David and Julie
We spent three days and nights in Sydney center, enjoying the harbors and ferries, sea breeze and fine dining. We had lunch at small eateries with burgers, famous Australian meat pies and other foods that could be eaten while standing up, and spent dinner times in air-conditioned dining rooms with intricate menus.
Together, we explored the top fashion centers, tried the street food, listened to uncountable musicians and comedians in Hyde Park and along the harbor promenades – and at night, we got to know each other again physically. It was exactly what I needed to put aside all my fears about coming so far for a man I clearly loved, for an unclear future. When our bodies responded to one another’s so naturally, it was easier with every passing day to trust and confide in each other. We found ourselves holding hands while crossing the streets, picking food from the other’s plates, and trading sections of the newspaper instinctively. Bliss.
Of course, we couldn’t put off the real world forever, no matter how exclusive my credit card. Eventually I repacked my bags and we set off to the western suburb-cum-city of Parramatta. Though Adam had made a poor case for this area, it’s only real vice was being far from the sea. Less visually appealing than Sydney center, Parra was clearly stuffed to the gills with affordable office and commercial space. I could quickly understand what Adam had said about new home buyers focusing on this area versus the expensive heart of Sydney itself.
We took a taxi to David and Julie’s home, since for now the brothers were sharing one vehicle. The driver pulled up to a squat, orange house with a matching concrete flower bed in front. The front yard was well-shaded but very small; I could only hope that the interior was large enough for two couples plus children. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I was here to cultivate a career and a relationship, not to live in luxury.
The driver helped us unload my luggage at the front gate next to the large flower bed, and as he drove away Adam worked the wrought-iron lock with his key. The two of us struggled through the archway, me trying to look as elegant as possible under the weight of my bulging bags. A skinny door on one side of the house stood open in front of us, revealing a catwalk-like hardwood deck on which a pinch-faced woman about my age sat on a cushioned chair.
I plastered an overly-enthusiastic smile on my face, aiming it both at her and the chubby blonde man who swung the gate open.
“Hey,” the man smiled at us. “There’s the lady we’ve been waiting for! Come on in, Melissa!”
I could tell David was also putting in perhaps a bit too much effort, but I appreciated it nevertheless. Julie, meanwhile, pursed her lips together tightly, presumably smiling under her sunglasses while staying seated. I saw two little faces at the window behind Julie, peeking and scrambling for a glimpse of the stranger they’d have to accommodate in their home for who knows how long.
I shot them a polite smile before walking towards Julie, dropping my bags and extending a hand out to her.
“You must be Julie? I’m so happy to meet you! I can’t thank you enough for letting me stay with you while Adam and David get things sorted out.”
She nodded almost imperceptibly, giving me an unenthusiastic and stiff hand to shake. “Of course. Welcome.”
Okay…
Moving on, I turned around and did the same towards David, who stepped past my hand and gave me a friendly hug. “Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. Adam’s been nothing but a sulk since he got here – maybe now he can get his head in the game and we’ll start making some money!”
I smiled politely, noticing that his accent had softened and taken on an Australian flare around the edges. Julie’s brief phrase had a similar sound.
“Let’s hope so,” I agreed, while Adam fake-punched his brother in the arm.
Dave stuffed my bags through the kitchen door to get them out of the way and brought forward two more chairs so that Adam and I could sit with him and Julie on the deck. Uneasy leaving my belongings in the vicinity of the kids, I hesitated before sitting. Adam gave me a wink and nudged me towards my seat, so I bit my lip and tried to relax.
“Fancy a stubby?” Dave asked, eyebrows raised in my direction.
“Umm….”
“He’s talking about the beer, Mel.” Adam rolled his eyes. “And trying to get a rise of me, obviously.”
“Well it worked now didn’t it!”
A little lost, I looked from Adam to David without speaking. The latter reached into a big cooler in the middle of the chair circle and pulled out two short, squat beer bottles.
“Oh! Well they are stubby. I’d love one, thanks David.”
