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“Ah, yes. I’ve come back from Melbourne.”
“Oh, you must have been up early,” she said, frowning. “Help yourself to whatever food you want.”
“I’m fine,” I tried. But wow. It was an actual cafeteria, and there were some guys in blue overalls at one table. I assumed them to be dock workers.
“We offer all our workers meals around the clock,” Mrs Larson explained, clearly reading my curiosity for what it was. She led me to the beginning of the cafeteria line, slid a tray over, and loaded up a plate of sandwiches, some cut fruit, and two coffees. She took the tray to a table and sat down, and seeing Tully was in the line with his brother and father—and not really knowing what else to do—I sat opposite Mrs Larson.
She took one of the coffees and put the food in front of me. “Please, eat,” she said. “Travelling is a beast, and airport food is terrible. These are made fresh all day long.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. “Uh, thank you.” I picked up a small triangle of ham, cheese, and tomato sandwich and bit into it. It was really very good.
“So,” Mrs Larson said. “You’re a doctor?”
Oh great.
By the time I’d finished chewing and swallowing, Tully had plonked himself down next to me. “He has a PhD in meteorological sciences,” he said, with his mouth half full of what was possibly chocolate cake.
“Not a medical doctor,” I added. “Much to my father’s disdain.”
I hadn’t meant that to sound so bitter, but anyway, there it was.
“Don’t let him fool ya,” Tully said. “He’s humble and self-deprecating, but he’s a genius, and at least ten years ahead of his colleagues.”
I looked at Tully then, because that was such a weird thing to say... and he smirked at me with a hint of daring in his eyes. And something that looked like pride?
I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t familiar with it. My face flamed, nonetheless. “Uh, I think genius is a stretch.”
Tully laughed and, to my utter horror, put his hand to my jaw and thumbed my cheek. His brown eyes, kind and warm. “Whatcha blushing for?”
Oh.
My.
God.
I went so red and my cheeks burned so hot I was sure it could only be measured in kelvin. I could even feel it in my hairline. I pulled his hand away, giving him a ‘your parents are right there’ look, and what did he do?
He laughed.
His hand fell to my thigh, and he kept it there, giving my leg a squeeze. My throat was suddenly feeling a little tight, so I sipped my coffee and dared to glance at Tully’s parents and brother.
They were all looking at Tully. His dad was smiling at him, though clearly surprised. His brother was staring at him as if he’d sprouted a second head, and his mother was looking at him fondly.
At least they weren’t looking at me. I ate more sandwich and pretended this whole encounter wasn’t mortifying.
“So, Jeremiah’s now in charge of the Darwin office,” Tully said, still singing my praises, which I wasn’t used to—at all. “He’s staying with me.”
Oh my days.
He just told them we were cohabitating. Not even that I was staying at his house, but rather that I was stayingwith him.
As in, not leaving. Not returning to Melbourne. I waswith him.
I let out a long, slow, somewhat shaky breath. “Well, the position was thrust upon me.”
Oh...
Did I just use the words position and thrust upon me in one sentence?
