BEING HALSEY

CHAPTER 83

The coffee shop alongside the cool art gallery in Glenwood is half empty and peaceful. It’s so humid the air feels like soup and the moist heat is like super diesel for my hair.

I slide into a seat beneath the red umbrella and stretch my legs. The walk here did me good, I feel like I've been cycling since five a.m in the morning.

I order a tall, cool coke and diall Tray's number. I’m going to call him and see what he’s doing.

The phone rings and rings with no answer.

I type a text.

~Where are you?~

I sip my coke.

A little yellow envelope with Tray’s name pops up on my screen.

~ Just chillin. Away from you.~

I spit out the coke.

My next message only takes a few seconds to write and send.

~ Well, good luck with that. Don't even come back!.... I'm serious!"~

I make sure to add a thousand angry face Emojis at the end.

He gets the message and doesn't reply.

I pay for my drink and walk out the coffee shop, towards the park. I find an empty bench under the shade of a huge wild fig tree. I pull out my sketchpad and draw. I honestly don't know what I'm drawing, but It's sure not an angry Hal with smoke pouring out her ears.

I also add some horns.

I get into my doodling that I’m lost in my own world when I suddenly realise that Tray's standing in front of me.

I pull out my earphones and he grabs my hand, entwining our fingers.

“ Are you still mad at me?”

“What do you think?” I bounce back at him.

" How did you even find me?" I ask and close my sketchpad, dropping it inside my sling bag.

He waves his phone in air.

" Tracked you,"

" I'm not surprised."

We walk towards his car.

“ Where are we going?” I ask when he takes a different turn.

He grins.

I know that grin....

“ Somewhere safe,"

Oh boy!

***

Tray holds my hand as we walk side by side along the Golden street. It's already night time and it feels like we’re walking on air.

"Where on earth are you taking me?” I ask him.

“To the top of the world,” he grins. “But you’re going to have to look like you own the place when you walk in.”

I stop and unhook my arm in his.

“Just follow me,” He says and takes my hand in his. We stroll casually into the Southern Sun North Beach Hotel. We saunter across the lobby towards the lifts.

Tray pushes the lift button and starts whistling while we wait for the doors to open. The lift doors ping open and he shuffles me in. He pushes the button for the top floor and I cuddle into him as we soar up into the sky.

“This is it,” he says. “The secret destination.”

A rooftop pool spills out in front of us. The room is contained by floor-to-ceiling - and the view, from the sparkling lights of the funfair below to the twinkling lights of the harbour and city, takes my breath away. But it’s the ships lit up far out at sea that steal my heart.

I feel like I can reach out and scoop them up into my hands.

A small yacht motors by on its way back to port. Tray lifts his hand and gives it a solemn wave. He smiles warmly down at me and I roll my eyes.

“ Don't you know what day it is?"he asks in a husky voice.

“No, Why?"

He tips my chin up and slowly kiss me. The kiss feels so good, it’s like we’re floating in the sky, far out at sea above the ships, amongst the shining stars.

We stop and gasp for air, our foreheads touching.

Tray dips his hands in his coat and draws out a gift box with a small pink ribbon.

" Happy birthday."

***