“Do you know what you’d like to do afterwards?” he asked.
“No, not yet. I think I’d like to move, you know? Somewhere more open. Somewhere that feels a bit more…free. Spacious. Where I feel like I’m not just another person living in a town, but a real part of where I am.”
“A sense of community and connection to where you call home is important, and one that I understand,” Rionan replied earnestly.
“Connection. That’s a great word. I don’t know what I want to do career-wise, to be truthful, but I want to feel…connected, to whatever I go on and do, wherever I go.”
“Well, you know what I think of you wanting to move away,” Natasha said, turning to look at Alianna, who walked in between her and Rionan.
“I know, Tash. You think it sucks, and you don’t want me to go.”
“I don’t,” she grunted. “But, I also don’t want to be a selfish friend. I want you to live your dreams, as long as we get to see each other.”
“You know we always will! Shadow would miss his favourite auntie.” Alianna smiled. Rionan had also learnt that Shadow was her dog. Shadow loves the beach, stealing socks, and had ripped up three of her sofa cushions when he was younger.
The space around them began to grow brighter as the street lights and traffic came into view. The quiet of the park began to slip away. Alianna turned to Rionan.
“Well, Max. This is fine for us. I mean, we can carry on the rest of the way on our own. Thank you so much for your helpwith that other guy, and for making sure we got out of the park alright.”
“You are most welcome. It has been a pleasure meeting you again, and your friend. Thank you for your help today, too.”
There was a brief pause, where the three of them stood, waiting for somebody else to be the first one to say goodbye, or to move away. Rionan slid his hands into his pockets. “Maybe we will see each other again soon.”
As he turned and began to walk away, he could hear Natasha hissing to her friend behind him. “Give him your number.”
“What? He doesn’t want - ”
“Justtry, Ali! He’s here, he didn’t mention having anyone else in his life - ”
“We didn’t ask - ”
“He can always say no. Ali, try. Look at the guy. He’s staying at The Rinniel, and he doesn’t seem half bad.”
“Weren’t you the one making snide remarks about men on business trips less than fifteen minutes ago?”
“Hey, Max!” Natasha shouted behind him. He turned, laughing inwardly at the appraisal he had earned of ‘doesn’t seem half bad’. Natasha was approaching him with something in her hand. “Ali says she wants to give you her number.”
Rionan looked over to Alianna, who had her hands covering her face.
“Are you sure? Because she looks like she has just received some very bad news.” Rionan asked, avoiding admitting that he did not know what ‘giving you her number’ means, and did not know what Natasha was holding in her hand.
Alianna sighed and looked up.
“I…no, I’m just not very good at this. It’s been nice talking tonight, Max, and I would like to give you my number.” He could see her almost wince as she finished her sentence.
“Well, that’s nice to hear,” he assumed that was the right thing to say. “But, I don’t have a…”
He motioned to thedevice in Natasha’s hand, which now had a faint light emitting from it, as she tapped on it a few times.
“You don’t have a phone?” Natasha asked. “Did you lose it in the sea?”
“Um…yes.” He shrugged.
“How are you going to manage the rest of your business trip without a phone?” Natasha asked as Alianna stepped forward and took her elbow.
“Tash, don’t worry. Max – thank you. It was nice seeing you. Goodnight.”
With that, Alianna steered Natasha out of the park and onto the street, which was now ahead of them. Rionan focused his acute hearing on their conversation as they walked away.
