Page 86 of The Player in New Zealand
He chuckled in my ear. “I suppose the move-across-the-country grand gesture is more impactful in the States.”
“Your plan was to live with your mom and then what? What would you do all day while I went to work?”
“Do you want to hear my plan, or do you want me to drive back to Wellington?”
“Aw, Tane,” I said. “You just drove eight hours. Stay the night with your mom—or however long you want to—and then come back. I’ll restart the job hunt and we’ll figure the rest out.”
“I like driving,” he insisted.
“I know you do. But sixteen hours in a day is too much.”
He grumbled for a moment but then agreed. “Here’s my plan, then. Have you heard of a dry bar?”
THIRTY-ONE
Tane stayed onlyone night in Auckland before making the drive back. When I woke up after sleeping on sheets borrowed from Nina, I unpacked and then went downstairs to the bar and found her making breakfast for the two of us.
“Toast,” Nina directed me, pointing to my usual spot by the toaster. “My mum isthrilled. She actually called me last night to gossip about you two. She said Tane was all moony and happy last night.”
I smiled down at the toaster, blushing.
“Oh. Em. Gee. You are all moony too. Ack!” She waved a hand. “So cute! Have you heard from Tane this morning?”
“Yes, he left Auckland a couple of hours ago.”
“And what about your sister? Was she super excited? I messaged her, but I haven’t heard back.”
“Right, about that. Iris is in Indonesia. Without internet.”
“What?” Nina squawked, and I filled her in on my globe-trotting sister.
“She said she was flying to a different island, but she didn’t know which one. I literally have no idea where she is right now. Or in which time zone. Hmm.” I pulled up a time zone map, but Indonesia was a much bigger country than I’d expected. It had three time zones.
I texted her.Sooo... I’m back in Wellington. Quit my job. Moved in with Tane. Well... sorta. Tane has to move back in. It’s a lot to explain. Call me. I hope Indonesia and Rico are fantastic! Tell him I said hi.
After breakfast, I used the office computer while Nina got the bar ready to open. Some of the staff did double takes when walking by and then stopped to chat, so I kept getting distracted. But I did submit more job applications, made some phone calls, and did some research for Tane’s big plan.
Tane wanted to open a sister bar to Haft & Hops, possibly in Wellington but most likely in Auckland. Instead of serving alcohol, the bar would be a sober—or dry—bar. I hadn’t known any dry bars in Boston, but I also hadn’t known to look for them. An entire bar subculture revolved around nonalcoholic drinks like the craft cocktails I’d made or the beer we’d tried at Haft & Hops.
And there wasn’t a dry bar in New Zealand.
I was daydreaming about new cocktail recipes when my phone rang next to me. Iris’s photo looked up at me and I quickly answered the video call.
“Oh. My. God. Claire! I am so furious with you!” She squinted at me, trying to look threatening, I suppose, but the corners of her lips weren’t cooperating and she just looked constipated instead.
“What? What did I do?”
“I finally connected to the internet today and I had about fifty messages from Nina documenting the saga of Tane and Claire. ‘He’s going to Auckland,’ ‘She showed up here.’ I getonetext from you like, ‘Oh hey, I guess I live with my boyfriend now.’ I. Need. Details.”
I laughed and filled Iris in on everything that had happened since her vacation from reality had started.
“So the place is entirely empty except for my clothes in two drawers of the dresser and my toiletries in the bathroom. It’s actually more like he’s moving in with me. I’ve staked my side of the bed and the shelves in the vanity.”
“And Tane gets in tonight? And you’re going to open a bar together?”
“Well, no,” I corrected her. “By the time Tane gets a loan and finds a property, I’ll probably be back in America.”
“Sure, that’s what you think,” Iris said coyly.
