Page 11

Sam and Hazel headed out to the courtyard and selected a table on the patio.

“So, how come you ventured into town this afternoon?” Sam asked.

“I was kind of bored at home. I haven’t been into town since I got here so I figured I may as well see what’s new.”

“I’m sure a lot has changed since you’ve been back?” Sam asked.

“Yes and no. I’m loving this café though, it’s cooler than anything I’ve seen in the city.”

Georgia appeared with two glasses of water, the cake and toasted sandwich.

“Thanks Georgia,” Sam and Hazel said in unison.

“Enjoy, guys.” Georgia quickly headed back inside.

Taking a bite of her cake, Hazel asked, “did you just come in for the hardware stuff?”

“Yeah, and I was super hungry. Wanted to see if Georgia had any of these left.” Sam nodded to the toastie he held in his hand. “They’re so good. I forgot to pack afternoon tea,” he said with a chuckle.

“This cake is delicious. Very fudgy but not too sweet, which I like.”

“Georgia makes all the cakes and sweets.”

“Really? She’s amazing.” Hazel took another bite of her cake, sighing in contentment. “How long have you lived here?”

“I moved from Brisbane about two and a half years ago. City life was getting to me. I felt like I needed some peace and quiet. Also, I wanted to get away from my crazy family. A near three-hour car trip seemed like a good distance.”

“Fair enough. You obviously like living here?”

“Yeah. I do. It’s really relaxed. Plus, I love living in a community where everyone knows everyone. It’s nice knowing your neighbours.”

“I remember that from when I was younger. It was nice to know people always had your back. I certainly didn’t have that in Brisbane and especially not Sydney.”

“Your Mum mentioned you lived in Sydney. How was that?”

Hazel scowled.

“That bad?” Sam laughed.

She was more relaxed now, so it was easy to maintain a casual conversation. “Oh, don’t get me started! I only moved there for Tim, my ex, and a few months in he dumps me while we’re on holiday in the Maldives, during a bloody snorkelling tour mind you! Things had really deteriorated by the time we went though. Tim worked at a travel company and he got a really good deal on the holiday, so it would have been a crime not to go. To be honest, when he dumped me, I didn’t really care. I felt a wave wash over me, literally as I was in the ocean, but also just this feeling of relief. I didn’t have to pretend to myself anymore.” Hazel lifted a hand over her mouth as she stopped abruptly. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dump all that on you!”

Sam waved his hand. “It’s fine. What a jerk. I mean if he wanted to break up, why not wait until you got back?”

“I know right. Anyway, when I got home I was let go from my job. I was paying month to month for a room in the city. When I got home from being fired, I found a note asking me to be out by the end of the week. So, I was suddenly single, jobless and homeless, all in the space of about forty-eight hours. Plus jet lagged. But I didn’t like Sydney anyway. I hadn’t really made any friends, and there was nothing there for me. Also, the traffic was horrendous.” Hazel shook her head as Sam laughed again.

“Yeah I’ve heard about the traffic problems. That’s a lot in a short amount of time. Now you’re here. Have you decided what’s next?”

Hazel smirked a little. That old question. She was sick of it already. It plagued her day and night. She took another bite of cake before answering. “No, but I’m giving it some time. I will admit, it is nice not having anything to do. I’m sure that will pass. I’ll start looking for jobs soon.” She said it out loud more as a reminder to herself than anything else. This is only temporary, she all but screamed to herself on a daily basis. “The bright side of everything that has happened is being able to start fresh. I can go anywhere and do anything, related to marketing of course!”

“Have you considered staying here?” Sam asked.

Hazel let out a laugh. “You sound like my mother! What could I do here? Bells Bay is a small town. I have a career. I need to be in a big city.”

“Not necessarily,” Sam replied. “You could freelance for some of the bed and breakfasts or the motels around here, you know, do their social media or update their websites, other marketing strategies?”

Hazel considered what Sam suggested. “You know, that never actually occurred to me. I need to think outside the box. I mean, I love Bells Bay. I’d love to stay here and be close to my Mum. I just never really thought I could.”

The setting sun shone on Sam’s face, his green eyes glimmering into hers. “Hazel, I,” Sam trailed off as Georgia appeared.