Another Door Opens

15 - He's going to be so perfect for you

- EDEN -

The original plan of me travelling with all my things up to Bryon Bay was to stay the night in a hotel in Sydney considering I didn't think I could do the seventeen odd hours on my own in one go without falling asleep on the road. But with Wolfe accompanying me, and now Hades as well, it made our choices of places to stay a bit of a challenge. Wolfe ended up finding a pet-friendly AirBNB during one of my stints driving as I couldn't rightly allow him to do it all, despite his repeated offers to.

The place was a small, mid-century home in Newtown, a place in Sydney known for its food, night-life, and the hipsters who enjoy consuming both in equal measure. When Wolfe called to enquire whether they allowed pets, the owner was so excited there'd be a dog in their home that they went out and bought some dog treats for Hades, ready and waiting at the front door when we arrived.

"I think it's going to take me a while to get used to people being so excited about my dog," I said, after texting the owner of the property thank you for the bone Hades is now gnawing on happily.

"Mate, it's only going to get worse when we get home. Not just from my wife and Nell, but from all the designer-dog loving lunatics in that rich hippy town," Wolfe said, plonking himself down on the couch, which, by the expression on his face, was mighty comfortable. "I can barely walk anywhere without being stopped by, like, ten women desperately wanting to pat Medusa."

"Oh, come on," I teased him, envisioning the scenarios he's describing so perfectly. I've seen what Wolfe, and apparently a lot of other men living in Byron Bay, wear when they're walking about the streets. Like moths to a flame, much like I was when I saw that guy reading while walking his sweet dog the other week near Luna and Wolfe's house. I wonder if we'll run into each other again while I'm out walking Hades. Would make for a much easier segue into an introduction than I have the confidence to do on my own without Hades: My hopeful new wingman. "They're probably just stopping with the hopes that you might let them pat you."

Wolfe chuckled, and sighed dramatically. "One of the rare moments that I'm grateful my beloved wife proposed to me and not the other way around," he said, lifting his ring finger as if he was flipping me off, and brandishing the engagement ring Luna bought him a week after he accepted her proposal. "Scares the crazies right off."

I laughed, but couldn't picture it. "You know, I would have imagined it would be the opposite. I'd have thought that would just make the crazy ones want you more."

"Some, but with those cretins I throw in a 'She gets her good looks from my wife,' and it usually does the trick." He thought about it for another second before adding, "Actually scrap that. It really doesn't. They usually say something along the lines of, 'Nah, she gets it from her daddy,' with a bat of their lashes and a stupid hair flick, and then I cringe and run away as if I were the dog with my tail between my legs, not Medusa."

I laughed again, just envisioning the scene playing out. Medusa is a sweet, but smart and sly old girl, and when I think of what Wolfe's describing, I can imagine her purposely drawing the ladies in just to give herself a laugh at how uncomfortable he gets when they crack onto him. "I wouldn't picture you being the one to shy away from harmless flirting."

"Pre-Lune, never," Wolfe said, reaching for his phone in his pocket and looking a second or two at his screensaver of my beautiful friend, complete adoration on his face, even when just looking at a photo of her. He's such a sweetheart for how big and burly he is. "Post-Lune, it just makes me so damn uncomfortable, the thought of anyone but Lune being attracted to me."

Wolfe's never been one to shy away from or hide his feelings around me. He's one of the most blokey blokes I know, but he honestly has one of the most pure, gentle and genuine hearts that ever existed, and I couldn't think of anyone more worthy than Luna Martone to be the one to steal it away from every man, woman and everyone else for the rest of time.