Jamie - The Journey Begins - 27. The Open Highway

“Hey, Ben.” A gentle whimper escaped from my sleeping prince. “Gonna make that call, okay? I’ll bring you a coffee once I’m done.” Kissing his cheek, I quietly walked out to the kitchen where Dave was already up and about.

With the coffee machine on … ummm - that unmistakable smell … the kitchen bench was all cleaned up from the fun of last night. The only real give away was the various pitch and rhythms of the gentile snores coming from the family room. As I walked up to the countertop, Dave’s handwork caught my eye: not only was I looking at a cleaned-up counter, but a notepad and pen had been placed in front of my iPad that was receiving a transfusion of electricity – ‘Jamie you’re blessed,’ I remarked quietly. “With nothing more than dragging my ass outa bed, my buddy has gotten me ready for my interview. Dave, thanks for all of this - it’s awesome mate!” I grabbed Dave’s shoulder and pulled him into a side hug. “Really, thanks man! I appreciate it.” My eyes took in the small breakfast spread of fruit and cereal that was laid out. I had food, coffee, stationery, and my charged iPad - I was all set.

“All good. I wasn’t sure what state you’d be in - was a big night last night hey.” That understated smile from Dave, his signature response to most things, said it all. He’s always been an amazing guy from pre-k days through to now. It's a special bond too when you've been friends with someone the majority of your lives - it's a strong sense. You don't need to see each other every day, but you're never far from each other's thoughts. “Sing out once you’re done ok? You can help me get these deadbeats up. And hey, good luck mate, but won’t need it.” With that, Dave grabbed his coffee and bowl of fruit and disappeared into the warm sunshine that was coming in through the backdoor.

"Yep, will do." And with that, I clicked on the link to the meeting room. "Good morning, Mr. Spence… Welcome-"

..o0o..

As it turned out over the next few days, I lined up three more interviews with Dallas, Boston, and Phoenix FD’s. The guys at Tucson were extremely keen to get me on board, so I was going to head over there on the following Thursday to do a sit-down interview.

The rest of my week in Texas was split between seeing Ben's family and my uncle and aunt, who were in town checking in with Lucas and Hailey. It's weird, right - when I'm with uncle Reid, it's like being with dad, just a little different: the mannerisms are common between those two so I get to almost see my dad and no lectures on stuff… who am I kidding - I've been on the busy end of a few ’No, listen here conversations’ with my uncle, but, thankfully, not for a while now. It just was awesome seeing them again.

We had one more night of fun before the boys left, filled with takeout Mexican and a few drinking games. The boys finally flew home to Oz on QF8, DFW to Sydney direct, on Tuesday night. It was so hard to say goodbye to them, made me wonder how I’d go living here with all my friends back in Australia, let alone my family too.

The following morning, I had a few final remote interviews to get through in the morning. Ben was on shift till 1700h, I think.

My mind rolled back over the past few days. I was feeling a little selfish: over the past few days, I felt like I’d almost ignored Ben, organizing for interviews, applying for other services. Generally being caught up in organizing myself, chasing down people, you know this stuff, can be pretty time-consuming and self-absorbing. It wasn’t my intention, though. It didn’t help much with him being on-shift and me online - we'd not had much quality time, yet he didn't complain or get pissy at all. Just took it in his stride and was being super supportive, that's who he is I guess, I’d do the same if the roles were reversed.

Wrapping up the last call for today, I checked the time, it was 13:00h. Ben was due off shift at 17:00. With 30 minutes of faffing about at the end of shift and driving back from the station, he should be home by 17:45-18:00. ‘Ok Jamie, time to get your butt into gear.’ Ben’s shift partner, Billy, picked him up, so I had Ben’s car… ‘you never know you might need it’ was Ben's reasoning… which came in handy now.

I had a plan. I headed out the door. First stop, the florist on West Anderson, Freytag. As I walked in the door, standing at the counter was an older lady who had just finished up with a customer. She looked my way and smiled as I headed over. “Morning, Ma’am. I’m after a dozen red roses, please.” it was obvious by the warmth of her smile and demeanor she’d seen all types customers over the years. I felt instantly calm around her - I think it was the sweet smile about her. She waved me over to the side where there were a few bunches. “Take your pick, sweetheart.” She pointed at the selection.

