Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
JJ
While JJ was still riding the high, refusing to believe this was truly their final day, Brooke had grown cagey, eating away at JJ’s euphoria until it had been completely eroded.
Every question was met with another question or a diversion away from their evening.
Now they were in the car and Brooke was driving.
JJ still wasn’t allowed to know where and sat pretend-sulking in the passenger seat.
She trusted Brooke, so whatever she had planned had to be good.
The only clue Brooke had given her: Look nice. And throw on some perfume, if you like.
So she had.
“Put this on,” Brooke said after she’d pulled over to the side of the road.
“Is that a blindfold?”
“Uh-huh.” Brooke passed over her earthy-coloured bandana. Her face remained passive. God, she had such a good poker face.
“Fine.” JJ tied the cloth around her head. Not a sliver of light poked through. “Is this the part where you tell me you were a serial killer all along?”
“Totally,” Brooke deadpanned. “I’ll get you to hop in your boot in a minute.”
JJ laughed. “Sure, that totally works in the SUV. I’ll just climb over the back seat.”
“Maybe I want you in the back seat.”
JJ’s response died on her lips. She tried to laugh, but it almost came out as a whine, so she coughed. “You’d make a terrible serial killer,” she finally said.
Thinking back to the bumpy start of their trip, she didn’t expect to end up here, feeling like this. A holiday that had exceeded all expectations.
And it wasn’t over yet.
The car turned off the main road at some point, bumping along a dirt driveway. JJ had lost all orientation. The car slowed, swivelling into—presumably—some sort of park, then stopped.
“Wait there,” Brooke said.
JJ’s door opened and Brooke took JJ’s hand to help her out of the car. Brooke then looped her arm through JJ’s, her spiced vanilla perfume invading JJ’s senses as she guided her along. A breeze blew past them, and JJ shivered. She’d worn her nice shirt, and now she wished she’d brought a jacket.
“Can I take this off now?” JJ reached up and her hand was swatted away.
“Nope.”
JJ pictured the blonde’s grin, enjoying every part of being in charge this evening.
With careful steps, JJ’s feet shuffled from dirt path to soft grass. Faint music played from somewhere in front of them. Was that voices? Brooke stopped walking and JJ stumbled on the spot.
“Okay.” Brooke stepped behind her, a gentle caress on JJ’s arm as she moved.
Steady hands untied the blindfold. It slipped from JJ’s face, and she blinked, adjusting to the light.
“Surprise,” Brooke whispered in her ear.
Goosebumps pricked up on the back of JJ’s neck. She blinked several more times, frowning at the scene in front of her.
“We’re at a big… tree?”
“Yep.” Warmth radiated from Brooke’s blue eyes as they darted across JJ’s face, waiting.
JJ gave her a blank stare.
Brooke leaned in conspiratorially. “It’s a restaurant.”
“Oh!” JJ’s brows hit her hairline. Now she noticed the well-trodden trail disappearing between branches laden with big yellow and green leaves. A glow of light could be seen as they stepped closer. JJ realised it was also the source of the music.
A waiter stepped out as they made it to the tree line, leading them inside.
“Wow.” JJ had never seen anything like it.
They entered the thick canopy of a fig tree, rows and rows of soft fairy lights strung about from above and small walkways branched off to what looked like separate rooms, each with a single table.
JJ felt like she’d just stepped into a fantasy land, like The Magic Faraway Tree of her childhood.
Ushered to their table, the waiter pulled out a chair and JJ sat, speechless.
Brooke took a seat across from her, thanking the waiter as he brought over fluffy cream blankets for each of them.
JJ was grateful for the extra layer of warmth and draped it over her legs.
Brooke beamed at JJ. A single candle flickered between them, the golden light dancing in Brooke’s eyes.
“So, what do you think?”
“Brooke, what is this place?” JJ took it all in, shaking her head slightly. How was this a real restaurant?
“So, I know this wasn’t on the itinerary and that’s because this was a little something from me.
A thank you for trusting me with your holiday, for letting an almost-complete stranger tag along, and for making this trip something I won’t forget anytime soon.
” She adjusted the blanket on her lap. “I thought it fitting that this was the last night the restaurant was open for the season, but like our holiday, all good things must come to an end.”
A single yellow leaf dropped from the canopy above and floated to the floor.
“You really didn’t have to—” JJ started, touched at the thoughtfulness.
“I did though. You said you enjoy nature the most, and I thought this could be special.” Brooke knocked their legs together under the table. A breeze fluttered through the leaves, playing with Brooke’s hair.
JJ went to reach out and tuck a loose strand behind Brooke’s ear. She paused.
A pang hit her chest knowing this was it for their fling after tonight. The rules she’d put in place—and for good reason. For several many ideal reasons. This was all just a little fun for the world traveller before she probably took off again anyway.
JJ dropped her hand and attempted a smile. “Is this the part where you admit that South Australia isn’t that bad after all?”
Brooke blew out a breath, a small smirk in place.
“I’ve been thinking on that, you know?” She tucked her own hair behind her ear.
“I don’t think any place is inherently bad, but sometimes it’s our memories or experiences that can make it seem so.
These new memories definitely top my past and are a good reminder you can enjoy a place, no matter where you are, with the right mindset.
