Tag: Fresh Beginnings

The woman behind the counter had looked to be in her thirties, and although carrying a stern look on her face, he did get a smile that lit up her lovely brown eyes and softened her expression. Yet, the massive amount of questions she asked him left him feeling as if he was back at school, and he didn’t want to fail and be sent back to Australia.
“Bringing in any medication?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Any food.”
“No, ma’am.” He hesitated. “Ah, ma’am. I’ve got a few leftover bikkies in my bag?”
The customs officer looked up at him with a blank face. “Bikkies?”
A fine sweat beaded his upper lip, and his palms moistened. “I suppose you’d call them cookies.” He grabbed the package out of his backpack and showed her the item in question.
She laughed, and it was a genuine and beautiful laugh. Not just a polite one, but also the kind that came from deep within. With a slight shake of her head, she replied, “Only you Australians could come up with a word like bikkies.” After a moment’s pause, she told him, “They’re all yours, honey.” And she proceeded with taking his photo and fingerprints.
With a little chuckle at himself, he grabbed his bag thinking immigration wasn’t all that bad.
Finally, after what seemed like an endless morning of shuffling through the Los Angeles airport, he exited the building only to be stuck again in yet another queue—waiting for a taxi.

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 Mark stared at him. “You did what?”
“Booked a holiday. Time for this ol’ man to forget about work and live some. Isn’t that what ya always tell me?”
Raising his brows, he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out as he continued staring.
Laughing, Jared clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Close ya mouth or the flies will call it a home.”
He did. “The USA?”
Jared gave his thumbs up. “Yup.”
“How long?”
“A bit over four weeks.”
Mark’s eyebrows shot up again. “Four weeks. Who’s looking after the business?”
“If I had known ya’d bombard me with all these questions, I’d have told ya inside. Graham will do most of it, and you’ll help him with the books.”
His buddy raked his hand through his hair.
“Ya owe me, O.C.”

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A few weeks later, Jared sat across the table from Mark, chugging down a bottle of water. As usual, he had easily beaten his friend at another game of squash.
“After all these years ya still playin’ like a girl,” he said.
Mark flipped him the finger and didn’t bother to reply.
“Trouble at home?”“
Nope, but having a house full of women is exhausting. Hope wakes up before dawn every morning and is cranky in the afternoon. Mia doesn’t want to come out of bed at all. Not to mention the extra person I’ve got to feed.”
“Josh?” Jared asked with a grin.
“Teenage love. I’ve begged Sophie to have the talk with Mia, but she merely laughed and replied I’m way too late.”
Jared nearly spilled his drink. “Too late?”
“I’m too scared to ask,” Mark replied with a shrug before he grabbed his gear and stood.
Jared stood as well and followed his friend into the male changing rooms. They took their showers and left the squash centre half an hour later.
Once they reached their cars, Jared said, “By the way, I’m heading over to the USA in two weeks.” And, as he threw his bag into his old Jeep, he added, “Booked the trip a few weeks back.”
Mark stared at him. “You did what?”

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