“Wow, they’re all so nice, ma’am…I’m struggling to-” then I saw… the perfect bunch. I leaned over and grabbed these beautiful ruby red roses. “Yes, these.” I turned back toward the counter, quite impressed with my flower picking skills for today when I spotted out the corner of my eye a burst of yellow. Looking closer, they were a bunch of small yellow flowers. They looked so much like Australian paper daisies, enough to give me pangs of homesickness on the spot.

“Excuse me, ma'am, are these for sale?" I hoped, pointing at what I later found out were native wildflowers – hill flower or something.

“Yes Sir. Aren’t they so beautiful?”

“They remind me of home.” I smiled.

She nodded her head/ “I' ma try’n to place your accent - are down from Boston, sweetie?”

I guess my accent was blending a little. It’s almost automatic, I guess. From my childhood, we (me and my siblings) learned on holidays to round out our vowels, combatting the Australian trait to flatten out our vowels. Tuna for instance, back home is Tune-Nah, here in the states we say tu-nerr, it becomes a habit.

"No Ma'am - my name's Jamie, Jamie Spence. I'm over from Australia." For some reason, I felt the need to introduce myself. "Working here in the States for a few months,” I glanced down at my chucks for a second, looking back up with thoughts of Ben running through my mind. ‘Jamie what-the… ‘- my mouth was running like a tap. "It might end up being longer, or not… I'm not sure." Ok - whoever has control of my mouth and brain, please, shut up! I could feel my face turn bright red now with embarrassment - I'd let my mouth and thoughts run away with me. "I'm try’n to work out the work-situation and have been a little caught up,”

"Well, it's lovely to meet you, Jamie Spence from Australia. I'm Jennie. This is our family's store.” There was that disarming smile again. “The special person you’re giving these to, I’m sure deserves those flowers and that gorgeous smile.”

“Thank you, ma'am. They're deserved. My fiancée means the world to me. I've been a little caught up and I want to make sure he knows how special he is and how much of a goose I've been."

Jennie smiled that warm mom smile. "I'm sure that you're being too hard on yourself, I’m sure,” I don’t think she understood the ‘goose’ statement or maybe most of what I just said. I could even tell I’d switched to the good old Aussie fast-talking blur we do, me particularly when I'm nervous.

"Well, I'm punching above my weight, well outta my class.” Jennie looked a little confused, too many Australian terms in one hit. “I’m batting outside my average, maybe?” That did the trick - she got that one, I think. "Ma'am, could I ask for you to add the yellow flowers in with the roses' please?"

“Sure honey, it would be my pleasure. I'll be a moment." With that, 'Jennie', having finally looked at flower-shop mom's name tag, walked back to the bench, and started to add the yellow around the red roses. The result was amazing: it made them stand out even more.

Sweeping up the flowers and thanking flowers’ shop mom, I jumped back into Ben's car and headed back home, via the store. I wanted to cook us dinner, something my mom had taught me as a kid - you know, a simple but deeply a part of who I was - and no, not fried chicken, Raman noodles, or mac and cheese, but a simple meal of oven-roasted vegetables with loads of crushed garlic and olive oil, with pork spare ribs and homemade sweet sauce. I could have saved myself a load of time, I’m sure, if I’d just bought some store sauce, but no, mom had a recipe that was pretty easy to follow - I’d made it enough times that it was committed to memory and ready in 50 minutes. This is going to be fun - look at me all domestic!

.o00o.

The house smelled amazing, even if I do say so myself: the sauce was nearly done, the ‘veggies-ok vegetables’ were in the oven and roasting away, the spareribs were on the rack above, dripping their pork fat on the veggies beneath. I was just finishing up cleaning down the counter when my cell beeped...

