Page 117 of Sit, Stay, Love
Toby: I hear I missed burgers.
Sera’s finger hovered. Was she going there? Oh yeah, she was definitely going there.
Sera: How was your date?
Three dots appeared. Disappeared again. Then popped back up.
Toby: Nice. Was there pineapple on the burger?
She glared at his message.
Sera: Of course not. Are you seeing her again?
Toby: Undecided. Pizza tonight?
Sera: Can’t. Stuff to do.
Toby: James?
Sera: No, I’m not doing him tonight.
She winced.Oh god.That sounded really bad. Three dots came and went. Came and went. Came and went.
Toby: Overshare. Call you later. Client due.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sera and her mother were seated in a restaurant alongside Narrabeen Lagoon, not far from where Kevin had dragged Ethan into the water.
‘What are you going to have darling?’ her mother asked as she looked over the menu.
Sera cast a miserable eye over her choices. She was in a mood. Toby hadn’t called her later as he’d promised, and she’d decided not to call him. Which was dumb, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she’d moped around and watched a Hallmark Christmas movie, which normally made her happy, but hadn’t worked last night.
She shouldn’t be so wound up about Toby going on a date. She had Ethan. If Toby had someone too, it would make life so much easier. Not that Toby’s happiness was all about making her life easy, but she did want him to be happy. Didn’t she? Yes, of course she did.
Maybe it was because she didn’t know this Kate woman. Toby knew Ethan. Admittedly, he hated him, but at least he knew him. She’d ask to meet Kate. Maybe next time they had coffee together, she could join them.
Then there was Ethan and his sudden departure. He’d called her at eight that morning to say he’d be gone for a few days – he was headingto the Gold Coast to see a friend. When she’d panicked, thinking he’d be away for the fundraiser, he told her not to worry – he’d be back in time. But he’d sounded kind of blasé about it. In fact, he’d sounded totally disinterested. Then he told her what a great time he’d had with Carol, and that she’d been right, it was exactly what he needed. His words hurt her in a way she wasn’t expecting.
‘Who’s the friend?’ she’d asked casually.
‘Just someone I worked with,’ he’d said. ‘She’s filming up there for a few weeks.’ Then he added, ‘Carol and I had a great chat. Did she tell you?’
‘Yes,’ Sera had said. Though by the strange way he threw it into their conversation, she thought she might need a few more details.
Then he’d said they were calling his flight and he’d ring her later, hanging up without saying goodbye.
When Sera had asked Carol what they’d talked about after their walk, Carol had said, ‘His work, movies and your friendship with Dr McManus.’ Her stomach had tightened when she’d heard that.
Her mother waved in front of Sera’s face. ‘Hello. Darling?’ She touched her daughter’s hand. ‘What’s going on? You look miserable.’
‘Do you think we should have left dad with that ride-on mower? I’m not sure that was a great idea.’
‘He’ll be fine. In his element. Now, what’s wrong? How’s Ethan?’
‘He’s gone to the Gold Coast. Something about a friend.’
‘And he didn’t ask you to go with him?’
