Chapter Eight
KALLEN
During our nine-thirty meeting, the hot topic is the total lunar eclipse on Friday night, and it seems as though the news of a giant peach in the sky has completely taken over the existence of everything else.
‘Bitches be going crazy for the eclipse,’ Lisa says with tepid enthusiasm. ‘It’s the top story amongst all our competitors, some of whom seemed to wake up at six a.m. to break this story. Who are they? Count Edward Cullen?’
Without Lisa catching sight, Blake scrunches her hand up like a claw and clenches her face at me.
‘I’m nearly done updating our article,’ Cherry informs us.
Lisa’s eyes dart to Cherry. ‘Amazing. Thank you.’
‘Apparently, it only happens every three years,’ says Blake, reading off her laptop screen. ‘I feel like I can remember the last one, but I also can’t remember.’
I sighed. ‘Yeah, shame they look nothing like the pictures.’
The editorial team is assigned their tasks for the day, which includes everything from a new three-level brewery opening later that week to a souffle pancake pop-up the team has been invited to over lunch.
I see Hudson has posted a photo on Instagram of him sitting at Howard Smith Wharves, Story Bridge in the background. He’s wearing tight gym shorts, legs spread so his bulge hangs out to the left side. Classic thirst trap. Can’t wait to see how accurate this trap is on Sunday.
*
At one o’clock, the editorial team heads off to the souffle pancake pop-up at the Botanic Gardens.
A toasted buttery aroma wafts from the food van as we’re each handed a cardboard takeaway box.
We’ve got one pancake each, drizzled so heavily in sweet toppings it almost looks too good to eat.
So much for not jumping on a trend that most foodie influencers in Brisbane have already posted about.
‘Okay, everyone, if you wanna just pop your pancakes down here on this lovely wooden bench so I can get a video,’ Lisa gathers us, camera already open on her phone. ‘These guys aren’t giving us free shit for nothing.’
Sometimes, I feel as if Lisa says exactly what she’s thinking and doesn’t realise what she’s said after the fact. Either that, or she just hides it extremely well.
After capturing some footage of the pancakes, including a shot of her zooming in on them and rotating the camera, she heads back to the office while the rest of us sit at Blake and I’s usual spot under the tree.
Well, the three of us anyway, minus Dan, who’s been spotted by some friends of his and called over to chat.
‘Mister Popular over here,’ I mutter, glaring over at Dan, laughing with two girls and a guy on the other side of the trees.
Blake and Cherry are too preoccupied by studying photos of Hudson on my phone.
‘He’s cute!’ Blake announces after she checks out his new photo. ‘He looks like someone who would love a weekend getaway to a nice winery, where you two stay in a cute luxury lodge together.’
I’ve never had someone to do cute things like that with – far from it – but the prospect of a weekend getaway with a cute guy excites me now more than ever.
‘I’m excited for you, Kallen,’ Cherry says, playing with the pancakes in the cardboard box, swirling it all around with melted ice cream.
‘Sorry, guys,’ comes a familiar voice, drawing closer.
Dan’s back. Oh, goodie.
I force a somewhat smile, which probably makes me look like I’ve just had Botox.
‘Oh, don’t be sorry,’ Blake tells Dan, waving her hand in his direction. ‘You should never feel like you have to talk to your coworkers during lunch break.’
‘Yeah, but I just thought this was like a team lunch, you know, with the pancakes and all,’ Dan says shyly. ‘Which were delicious, by the way.’
‘Indeed, they were,’ I say, standing and throwing a pile of our cardboard boxes into the trash.
And with that, we make our way back to the office, food coma well into production.
Working after lunch should be illegal. The workday should start at nine and finish at one p.m. latest. We all have lunch, regress into a long nap and then, upon waking, enjoy our afternoon leisure time like the delicate human beings we are.
*
By the end of the day, only five of us are left in the office: Blake, Dan, Lisa, Christian, and me.
Blake rolls her eyes. ‘Bout fuckin’ time that day’s over,’ she groans. Then, ‘So have you and Hudson worked out what you’re gonna do for your first date?’
A fervent grin stretches across my cheeks. ‘He suggested we take a boat over to Moreton Island for the day.’
Blake pouts her lips. ‘He really is a boat boy. Sells them and rides them at leisure.’
‘Yeah, not gonna lie, a first date on a boat sounds pretty good to me,’ I say, welcoming a hot flush when I realise the others can hear.
Dan, who I see glance at me for a split second, quickly turns away when I mention the word date . I raise an eyebrow at him, close to asking what his problem is.
Christian waves at Dan. ‘Ready, bud?’
After Blake and I exchange curious glances, we prolong our exit from the office, just to cash in the ‘what-the-fuck’ friendliness that’s going on here between our boss and new coworker. Better yet, where they’re going together.
‘Ready,’ Dan replies.
Lisa doesn’t give two shits. She’s packing up her bag and humming. Stifling a sigh, I walk a little faster out of the office .
‘Oh yeah, guys,’ Christian stops us before we’re gone.
I suck in a breath before turning around. Blake does, too, seemingly without any gas-dowsed bonfires erupting inside her.
‘Tomorrow we’re doing a special Friday tapas and drinks at that new eighties-inspired supper club you guys wrote about,’ Christian says. ‘It’ll be a good spot to welcome Dan here to the team, I think, without being in the office.’
My eyes twitch slightly. ‘Sure.’
Blake’s lips curve into a smile. ‘Sounds great. The new supper club looks fab with all the green interiors.’ She kisses her fingers and raises them.
‘Great!’ Christian claps, almost as loud as the bomb in my brain. ‘I know it’s short notice, but did we want to dress in some eighties attire in the office tomorrow, then head there afterward?’
My face flattens. ‘I was born in the nineties.’
‘I have a cute velvet dress I could wear,’ Blake says, half-shrugging. ‘I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to bring it out.’
Christian holds out his fist to her. ‘Tomorrow’s the day, sunshine.’
Blake gives him a soft fist-bump, as if she’s not sure what just went down.
The five of us in an elevator is cosy to say the least. My eyes stay glued to my phone, replying to Hudson’s how was your day message with a literal description of everything that happened.
‘So where are we going?’ Dan asks Christian before we reach the bottom floor .
Blake, Lisa, and I look up for a moment.
‘I’m taking you to my favourite bar close to here. It’s called Achilles.’
Dan nods in approval. ‘Sounds good.’
Christian sighs. ‘Thursday’s the weekend, right?’ He then looks from me to Blake to Lisa. ‘I never said that.’