BR: hey skip, almost home cant wait to c you ❤️
JS: c me u will im rtg

I’d been so hot and horny all day. Just the thought of Ben coming home kicked me – cue the 70’s porn music- into gear. In only what seemed a few seconds, it made me do a quick double-take when I heard the front door opening. Ah yes - what a brilliant idea Jamie, -I think I should give him a sexy surprise, hey.

I could hear footsteps, well, sound more like sock steps, boots off at the front door in this place, or Ben will string you up.

"Wow, Jamie! What smells so nice?" The words poured out of that beautiful mouth in that … OMG sexy come here right now southern twang, that I’ve always loved so much. You know, some people have a really heavy accent. It’s the same back home, but the mid-range accent that… that’s the one. Ben rounded the corner and came into view. His eyes instantly widened, mouth dropped - whatever he was saying just evaporated from his consciousness, seeing me sitting on the countertop naked (yes-yes… I had my T under my butt, okay? It's clean anyways.) spread legged, smiling, - certainly gotten his attention.

"Oh wow! Hey, Jamie!,” Ben’s eyes met mine and he took it all in... stopping dead in his tracks “Umm…one sec, Billy,” he called out, spinning around and trying to hide me for a moment while still looking at me. It was funny and embarrassing as I was about to learn for all of us at the same time.

BILLY!! I died in the ass of embarrassment, like a deer in the headlights: I'm sitting on his countertop naked as the day I was born. I'd even done a few little workouts in between jobs all day just to buff up a little. I've gotta say, I was looking pretty good, too. ‘Jesus - should I jump down? But I have to go forward. Do I spin around and jump into the kitchen… or do I just stay where I was?’ While my mind was playing a game of rock-paper-scissors to pick an answer with no success, at least my hand was in the game, subconsciously trying to gather my junk up and save some modesty, but that was kinda hard too, because I was, well you know, kinda hard. In the end, by the time they’d decided (the operators on the switches and dial in my head) on a decision, Billy looked over Ben's shoulder innocently and copped an eye full of me on display.

“Um… I’ll just get going Ben, leave you with it… I mean Jamie. Oh, hi Jamie. Good luck tomorrow, buddy," an amused Billy shouted out as he turned for the front door.

Ben’s face was priceless - a confused state of embarrassment and laughter all in one. He turned and followed Billy back to the front door. I could hear Ben and Billy chatting at the door for a few seconds. I decided that it was probably time to jump down - kinda killed the moment.

No sooner had my toes landed on the floor, I heard, “Hey - why’d you hop down? I like the idea of you on the bench waiting for me to come home, food in the oven,” smiling with every word. “And Lucas said I’d never domesticate you,” closing the distance between us in seconds, wrapping his... Oh-my-god, warm, strong arms and warm hands … around my waist, stopping in the small of my back, pulling me gently but firmly against him, our noses but inches apart, both of us searching each other, faces, eyes, soul almost.

“I’m so sorry Ben, I didn’t think that Billy would be coming in.”

“Hey, don’t worry. It’s hot out, so I asked him in for a drink on the spur of the moment when we pulled up out front.” I could feel the red heat creep up my neck from the embarrassment of being busted like that with his work colleague.

Soft warm lips pressed against mine. That familiar smell of his: a heady mix of … I can’t describe it … it was Ben, his scent, not strong at all, don't get me wrong - it's very intimate, subtle. I only noticed it after one of the first times we made out. That kiss drew me out of my thoughts to the here and now.

Hey you, “I’ve got something for you.”

“Yeah, I saw that when you were on the countertop just now. Oh wait… I can feel that… and I like it. Can I have THAT now.” His hand slipped down and gently stroked me a couple of times.

I tilted my head back a little at his touch. I’m not sure if I let out a purr or a groan, maybe that was in my head. “No not that… well yes that, but something else.”

Ben looked at me puzzled. The cooking smells surrounding us, must have filled his senses by now. Surely he’s not that much of a horn dog,.. "Dinner?"

