Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 145155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
“Thanks, Mr. Stanton.”
“You all have company credit cards, just charge what you need.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Adrian and I wait as Ben picks up the car keys from the rental company. Ben is flicking through the pages of his iPad double-time.
“What the fuck are you doing there?” I frown as I look over Ben’s shoulder.
“Trying to get my bearings. I’m on Maps and it isn’t making sense.” He turns the screen around to look at it upside down and holds his head to the side.
“Yeah that app is useless; we really should design a decent one.” I look around disinterested, glance at my chunky Rolex watch and put one hand into the pocket of my navy three-piece suit. I’m wearing black oxfords, a crisp white shirt and a black tie, “I forgot how hot Aussie girls are,” I make an idle observation while rubbing my chin.
“Yes, I can’t wait to check out the Aussie men, apparently they are off the charts as well.”
I smile. “That goes without saying.” I widen my eyes at Adrian.
“Hmm, they’re conceited too, I found out,” Adrian scowls.
“Totally.” I raise one eyebrow and nod my head, still scanning the room.
Ben returns, pushing a trolley of luggage. “This way.” He gestures.
“This being on the wrong side of the road thing is weird.” Ben smirks while driving.
I smile as I sit in the front passenger seat, Adrian in the back seat. I start programming the navigation.
“What are you doing?” Ben asks.
“We are taking a quick detour,” I answer.
“Really?” Adrian whines. “I need to take a leak.”
“Shut up, enough of the backseat driving, who’s fucking this duck?” Adrian rolls his eyes in the rearview mirror at Ben who smiles at the usual banter.
Adrian scowls as he leans his head back into the headrest. “And for the record, I don’t fuck ducks.”
I smile and nod. “Good to know.”
Twenty-five minutes later we are driving up a one-way street in Rose Bay.
“Where the hell are we going?” Adrian asks.
I don’t answer as I crane my neck and look up the road.
“It should be just up here on the right. Pull in here.” I point to the left. I sit with my elbow on the car door, my thumb under my chin, rubbing the side of my pointer finger back and forward over my lips, deep in thought. We sit in silence for ten minutes.
“Mind telling me why we are here?” Ben asks quietly.
“Someone I used to know lives in that dark brick building over there.” I point to the large older style apartment block across the road, still deep in thought.
“And we are here because?”
“I want to find out what apartment 5B is. It looks like there are two apartments on each level. Is the left side A or B?”
“I’ll go look.” Ben hops out of the car and heads across the road. I stay silent, deep in thought. Adrian sits quietly in the back, as if assessing the situation.
Ben returns. “It’s on the right, five levels up.”
“Did you get in? Isn’t there a security door?”
“No, I went in when someone left.”
I nod and look up. “She’s home.”
“Looks that way,” replies Ben. We all stay silent for another ten minutes, then I get out of the car and walk around to the road side of the car, resting my rear on the door. My hands in my suit pant pockets, my feet crossed in front of me, I continue looking up at the window. Adrian and Ben follow, each standing on either side of me, also leaning on the car.
“What’s going on?” Adrian asks quietly. I stay silent.
“Why don’t you just go in and knock, man?”
I don’t move.
“Do you want me to go in and knock?” Adrian asks, but I shake my head.
“How long since you’ve seen this girl?” Ben asks.
“Seven and a half years,” I answer flatly.
“Does she know you’re back in town?”
"Nope."
“So where do your parents live from here?” Adrian opens the back car door and gets out his iPad.
“Toorak, Melbourne. About twelve hours south.”
Adrian and Ben frown at each other.
“But I thought we were here for three months so you can see your family?”
“Yes, we are, but they are in another state.”
“Please don’t tell me we are in Sydney for this girl?”
I am still staring up to apartment 5B. “Maybe,” I answer. “To be truthful, I have no idea what we are doing here, I feel unsettled already.”
Ben raises his eyebrows. “Joshua Stanton unsettled by a woman; never thought I’d see the day.”
“It’s…complicated.” I blow out a breath.
Adrian’s mouth drops open. “But I thought you said. . . ”
“Yeah, I lied.”
“So, this girl…is her name…Natasha?”
Yes,”
“Hmm, a part of the jigsaw puzzle fits into place.” Ben smiles. “So you do have a heart?”
I smirk. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
Adrian lies on his back across the hood and blows out a breath, hands behind his head. “You know, I think Rod Stewart was right on the money.”