.”

“Good.”

They smiled at each other. A runner sprinted past, coughing conspicuously. Byron glared after him. “There’s plenty of room for everyone, mate.”

Beth gave him an amused look. “Are you a closet hothead?”

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