Slipping from his warm grip for a moment, I stepped around to the other side of the counter where earlier in the day I’d pulled the 3rd draw out, resting the flowers on it so they were out of sight but close enough to be at hand. “Close your eyes, please,” which he obediently did. Stepping back around the counter and trying to make a little noise as possible, which is hard with the wrapping paper on the flowers, I gently grabbed his left hand, pulling it a little toward me, he started to smile. I think he thought I was about to put something else in his hand.

Ben opened his eyes as soon as the flowers touched his hand, they went wide like dish plates, “Jamie, their … beautiful.” His eyes studied them, taking it all in for a moment. “Oh, they are so beautiful, such a deep red, and are those,” his fingers running across the flowers, “they’re native flowers, the yellow ones… they’re everywhere at the moment.”

“Yeah, I saw them at the florist and thought they added a bit of color. They reminded me of the summer wildflowers we get back home.”

“I love them, I love you, I love this, all of it Jamie - the food smells throughout the house, you surprising me on the countertop, and wow, I'd love to come home to that any day!" he gave an approving eye down my flank and back up again. “Skip, you’re looking hot today. Lucky me - hot guy, dinner, flowers …. I’m so lucky to have you in my life, forever.”

“Wait till you get your dessert too, hey,” I delivered, wiggling my eyebrows.

“Dessert hey - I could do with some dessert, grrrr…. Can we have it first?”

I didn’t need to be asked twice. I hurdled back over the counter, turning the oven and stovetop off. "It'll keep." I took what seemed to be one step to get back to Ben and grabbed his hand. "Shower first or are we…." Didn't get that out before I was being dragged into the bathroom.

I was like a Formula 1 pit crew{ Ben grabbed at his belt, starting to loosen it. I already had his shirt threequarters unbuttoned, pulling at the seams to release them from his now finally unbuttoned paints. In one movement, I pulled his white T and uniform shirt off, over his head and thrown somewhere. His pants dropped to the floor like a rock, as he stepped out of them while I pulled his now naked body against mine. Our mouths smashed together. My entire world was here and now: the taste of Ben in my mouth, his warm, inviting mouth letting me in, greeted by his strong exploring tongue, it was magic.

“Oh Fuck, Jamie.”

We somehow stepped backward. I don't know who was gliding or pushing, but the next moment I felt the back of the shower against my back. One of my hands slipped down, pulling the water outlet on. I reached between us, grabbing both of our pulsating, hard cocks in my hand. I stroked us both while never letting up, alternating between kissing each other, biting at his neck, finally zeroing in on that spot, his spot below his ear.

“Oh Jamie, I’ve got to… I need you, please fuck me.”

"No Ben,” I replied in a breathless, gravelled voice. Nah-ah.”

Ben tilted his head slightly at me, his eyes were regaining some focus, full of lust, want.

"I want you, to fuck me. Please, Ben, it’s been a long time, but I want you, I've been cock-crazed all day. I need you, please." I'd stopped kissing him, looking straight into his eyes, conveying the emotion I was feeling, the desire that had overtaken me when I started to strip him in the bathroom. I had… needs ... I needed him too.

The tenderness in Ben's eyes was soul-warming. "Are you sure?"

“Please Ben, fuck me.”

I turned around and pressed my chest to the wall, the warm water from the shower was running down my back. I pushed my butt out toward him, finding his warm strong hands landing on each cheek. His body pushed against mine, that initial contact sending electricity jolts through my body and then he pressed against the length of me. I could feel his warm torso against my back, his heart beating against my shoulder blade, his mouth pressed against my ear.

"I'm not going to fuck you, Jamie. I'm going to make you feel like I do when we make love."

With that, he straightened up, stepping back a little, his hand, fingers tracing their way down my spine, hesitating for a moment down between the two bumps on my lower back, his thumb running across one, then the other. His fingers slowly traced the start of my crack. I reached around and spread my cheeks apart. His finger gently rubbing its target. I didn't even hear the lube bottle we keep in the shower click open, but it had. His well-lubed finger pushed into me, slowly letting me get accustomed to him, soon followed by a second. The sliding in and out of me was intoxicating. For a second, I felt my knees go weak, then I started to push back on him in rhythm.

