“How are the chips?”
I raised the packet of Light and Tangy flavoured crisps. “Look, they’re not as good as All Dressed flavour but they’re passable.” I threw a few into my mouth. The snacks here were better than I remembered, but I wasn’t going to admit that when it had been an ongoing debate over the years. Our parents had often swapped care packages filled with treats and us kids always threw our thoughts in of what to send, debating how much better the treats we sent were rather than received. Although, he always made Aunty Ash send us Caramello Koalas and while I never admitted this, they were my favourite and better than any of the chocolate back home.
“I told you they’d be good. Just not as good as Salt N Vinegar,” he replied, reaching for his own packet.
I studied his side profile. The way his hair was growing a little longer by the day, now looking soft. The relaxed stance of his shoulders which were more pliable than when I first arrived. The softness of his brows. “Taking leave suits you.”
A sound of scepticism rumbled in his chest. “I thought it was going to be difficult. That I’d last a day or two and then end up back in the office. But I like not being there. Holidays might not be as bad as I thought.”
“It could be the weed still lingering in your system,” I joked, and he shot me a glare before that delicious little smirk split his face.
“Still can’t believe we got stoned. That’s the last time I trust you to organise anything,” he chuckled.
“Untrue. I booked the accommodation for tonight,” I grinned, feeling pleased with myself. “You’re just a control freak.”
“It’s not my fault. I had a receptionist once who would organise my meetings and she always filed them under the wrong name. It was bad.”
We both laughed as he recounted a day where he referred to someone by the incorrect name three times, in a room of thirty people, before they corrected him.
“Okay, I can see why you prefer to do your own organisation. Although, I stand by my order. Nowhere on the menu did it state the food was laced. It’s a fantastic lawsuit waiting to happen.”
“Kenn is lucky you aren’t litigious. And that our mother’s apparently enjoy a sneaky joint.”
“I actually love that we are retracing their steps,” I sighed, rolling my head out towards the oceanic expanse of the horizon. “Weed included. I would have never come here and seen this without her diary,” I swept my hand towards the coast. Unlike our inland trip a couple of days prior, Corbin had chosen this drive purely for the views it afforded. The lengthy highway sat adjacent to the never-ending vast cerulean of the ocean and with the coastal breeze, the windows were down a little and the air was fresh. The oceanicsetting accompanied the nearly eight-hour trip to our next location, and we’d spent the morning alternating between music and shared stories. He’d asked about my business and how I’d gotten into candles, and I’d pried into the things he enjoyed other than work – not in the least surprised when he didn’t have much to offer. We talked about families, and he admitted he didn’t get home as often as he should despite living only a couple of suburbs away. He’d seemed sheepish admitting this and I understood why. We both knew I would have loved to be a suburb or two away from my parents these days, but that was life, and a reminder how often we took those things for granted when they were always there.
“Mum seemed happy this morning too,” he said.
“I think she’s just happy you’re taking some time for yourself.” I admitted and he hummed his agreement.
“What does a regular day in the office look like for you?” He’d given me the basic rundown of his role as an executive officer in his insurance company, but I still didn’t have a tight grasp on what exactly that looked like. He’d mentioned working long hours and how this gave him little time for anything else, but that left a lot to the imagination.
“It’s long. And it's mostly meetings. Which means my colour is often –pesto.”
“Eww. Do you even like what you do?” I couldn’t imagine remaining somewhere for so many hours each day and not enjoying the work.
“Most of the time I do,” he seemed hesitant, his finger tapping on the steering wheel. “I like my direct team,” he offered before another pause. “And most of our clients are great. But I’m not necessarily thrilled to head a new office. That will come with its own challenges.”
“Like what?” I spun around in my seat so I was facing him, adjusting the seat belt so it wasn’t choking me. Pivoting towards him was becoming habitual, my body always wanting to be facing him as if he was true north. I’d always been a people watcher, finding thethings they did and the manner with which they moved fascinating, but Corbin was like a piece of art. One which I could stare at and appreciate all day and still find new things to admire.
“Being lonely.” He cleared his throat, his eyes remaining steadfast on the road ahead, although I saw the way his throat bobbed more acutely. So there was a slight chink in the armour. The first indication the fortress he concocted with hiswork hard, live not at allmantra wasn’t as fulfilling as he tried to convey.
Corbin was a worker, and I knew he enjoyed what he did but at what cost?
“Moving away would mean no family close by. What about your team? Surely you’d take some people with you?” I watched him closely, my heart squeezing that he was perhaps unhappy with his life as it was.
That a man like him could be lonely, was unfathomable. He was the ultimate catch and surely had women lining up for his attention. His tongue darting out to moisten his lips while he thought about his response stole my attention.
“Surprisingly no. I would scout the location and then Old Ed – my boss – has a few contacts in the States and they would recruit new hires. It’s all pretty boring.”
“We are coming back toOld Edbecause I’m going to need a full description, but say you’re happy with the New York office, do you just relocate?”
The thought was bittersweet. New York was much closer to Canada, but was a place I felt no connection to and wondered if Corb would feel the same.
“Basically.” He flicked a look towards me, his eyes quickly dropping to my bare legs which were pulled up to my chest. I’d gone with a pair of black athleisure shorts and an oversized tee which meant there was a fair amount of thigh on show and the thin press of his lips didn’t go unnoticed. I’d caught him watching me a couple of times, although I was just as guilty so who was I to judge. It also sent a cheapthrill through me every time I caught him doing it and never failed to spark a flash of memories to our shower. Where I bore witness to an entirely new side of him and got to run my hands over that hidden masterpiece of a body too. That shower was scorching – and not because of the water temperature. I almost needed a second one just to cool off.
“I would build the team myself so I will make plenty of decisions. Define the long-term strategies for growth and market expansion. Develop the policies and procedures, build partnerships and drive innovation, but it will be a new country. New networks to form and clients to source. I wouldn’t get a lot of time off, but when I did, there wouldn’t be anyone close by to see,” He ran a hand over his head, exhaling through his nose. “I don’t have a heap of friends, but I do like to relax occasionally.”
“I hate that we live so far from each other,” I admitted, feeling a wave of sadness that he was again implying an undercurrent of loneliness. “I’d never leave you alone.”