can while I can.”
“Ah. Your mysterious job.” What did he do that took him over east? She was more than a little curious. Who was Ed when he wasn’t surfing?
He looked at her for a moment as if trying to decide what to say. “I work in the music industry. I have to travel. The hours are great, but the pay is shit.” He wrapped his knuckles on the roof of his car. “As you can tell.”
Was that code for being a roadie or something? She had no idea and he wasn’t expanding. She watched him for a moment, glad that her sunnies hid some of where her gaze went. He seemed in no rush to cover up.
It would be nice to be that comfortable in her skin. Had she ever been? She didn’t think so. There had always the worry about her weight, and breast size and hair. Not being with anyone and not looking had meant that she’d stopped thinking about some of that stuff, plus she’d had bigger concerns.
“So you do it for love?” That would be the perfect job. As much as she liked numbers, it wasn’t the kind of thing that got people excited.
“For the moment.” But there was a serious look in his eyes, a hunger. He had big plans. She was tempted to ask more, but how far could she press before it became rude? “What about you? Waitress or owner?”
She laughed. It bubbled up out of nowhere. That he’d considered her the owner was amusing. “Neither. Bookkeeper.”
“Accountant?”
She nodded. Cue mood kill and snoring.
“My dad tried to convince me to do accountancy at uni, I did arts with a major in psych.”
“Well, I’m only cert four. I’d like to go to uni and finish off the degree.” That had been her original plan. She’d thought she could juggle part-time uni and a baby. She could’ve if the accident had never happened. Now she had to worry about the cost of finishing her degree, thanks to proposed changes. Another ripple. Was there any part of her life that was untouched?
“Money in the bank first?” He said with one eyebrow raised.
“Something like that. So tired of counting every dollar.” She hadn’t meant to be so honest, but he’d seen her car, and she was sitting on his. They were in the same boat, like it or not.
“Yeah.” He nodded as if he knew that feeling to the cent. “I can pay for the coffee.”
“No, that wasn’t a hint.” How mortifying. “I got the staff discount.”
He grinned. “How about I buy the next one?”
If she said maybe this time, he wouldn’t ask again. Saying yes was hard. No was safe and easy, but saying yes wouldn’t get easier unless she practised. She glanced up at Ed. It wouldn’t be hard to say yes.
A smile curved her lips. “Sure. That would be nice, but I won’t be here tomorrow as I don’t work weekends.”
“We could meet somewhere else.” That grin widened. Ed might look like an angel but there was a devil’s heart beating in his chest. “Do something.”
“Like what?” She forced herself to swallow down the panic that immediately sprung up. Coffee was easy but it sounded like he was talking about a date.
What would happen if Ed wanted to go out at night?
Would her parents be happy to look after Ethan if she was going out? Watching him while she worked was one thing…but dating? And that’s where this was heading. An actual date. Her stomach tightened and all her bravado disintegrated.
He shrugged. “What do you want to do?”
It had been so long since she’d done this. “What about lunch?” Something easy and with no pressure, yet where they could talk. She knew so little about him. Somewhere public.
“Pizza in Freo?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Why not.” She hadn’t been to Fremantle in ages. “We could maybe check out the markets afterwards.” She hadn’t done that since…since Miles. As she looked at Ed she realised it would be nice to go there with someone else and not follow it with a long session at a pub. She sipped her cooling coffee. “Got a place in mind?”
“No. Let’s meet at
“Ah. Your mysterious job.” What did he do that took him over east? She was more than a little curious. Who was Ed when he wasn’t surfing?
He looked at her for a moment as if trying to decide what to say. “I work in the music industry. I have to travel. The hours are great, but the pay is shit.” He wrapped his knuckles on the roof of his car. “As you can tell.”
Was that code for being a roadie or something? She had no idea and he wasn’t expanding. She watched him for a moment, glad that her sunnies hid some of where her gaze went. He seemed in no rush to cover up.
It would be nice to be that comfortable in her skin. Had she ever been? She didn’t think so. There had always the worry about her weight, and breast size and hair. Not being with anyone and not looking had meant that she’d stopped thinking about some of that stuff, plus she’d had bigger concerns.
“So you do it for love?” That would be the perfect job. As much as she liked numbers, it wasn’t the kind of thing that got people excited.
“For the moment.” But there was a serious look in his eyes, a hunger. He had big plans. She was tempted to ask more, but how far could she press before it became rude? “What about you? Waitress or owner?”
She laughed. It bubbled up out of nowhere. That he’d considered her the owner was amusing. “Neither. Bookkeeper.”
“Accountant?”
She nodded. Cue mood kill and snoring.
“My dad tried to convince me to do accountancy at uni, I did arts with a major in psych.”
“Well, I’m only cert four. I’d like to go to uni and finish off the degree.” That had been her original plan. She’d thought she could juggle part-time uni and a baby. She could’ve if the accident had never happened. Now she had to worry about the cost of finishing her degree, thanks to proposed changes. Another ripple. Was there any part of her life that was untouched?
“Money in the bank first?” He said with one eyebrow raised.
“Something like that. So tired of counting every dollar.” She hadn’t meant to be so honest, but he’d seen her car, and she was sitting on his. They were in the same boat, like it or not.
“Yeah.” He nodded as if he knew that feeling to the cent. “I can pay for the coffee.”
“No, that wasn’t a hint.” How mortifying. “I got the staff discount.”
He grinned. “How about I buy the next one?”
If she said maybe this time, he wouldn’t ask again. Saying yes was hard. No was safe and easy, but saying yes wouldn’t get easier unless she practised. She glanced up at Ed. It wouldn’t be hard to say yes.
A smile curved her lips. “Sure. That would be nice, but I won’t be here tomorrow as I don’t work weekends.”
“We could meet somewhere else.” That grin widened. Ed might look like an angel but there was a devil’s heart beating in his chest. “Do something.”
“Like what?” She forced herself to swallow down the panic that immediately sprung up. Coffee was easy but it sounded like he was talking about a date.
What would happen if Ed wanted to go out at night?
Would her parents be happy to look after Ethan if she was going out? Watching him while she worked was one thing…but dating? And that’s where this was heading. An actual date. Her stomach tightened and all her bravado disintegrated.
He shrugged. “What do you want to do?”
It had been so long since she’d done this. “What about lunch?” Something easy and with no pressure, yet where they could talk. She knew so little about him. Somewhere public.
“Pizza in Freo?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Why not.” She hadn’t been to Fremantle in ages. “We could maybe check out the markets afterwards.” She hadn’t done that since…since Miles. As she looked at Ed she realised it would be nice to go there with someone else and not follow it with a long session at a pub. She sipped her cooling coffee. “Got a place in mind?”
“No. Let’s meet at
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