“Please Ben… please.” His third finger slipped in and opened me up, he was being so gentle, kissing my neck, biting my earlobe on and off to distract me with each change of rhythm.

Suddenly it slowed, then stopped. I felt his fingers slowly slip out of me, I felt void, empty. "No, Ben, don't stop… please god, no… fuck me, Ben… oh” a deep groan escaped me from somewhere deep inside - I have no idea where it came, from but it was almost animal and completely involuntary - but I wasn’t done, not by a long shot.

"Oh god-yessss!" I felt his cock head press for acceptance. He slowly entered me, gently going all in. It stung… no it hurt like fuck for a moment, but I didn’t flinch - I welcomed it. I welcomed Ben inside of me. All the time, he was gently talking to me, telling me how beautiful I was, how warm and tight I felt. Slowly, he started to get a rhythm going. I’d relaxed enough for the pleasure to overwhelm any discomfort I had felt.

I met his slow thrusts with my own. The room was filled with the raw sounds of sex, bodies slapping together, both of us crying out in pleasure, the smell of bath wash and sex. I’d moved - not sure if Ben moved me. To be honest, I wasn’t even aware - there was a small step on the side of the shower enclosure - it was like a footrest almost. I'd repositioned, straddled myself with one leg on the rest, and the other down on the floor - I'd opened myself to him. Ben had slipped right under me almost, driving up deep into me. I’d done this to him many times before. Now I know how amazing it feels from both sides. [Trust me, get something like it... you won’t regret it.] My hands were on the wall on either side of my head, my face pressed against the cool tiles, grunting and calling out I was in nirvana.

I was drifting away with the sensations, not thinking just being. In a distance, I heard Ben: "Oh Jamie… I'm gonna cum … oh god … Jamie!” I heard him over and over. It was like my mind was playing a song, a lullaby. I'm sure I started to mouth it, repeating what Ben was saying. Then I realized, he was fucking me harder, but slower, with more purpose. With each stroke, his arms were crossing my chest, holding me against him, with each thrust pulling me harder against his body. I was jello in his hands.

"Oh yes … please Ben, cum for me. Cum in me, please," and with that, I felt his body stiffen, I felt that beautiful cock pulse deep inside me, the warmth spreading. I was literarily speechless. His movements slowed and finally stopped.

“Oh God, Jamie! That was amazing!” He pressed up against me, holding me in place as we both came down from that high. “Have you - did you cum?”

Sheepishly, I wasn’t sure if I should have or not for a moment… “No, I was too… swept away with what you were doing to me! Oh god, Ben, we’re doing this again soon!!” I turned slightly and started to kiss him. He slipped out of me and I gave a small whimper into his mouth. Not pain, no… just…I was enjoying feeling his fullness. Feeling the pulse of his body in me.

I caught the look in his eyes: there was a flash of … next moment, he pulled me around. Grabbing the head of my cock and scooping up the clear nectar that was freely dripping from me like a leaky tap, I saw his hand disappear behind him as he turned almost like a ballerina does those toe turns. “We’re not done, Jamie. Please finish us both off, I nee-”

I was so close it wasn't going to take me long at all, I lined myself up, rubbing my head against his hole a few times, "Don't tease me, Jamie, I want you." I pushed against him. His body yielded to me. I slowly slid into him, Ben came upright, his back against my stomach and chest, we moved together with every stroke, his head tilted back almost resting on my shoulder. Before I knew it, I was there. "Oh god, Ben I’ma gonna-”

.o00o.

We finally took that shower, the pent-up sexual energy used up for a while. Heading back out to the kitchen with towels wrapped around us, my mind turned to dinner. Luckily, it hadn’t spoilt: if it had, I wouldn’t have cared. “That was amazing,” Ben stretched backward running his hands along his food baby stomach. “We ate like kings, Jamie… hmmm… yum! I have to remember to thank your mom when you speak to her next. That was an awesome meal.”

