if this was a good idea but she couldn’t think of an excuse on the spot. She couldn’t think of anything much when Seb looked at her and smiled.
Luci took her bag from Seb and slung it over her shoulder. When she reached the beach she rolled up the legs of her khaki pants and slid her canvas sneakers off her feet and walked along the sand. The late-afternoon sun bounced off the waves, turning the water silver. Kids with surfboards ran in and out of the ocean, their shouts drowning out the screeching of the seagulls. The beach was busy. She didn’t know a soul but she was fine with that. Back home she couldn’t walk down the street without bumping into half a dozen people she knew and it was a pleasant change to have anonymity, especially after the past six months. It wasn’t always so great having everyone know your business.
She stepped off the beach opposite the bar. She walked on the grass to brush the sand from her feet then slipped her shoes back on. Seb had beaten her there and he lifted a hand in greeting as she crossed the street. As if she wouldn’t have noticed him—the bar was busy but he was easily the most noticeable person there.
Somehow, despite the crowd, he’d managed to grab a table with a view of the beach. He stood up as she approached and offered her a stool, his motorbike helmet on a third stool, like a chaperone.
‘What can I get you to drink?’
‘What are you going to have?’
‘A beer.’
‘That sounds great, thank you.’
Sturdy Norfolk pines lined the foreshore, guarding the beach, and Luci watched the ocean through the frame of the trees. She took her phone out of her bag as Seb went to the bar and snapped a photo of the view. She sent it to Flick captioned, After-work drinks, could get used to this! But she resisted saying anything about the company she was keeping. There was no way to describe how he made her feel. Nervous, excited, expectant. She was silly to feel those things, she knew nothing about him, and she knew she couldn’t share her thoughts, Flick would think she’d gone crazy.
She slipped her phone into her bag as Seb came back to the table.
He handed her a glass. ‘So, you’re a nurse?’
‘And you’re a doctor.’
‘I am. Is that how you met Callum? Through the hospital? How come I’ve never met you?’
Luci laughed. ‘Which question do you want me to answer first?’
‘Your choice.’
He was looking at her intently and her heart pounded in her chest. He made her feel nervous—a gorgeous man paying her attention. It was such an unfamiliar situation but she would have to admit she rather liked it. She didn’t even mind the nerves. It was exciting.
She took a sip of her beer as she thought about which answer to give him.
‘I’ve never actually met your brother. And I’ve never been to Sydney before, which would be why we’ve never met. Callum needed a place to stay and so did I. The house swap was convenient for both of us. Nothing more than that.’
Luci had been restless since her divorce and Flick had been pushing her to get out of Vickers Hill, but she’d needed more than a push. She was buying her ex’s share of their house and she couldn’t afford to pay her mortgage and rent elsewhere so it wasn’t until the house-swap idea had been suggested that she’d been brave enough to actually put a plan in motion. Having the opportunity to study and have free accommodation had been a big deciding factor for her. Which brought her back to the matter at hand. Where was she going to be able to stay now? It would be extremely inconvenient if she had to change her plans.
‘Callum didn’t tell me that he had any other tenants,’ she said. ‘I suppose I could look into nurses’ accommodation through the hospital if you want me to move out. Do you know if the hospital has any student accommodation? I’m afraid I don’t know anyone in Sydney to stay with.’
Seb shook his head. ‘You have more right to be there than I do. I told you, whatever plans you made with him stick. It’s his place and I’m not even technically a tenant. I only crash there when I come to town. I can ask one of my mates to put me up.’
‘When you come to town?’ Luci queried. ‘You’re not employed at North Sydney?’ She had assumed he was a staff doctor. ‘Are you just a guest lecturer?’
‘Not exactly.’ Seb picked up his glass and Luci’s eyes followed the path of his drink from the table to his lips. She watched as he took a long sip. She could scarcely believe she was sitting at a bar, having a drink with a stranger. She’d never been out with a man she’d just met. Not one on one. For as long as she could remember she had been part of a couple.
Seb made her feel nervous. But it was a good kind of nervous. An exciting kind.
He swallowed his beer and continued, ‘I’m employed by the state health department and I’m based out of North Sydney Hospital but I spend most of my time in rural areas. There doesn’t seem to be much point paying rent in the city, especially not at Sydney prices, for the few nights a month that I’m in town so I crash at Cal’s.’
Disappointment washed over her. He was only in town a few nights a month. Did that mean he’d be gone again soon?
‘If you’re only here for a few days then I’m sure we can manage to share the space,’ she suggested, hoping she sounded friendly and hospitable rather than desperate, but the truth was she’d quite like the company. While she was enjoying her anonymity she’d never lived on her own before—she’d left home and moved into university accommodation and then married Ben. She was finding Callum’s apartment a bit too quiet. She liked the idea of having company and she had a feeling she could do a lot worse than Seb’s.
‘I need to be honest,’ he replied. ‘I’m here for longer than a few days this time, it’ll be closer to six weeks, and in the interests of full disclosure I’ll be working out of the community health centre attached to the hospital. Where will you be doing your placement?’
‘There.’ Because Luci was from interstate she’d been given the most convenient placement.
‘So we’ll be working together too,’ Seb added, ‘but if you’re happy to share Cal’s space for a few days, we could give it a trial and see how we go.’ He smiled at her and Luci’s heart flipped in her chest. ‘If it doesn’t work out, I’ll find somewhere else to stay. How’s that sound?’
It sounded all right to her but she paused while she pretended to give it some thought. She nodded. ‘Okay.’
‘That’s settled, then.’ He tapped his drink against hers. ‘House mates it is.’ He sipped his beer and asked, ‘So tell me about Vickers Hill. Your family is there?’
Luci nodded. ‘My parents. I work at the local hospital.’
‘Is it a big town?’
‘Big enough to need a hospital. Your typical country hospital. We have obstetrics and some aged-care beds and we do some minor surgery as well.’
‘So why the change to family and community health?’
‘I needed to get out.’
‘Of the hospital?’
Luci
