2. Theo
What was I even doing here? The thought entered my mind as soon as the woman snatched her hand away from mine, a look of disgust on her face as she recoiled.
“He’s British!” Audrey said to the waitress behind her, disappointment filling her voice. This is exactly the kind of tone I was trying to avoid, and why I came all the way to this small town in the first place. That let-down attitude wanted me to stay in London and work for the family business—to make something of my life, even if I wasn’t ready to take life seriously. So, I booked the first plane ticket I could get—a one-way trip to Australia. If I was honest, I didn’t care where I went. I could’ve gone to Scotland, saved about three-quarters of what I spent on flights, and had a nice, relaxing time. But Scotland just wasn’t far enough away. How I ended up in this town was even more carefree; I drew my fingers along the coastline of Australia with my eyes closed, and where my finger stopped was the place I organised my accommodation. Fate led me here—I didn’t mind. It had a beach, and that’s all I cared for.
Audrey found her way to a table next to the waitress, letting out a slightly childish huff. Never had I ever been greeted with such contempt. This town might be beautiful, but it seemed the people here were a different story. “What? Do you not like tourists or something?” I asked. My accent made Audrey grimace once more, as if my vocals were nails on a chalkboard. Still, I followed and took out one of the chairs from the same table. My father always said I had the kind of obnoxious confidence where I wasn”t ashamed to invite myself somewhere—even a stranger’s table. I shook my head; I wasn’t supposed to be thinking about him here. This was my time to have a break from home, and if it meant arguing with a local, so be it.
The laughing waitress approached us. “You were supposed to be French, I believe.” On her name-tag, I could see the name Lucy.
“And why was I supposed to be French?” I crossed my arms, shocked that a rumour made for such a poor first impression.
“So that you could whisk her away to France, obviously.” Lucy nudged at Audrey with her elbow.
“Shut up and take the man’s order,” she stated, annoyance dripping from her tone. Even if she expected me to be someone I wasn’t, I couldn’t get a proper understanding of why. But just as I looked her up and down, I noticed the obsession—she was one of those girls who copied whatever American television series claimed French fashion to be, even though people who actually lived there wouldn’t be caught dead with the stereotype.
“Were you really thinking you’d just give your life away to a stranger for a chance to get out of the country?” I asked, not making an effort to hold in my amusement.
“I don’t expect you to understand.” She glowered. “What’s your situation, huh? A rich graduate taking a year off to find themselves?”
My head tilted to the side and a grin formed on my face. She might not have been right about the year-long duration, but everything else was on the money. “Feisty one, aren’t you?” I said, before eyeing the menu in front of me. “Bacon and eggs with a coffee, thanks, Lucy.”
Lucy smiled, turning away with the words, “I’ll be right on it.”
“I’m not going to pretend I’m keen to stick around for whatever this is, so enjoy your breakfast alone,” Audrey said, standing up from her spot.
“Hold up.” I grabbed her wrist, gently of course, hoping she’d stick around for a little longer. She seemed fun, either to be around or to tease, like Lucy had been doing, and I needed any company I could get while I’m here. “You’re totally fine with barging into me, mocking my accent, and then drifting off before we get a proper conversation going? What kind of manners do people have around here?”
She squinted. “Are you trying to guilt me into protecting my town’s pride, while I’m clearly trying to get out of here as soon as I can?” Then she turned back to an older man who gasped in offence. “Sorry, Henry. This place is nice, but you know how it is.”
I chuckled at the interaction—the scraggly looking man with a sunburnt pink face nodded and returned to his cup of tea, shifting his focus back to reading his newspaper. People looked oddly similar around here; slightly red in the face, and if you weren’t the type to be out on the waves, you seemed to be a little rounder.
“Eat it while it’s hot.” Lucy came back around, placing down a mini buffet. It wasn’t just bacon and eggs; there were sausages, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and I figured I’d be a little rounder after I left this place, too. After all, surfing wasn’t exactly my forte.
“Thank you so much,” I said as she left for the kitchen, before turning back to Audrey. “So, care to have a civil conversation?”
Audrey huffed. “What do you want, Theo?”
“I’ve only just arrived here, and I’d love to have a tour guide to show me around town.” I made my intentions clear.
“Well, you’re in luck.” Her eyes were amused. “Henry over there runs tour guides at the local beach hut.”
The sunburnt man piped his head up again, waving his hand. “11:00am, Monday to Friday. Will only cost you fifty bucks.”
“No peddling here, Henry!” Lucy called out, eavesdropping again. But I realised she wasn’t the intruder, and I was the one pushing myself into the lives of others around me.
“All jokes aside, I’m not the person you need, and I’ve got better ways to use my time than to appease a stranger.” Yet, even after her bold statement, she lingered near the table just a little longer. I could almost smell her pity.
“Since you have no friends here,” Audrey spoke aloud, as if convincing herself at the same time, “and since you clearly have nothing better to do.” She sighed, and I realised she was giving in. “Fine, give me your number.”
Cautiously, I took the phone she was holding out and added in my contact details. I named myself ‘Theo’ with a smug-faced emoji next to it, purely to see her reaction.
“You do realise I’m just going to change this, right?”
I grinned. “I assume you’d at least be polite and do that when you leave.”
Then it happened, a miracle—a small smile formed on her soft lips. Maybe underneath the ridiculous costume and beyond the bad first impression, she might actually be charming.
“Have it your way.” The smirk was still there. “Lucy and I are going to have a movie night tomorrow; you’re welcome to come.”
“Is that alright with you, Lucy?” I asked louder, waiting for her to reply from the kitchen. Breakfast was one thing, but I wasn’t going to show up to one of their houses without explicit permission from both. She let off a sort of grunt while pots were clanging around her, enough for us to hear she was happy with the idea, but also for us to know it wasn’t a good time to discuss semantics.
“Great,” Audrey added. “I’ll text you the details. We’ll see you there, but no pressure.”
I looked down at my plate and shook my head, knowing she was making one last attempt to get out of the situation. It was like she didn’t realise the favour she was doing me. While I just arrived in town, my time spent in Australia wasn’t as enjoyable as I’d hoped, and it wasn’t fun to have a getaway when it felt like isolation. Even if I only knew them briefly, I’d be stupid not to take advantage of their hospitality. “I’ll be there, Audrey. No doubt about that.”
She hmphed, turned on her heels, and exited the coffee shop. This time, she didn’t turn another tourist into a victim of gravity; though it seemed like a great way to make new friends. Tomorrow night couldn’t come soon enough.