And George makes Two

Jurd was tired, and looked a mess. He’d stopped off in Sydney on his flight back from Auckland; he needed to get his head straight. Three days of his mother pleading, “Gerard, darling. I miss you so much please, please, come home,” and his father pressuring him to take his rightful place in the family empire had done him in physically and mentally.  He’d called Georgina from the airport…he didn’t want to crash out in his empty apartment.

“Jeez, Ger, you lost your bloody razor?” she called as she spotted him walking towards her, his carryon slung over his shoulder.

Jurd grinned slightly as his favourite lady ran towards him. Georgina Penfold, the only daughter of the CEO of his father’s favourite company in the Campbell empire, and the woman Jurd loved. Dropping his bag, he picked her up in a tight embrace and gave her one serious kiss, oblivious of the people around them cheering him on.

“Georgie Penfold, it’s so good to hear a friendly Kiwi voice for a change.”

“Oh, lover…the olds been giving you a hard time?”

“You’re not wrong, luv. Sure you don’t mind me crashing at your place for a couple of days?”

“No at all, Ger. You know you’re always welcome. You laying low?”

“Bloody oath I am. If I go to my place the phone won’t stop ringing. I’ve turned my cell off already.”

“And let’s not forget the bonus of you staying with me…Doyle’s on the Beach.”

“Aw, luv, that hurts. You really think I’d put the best fish and chips in Sydney on a higher pedestal than I have you?”

“In a heartbeat, you hoon,” Georgie laughed, slapping Jurd’s arm. “Come on, the car’s round the corner. You look like you could use a nap,”

“Ta luv, just wake me up in time for dinner,” Jurd smiled as he slid into the passenger seat, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. He was asleep before Georgie had left the airport car park. Half an hour later, Georgie pulled into the back drive of her Watsons Bay home.

Jurd woke as the car stopped. He sat up straight and rubbed his eyes. Stepping out of the car, he wandered around to the front gate and looked back at the little house.

“You’ve worked wonders, Luv. I hardly recognise the place.”

“Thanks, Ger. It took time, love…”

“And money,” Jurd cut in, smiling down at her.

“Well, lover, you and I both know what it’s like to come from wealthy parents. Dad bought the place, but I paid for all the work on it, and I’m pretty proud to say that I did all the decorating, inside and out, once the building work was finished.”

“You’re a wonder, George, but you should have called me for the external painting. You could have fallen.”

“I love the way you’re so protective of me, but I really wanted to do this on my own. It’s my first home away from the cotton wool my olds feel the need to wrap me up in, and I wanted to put my mark on it.”

“You sure did, Luv. Want to show me inside?”

After a whirlwind tour of the little house, Jurd showered in the guest bathroom and changed. Refreshed, he took Gergie down to the beach for an early dinner at Doyle’s. They spent the rest of the evening sitting on the beach watching the boats go by.

As the sun went down, Jurd took Georgie’s hand and they walked slowly back to her place.

“Which room would you like, Ger?”

Jurd looked at her and smiled. “Would you mind if I took the guestroom tonight, Luv? I’ve got some thinking to do and don’t want to keep you awake all night.”

“Honey, you know I love you keeping me awake all night, but not because of you tossing and turning. I’ll see you in the morning,” Georgie replied, reaching up to kiss Jurd goodnight.

Jurd woke up to the smell of fresh coffee and cooking bacon. He had a quick shower, dressed, and went to join Georgie in the kitchen. Walking up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her, kissing the back of her neck.

“Morning, Luv. Something smells good.”

“That would be the bacon,” she replied, twisting in his arms to face him for a proper morning kiss.

“I think it’s you, baby, not the bacon,” Jurd replied, sniffing her hair. “You smell like spring flowers.”

“Thank you, sweetheart, that compliement deserves an extra slice of bacon.”

Jurd laughed as he laid the table and went back to the counter to stand beside her and butter the toast.

After breakfast, they went to sit on the back porch with their coffee. Sitting side by side on the glider, Jurd pushed back with his foot to set it in gentle movement.

“You really love it here, don’t you, babe?”

“I do, Ger.”

Jurd was silent for a moment, and Georgie looked over at him. “Penny for them,” she said softly.

Jurd put his coffee down and gently stroked her cheek. “I have to leave in the morning, back to WA.”

“Ah yes, your new project. When will I see you again?”

Jurd bit his bottom lip before answering. “That would all depend on you, sweetheart.”

Georgie turned on the seat so that she was facing him. “What do you mean, Ger?”

Jurd took both her hands in his and kissed her. “I know this is a lot to ask, especially now I know how much you love this place…”

“Don’t stop, Ger. Tell me what you want.”

“You know I love you, have since the day we met. Georgina, would you come to WA with me? It’s a bit barren right now, there’s a lot of building to be done, Perth and Darwin are a flight away rather than a drive…”

Georgie stopped him the only way she knew how. She planted a kiss on his gorgeous lips. “Yes,” she whispered.

“What?”

“Yes, darling, I’ll come with you.”

“The house?”

“Like your unit, they’ll both be here for trips to Sydney.”

“I’ll rent mine out and this can be our cosy little love nest.”

“I love you, Gerard Campbell.”

“I love you, Georgina Penfold.”