So maybe it’s time for me to confess that South Australia isn’t so bad after all. ”
She cleared her throat. “I didn’t expect to fall in love with it as much as I have.”
Why was it when Brooke spoke those words, JJ’s heart wished they were for her instead of this place?
Brooke wasn’t right for her; they were too different.
Besides, Brooke didn’t date. So even if JJ was starting to think maybe she could go out with someone so opposite, it wouldn’t matter.
Tomorrow, she’d be back to real life—to dating apps and finding a person who could choose her back. The perfect person.
Even those thoughts felt like a lie, bitter and wrong. But it was part of her plan. And she was determined to stick to it. She had to. Didn’t she?
JJ pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on her meal.
It was as beautiful as the woman sitting across from her.
Everything was locally sourced, from the vegetables to the freshly caught seafood—even the wine.
Well, Brooke was enjoying the wine, her arm casually slung over the chair as she sipped.
JJ had caved and ordered a beer instead.
The icy bubbles were welcome on her tongue. Biting.
“Last night in the bunk beds,” JJ said.
“What a shame,” Brooke replied dryly. “I’ll miss the Hostel Crew though, they’ve been fun.”
“Not as much fun as me, I hope,” JJ said.
“No.” A small smile pulled at Brooke’s lips. “You’ve been quite the surprise.”
“A good surprise?”
“Debatable.” Her eyes sparkled. “When I’m not trying to—literally—save your butt from prickle bushes.”
“Urgh, don't remind me. So embarrassing.”
“I wonder how Nancy’s doing?”
“Probably raising hell on another poor soul’s car.”
“Stealin’ BBQ Shapes,” Brooke added.
“Exactly! Can't have them wrangling my stash. Speaking of—my current box looked emptier than usual—you wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you?”
Brooke slurped her wine. “Not me.”
“Uh-huh.” JJ narrowed her eyes before breaking into a grin. “So ready to go back tomorrow?”
“No. We can just stay here forever. Move into this tree. No need to go back home.”
It was the first time Brooke had called Adelaide home. Things really were changing for her.
JJ tilted her head. “We can just pretend for tonight.”
“I’d like that.” Brooke reached across the wooden table and took JJ’s hand.
It was a long drive back to the hostel, and JJ was thankful to be climbing into her bunk bed one last time. The novelty was wearing off, as she pictured her very comfortable, very large queen bed at home—aka her sleeping kingdom.
They’d shared a few kisses before bed, but they’d been brief, like they were both pulling away already.
What was going through Brooke’s head? JJ could barely make sense of her own thoughts, let alone truly consider asking about Brooke’s.
So she’d said good night, not wanting to dampen the memories of everything else they’d shared.
After an hour lying awake staring at the ceiling, the bottom bunk squeaked for what felt like the twentieth time.
“You awake?” JJ asked.
“No.”
JJ smiled. “Can’t sleep?”
“No.”
JJ leaned over the edge. “Want company?”
“N—maybe?”
The bed groaned and wobbled as JJ shuffled to the ladder. Her feet hit the carpeted floor with a dull thud. It felt so much like being a kid up in the top bunk that she half expected to land on a bunch of toys.
Brooke moved back against the wall, allowing JJ to slip in next to her. JJ lay on her side, propped up on her elbow. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
The quilt rustled between them as Brooke changed positions.
“I don't want to go back. I still have no idea what I'm doing with my life, JJ.”
“You don’t have to have it all figured out. You’ve already started applying for jobs, and you should hopefully be able to connect with Hayley again in some way, just like we talked about.”
“But then what? I don’t have a solid income or my own house like you, and—”
“Well, comparing your life to mine isn’t going to help. We’re two very different people.”
Brooke scoffed, “Don’t remind me.”
“Hey.” JJ found her hand. “I didn’t mean in a negative way. Just that we’re two completely unique humans. Like every other person on this earth. Comparisons like that are only going to make you feel like shit. And you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because sometimes the questions we ask ourselves aren’t the right ones.
” JJ sat up, crossing her legs, careful not to hit her head on the bunk above.
“Okay, so you’ve said a couple of times you don’t have the stable income or a house.
But do you even want those things? Are they goals you want to pursue?
Because when I started my business, there was nothing stable about my income.
It was terrifying, but—my goal wasn’t a stable income.
It was to work for myself, and so I made it happen, even if some months I made almost nothing. ”
She was on a roll now, gesticulating into the darkness.
“When you were travelling, was your goal to have a stable income? Or just to make enough to get by in whatever country you were in? And I assume you wouldn’t have wanted to save for a house either if you weren’t staying in the one place.
So that’s what I mean by two different people, two very different goals. One is not better than the other.”
“I guess I hadn’t looked at it that way,” Brooke said.
JJ squeezed Brooke’s hand. “If I was to turn the tables, I’ll admit I’m jealous of your constant stories of experiencing life.
You’ve seen so much, done so much and met so many people.
You’re skilled in so many areas and so effortlessly cool being able to just hop on a jet ski and say, “jump on!”—like, who does that?
I couldn’t travel full time for so many reasons, but mainly, I couldn’t cope without my job—and that income.
Sure, I could leave my house and rent it out, but that’s still not without its issues.
I’m tethered to where I am. You have freedom, choice and a fresh start to do whatever the hell you want with your life.
So, the question is Brooke: what do you want?”