Page 93 of The Fire Walker
Dee
Six monthslater...
I’d always hated airports.Someone was always leaving or coming, but it was the separation part I hated the most. Walking through the doors into that magical in-between limbo. The hugs goodbye, the last wave as the doors slid shut. Standing in the International Arrivals hall at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport, my eyes were fixed on those doors likesuperglue.
“You’re staring at the doors so hard it’s a wonder you haven’t burned a hole through them,” Zoe said next tome.
“That’s right, hot legs. I’m dying to lay them on hotstuff.”
She laughed at the nickname I’d given Jessie. “She lets you call herthat?”
“No, but she seemed to like it better than hotass.”
“Oh God,Dee.”
“I’m more of a breast man, but hot tits would be a littleinappropriate.”
“You think?” She pretended to gag. “As per usual, Dee,TMI.”
“Above and beyond.” I winked, nudging my best friend with anelbow.
Before I’d left, Jessie took me home to Montreal just like she promised. I knew it was going to be hard for her, but I was there every step of the way to charm the ass off her parents. And when she told them what had happened with Nate and everything after... well, it wasn’t easy for them to hear, but I think they appreciated the honesty and the guts it took to come home and begin makingamends.
Everyone had made mistakes along the way, some bigger than others, but it took real integrity and courage to face them. I think that was what won them over in theend.
After two months together in America and Canada, the hardest thing I’d ever had to do was leave Jessie behind to face her court date on her own. Bad luck saw me booted out of the country a couple of days before D-day. The case had since been adjourned and called back, but in the end, her lawyer and whatever big shot the Barnes’ had cut a deal that saw her on the receiving end in a good way. Nate was sent to jail on a slightly reduced sentence, and Jessie got to rip up the non-disclosure contract and keep her apartment. She even went back to work at Galaxy until they found a more permanentreplacement.
Jessie was getting here just before Christmas, and we’d already made plans to have a huge BBQ at my parents’ place in the Northern suburbs and a Christmas Eve house party at Frank’s with everyone and anyone we could think of inviting. I was so damn excited I couldn’t sit still. She was going to be here for a month and come with the band when we played the Big Day Out across Australia and New Zealand, then we were going back to America for a two month cross-country tour. I couldn’t fuckingwait.
I’d been waiting and waiting for it, but I was still unprepared when Jessie walked through the doors, a massive suitcase trailing behind her. She looked rough around the edges from her flight, but it didn’t matter. She took my breath away every time, no matter what she lookedlike.
Ditching Zoe, I strode forward through the crowd, desperate to feel her in my armsagain.
“Dee.” She smiled as she caught sight of me. Dropping her suitcase, she launched herself into my arms, and we stood together, tangled in each other for ages until weparted.
“Am I fucking glad to see you,” I whispered in her ear, drawing her mouth to mine for a kiss. “How’s the jetlag?”
“Why?” She kissed the side of mymouth.
“You know why,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows. “I haven’t seen you in almost three months. You know how hard Iam?”
“Like a rock,” she quipped, taking me bysurprise.
“Love you, hotstuff.”
“We have to have a talk about the nickname,” she said, linking her arm through mine as I rolled her suitcase behindus.
“That’s what I told him,” Zoe called out as we approached. She came forward and gave Jessie a hug. “Welcomehome.”
“Home,” she replied. “That’s got a nice ring toit.”
Fuck, I felt proud seeing the two women I loved getting along. Zoe and I were a package deal, and to think that Jessie got it and didn’t give a fuck… How perfect could she be? Pretty flawless in myeyes.
“Georgie gave me a recommendation.” Jessie grinned as we walked out to the undercover car park. “I have a job here if I want it, and they don’t care one bit when I want tostart.”
“Fucking A,” I cried, swinging her around again as we stopped by the paystation.
“I reckon I’ll start after the US tour,hey?”
