“Not that you’ll argue with a day off.”
“No.” Work was hard enough he was always glad for a day off. Even though he’d be fighting the traffic on Friday afternoon along with all the other Sydney escapees longing for the quiet life, then doing it all again on Monday afternoon. It was guaranteed to be a traffic jam, as inevitably on these public holiday weekends someone had a car crash, holding people up for hours.
His phone buzzed with a message. His heart pricked. EJ. “Listen, Mum, I’ve gotta go. But I’ll call you again soon.”
“Tell EJ I said hello.”
How did Mum know it was her?
“Oh, and please tell her we’re looking forward to seeing her again. And that we’re hoping to have a bonfire on the farm soon. We’ve got all those fallen branches to clear, and I remember she always enjoyed when we had firecracker night all those years ago.”
“I remember.”
EJ had always had a thing about firecracker night. And while it wasn’t like it used to be, according to his mum, who recalled bonfire nights when fireworks could be let off without needing the permits that authorities insisted on these days, they still had fun. Toasting marshmallows. The proper Pascall’s pink and white ones, not those cheaper imitations. His dad always liked to make damper sticks—dough wrapped around sticks or little branches from trees—or toast homegrown apples in the fire, then fill them with brown sugar and sultanas.
Back in the day, EJ had thought such events were for her, because every so often her birthday would fall on the public holiday. Except instead of being the Queen’s Birthday weekend, or the King’s Birthday, she’d declare it was the Princess’ Birthday. Which probably went far in saying how she felt about her aspirations—and about how others should treat her.
“Love you,” he said, then asked Mum to pass on a hug to Dad, who was dealing with a heifer that had broken its leg. He hoped that didn’t mean they’d be having steak on that bonfire.
He checked his message from EJ. “Sorry! I forgot we were doing lunch.”
That was it? No explanation, no excuse, except sheforgot?
He didn’t want to take this personally. Except it felt very personal. Like she was putting aside the past to chase her future.
He patiently typed out the message his mum wanted to pass on.
“Mum said they’re planning a bonfire party for the long weekend. She hopes you’ll be around.”
Well, Mum hadn’t exactly said that, but that’s what she meant.
“Please tell her I said hi, and that I’m not sure what I’m doing that weekend. But thanks for letting me know.”
He winced. That didn’t sound like a yes. Much more like the opposite. Like she thought such things childish.
Added to the missed lunch and missed calls, it felt like she was blowing him off. And call him insecure, but it felt like their friendship was pulling thinner and thinner. He hoped it didn’t snap.
“All good?” Eric asked.
EJ nodded, as the sights and sounds of Bondi Icebergs surrounded her. It felt a little surreal to be here, with that long, curved slice of famous yellow sand dotted with tourists, even on this last Sunday in May.
Eric’s eyes gleamed. “Let me guess: Jordan doesn’t know you’re here with me.”
“Jordan is not my keeper.”
“Are you sure about that?” he goaded gently.
“Of course I’m sure.” She tucked a wedge of hair behind her ear. “I’m an independent woman and can make my own choices.”
“I like the fact you made this choice today. Thank you.”
His words might have sounded sincere, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he said them in a way to get back at Jordan. Which, now that she thought about it, made her sound almost as megalomaniacal as Eric could seem sometimes. Like the world revolved around him. And while she certainly knew the world didn’t revolve around her, she liked how these planets were spinning, and she was getting a taste for the finer things in life that came with getting swept up in the gravitational pull of Eric. The air was different here.
Maybe that was the effect of hanging out with people like him. She started to see the world differently, grew a little more entitled. Still, better than staying small-town all her life. God bless Mrs. Knight, but did she seriously think EJ was twelve andwanted a bonfire for her birthday treat? Bless her, but no. She’d much rather see what someone like Eric might try to do should she “just so happen” to mention it was her birthday very soon.
Her phone buzzed again. Jordan. Again. “Stay safe.”
She barely refrained from rolling her eyes. What did he take her for? She wasn’t so naive as to jump in Eric’s car and go back to his place, even though she was still intrigued about how the other half lived. Lunch with Eric was simply that: lunch. And maybe discussing a few more of the finer details about the app. It certainly wasn’t a date. In fact, Eric might tease her, but he still hadn’t made any moves that made her think he really did like her in that way. Which suggested he didn’t really like her in that way. Which—if she was completely honest—felt a little disconcerting.