I had no idea how the drink might taste, but needed something liquid to help me deal with this new, still-awkward situation. Julie’s odd silence and half-hidden face weren’t exactly helping me feel at home. What was her deal, anyway?
“Oh just Dave, please. Here you go.” He popped the top off the bottle with a key chain bottle opener and passed it over to me. “Drink up fast, it gets hot out here!”
“I’ll try, Dave.” I laughed, then made a show of sighing contentedly. “Wow, what a beautiful place you guys have here! Do the kids not want to join us?” I asked merely out of politeness, but really had no interest in dealing with them as well as their parents right then.
Julie accepted a fresh beer from her husband and shook her head. “Oh don’t worry about them. Ian and Sarah, by the way. I told them not to get in our way today.” Her voice was flat and disinterested.
“Oh, no, I hope that’s not my fault…”
“Nope,” she interrupted. “Don’t worry about it.” With that, she scooted down in her chair and reclined her head, taking a long draught from her bottle.
“Well, if you’re sure…”
“You’ll have plenty of time to get to know the little hell-raisers later. Enjoy your space today, believe me.” Dave’s assurance didn’t make me too confident.
Adam chuckled, and I opened my eyes widely at him.
“So,” Dave said casually. “Melissa, Adam tells me you’ve never been to Australia before?”
Thankful for an easy question, I shook my head. “No, first time! That’s why I kept Adam to myself these last couple of days – I needed him to show me around the city a bit. Great food so far! I loved all the performers around the harbor. I’ve never seen that kind of thing before, without city councils or someone getting upset about it.”
“The buskers? Oh yeah, they’re out there every day. I think they have a license? Dunno. But yeah! I kind of like them myself. But you know, Parramatta has plenty of cool stuff too – restaurants and shopping centers for sure. I know Adam complains, but it’s a nice little city.” Suddenly, his face brightened. “Hey do you like soccer? Parra has a great team this year!”
Dave immediately struck me as a perfectly reasonable person, easy to get along with and have a chat with. I decided right away that I was going to enjoy working with him, and could even see a bit of Adam in his blonde hair and soft eyes. The three of us were going to make a good team. But Julie? I hoped my first impressions would turn out wrong, and grasped for a reason to include her in a friendly conversation.
“I don’t know anything about it, but I promise I’ll try. You both are into local sports?” I looked pointedly at Julie, inviting her to weigh in. It took her a moment to register that we were all waiting for her to speak. She glanced at each of us before shrugging her shoulders.
“We go once in a while to the stadium. It’s good for the kids. I suppose there are a couple of players that aren’t terrible to watch!”
The guys laughed, so I smiled. “Aha! Nice. We’ll definitely have to check out that action.” Unable to think of anything else to add, I switched gears and spoke to Dave. “So, Adam told me about his plan to revamp the business, what do think about it?”
Dave bobbed his head a little, indicating that he’d been thinking heavily about the subject. I sensed Adam tense up.
“I gotta be honest, Melissa, I’m not entirely comfortable relying on low-spenders to save my business…but I’ve agreed to flip one property with Adam and if it goes well, we can continue in that vein.”
“Well that’s kind of exciting, right? Have you guys decided on a property yet?”
“I have a couple in mind,” Adam said confidently.
“Ooh! I can’t wait to see what you buy and start shopping to fill it!”
Dave threw up his hands and nodded at me, filling me with anxiety about the upcoming project. What if I couldn’t find anything to work within the décor budget? What if I managed it, but the house didn’t sell? Would Adam come back home with me or would we be unable to get through the business failure and remain a couple? My stomach fluttered uncomfortably.
The four of us stayed on the deck, chatting in the shade, for a couple of hours before someone called a pizza delivery service. We ate on the deck table with the kids, who I realized were quite shy and nervous around newcomers. I put on my most kid-friendly face, but could convince neither Ian nor Sarah to speak one word to me. Afterwards Adam and I dragged my luggage to the back of the long, slim house, placing it at the foot of a double-bed of a small bedroom. It dawned on me that occupying the same bedroom for a prolonged period of time was a fairly huge step in a relationship.
I hoped we could handle it.