And What If I Were You

Chapter 1 - Part 19

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

The Gallery

Pandanus Palms Retreat

Pandanus Island

9.20am. Working in the gallery...

"Have you thought any more about it?" Zayn asks as the last B&B guest from the group leaves through the front door with some of Becky's oils and soaps in one of the Gallery's tote bags.

Louis leans into the counter. "Thought about what?"

"About whether you're wanting to get back into something artistic," Zayn clarifies.

"Oh, uhm. I hadn't really."

It's a bald-faced lie, but at least Zayn can't see the grimace on Louis' face to catch him out.

"Liar."

Okay, so maybe he's picked up a bit of Liam's mind-reading capability, which, annoying.

"Fine," Louis huffs out. "I have, but I don't know what I want to do. Or what I can do."

"Lou, you can do anything you want," Zayn says, tone soothing.

Louis bumps their hips together. "Now who's lying?"

Zayn sighs, all put-upon and dramatic. "Of course you can't do anything, but there's got to be something that interests you that you'd feel comfortable trying. What about clay sculpture?"

"Never really been a fan of how it looked."

"Well, that's lucky then, considering you wouldn't actually be able to see what you'd created."

"Ha ha. Very droll, Z. Very droll."

"Just telling it like it is, man. You must've tried it in college, yeah? Did you like the feel of it?"

"I- I dunno."

"Bullshit."

Louis rolls his eyes. "I'm rolling my eyes at you."

Zayn gently pinches Louis' side, making him squirm away. "Like that's gonna bother me. I want tea. Come on."

Louis prepares their tea, the last couple of weeks spent helping out in the Gallery every other day having allowed him to become familiar with the set-up and he manages it with a confidence that makes him feel even more like he belongs.

They head outside into the sunshine and take up their usual spot at the table and chairs between two pandanus palm trees, the island's namesake.

"I heard there's a trip to Palm Island this afternoon," Louis says as he sets his mug of tea down and reclines back into the cushioned chair. "You gonna go?"

"Yeah, reckon so. I like the boat ride more than the destination, if I'm being honest."

"Wind in your hair, sea spray in your face?"

Zayn chuckles. "Yeah, something like that. What about you? Feel like braving the ocean with me?"

"I think it sounds cool. I'm in."

The rest of the morning passes quickly, mostly taken up with a group of tourists from Fiji who are on the island for a day trip. The Gallery is a standard stop for visitors to the island and they spend-up big, purchasing a number of artworks and sculptures as well as almost cleaning them out of Becky's soaps and herbal pouches, much to her delight when they let her know over lunch in the dining room. Danny and Penny take over in the Gallery for the afternoon while Becky is holed up in her creative room working on replenishing her goods. That leaves Louis, Zayn, and Jim to join the boat ride out to Palm Island, along with the tourists.