Theo
‘We’ll see you back here this afternoon. Will you be okay in the meantime?’
Theo shooed his hands at Levi and Alexis and then wrapped an arm around Sarah’s shoulder. ‘We’ll be fine, won’t we, Sarah?’
When Sarah said nothing for a moment, Theo looked down at her. Her cheeks were flushed, but she was smirking back at him. He grinned.
‘She’ll be fine too. Off you go. Call when you’re on your way back so we don’t keep you waiting.’
Levi and Alexis waved, almost in tandem, before driving away. The four of them had come to Byron Bay for the day because… actually, Theo wasn’t completely sure of the reason—was it something about Alexis looking for another housesitting gig?—but he’d agreed because he’d wanted to spend more time with Alexis. He knew she was dating Levi, but he couldn’t help himself. Alexis had such a fun energy. He didn’t care that he couldn’t be romantically involved with her. He just wanted to be in her presence.
But Alexis would be gone for a few hours, and he was keeping her bestie company.
Theo hadn’t slept well the night before, so he’d half dozed off on the car ride on the way from Brisbane. Now that it was just the two of them, he took the opportunity to observe Sarah properly.
She was about half a foot shorter than him and had smooth red hair parted on one side. Her fashion choices were simple—a pair of pale denim skinny jeans with a black T-shirt and leopard-print ballet flats—but she clearly knew what suited her. As a model, Theo appreciated that.
He tried to make eye contact with her, but she was currently looking at the ground.
‘Is there anything you feel like doing?’ he asked.
Her head shot up, and her wide green eyes looked startled. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
He laughed. ‘It means exactly what it sounds like. How do you want to spend the next few hours here in Byron Bay?’
She stepped out from under his arm. ‘How about a drink?’ She nodded her head at a restaurant and bar behind them. It was rustic, with grey timber decking and a thatched grass roof. Scattered between the tables were large potted palms, and fairy lights were strung from the paperbark trees around the edges. The lights were lit, even though it was the middle of the day.
‘Sure.’
They found a table near the back in the corner, and Theo scanned the menu.
‘Is it too early for cocktails?’ he asked.
‘It’s never too early for cocktails on a road trip,’ she said and then laughed. ‘Sorry. I sound like a complete alcoholic. I forgot we don’t know each other very well yet.’
Theo chuckled. ‘I’m glad you already feel so comfortable around me.’
‘Well, I am a hairdresser, so I’m kind of used to talking with strangers.’
He pouted. ‘Are we really strangers, though? I’ve known Alexis for almost two weeks now, and she’s living in my mother’s apartment. Surely that has to count for something.’
‘But we only met this morning. You can’t really call us friends yet, can you?’
‘Why not?’ He was weirdly enjoying this exchange. Maybe because Sarah looked so cute when flustered.
‘Stop teasing me.’ She looked at the menu. ‘I think I’ll get a melon cocktail.’
Theo glanced at the drink’s description. ‘I’ll get one too.’ He stood and walked toward the bar to order.
‘Wait. Let me give you some money.’ She shuffled around in her handbag.
‘You can get the next round.’
‘Fine. But I’m holding you to that.’
Theo grinned and turned to the bartender to place their order.
While he was waiting, he overheard a woman at a nearby table berating another woman.
‘How could you have not organised a replacement? We’re going to be short a guy now.’
‘What was I supposed to do? Drag him from the hospital? He’s having ACL surgery today!’
The first woman shook her head and huffed. ‘Didn’t he know it would conflict with the event?’
‘He wasn’t supposed to have the surgery until tomorrow. It’s not his fault the doctor moved it forward.’
‘Well, what are you going to do about it?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve asked everyone else I know for recommendations, but no one is available.’
‘More like they’re too cowardly.’
The woman must have felt Theo staring because she glanced over at him, and her eyes suddenly widened.
She jumped up and hurried over. ‘What are you doing this afternoon?’
‘Um, excuse me?’
‘Would you consider taking part in a charity event?’
Theo furrowed his brow. ‘What kind of charity event?’
