Page 24 of The Weight Of It All
I pressed the button to unlock my car and popped the boot. “Where did you move from?”
Reed put his bags into the boot with mine, alongside his gym bag. “I used to live in Five Dock. My lease was up around the same time, and I thought the move would do me good.”
“Fair enough.”
“You rent or own your place?” he asked as we climbed into my car.
“I own it. I was given a helping hand by my grandmother’s estate, but my mortgage is still enough to cause heart palpitations.”
He seemed impressed. “I bet it is. But you’re a professional when it comes to hypothetical risk management, right?”
That made me smile. I really liked that he understood what my job entailed. “Something like that.”
I drove back to Balmain and asked for directions to his place. I pulled up out front of the apartment block, wondering how I could tell him I enjoyed the morning with him without making things awkward, but he spoke first. “Do you realise you walked around for the last hour or so and not once complained about being sore?”
“I’m still sore,” I admitted. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be impersonating a T-Rex by dinner time, but I think the distraction helped. I should thank you for this morning. I enjoyed it.”
He smiled warmly. “Me too.”
“I’m pretty sure I would’ve been sitting at home wallowing in self-pity and getting sorer the more I sat around and did nothing.”
“The walking around really helps.”
“And the coffee, and the sunshine, and the company,” I added. “So thank you.”
“Glad I could help take your mind off Sauron not replying to your text.”
Oh God. “I’d forgotten about that.”
He looked stricken. “Shit. I’m sorry.”
I barked out a laugh. “No, please don’t apologise.” Jeez, this morning was a good distraction. I hadn’t thought about Graham in hours. “It was a great Sauron-free morning. We should check out food markets more often.”
His smile was back. “Any time.”
I got out of my car and popped the boot, and Reed quickly gathered up his bags and his gym bag. “I’ll let you know how that recipe goes.”
“Yes. I’d like that.”
“I’ll see you Tuesday?”
“Yep, bright and early,” he said, walking toward his apartment block. “Have a great date with Jon Snow.”
“Who?”
“Jon Snow? You know,Game of Thrones?”
“Oh.” God, I felt like an idiot. “I will. Though Renly Baratheon is probably more my type.”
He laughed at that. “Bye Henry.”
I waved him off and got back into my car. I smiled as I drove home, only feeling the pull of sore muscles every so often that afternoon. I cooked my grilled salmon and salad then sent Reed a photo of it with the TV in the background paused on a close up of Renly.
He replied a short while after with a photo of his dinner. It looked like grilled chicken with some kind of rice salad. But that wasn’t what made me smile. Because of what I saw in the top of the photo, almost off screen and probably obscure to most people, but I recognised it for what it was. The Lord ofthe Rings book was open, face down, like he’d had to stop reading it to take the photo.
Still smiling, I texted out a reply.
Dinner looks great. You’ll have to send me the recipe. Glad to see Frodo’s keeping you company while you dine.
