North Star

02 | let's get married

Red Red Wine by UB40 had been sung twice by the time Anthony and Kanani walked outside. To their credit, it never took long for that to happen. If anything, it was surprising that it had only been played twice so far.

"Oh good, you guys met."

My head whipped toward Nikau who was already making room for Anthony to sit between us. Even though we'd only been talking about random, insignificant things for the past twenty minutes or so, having our connection severed seemed to sober my mood, and I found myself cursing at the thought. Kanani chose to sit on the armrest of one of the chairs instead of joining us on the floor.

"You two know each other?"

"Duh." Anthony laughed, jostling me with his shoulder. "We met when I visited New Zealand a few years ago. I thought I told you."

"Aotearoa," I said before tearing my eyes away from Nikau. "And I don't remember that."

Anthony thrummed his fingers against the railing with a laugh. "Must have slipped my mind."

"You're such a little shit. Why didn't you take me with you?"

"Maybe next time." He slapped his arm around Nikau's shoulders and pulled him into his side. Now that I thought about it, Kanani did mention Anthony learning how to play the guitar from a friend. That would explain the notable calluses on his fingers from when we shook hands. I'd assumed he worked in construction or something. He definitely had the body for it. "Nik can show you around Auckland."

"Is that where the Shire is?"

Nikau smiled at me. "'Bout two and a half hours out."

"Then it looks like you're my tour guide."

Kanani cleared her throat and flashed me a coy smile which I promptly ignored.

"So, how long are you here for?" she asked, directing her question at Nikau. Clearly, she'd received the verbal dossier on the stranger and had some insight that even I didn't have after talking to him for a while. Judging by the lack of introductions exchanged and the fact that I hadn't seen them interact inside the party—I hadn't seen him at all while in the house which made me wonder where he was or if he'd been outside the entire time—they must have both known about each other, which alluded to him maybe knowing more about me than he'd let on.

Or maybe I was just overthinking everything. I tended to do that a lot in social situations, my brain convinced the universe was conspiring against me to think of the most bizarre scenarios against my will.

"Maybe a year," Nikau answered. His eyes drifted lazily over to me for a brief second before shooting away, the lighthouse finding another corner of the ocean to illuminate. "Or whenever the album is finished. Whichever comes first."

"Maybe Anthony can teach you a thing or two since he's convinced he's a guitar god," Kanani joked.

"Stop making fun of me."

"Maybe if you'd stop pretending like you're the next Eric Clapton."

Anthony looked back in defense mode. "Bet I'm better than you."

She smacked the back of his head and he held a hand against the spot, laughing. "No act."

"Album?"

Nikau turned away from the bickering duo, leaning forward so he could speak to me as Anthony leaned back to take a swipe at Kanani himself. My attention was torn in two, interested in what this guy had to say and clinging to the nostalgia that seeing Anthony and Kanani brought along. A collision of something old and something new, all while I was trying my best not to feel blue.