Once the door had closed behind her, Jason asked, “She okay? She seems very quiet.”
Tarryn shrugged. “I don’t know her well enough to say.” But Sophie had closed in on herself since Jason’s arrival.
Sophie was gone for a few minutes, but when she returned, she gave them all a bright smile. “I know this evening isn’t for talking about the festival, but I need to arrange a time to get together with you, Jason, to discuss the final details. The Hollowman is central to the parade, after all.”
“Of course,” Jason said. “We’ll do that.”
“And maybe I can finally see your famous card collection then. You promised to show me your 1920 Babe Ruth card.”
“You betcha.” Jason beamed. He finished his beer and set the empty tinnie on the coffee table. “But now, I better leave you to your dinner—and I need to get back to the pub. Thanks for the dehydrator, Will. There’s a burger and beer with your name on it the next time you come in.”
Garrett went to the door with him.
Tarryn shot a look at Sophie. Her earlier tension had evaporated, and she was back to being the friendly but slightly formal person of earlier. Was there something between her and Jason? She searched her memory. She’d heard Sophie was queer, so maybe she was bi or pan. She gave a mental shrug.Not my circus. Not my monkeys.Just because she appreciated the sight of Sophie in the pink dress didn’t mean she was going to stomp into the ring to declare her interest.
An uneasy silence fell between them. Tarryn glanced at Sophie, only to find her looking right back.
Sophie’s gaze skittered away, and they sat, each intent on sipping their drinks.
“Ladies and gentleman, please be seated. Dinner is served.” Will indicated the table with a flourish. Bowls of soup were set at each place, and the mouth-watering smell of a crusty loaf filled the air.
“Garrett says you haven’t been anywhere around Quandong,” Will said as they ate their tomato and basil soup and sipped the rosé wine Sophie had brought. “So you haven’t been to Silver Creek Falls—”
“That’s only famous for skinny dipping,” Garrett said, “and it’s still too cool for that.”
“And the leeches.” Tarryn shot Sophie a grin. “The falls are in the middle of the rainforest, and it’s almost impossible to avoid leech attack.”
Sophie shuddered. “That’s a definite no to the falls, then. And to the skinny dipping.”
“Shame,” Tarryn murmured. She thought she was too quiet for Sophie to hear, but her eyes widened, and that adorable pink blush stained her chest once more.
“No leeches, then,” Will said. “There are some lovely beaches forty or so minutes’ drive away. Not the ones at Byron Bay—they’re jam-packed year-round—but there’s a quiet cliff top walk, then down to a hidden cove where you can go—”
“Skinny dipping?” Sophie said with a lift of her brow.
“Why, yes. How did you know?” Will asked.
“Lucky guess.” Sophie took another spoonful of soup. “This is delicious.”
“I don’t skinny dip,” Garrett said. “I chunky dunk.”
Sophie’s snort of laughter as she sipped her wine made the others laugh.
“It’s still too cold for skinny dipping,” Tarryn said. “Not unless you want your nipples to drop off from frostbite.”
“I’ll pass,” Sophie murmured.
Tarryn shook her head. That was a stupid thing to say. Not only because it was a totally inappropriate thing to say to a work colleague but also because now she had a visual in her mind of Sophie’s breasts. Small, obviously, and going by her pale skin, she’d have nipples as subtly pink as Garrett and Will’s living room walls.
“What sort of things do you like to see?” Will asked. “What would you do for fun in Sydney?”
Tarryn put down her spoon, not wanting to miss the answer. The enigmatic Sophie must have hobbies, interests, even if she was reluctant to disclose the existence of a cranky cat and hopefully less-than-cranky girlfriend.
“The usual city pursuits, I guess. I meet friends for coffee, brunch, go for a walk somewhere along Sydney Harbour. See galleries, live bands, a new cocktail bar.”
Tarryn sucked her lower lip. Well, that showed Sophie had different social expectations to her. And more disposable income, if that list was anything to go by. “Brunch and coffee here happen at Kirra’s. Walks go around the fitness circuit in town if you don’t want to brave the leeches. There’s one gallery, but the only live bands are at The Hollowman.”
“Don’t sell Quandong short.” Will tapped her hand. “We have open mic nights, an occasional drag show, karaoke sessions, and there was a poetry slam once. Only once, though. I wonder why?”