Lying on the corner sofa, Ben propped up against me, I could see his head rise and fall with every breath: his right arm draped across my waist, his hand idly playing with the hair on the side of my knee. At that moment, I could see us years into the future, lounging around outdoors, in the warm afternoon sun, with kids running about in the background. A warm contented feeling spread over me.

Watching my weekly fix of Chicago Fire, propped kinda butt-cheek side-on. Sure, our earlier exploits were coming back to give me some discomfort down there, but Oops - so not sorry. Might end up being not the best idea to bottom when I was going to be sitting on a plane for a couple of hours than an hour and a half drive, still, it was worth every minute of ‘discomfort.’

“Jamie, wake up!." Hmmm, I could see Ben's face - he had that look in his eyes, grrrr… I hadn’t even gotten out of my uniform, his arms snaking their way under my tunic… “Jamie, wake up! We should go to bed.”

“Hmmm yeah, bed… I know you'd like that, I'm sure… oh wait! My eyes flew open as Ben pulled on my hand. "Come on. You’re not gonna be able to get up in the morning.”

..o00o..

In the end, all the hard work, calls, emails back and forth, online interviews paid off. I landed work at three of the services, Tucson for three months, and two months each with Phoenix then Boston FD’s, solving the whole visa thing but… nothing here in Texas with Ben.

“Hey Adam, what’s up, great to hear from you mate, what you up to?”

“Working on a few projects. The redevelopment of the site over here is kicking - interested in buying another for investment?”

“Haha, with what money Ad’s… it’s not like I have bags of cash lying around mate, but thanks for thinking of me. Hey - how’s Julie going? How’s my apartment going? Have you seen my folks? How are they going?”

“Julies is all good, Mate. She’s doing well at work. We’re doing ok too. Life’s pretty good at the moment. How are you going with work? I was chatting to your Dad the other day. He said you’ve been stuffed around a bit with the secondment placements. Will that mean you have to come back early?”

“Initially, well yeah. I was kind of hoping to get something with Dallas FD, but have landed work with the Tucson, Phoenix, and Boston Fire Services. Mate, if only Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio … that would have been a dream, but Dallas was looking for a full-time permanent position. Which, if I was staying here, could work. Thanks to mom and dad when moving to Australia and didn’t relinquish their US citizenship, they became (eventually) dual citizens. Funnily enough, when each of us kids was born, dad sorted that stuff out for us too, so we all held the dual status, except for Stephanie, and Mason - he couldn't be stuffed doing what was needed. Pretty typical of him, though, lazy assed. Hey, you still there, Ad’s, or has my verbal explosion put you asleep, haha?”

“Nah, mate, I’ve just had another espresso, so all good. Typical of Mason though - it's hard to believe that he's from the same parents as you and your sisters, dickhead. So how did the whole dual thing work for Stephanie? I didn’t even know you guys were dual citizens?”

“It was kind of a bust for her, due to her work, you know, in defense. She couldn't be a dual citizen at the time of her enlistment. That only changed here a few years ago. They’re still a bit freaked out in defense about it, but less so if you're a US or UK citizen. Anyway, by the time it all changed, she couldn't see the benefit in going through the whole process to reinstate her dual status.”

"So, it's only you and Katie that hold it, yeah, and your folks."

“Yep, plus Jet and Daisy also: Dad made sure that it was sorted for them when they were born. Still it’s as confusing as fuck at times. Even I had visa requirements coming over here because the exchange program is inter-government. Shit, it was the first time I'd ever entered the US using my Australian passport because they are super clear that if you have a US passport, you have to use it to enter the country. I'm like, fuck! The confusion, back and forth at LAX when clearing Customs and Immigration, particularly when I offered to just use my US Passport - that didn't help at all and ended with me sitting in the airport manager's office for an hour till they sorted it.”

“Pisser. That would have been a blast to see. Were you worried?”

“Nah. What’s the worst they could have done - boot me out? I would have pulled the US citizen card. I let the airport guy know that - it helped change their minds. Plus I called the Australian Embassy and they spoke to each other - someone hadn't filed something somewhere. Anyway, the upshot of it all is that I need to remain employed in the field of work as per the entry documents, and all is satisfied with the paper shufflers, so life is looking good.”

