Don't Mean a Thing

Chapter 2-3

SUNDAY WAS AN EARLY start, but being handover day, we finished up at midday. I wandered over to the mess for lunch. There were always so many good things to choose from in the buffet, but I’d put a self-imposed ban on the ice cream. It was so tempting, especially when working in the Darwin heat, but ice cream was my weakness. It was easier to avoid it all together than restrict myself to one scoop. I usually had a piece of fruit for dessert, unless it was the end of my shift, then all bets were off.

Plate of curry in hand, I grabbed some cutlery and found an empty table. Moments later, Rachael plonked her Sunday roast on the table, gravy slopping over the edge of the plate. Her cutlery clattered alongside.

“Oops,” Rachael exclaimed as she wiped up the gravy with her finger and licked it off. “At least I didn’t pea on the table.”

I rolled my eyes, soaked up the last bit of curry with my naan bread, and went for dessert. I helped myself to two large scoops of vanilla ice cream and topped it off with chocolate sauce. I considered sitting at a different table so I could eat in peace, but that would look too rude, so I sat back with Rachael.

“So, what are you up to for the rest of the day?” she asked.

“Not much. I thought I might go for a run along the beach later. I’m sick of running around the track, and I’ll need to do something to work off all this ice cream.”

“I’m heading home for a cat nap, then I’m meeting up with the girls for drinks. You wanna come too?”

“Nah, maybe next time. I need an early night tonight. I don’t know how you do it. I must be getting old.”

Jeremy joined us. His plate piled high. “Ladies.”

“Jeremy.” I scooped some softening ice cream into my mouth.

“Mmm,” he groaned, eyebrows tensed and lips puckered, as he watched my every move.

I smirked and ran my tongue over the face of the spoon.

Jeremy leant onto the table. “Ahhh. You’re killing me.”

“Go get your own ice cream.” I waved him away with my spoon.

“I don’t want the ice cream.” Jeremy’s eyes narrowed as his gaze roamed my body.

“I think you need to cool down a bit.” I laughed and continued eating my treat.

This mutual flirtation had been going on for the past couple of weeks. Jeremy was hot, and the flirting was fun, but I had no intentions of following through. I lived by the philosophy “don’t s**t where you eat,” so I never dated men I worked with.

“So, what are you up to for the rest of the day?” I asked, mimicking Rachael’s earlier question.

“I’m going to the gym, then meeting the boys for a drink.” Jeremy raised his eyebrows as he asked, “Unless you have a better idea of how to make me sweat?”

I rolled my eyes and tried to keep a straight face, but couldn’t hold back the smirk. Two eye-rollingly bad jokes in one meal, I didn’t know if I could cope with another one. Rachael and Jeremy would be perfect for each other. “Rachael’s going out for a drink later too. Where did you say you were going, Rach?”

“Monsoons.”

“We might see you there then.” Jeremy ran his hand over the nape of his neck.

I scraped the bowl clean. “That was yum. I’m off now, see you tomorrow.”

Rachael gave me a wave. “Text me if you change your mind, Nanna.”

My mind was set.

***