Alice Cove

CHAPTER NINE

9.

One more week of summer, that was the mantra I said over and over in my head. We had no more bookings, just waiting on people to check out. And after today was my days off. And tonight I was driving to Josh’s house to stay the night. He always came here, because his schedule was whatever he needed it to be. And Kensington was a lot further away than Alice Cove and Harbour Hills, so we were always here or there with friends. I was excited to sleep in his bed instead of my van together. It had been two months since we have gotten together again and I hadn’t once gone to the farm.

“Oh hello, fancy seeing you here,” speak of the devil, as he walks into my office.

“What are you doing here? Aren’t I coming over tonight?” I ask, Josh leans over the desk and gives me a kiss.

“He’s my assistant today,” Brody walks in behind him.

“Um excuse me,” I glare at them both, “are you stealing my job?”

Josh laughed, “do you get paid the same?”

“Yes.”

“So am I not making your life easier?”

I sighed, “in some aspects.”

“Harsh.”

“Where’s Candy?” Brody asked.

“Ooh why?” josh sang at Brody.

“Did someone catch feels?” I raised my eyebrows at Brody.

“Just took three months for Candy to get what she wanted. New record,” Josh laughed.

We have already spoken about Candy’s initial feelings when Brody first came to town. It brought up memories of that kiss. I hadn’t told anyone, neither had Brody as far as I knew. To be honest I had forgotten until just now.

I tensed up and Brody sensed it, looking at me.

“Nah, I just had a question for her.”

“You know I know more about this place right, what you need?” I asked. Calling him out.

“Nah, it’s nothing about that, I’ll catch her when she comes back to work.” He walked off into the break area.

Me and Josh both looked at each other, “weird,” we said in unison.

We were left in the office alone.

“Well. Are we still on for tonight? Or are you going to stay in Alice?” I asked.

“Hell no, you’re coming over,” Josh smiled his half smile, “I’m finished up with Brody so heading home now to clean up my place.”

I stood up and gave him a kiss goodbye, “I’ll message you when I’m on my way.”

I sat back down and got to work as Josh left, he held the door open to let a few people in to check out.

“Hi, how’s it going?” I smiled at the customers.

Just as they came to the desk, Brody walked back past. Watching me the whole time.

The afternoon went slow, and even though I was hanging out for the summer season to be over, days like today reminded me of the off season and how long and agonising days like today could be.

I day dreamed a lot on the off season, made up stories in my head. Sometimes so badly that I would forget what was real and what wasn’t. I even stopped speaking to Candy for a couple of days because I thought she stole from me, but it was my imagination. She still brings it up at least once every winter.

“Dreaming of me?” Candy popped up from behind the desk almost like she read my mind.

“I didn’t even hear you come in,” I snapped back into reality.

“I know, you were day dreaming looking like this out the window,” she made a dumb face making fun of me.

“Hey listen,” I leaned forward and spoke quieter, “Brody was looking for you. What’s that about?”

She looked at me confused, “really? I don’t know. What’s that about?”

“Maybe he’s finally gotten over that, ‘business not pleasure’ phase.”

Candy’s eyes lit up, but only for a moment, “no, I doubt it.”

“Never know,” I sang.

“He probably just wanted to ask me something about you,” she insisted.

“What, why?” I asked hastily.

She laughs, “you’re not that dumb El.”

She circled the desk and sat in her chair.

I looked at her confused.

“As if you don’t see the way he looks at you,” she leant forward.

I laughed, “you mean the way he looks at my boyfriend? Those two are in love I swear.”

Candy smacked her lips, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer is all I’m saying.”

“What are you doing here Candice, you’re not working today?” Darlene walked out of her office.

“Umm,” Candy was like a deer in headlights, “I was just bored so thought I’d come see El. And you of course.”

“Elody finishes in an hour you can speak to her then,” she then turns to me, “I’m heading out now, can you lock up when you’re finished?”

“Yeah sure Darls,” I say, turning around to face Candy again.

“And Candice, you can walk out with me since you’re so keen to catch up.”

Candy and I both rolls our eyes at each other as Candy gets up to follow Darlene.

“You’re not dumb El,” Candy says again before she leaves with Darlene.

“And you’re not of sound mind,” I counter back with a smile.

I always have to have the last word.

I don’t have any work to do but can’t go home considering I was the last man standing, and I knew my luck if I shut up shop early someone would come looking to check out a day early. Or run over a kid or something. Which was just my luck considering I was going to ask if I could leave early to get to Josh’s a bit earlier. But I guess it was my time, I should’ve known since Jasper was home again. Time for minesweeper on my computer I guess, praying that no one comes in at like 5 to 5 just as I want to close.