..o0o..

There was still a bit to sort out, mainly from Australia, if I was going to be a citizen living abroad - a bit to do with property, tax and that stuff. Dad had been a great help - he’d gone through them, putting post-it notes all over the place for me. Even with all of this going on, Ben and I hadn't decided where we were going to live. We finally had to bite the bullet on that one.

With Lucas' wedding rolling toward us all like a freight train out of control, pressure was on us all on top of all of this stuff.

I was concerned with Ben’s work way more than he was. His EMT training is not as big in Australia, and so much more than that of our general duties Paramedics - not quite as advanced as the Intensive Care Specialist Paramedics either- although not far off that. We’d found out that it wouldn’t take much to skill up to Intensive Care Specialist, just more into the mix I guess. He was more a crossover between them and our Rescue guys. Whereas my skills were pretty much transferrable, water plus fire, don’t fall through the roof and your good – okay, it’s a bit more than that, but you get what I mean.

Sure okay, I’d lose rank coming over, but Tom proved with the LACoFD, there is scope to promote fairly quickly. So, while Ben was sleeping, I’d finally decided that I needed to head back to Australia at the end of my rotation in Boston. Go home, resign, settle some of my affairs, talk it through with my family, and hope they'd understand that ... I couldn’t do it in an email or phone call, the fire service had been such a huge part of my life and my family’s that… well, I just couldn’t.

Ben was still unsure about me quitting. We’d talked about it over and over: he was completely okay to leave the US and come down under. But his career! He would be throwing away such a huge part of it doing that, whereas, if I could land a job in the lower 48, he wouldn’t have to give up so much. I’d been pretty successful in landing casual appointments with three services. If I have to do that for a few years, it's not so bad. And anyway, if I can land engagements in drier, more arid states, the better: they’d be a perfect match for me. Plus, if I do plenty of head down and mouth-shut stuff, I'd get transfers with the promotion within three years.

“Hey Tom, you got time to chat for a moment?”

“Sure, Jamie. What's up? Let me guess, work, and what to do next right?"

“Yeah, Tom. I think I know what to do. Ben… all of this is so worth it. I needed to make a change, you know! After the divorce and years of not being truly happy, you know…”

"Yep, Jamie, I get it. It's not that you're running away or running from your past as much as you are trying to reset, restart, and in most cases, we only get that opportunity once in life where we can just go for it, so I get it."

“Plus… my life had turned around so much while I was over here, Tom. Yeah, ok, I’d almost been killed, but that was something I couldn’t plan for. Lucas and I were having the time of our lives on the trip - it was a turning point for both of us, almost one last hurrah before it was time to … do I dare say it?... grow up.”

"I think it was two different things for you both, different but so entwined, right? For Lucas, it seemed to be a great opportunity to have a fantastic carefree holiday with his closest friend-brother-partner-in-crime. Where for you, Jamie, I'd feel it was more a chance to clear your mind, live carefree for a while so you can find yourself again… am I right?"

“Yeah, I think you got it in one, Tom. I’m just a little conflicted, Don’t get me wrong - I love Australia. It will always be my home… where I’m from, a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains…all of that It’s where my family and lifelong friends are, but like what Lucas said when we were in the apartment after discharging from the Hospital, ‘there must be a reason this stuff happens. It can’t all just be random.’ I saw Sean’s face, I’m sure it was real or an inner part of my subconscious telling me to go on and live, live the life he missed out on. And I can do that with Ben. I love the guy so much… I’ll never forget or stop loving Sean, but it’s different now… you know!”

"I do, mate. It's tough. But I think deep down, when you got back with Ben after your breakup, you decided then, didn't you?"

“Yeah, I did say I wasn’t going to let him go, not going to stuff this up again or let anything come between us. I guess you’re right, Tommy. Thanks, mate." In the background I heard the bells drop – the alarm went off for a fire-call. "That's you, Tommy. Better let you go. Stay safe, mate."

"Thanks, Jamie. Thanks for the call. Chat soon, ok?"

..o0o..