“What color are your bags?” Chloe said from next to me. I turned to her then glanced behind me, unable to find Jess and Gina in the crowd.
“Where’s—”
“They went to the toilet,” she said.
“Our bags are green,” I said.
“Smart,” she said.
I didn’t travel much, but one of the tips I picked up was to have a different color suitcase than black. It helped pick mine out of the sea of black bags that rotated around the carousel.
“Since Jess doesn’t have a dad, I’m going to be the one to ask about your intentions for my daughter,” she said.
I tried to find the lightness in her tone but was unsuccessful.
“I have no intentions of seeing anyone else, Mrs. Holland.”
“It’s Miss,” she said quickly.
Okay, then Miss Holland it was. Even though I knew her first name, I wanted to make a good impression. The idea of that made me want to laugh. I hadn’t met anyone’s parents since Wendy and I first got together. Even in my thirties, I wanted to make a good impression on Jess’s mom.
“Jess and I might have met under a working relationship, but I assure you I want to be with her.”
“Why haven’t you spoken about this to your lovely daughter?”
I sighed. She dug right into specifics. These were things Jess and I haven’t discussed in detail yet. “Jess and I are taking it slow. We both agreed to that.”
“Hm,” she said and scratched at her chin. She walked toward the carousel and lifted a green bag from the belt. “This one of yours?”
“Yes,” I said, helping her.
Jess and Gina joined us a few moments later, ending the interview with Chloe. Though I knew she wasn’t finished with me yet.
Chloe drove us to the suburb of Mona Vale almost thirty kilometers north of Sydney. Gina and I were glued to the windows, taking in the foreign land.
Chloe was a proper tour guide, and she told us everything we’d ever need to know about the area, pointing out different locations.
Jess was quiet the whole way to her house. She looked out the window with disinterest, and her eyes had a faraway look to them. I didn’t press her to speak. I’d give her the time she needed to work out whatever she needed to for us to have a good time on the rest of the trip. I was sure this was a big step for her too, and I didn’t want to push her.
“I’m gonna take you the long way around town to show you the sights before we get to the house, okay?” Chloe said.
“That’s fine with us,” I said for everyone.
She drove close to the coast where the beaches were. The water was incredibly clear, and the waves on a few of the beaches were the largest I’d ever seen. Even when I spent a little time on the west coast of the United States, I was never into beaches and surfing. For some reason, I wanted to jump right into this water with Gina and Jess, as soon as I could.
“We live near the shallow beach,” Chloe said.
“It’s not as rough as the other ones,” Jess added. “Perfect for the little tackers.” A smile broke through her funk, and by the time we reached her house, her mood had improved.
When we pulled up to the house, I realized we were only a short walk away from the beach. As much as I wanted to go today, I knew we’d need a day to adjust. Being jet lagged and burnt to a crisp wouldn’t start off our vacation on a good note.
Chloe’s brick house was one story. The front yard was small, but what little grass they had was lush and green.
Jess came over to my side of the car and whispered into my ear, “It looks small, but it can fit all of us comfortably. If you want to get a hotel, I wouldn’t mind.”
I lightly squeezed her arm. “This is perfect.”
We locked eyes, and I wanted to kiss her so badly. It wasn’t the right time. Though if Gina saw, I could easily tell her she dreamed it since she was still living on little sleep.