Chapter 37 Brooke
THIRTY-SEVEN
Brooke
Brooke set down her knife and fork. Here goes nothing.
“So, I’m thinking of starting my own business.”
JJ turned to regard her, mouth stuffed full of pancake like a chipmunk. “Whahp?” she said through her food, rounding on her. She swallowed. “Didn’t you just start that new job?”
“I can tell you right now, pick packing in a warehouse is not my calling, not even for the money. But I was talking to Hayley and I got this idea. She said to speak to all of you.”
“Doing what?” Jess asked, taking a sip of coffee.
“Travel. But not a run-of-the-mill agent. I want to tailor experiences for people. Maybe trial some services to either build their itinerary or organise it and travel with them as a guide. Kind of like what I did for JJ.” Brooke’s cheeks reddened.
Maybe not exactly like that. “I’m not a hundred percent sure yet,” she added.
With what little research she’d done, Brooke hadn’t come across anyone else providing the same type of services. Everything was the same: a cruise through Alaska, go visit the Eiffel Tower or head up to see the hot spring monkeys in Japan.
Once Brooke started, the ideas kept coming.
She could team up with local small businesses, have food themed itineraries or make up trips for thrill-seekers.
The options were endless, and no two trips would be the same.
Each person or group would be catered to exactly.
Saying her plans out loud to the girls had the hairs standing on the back of her neck.
This is what she was meant to be doing. And surrounding herself with the right people was how she was going to make it happen.
“Seeing as it looks like I’ll be sticking around here for the foreseeable future”—she smiled at JJ—“I figured I might as well have a crack at making something of myself, and well, you all know what you’re doing.”
Remi laughed hard at that. “First rule of business, Brooke: no one knows what the hell they’re doing. We all just wing it and keep doing what sticks.”
“Noted. Well, maybe you can at least teach me what sticks while I figure out the rest.”
Remi eyed Jess with a grin. “Yeah, I'm sure we could teach you a thing or two.”
A thing or two turned into an hour-long session of questions, tips, and a rough business plan.
Jess was all work, pen at the ready, scribbling down every word like she was taking minutes.
For people who Brooke had hardly said a word to since she’d been back, Brooke was filled with gratitude for the lengths Jess and Remi went to in helping to make this dream of hers come true.
For the first time it felt like Brooke was finally building something for herself.
A little slice of Brooke that wasn’t about getting away; it was about staying put and growing roots—but not too many.
Travel was still in her future, part of her life.
But now she had more balance, an opportunity for stability, routine, and surrounding herself with good people in her life.
Ones who wanted her to stick around, to help her, and accept Brooke for who she was. No judgments.
Later that morning, JJ drove her home.
“Keep driving.”
“But your house is right there,” JJ said.
“I know.”
JJ raised an eyebrow but did as she was told.
Last night was the first time Brooke had slept with someone and not kicked them out straight after.
No scooping up her clothes and fleeing outside a random house or hostel room barefoot.
Her stomach hadn't dropped at her choices and her skin didn't itch to be cleaned.
She gazed at the woman driving, still in her space, still wanting to be in her space. Brooke smiled.
What a difference a month could make. The streetlights flew past the window, just random metal poles during the day, waiting to be of use once the sun set.
Brooke pointed to a car park for JJ to slot into.
The bike path was a whir of life. Dog walkers, mums with prams, and cyclists whizzing in between.
“Where are we going?” JJ asked, taking her hand as they strolled across the path and down to the grassy bank. The frogs were quiet, but the reeds still rustled in the morning breeze. “You’ll see.”
They hit the water’s edge. There was no one else around down here.
No one took the time to explore and see what was right in front of them—they stuck to the bike paths, the safe paths.
Brooke led JJ between the tall reeds, towering a metre above them on both sides.
There. The small gap. Blink and you’d miss it.
“Follow me.” She parted the reeds.
One. Two. Three—Four.
JJ pulled a face at the rocks, eyebrows furrowing.
“You can do it,” Brooke encouraged, arms held out.
JJ leaped, hopped, and jumped into Brooke’s arms.
“Got you!”
Brooke sat on the cold surface, running her hand along the rock as JJ took a seat beside her.
Hidden behind the reeds in the middle of the river, even during the daytime, it felt like there was no one else around. JJ looked around in apparent wonder, taking in all the details.
Brooke took a deep breath, her hand finding JJ’s thigh. Always touching. Grounding.
The water was still today, reflecting the blue sky, the odd puff of white cloud and all the river gum trees lining the bank. They hung over the water, creating dappled light that made the water sparkle.
“Those times I needed to get away from home, I’d always come here.
We grew up a couple of streets away from Hayley’s house, down that street over there.
” She pointed vaguely in the direction of her old home.
“So this area has always been home to me. But this spot in particular was always something more. Like if things weren’t going well at home or school, I could come here and just be me. Zero expectations.”
“This is a pretty amazing spot. I don’t even know how you found it, it’s so hidden. And here I was thinking I was cool growing up playing in my backyard between Gran’s veggies and fruit trees. Kid-me would’ve loved this place.”
“It’s pretty special.”
Brooke picked up a pebble, feeling the soft edges worn smooth over time, a tiny chip in the top, not quite perfect. She played with it between her fingers.
“I brought you here because when I first returned, I found myself back here again and again. Not quite fitting in, not knowing where to go or what to do, and wishing I was anywhere but here.”
JJ held her gaze, patient.
“Then I met you. My escape. My ticket out of here. I didn’t care if the destination wasn’t where I wanted, I was away from home. I feel like I have to apologise for using you that way.”
“You don’t have to—”
“No, I do. While I’m so thankful for how it all turned out, I needed to get that off my chest. To tell you the truth.
In the short time we’ve got to know each other, you’ve come to mean a lot to me, and you deserve to know everything, even the bits I don’t like to talk about.
It feels nice that you see me and listen to me anyway,” she said with a simple shrug. “That I can just be me.”
Brooke threw the pebble in the water as JJ tossed one in at the same time.
Ripples formed, overlapping each other.
Again, and again, and again.
“Trust me when I say—I see you, Brooke Mayfield. And I love what I see.”
The buzzy feeling in Brooke’s stomach grew until she couldn’t contain it anymore.
“Now you’re gonna make me cry.” Brooke sniffed, wiping under her eyes with her sleeve. “Ugh, god. Between you and Hayley with all your nice words and caring and stuff.” She gave a watery laugh. “I don’t do deep and emotional.”
“No?” JJ checked. “I call bullshit on that.”
Brooke side-eyed her.
“I’m pretty sure you’re good at nice words and caring and stuff too.” JJ grinned broadly. “Especially the stuff though. You’re really good at stuff. And things.”
Brooke sputtered out a laugh. “You’re so stupid.”
“You love it.”
Brooke nudged into JJ, grabbing her arm at the same time and resting her head on JJ’s shoulder. “Can we stay like this forever?”
“I wish. But I gotta get your butt back home soon because this gal needs to get to work.”
“When do I get to see you next?”
“Whenever you want,” JJ said, kissing her forehead.
“Tonight?”
JJ chuckled. “I think that can be arranged, though we actually have to get some sleep tonight, or I’m not going to be painting between any lines tomorrow.”
Brooke screwed up her face. “Mmm, no promises!”