Page 49

Hey, can you do me a favour?

Flora

Name it

Don’t go into labour early I have to go away for a bit

Flora

Got it

I’ll tell the baby to stay in there

You travelling for work again?

Yeah. Sort of

Flora

Where are you going?

Australia

Flora

WHAT?

Oh my God

You’re going for him, aren’t you

IRIS ARE YOU GOING FOR LEO???

It’s complicated

Flora

No, it’s not

Oh God you’ve made me cry

No, don’t cry! I won’t be away forever

Flora

These are happy tears

I’m so happy for you!

I knew he was The One

Ever since you told me about him carrying you from the sea

Oh God I’m crying again

My emotions are out of control

I’m primarily going out there for work

Flora

Sure, yeah, for work

When are you leaving?

Now

Flora

NOW?

I’m at the airport

Flora

THIS IS SO EXCITING

You use capital letters too much

Flora

YOU WON’T DAMPEN MY SPIRIT

I’M TOO HAPPY FOR YOU TO CARE

THIS IS GLORIOUS!

Ffs How do I get you to stop using caps?

Flora

WHEN YOU ADMIT IT

Admit what?

Flora

YOU KNOW WHAT

We’re boarding, got to go I’ll message when I land xxx

Flora

FLY MY FRIEND! FLY TO HIM!

*

Australia has fast become one of my favourite places in the world.

I’ve only been here a day, but I totally get why people come here and never leave.

Melbourne is such a stylish and cool city, and the people seem to be the friendliest in the world; everywhere you go, they’re giving off such a warm, easy-going, vibrant energy.

We haven’t made it to the beaches yet, but I already know they’re going to be spectacular.

Ever since we got on the first plane, Mum has been living her best life.

She sipped the champagne brought to her by the flight attendant, giggled her way through a couple of rom-com movies, and slept well thanks to her silk eye-mask and ear plugs.

She had prepped and brought an entire flight skincare routine for both of us to abide by so that we descended from the plane with glowing faces, and when we landed early morning in Melbourne and headed to our hotel, she didn’t ‘give a hoot’ if I was tired and jet-lagged, she had booked a ‘fabulous’ place for brunch.

She was really taking this whole grabbing-life-by-the-balls thing seriously.

Apparently, there isn’t a moment to lose.

After a stroll through the streets of Melbourne, marvelling at the amount that’s going on here and the buzz of the city, we arrive at Top Paddock, the sophisticated restaurant she’s booked, and it’s there over cheesecake waffles and coconut, chia and almond granola that we discuss how best to play things with Leo from here.

I haven’t yet told him I’m in Australia.

‘I think you message his dad and find out whereabouts he is, and then you can go there and surprise him,’ Mum advises after ordering her third mimosa.

‘But then what happens?’ I ask nervously. ‘I don’t want to interrupt his training routine or get in his way. Maybe he’d rather I message him and he can work out when it’s best for me to fit around his schedule.’

‘Iris, you’ve flown around the world to be here for him. He’s not going to casually message you back saying he’ll have to consult his schedule.’

‘I don’t want to distract him.’

‘He wanted you to be here. If anything, you’ll spur him on. The competition is a week and a half away: plenty of time to get his head in the game.’

‘Okay, I’ll message Adriano,’ I say, getting out my phone. My fingers tingling, I look up at Mum, a smile breaking through. ‘I’m so nervous, I feel a bit sick.’

‘Naturally,’ she says, gratefully accepting her drink from the waiter. ‘Nerves and nausea are classic symptoms.’

‘Of what? Surprising someone out of the blue?’

She shrugs, but doesn’t elaborate. I don’t push her for an answer either, afraid of what that answer might be.

But I do take her advice and message Adriano to let him in on the secret.

It was obvious before I left Burgau that he’d got wind of what was going on between me and Leo – since I’m here, it’s a matter of time before he gets firm confirmation.

He replies in a matter of minutes. I’m so jittery, I jump out of my skin at the vibration of my phone, and then relax, laughing at the intensity of his message, all capital letters that I hope expressed his excitement, unless he’s done it by accident:

WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA IRIS!

His next message buzzes through straight away:

Leo is going to be so happy

I feel warm and fuzzy, like a sparkler has been lit in my stomach, the excitement ever so slightly starting to overwhelm the nerves.

Adriano gives me Leo’s address, a holiday house rental in Torquay near Bells Beach, and says Leo will be there this evening.