‘You’d get a free dinner at a five-star restaurant in town afterwards.’
‘What’s the catch?’
‘You’d just have to be part of an auction. We’ve already sold all the tickets for the event, and we promised the guests six eligible bachelors as a prize. One called in sick.’
Theo sighed. ‘I’m sorry, but I probably won’t be here this afternoon. Besides?—’
‘Please! It’s for a good cause. If someone wins you, all you have to do is go eat with them. There’s no obligation to do anything but show up for the meal.’
‘I don’t even live around here.’
‘Where are you from?’
‘Brisbane.’
‘Then we’ll move the dinner to Brisbane.’
Theo had participated in several events in the past where he’d been the prize, and it was excruciating. He was a model, but being auctioned off like a piece of meat was on another level. And he’d never had a pleasant experience at the dinner or event he’d had to attend with the winner afterwards. They were super awkward, even with his ability to charm almost anyone.
‘I’m sorry, but?—’
‘I’ll get fired if I don’t find someone,’ she said, starting to tear up.
‘That’s not my problem.’ Theo was easy-going, but he hated being manipulated.
His drinks were ready on the bar, so he quickly paid and picked them up before walking back to the table where Sarah was sitting.
He plonked the drinks down a little harder than he planned, and one sloshed over the side of the glass.
‘What was that all about?’ Sarah asked.
‘They want to auction me off for charity.’
She chuckled. ‘Seriously?’
‘I told them no.’
‘Does that kind of thing happen to you often?’
‘Enough.’
‘Wow. To be that good looking.’
‘It’s a curse, I tell you.’
‘What’s the charity?’
‘I didn’t ask. But we are in Byron Bay. It’s probably funding a stand-up paddle-boarding yoga program or something.’
Sarah snorted. ‘You’re probably right.’
Theo wiped the table with a serviette and sipped his cocktail. ‘At least the drinks are decent.’
Sarah pulled out her phone and started typing.
‘What are you doing?’
‘Seeing what kind of event it is.’
‘Why?’
‘I’m just curious.’
After a moment, her face turned thoughtful. ‘It’s not a stand-up paddle-boarding yoga program.’
‘What is it?’
‘It’s an initiative to help people who have recently moved to Australia with a smooth transition into life here.’
Theo was silent. Damn it.
‘They’re raising money to hire more staff, prioritising those who speak other languages.’
Double damn it.
Sarah continued. ‘If I bid and won you, then I could just give you the prize, and you could take whoever you liked to dinner.’
‘You’d bid on me?’
‘If you’re supplying the money,’ Sarah replied, the corner of her mouth pulling up in a crooked smile.
‘Not willing to risk your own?’
‘I think, between the two of us, you earn more than me. And besides… I won’t get anything out of it. It’s a win-win for you.’
Why did the charity have to be that particular cause? Theo wouldn’t have thought twice otherwise. But he had moved to Australia from South Korea with his parents when he was three, and none of them spoke English. When his dad left three years later, Theo and his mum, Evelyn, struggled. If they hadn’t struck it lucky with a competent and sympathetic Legal Aid lawyer who spoke basic Korean, his mum might have gotten nothing in the divorce. But because of that woman, Evelyn had secured the family home and a generous portion of cash. And because of that stability, she was able to raise Theo properly and start a home business that went on to become an internationally recognised brand. He knew the value of having even just one person on your side when things were tough.
He sighed. ‘I guess I should do it. Although, I hope Levi and Alexis don’t return early. I couldn’t handle them laughing at me.’
‘Alexis wouldn’t laugh at you.’
‘I’m not so sure.’ He liked to think she’d be supportive, but he’d made fun of her in the past, so she’d probably jump at the chance to pay him back.
Sarah stood. ‘I’ll tell them you’re in.’
He took another slug of the cocktail. ‘Maybe get a jug of margaritas too. As long as I can stay upright for the auction, I’d like to be as drunk as possible.’
Sarah walked past him, playfully patting his cheek on the way.
‘You’re going to be great.’
He crinkled up his nose.
He wasn’t so sure.