“Yeah, you can be. And maybe this will be the final kick up your arse to get your own place. There are two properties up for sale that overlook the Strait. I’ll send you details.” He stopped, tapping my pocket. “You’re ringing.”
I pulled out the pager I had on me. “We have a call out. See you later.”
Seven Years Ago
I wondered whether I was hallucinating at first, whether I was seeing a mirage incited by the heat and the strangeness of the place, and just plain need. But it turned out I wasn’t.
“Caleb.” Her smile was wide and could swallow the world, blonde curls blowing around her face. Her face was without make-up and she looked as young as she had the first day I met her. “Hey.”
There was hesitation there. She paused, her feet not moving. Usually she’d be running at me like a demon trying to take over my body, but she was a statue instead.
I thought quickly about what I might’ve done in the last few weeks. The selfie on the plane with Anna-Maria might’ve been it. Anna was pretty, not in the same league as Zoey, but then no one was, as she was friendly, and very, very into her girlfriend. I knew Zoey hated being what she saw as a third wheel when I had a girlfriend, but she was never a hanger on. There’d been a few times when I’d ended things with a girlfriend because I knew Zoey was coming and I didn’t want to negotiate between them.
So seeing her now was like clouds clearing from the sky.
“I can’t fucking believe you’re here.” I took off, rushing to her and pulling her into me, twirling her round and not giving a shit who saw or filmed or cared. Zoey was here and that was Christmas Day on speed.
“I told you I’d come to Mozambique!”
I put her down, still holding onto her, wanting to kiss her because I always had, ever since that first time.
“I wasn’t sure about coming and then I realised I might never have another reason to come here.” Her arms stayed around me. “Puffin Bay was strange without you.”
“I bet.” I hugged her again. “Where are you staying?”
“I’ve booked a hotel with a suite, two rooms, if you wanted to crash with me. I know how crappy uni accommodation usually is.”
She did because she’d often stayed with me in it. This wasn’t the first time she’d turned up when I was somewhere on a research project.
“How long are you here for?”
“A week. And it’s a holiday so I can just chill out, relax. Sightsee . Write some lyrics.”
That sounded about right. She didn’t stop with the writing, like she needed to do it to live.
“I’ll see if I can get some time away. It shouldn’t be an issue.” I wasn’t the main person here, although one day I hoped to be. I’d taken the place of a bloke who’d blagged his way onto the trip and wasn’t really needed, so I was just here for the ride. I could live with that. The stuff they were doing here was amazing, the ocean, the environment, the people – I wanted to be here for longer and at the same time I didn’t.
Zoey made it feel easier.
“That’d be good. I’m not crashing your style though? The girl on the plane - ”
“Just someone on the same flight coming here. She’s a research student too and she has a girlfriend studying zoology.”
“Oh. I was worried I’d be getting in the way.”
“You’re never in the way. You should know that by now. Just like what you say to me when I turn up when you’re on tour.”
She laughed, putting a few inches of distance between us and looking at me. “This is nicer than being on tour. And I’m always single when I’m touring. Pretty much. I’m pretty much always single.”
“Can’t think why.” I meant that. There was no sarcasm. She was everything – gorgeous, charismatic, talented, clever – I’d listed all her qualities to my dad one night when I’d had too many beers, and I couldn’t understand why no one had claimed her as his yet.
Although I was so fucking grateful they hadn’t.
“I’m hard work.”
“You’re not hard work.” I looked at her, trying to read what she wasn’t telling me. “Who’s said that you are?”
“Robbie. The guy I was seeing.”
