and took the packs of sausages
and burgers outside.
Stella glanced over at her and stared at
Chloe’s smile. “What?”
“You didn’t tell me.” Chloe came over and
nudged her.
“Didn’t tell you what?”
“About Alex.”
Stella blinked. “What about him?”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t realized.” She
indicated Alex as he walked across the deck to the barbecue. “He’s interested
in you. It was written all over his face.”
Stella stared after him. “You’re kidding
me?”
“Nope.”
Stella blushed. “Oh my God.”
“I’m guessing you like that idea.”
“He’s gorgeous. I’d kill to hook up with a
guy like him. I never thought he’d be interested in me though.”
Chloe frowned. As tall as her, but as dark
as Chloe was blonde, Stella had been her best friend at high school, and their
friendship had been strong enough to survive Chloe’s shift to Whangarei with
her mother at the age of fifteen. When she’d heard of Chloe’s plans to come
back to the bay, Stella had immediately stated they were going to move in
together, much to Chloe’s relief, and the two of them had picked up their
friendship where they’d left off, as close as ever. But Stella’s
self-confidence had always been low at school, and clearly it hadn’t improved
since then.
“What do you mean?” Chloe demanded. “You’re
gorgeous.”
“Stop it.” Stella’s whole face shone bright
red and she waved her hand, refusing to talk about it any further. “Anyway,
what’s up with you? You’re all chirpy cheep-cheep. Have you finally got Mr.
Ethan Nob-Head out of your thoughts?”
“Yes, I’m happy to say I’m moving on.”
Stella started cutting open the rolls and
buttering them. “Is it something to do with the fact that Garth might be here
today?”
“Nope.” She hadn’t come to this party to
see Garth. If he happened to turn up, she’d say hi, exchange pleasantries, and
that would be the extent of it. She had important things going on in her life
at the moment, big, life-changing events that were risky enough without the
added complication of getting involved with an unpredictable guy. She wasn’t
interested in him at all.
Liar, said
the devil in her ear.
Ignoring it, she walked out through the
sliding doors to the deck and onto the beach, cramming her straw hat on her
head. She wore a short, cotton, tie-dyed dress, her favorite summer outfit,
swirled with ocean-colored blues and greens. She had a bikini on underneath,
but no way would she be brave enough to reveal that until she’d had a few
glasses of Sauvignon.
She paused on the beach, sinking her toes
into the golden sand, the fresh sea breeze cleansing the tension from her body.
It had been a difficult few months, what with the breakup with Ethan just
before Christmas and the usual family problems over the festive season. She
coped better with her mother nowadays, but just being around Nina Jackson
stressed her out, and holidays only exacerbated the problem.
“I didn’t know you were coming to the
party.”
She turned, surprised to see the smiling
face of Nick Stewart. Wearing scruffy shorts and a bright flowery shirt, he
looked boyishly handsome.
“Oh, hi,” she said. “Likewise. How are
you?”
He shrugged. “Okay. Hey look, I just wanted
to say again, I’m really sorry about the interview.”
“That’s okay, I do understand, although I’m
very sad for you.”
“Yeah. It’s the end of an era.” He picked
at the label of the beer bottle he carried and stared out to sea. “It’s been a
terrible year, what with one thing and another. The whole thing about the shop
has been the icing on the cake.”
Chloe wondered what he meant by “one thing
and another”. As if your business going under wasn’t bad enough. “Have you had any
offers on the shop?”
“Nah. Don’t expect any either.”
The temptation to tell him about her plan
made her bite her lip to stop herself blurting it out. She needed more time
and burgers outside.
Stella glanced over at her and stared at
Chloe’s smile. “What?”
“You didn’t tell me.” Chloe came over and
nudged her.
“Didn’t tell you what?”
“About Alex.”
Stella blinked. “What about him?”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t realized.” She
indicated Alex as he walked across the deck to the barbecue. “He’s interested
in you. It was written all over his face.”
Stella stared after him. “You’re kidding
me?”
“Nope.”
Stella blushed. “Oh my God.”
“I’m guessing you like that idea.”
“He’s gorgeous. I’d kill to hook up with a
guy like him. I never thought he’d be interested in me though.”
Chloe frowned. As tall as her, but as dark
as Chloe was blonde, Stella had been her best friend at high school, and their
friendship had been strong enough to survive Chloe’s shift to Whangarei with
her mother at the age of fifteen. When she’d heard of Chloe’s plans to come
back to the bay, Stella had immediately stated they were going to move in
together, much to Chloe’s relief, and the two of them had picked up their
friendship where they’d left off, as close as ever. But Stella’s
self-confidence had always been low at school, and clearly it hadn’t improved
since then.
“What do you mean?” Chloe demanded. “You’re
gorgeous.”
“Stop it.” Stella’s whole face shone bright
red and she waved her hand, refusing to talk about it any further. “Anyway,
what’s up with you? You’re all chirpy cheep-cheep. Have you finally got Mr.
Ethan Nob-Head out of your thoughts?”
“Yes, I’m happy to say I’m moving on.”
Stella started cutting open the rolls and
buttering them. “Is it something to do with the fact that Garth might be here
today?”
“Nope.” She hadn’t come to this party to
see Garth. If he happened to turn up, she’d say hi, exchange pleasantries, and
that would be the extent of it. She had important things going on in her life
at the moment, big, life-changing events that were risky enough without the
added complication of getting involved with an unpredictable guy. She wasn’t
interested in him at all.
Liar, said
the devil in her ear.
Ignoring it, she walked out through the
sliding doors to the deck and onto the beach, cramming her straw hat on her
head. She wore a short, cotton, tie-dyed dress, her favorite summer outfit,
swirled with ocean-colored blues and greens. She had a bikini on underneath,
but no way would she be brave enough to reveal that until she’d had a few
glasses of Sauvignon.
She paused on the beach, sinking her toes
into the golden sand, the fresh sea breeze cleansing the tension from her body.
It had been a difficult few months, what with the breakup with Ethan just
before Christmas and the usual family problems over the festive season. She
coped better with her mother nowadays, but just being around Nina Jackson
stressed her out, and holidays only exacerbated the problem.
“I didn’t know you were coming to the
party.”
She turned, surprised to see the smiling
face of Nick Stewart. Wearing scruffy shorts and a bright flowery shirt, he
looked boyishly handsome.
“Oh, hi,” she said. “Likewise. How are
you?”
He shrugged. “Okay. Hey look, I just wanted
to say again, I’m really sorry about the interview.”
“That’s okay, I do understand, although I’m
very sad for you.”
“Yeah. It’s the end of an era.” He picked
at the label of the beer bottle he carried and stared out to sea. “It’s been a
terrible year, what with one thing and another. The whole thing about the shop
has been the icing on the cake.”
Chloe wondered what he meant by “one thing
and another”. As if your business going under wasn’t bad enough. “Have you had any
offers on the shop?”
“Nah. Don’t expect any either.”
The temptation to tell him about her plan
made her bite her lip to stop herself blurting it out. She needed more time
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