Annie
‘Hello, stranger.’
I look up from where I’m crouched on the floor restocking one of the fridges to see an immaculately dressed and grinning Tamsin. My mouth falls open. ‘Oh my goodness.’ I laugh as I stand and make my way around the counter to hug her.
She squeezes me tightly, then draws back to look at me. ‘Oh, you are rocking the all-black ensemble.’
‘How are you this much taller than me?’ I drop my gaze to her very high heels. ‘Ah.’
She turns one foot so I can fully appreciate the shoe. ‘A gift to myself for surviving first-year exams.’ She lets out an enormous breath. ‘It’s so good to see you. I actually went to your apartment and met your very lovely yet rather suspicious of strangers sister. She gave me the address and told me you finished at eight.’ She taps her watch. ‘Well, look at that. It’s nearly eight.’
I’m smiling as I return behind the bar to serve a customer. ‘What are you doing in Brisbane?’ I ask as I pour a pint.
‘Quick Gold Coast trip with the fam. Mum and Dad are having dinner with friends nearby tonight, so I thought I’d come have dinner with you.’
A regular sitting at the far end of the bar gestures to his empty glass, and I pour another. ‘You might need to wait a few minutes, if that’s okay?’
‘Sure.’ She takes a seat on one of the stools and winks at the man seated at the other end—who’s approximately two hundred years old. ‘You have a fine breed of clientele here.’
I suppress a smile. ‘Tuesdays tend to be a little quiet.’
James appears from out back as she says that. His eyes go to Tamsin, and he raises an eyebrow at me in question.
‘This is Tamsin,’ I say.
He nods a greeting. ‘From down south?’
‘I am,’ she replies coyly. The moment he looks away she pretends to fan her face.
I shake my head.
‘Welcome to the sunshine state,’ James says. ‘What are you drinking?’
‘A good white, please. And I’m not sure about this sunshine state business. It’s rained every day since we arrived.’
‘It’s all backwards up here,’ I tell her. ‘You want sunshine? Come in winter.’
James places a wine glass on the bar and pours a generous amount. ‘She almost sounds like a local now.’
‘I am a local now.’
James touches a hand to my back as he steps around me. ‘What are you ladies up to tonight?’
Tamsin rests her elbows on the bar. ‘Dinner and hopefully more drinks.’
‘There’s a Mexican place a few doors up,’ I say. ‘Cheap food. Open late. Unlimited sangria on Tuesdays.’
Tamsin raises her glass. ‘Sold.’
Twenty minutes later, I drop the ‘No Service Area’ sign on my end of the bar and catch James’s eye to let him know I’m going.
He waves. ‘Nice meeting you, Tamsin.’
‘You too.’ She moves close to me as we head for the door. ‘Total silver fox.’
‘And my boss,’ I whisper.
She waits until we’re outside before saying, ‘I sense a pay rise coming.’