The Waitress

Caught in a spiral

Tom fidgeted in his seat.

He was nervous.

His life had been a whirlwind over the past six weeks and now it was time to knuckle down get back to work and concentrate on his career. But it wasn't easy when your holiday romance had followed you to work to the world you had created for yourself. This should have been the meeting of his Marvel family and his Australian family and instead, it seemed like a three-way collision course.

Tom was no stranger to holiday romances, summer seemed the only time he had for such things. But this was different, this had been more intense and way less private than previous encounters.

But it was good, it was what he needed.

He hadn't realised until she'd come into his life, needing his help – Vulnerable – that while he needed someone to love him what he really needed was someone to NEED him, to rely on him. And she did.

Mells hadn't.

She was more self-contained. She didn't open up like this girl.

Mells.

He felt a pang of guilt.

He should have warned her.

They were friends, she deserved that.

Hang on.

They were friends.

She wanted him to find love and he did.

He owed her nothing.

Then why did he feel like he owed her everything?

His hands were clammy.

His thoughts were running back and forward, contradicting him, taunting him.

They were landing soon but not in Brisbane though, this was different, life was different. They were flying over Mells state coming from the NSW capital to the very northeastern edge of state instead of coming into Brisbane. They couldn't do it from LAX and it wasn't the way his companion had wanted to go anyway. And so they had already landed in Australia once today and there had been a media circus in Sydney – a surprise – but then that was Sydney, most of the countries major morning shows and media were based there, or Melbourne, and they had already proven a big drawcard overseas. But the Gold Coast would be more laid-back, wouldn't it? There would be no media circus on the Gold Coast. He would slide back into his summer life and everything would be the way it was. Except he had Taylor with him now – she'd insisted, not wanting to be away from him. They were still in that intoxicating honeymoon stage. That "I can't live without you stage and so he'd agreed" even though something in the back of his mind warned him against it, screamed against it. But that was just his mind being irrational. Fighting against happiness, like he always did, he was great at internal sabotage, so he ignored it this time.

But now as the NSW coast and rural areas flashed below them, it seemed they were flying out of that bubble and back into reality. It unnerved him.

He felt it overwhelming him and he knew he needed a release. He would need to drop his bags and run, run free on his beach. Soak in the feel of Broadie. Drop in for a gelato with George and a coffee at the wave.

Liam, of course, had gone ahead as forward scout, filling his fridge and cupboards with food and alcohol and setting things up. He'd asked nonchalantly if he'd seen their friends at the Blue Wave – of course, he had. He and Emma were still going strong, love was all around them. They weren't two lonely bachelors this time, they were two men in love.

All the crew had been great according to Liam though he hadn't mentioned Mells by name. Tom's stomach had dropped at that.

He should have texted her.