He promises to keep his lips sealed about my being here.

‘Now, you mustn’t worry about me for the next couple of weeks; I want you to focus on whatever is going on with you and Leo,’ Mum insists, sitting back and giving me a stern look. ‘You have to be brave, Iris. You have to see where this leads.’

‘And what will you get up to?’

She exhales, her eyes gleaming. ‘For the first time in my life, I’m going to see where each day takes me.

I’ll see the sights, do some exploring, a bit of travelling around.

I have nowhere to be, no one to see, no one to speak for and no one to compromise with – it’s just me making decisions for myself.

’ She hesitates. ‘It’s frightening, but I think I might enjoy it. ’

‘You’re in the right place for that kind of adventure.’

‘Oh yes, where better to remember how to spread my wings than here in majestic Australia,’ she muses. ‘I think I’m going to like it here.’

*

After getting a train followed by a taxi, I finally arrive at Leo’s Torquay beach house that evening.

Having slept badly on the flights thanks to the butterflies that had set up camp in my stomach ever since I accepted Mum’s invitation to come here, I was seriously lagging after breakfast, so Mum let me traipse back to her hotel room for a nap while she checked out some of the city’s art galleries.

When my alarms went off to let me know it was time to get ready before I left for Torquay, I was so groggy, I considered delaying surprising Leo until tomorrow, but then I thought about how big his smile might be when he opened the door to me and I practically launched myself off the bed and into the shower.

Now I’m here outside his holiday let, I’ve never felt more awake.

‘Oh God,’ I mutter under my breath as I carefully make my way up the path that leads to the bright-blue front door, ‘please let me have made the right decision.’

When I reach the door, I take a moment to gather my courage.

Standing outside in one of my favourite pairs of black block heels, an olive-green dress with a deep neckline, and a light denim jacket, I drop my shoulder bag onto the porch.

It feels a little embarrassing to rock up at his house with an overnight bag – pretty presumptuous actually – but I don’t fancy travelling the two hours back to Melbourne in a slinky dress first thing in the morning if he needs me to leave when he surfs.

I raise my hand and knock on his door.

It takes him a few moments, but eventually, it swings open and there he is.

Leo. My Leo. He’s so gorgeous, so tall and broad, his hair so thick and wild, so sexy standing there barefoot in a white t-shirt and dark-green board shorts.

My resident stomach butterflies are going wild.

Fucking hell, how did I ever walk away from him?

He starts on seeing me, his eyes widening in shock.

‘Hey,’ I say, offering him an anxious smile.

‘ Iris ,’ he says like he can’t quite believe it.

‘I hope you don’t mind me showing up unannounced, I was in the area, so…’

I think he’s too stunned to acknowledge my weak attempt at a quip. He’s still holding the door with one hand, staring at me wide-eyed.

‘I thought about it,’ I continue, balling my hand into a fist to try to hide my trembling fingers, ‘and I would quite like to come with you to Australia. If the offer still stands.’

Another joke that doesn’t quite land.

His mouth is open, his expression remaining bewildered. I start to wonder if this surprise was such a good idea. Maybe I should have given him a bit of warning. While he tries to compute my presence, I carry on rambling, filling the silence.

‘I flew over with my mum. Turns out she wanted a holiday here. Such a strange coincidence. I wanted to surprise you; I hope that’s okay. I messaged your dad and he let me know where you were staying. I only flew in this morning, but I… I had to see you.’

His mouth closes now to form a small but definite smile, his eyes glinting. He drops his hand from the door to his side.

‘I’ve been thinking about all those things you said to me on the beach in Burgau and I realised I never actually… uh… told you how I felt.’

I pause, my heart hammering against my chest, part of me wondering whether I’m actually going to do this. And then the other part of me goes, hell yeah .

Like Mum said, I have to be brave.

‘You make me happy, Leo,’ I blurt out finally, and God does it feel good to say it out loud.

‘I’ve been a wreck without you. I have no idea where this is going, which frightens the crap out of me, but you’re right, it’s worth the risk.

And I know you love a surf analogy, so here goes.

In short,’ I grin as his eyes sparkle at me, ‘I want to ride this wave with you.’

‘Oh, London,’ he breathes, his eyes falling to the ground as he breaks into a grin, before he lifts them to fix me with a hot, blazing gaze, ‘I’m going to give you the ride of your fucking life.’