I treadalong the pathway that leads to the beach, slipping off my shoes. I sink my toes into the sand, walking almost up to the waves, before sitting down with my legs crossed, enjoying the peace and the beauty of this place. The sound of the water lapping at the rocks to my right, a few hundred metres away; the sun, just starting to dip below the horizon, but still casting its sweet, colourful glow.
“Here we go,” Nick appears from behind me, sitting down next to me and dropping his shoes onto the sand. He has a paper bag in his hands, along with a plastic one filled with bottles.
That’s definitely not a good thing.
“I got you a burger, a hot dog, and a battered sausage,” he says, placing the bag down on the sand. “And some chips, obviously. With loads of vinegar. Just how you like it.”
Okay, Nick O’Connor. You want your Brownie points, I get it – but you’re not playing around, here. You know these things far too well.
He points to the plastic bag filled with bottles. “And something to lighten the mood.”
“Something to loosen my inhibitions, you mean.”
“Do you think a couple of beers would be enough?”
“Probably not.”
“Look, I’m not as sneaky as you think I am.”
“You’re worse,” I say, pulling out the bottles, one-by-one.
Nick rummages in his pocket for a bottle-opener and hands it to me.
“You thought of everything,” I comment, before taking it from him and opening two beers. I pass him one, taking a few sips of mine. “Do you also know how this evening is going to end?”
He sighs, smiling. “I’d love to have that power, but unfortunately no. I can’t tell you how tonight’s going to end. But I can tell you how Iwantit to end.”
I place my beer on the sand and cast my gaze out to sea. “Can we just lay all of our cards out for a second?”
“If you want, I can layyouout.”
I shake my head. “You know what I mean. I want you to be honest.”
“What do you want to know?”
“I want to know what you’re doing.”
“I thought it was obvious. I want to have dinner with you, here on the beach. I want to look at your profile, illuminated by the sunset. I want to breathe you in, with the sea air, and maybe…”
“Stop. That’s already too much.”
“It’s only the beginning.”
“Thereisno beginning, Nick.”
Nick stretches out his legs and leans his hands back on the sand behind him.
“You don’t believe me.”
“It’s difficult to believe you.”
“Because you think I haven’t changed.”
“That’s true, though, Nick.”
“I’m not the same little kid anymore – the one who packed his bags and left.”
I smile sadly. “To me, you’ll always be that same little kid. The one who left me alone in that pool.”