I messaged Josh that I was leaving as I got into the Ute, it was a bit later than I hoped when indeed someone came in as I was closing, looking for the caretaker, who was no where to be found and off site for some unknown reason. Something going on with that man today.

It was a half an hour drive to the Kensington Farm, but I didn’t mind the drive, I barely got to drive anywhere. As I drove up the hill I thought I saw a familiar face, I turned my head but I couldn’t put a name to the face. Luckily no one else was on the road because I swerved to the other side onto incoming traffic if there was any.

“Oh s**t,” I laughed to myself. I fiddled with my phone to find some good music before I got onto the main road.

The drive was quite easy. It took 5 minutes to get out of Alice Cove then it was long straight roads to get to Kensington. Then in Kensington there was one main strip, and Josh’s was at the end of that. It was the town and then the road turned to into a dirt road that winded into the forest and to the Dawson Farm.

I love driving through the town of Kensington. It was still so old school, like a full old country town. Alice Cove was quite old but it was a lot of houses, and they kept getting upgraded and renovated. Harbour Hills was completely new and slick. Kensington made me feel like I was in a John Wayne movie. They still even had an old school saloon. It’s not like the people rode around on horses and carriages or even wore cowboy hats. But it looked like they should.

I drove through the town slowly, taking it all in until I was on the dirt road and it was all in my rear view mirror.

Ten minutes later I was at the Dawson Farm, the gate was already open so I drove in, to the right of me was a huge house made of brick and stone at three storeys high, this was the main house, Josh’s parents house, I drove past in awe of it and kept going towards the back of the property. Just past that to the left of the road was a small log cabin, the guest house. I drove a little further, passing stables, a large pond and a gated off area full of horses, behind that was another log cabin in front of a huge shed, the cabin was slightly bigger than the guest house. This was Josh’s house.

I had been here before, over a year ago. It was nice, it had a wrap around verandah and down on the lawn was a outdoor table with chairs and a bonfire nearby. I parked to the side of it, next to Josh’s 4x4.

I grabby my overnight bag from the seat beside me and got out the car, the air just smelt fresher out here, I took a deep breath in and as I exhaled I completely relaxed.

I loved being surrounded by trees, from every direction, there was no other sign of civilisation apart from the houses on this property.

“There she is,” Josh called from his front door.

I smiled back at him and ran up the steps to greet him.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and my head fell into his chest, hugging him. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and hugging me back before I leant back and let him kiss me.

“Good drive?” He asked.

“Yeah it was smooth sailing,” I wasn’t going to tell him I almost ran off the road before I even got going.

I followed him into his house and it was nice, manly but with a feminine touch like you know his mother decorated. Everything was dark mahogany and navy blue.

“Anything special you want to do tonight?” He asked me, grabbing my bag and throwing it into the bedroom.

“Apart from you?” I raised my eyebrow.

He laughed and pulled me down onto the couch with him.

“I don’t know, you’re the host, you tell me,” I pondered, sitting next to him with my legs on him.

“I actually ended up working when I got home this arvo, some of the cows got loose, so I’m actually quite knackered.”

I sat up straight, “did you want me to go?”

“No, no,” he almost sounded alarmed like I might run for the hills, “just hoping we could just chill, maybe watch some movies, get some pizza.”

I smiled, leaning my head back into the cushion, “that sounds nice to me.”

I was happy just chilling like that with Josh, I know we’d still have a good time. We didn’t need to go out or be doing something romantic, we were friends first which I loved. He was my best friend, just don’t tell Candy.

Josh turned on the tv and we got comfortable trying to find the first movie to watch.

I woke up feeling so well rested, Josh had a king bed because of his height and it felt so good to stretch out. Usually I’d wake up with Josh right on me but that was clearly because of the space in my bed, because josh was far away from me now. With one arm outstretched trying to reach the end of the bed I still couldn’t, and I still wasn’t in the middle, it was so amazing. And the mattress was firm yet soft, I needed more, and josh was still fast asleep so I flipped my pillow over and readjusted to go back to sleep once more.

I couldn’t fall back asleep straight away, since my body already felt like it had had more than enough to fuel me for the day, but I was selfish and wanted more. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, still nothing. But there was no way I was moving. If I wasn’t going to get any more sleep I wasn’t going to use any energy getting out of bed either.

A sleeping Josh must’ve heard my turmoil and rolled over towards me, without waking up he reached for me, found my arm and pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me he flung a leg over my hip and pinned me to the spot, but it was comfortable, slowly I felt my eyelids getting heavier once more.