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I giggled. “That sounds exactly like Jethro.”
“I love you, Ari!” Jet yelled into the phone and Tom laughed.
I squawked, unable to speak. The stallholder cast a glance my way, and I managed a tight smile.
“Blake, I said to hold him!” The background noise was now much quieter. “Ah, shit. He’s really happy. And drunk. Very drunk,” Tom added nervously. “Wait, Ari? As in Ariane Wilde?”
“That’s me. Wait, Tom Turner? Amanda’s brother?”
I knew Tom was mentoring Jet to improve his farm, but I didn’t feel I could reveal how much I knew about them.
“Ha, yeah. Thought you were in Sydney.”
“I got out. Was in town briefly, and then I hit the road.”
“Wait a second, you’re sending him postcards for the bar?”
“I do. I believe I have a following in the public bar. Ballydoon famous at last.”
“Wait a sec, here comes trouble.”
There was a struggle and the phone distorted.
“Give me my phone so I can talk to my girlfriend!” Jet yelled in the background.
I spluttered a laugh.
“Get away, you idiot!” Tom laughed. “Seriously, Ari. Is he giving you trouble? He’s had a few too many for his birthday.”
“His birthday?” Jet hadn’t mentioned his birthday was coming up, or even today. “He didn’t tell me.”
The phone distorted again and then erupted into noise.
“IT’S MY BIRTHDAAAYYY!” Jet screamed.
“Oh my God.” I grinned. “I’m going to send you a present, birthday boy.”
“I’ve got a present for you, baby. Right between my—hey!”
“Christ! Get your hand off your crotch,” Tom commanded. “Sorry, Ari. No, no! She does not need your drunken idea of a present. Shit, now he’s sulking. So, you’re his girlfriend?”
“No!” Adrenaline spiked through my body. “I mean, we’re friends. And I’m a girl. With hot ankles. Ha!”
I laughed again, high pitched and strained.
Jet had started singing which seemed enough to distract Tom from my rambling panic.
“He’s drunk. He won’t remember being such a pain in the arse in the morning.”
“Ari’s so hot!” Jet shouted in the background. “I really like her. She’s so smart … and pretty. In a bikini.”
Tom chuckled. “Sorry about this.”
“It’s okay,” I replied, not taking my eyes off the shell as the customer turned it over, considering it.
“He wants his phone back. You sure you’re cool with him in his current state?”
The customer put the shell down, and I pounced.
