June couldn't take her eyes off Chad as he floated through the hall, greeting other authors, editors, publishers, and agents alike. It was not every day an author received the Literary Award, and Chad had done that with his latest book, For Fay! A glimpse of modern Australian life that was far too familiar to her. After all, she'd lived those pages, those moments of pure exhilaration and love. Thank God no one knew it was based on real life, and no one knew she was Fay, the unlucky-in-life but lucky-in-love gal from his book. No one except Terry knew, of course. When June caught sight of Chad's agent, she was beaming at Chad as he walked up to receive the award. "That's for you!" She was saying, but of course, Chad couldn't hear her.

June watched, unable to hide the smile from her face or the tears creeping from the corner of her eyes.

A moment later, Terry turned around the table, chatting up important people in their circle. June may as well have been one of the few civilians in the gathering. Everyone else seemed to be connected to the industry.

"Are you a writer?" a woman in her late fifties seated next to her asked with immense curiosity. "My husband's a writer. I'm more into civil law."

"I'm a student at the UNSW actually, second year."June shook her head. "I recently sat GAMSAT to see if I can get into medical school. I'm waiting for the results."

"Ah, a doctor in the making!"

"Hopefully!" June lifted the flute of champagne and took a sip, silently praying that she would get a placement. She had always wanted to be a doctor, ever since a friend had been diagnosed with melanoma when they were teens. Her friend was fine. In fact, Jei was currently completing law and so close to being engaged to his long-time girlfriend, Melanie. June had always found that strange. Melanie sounded so close to melanoma. He was free of one thanks to early detection. In fact, it was June who'd pointed at Jei's back on a beach one summer when they were about ten and asked, "What's that?" at an odd-looking mole.

That had put a stop to their "We wanna go to the beach!" demand for the rest of that summer, or any other summer. Too much Aussie sun was apparently a deadly thing! That was news to a freshly arrived immigrant in June, a half-Aussie-half-Japanese individual who'd lived most of her life being a nomad. She'd tagged along wherever her parents, an adventurous couple, went—wherever they wanted to lecture next. To say she'd been an adamant slip-slop-slapper since then was putting it mildly.

"And what's your reason for medicine, dear?" the elderly lady asked. "I find it fascinating, the things that inspire people to become doctors. It's usually a painful story somewhere."

"Just a field I've always been interested in, actually. I've always loved Science, and biology, to my surprise." June lied, rather effectively. She had no interest in divulging her past to a woman she would not meet again. Probably.

Terry's hand floated on top of June's shoulder. "Adele, I see you've met June, Chad's girlfriend."

"Oh, dear, you... I'm sorry, congratulations are in order. The last time we saw you, was a few years ago, wasn't it?"

"Oh, no, Adele, this one's different." Terry laughed.

"Chad's had as many girlfriends as he's had books published. It's hard to keep track!" Adele laughed, waving it off.

"She does not know Chad's a recluse, and I'm here to save you. It's the least I can do!" Terry laughed in return, whispering in June's ear.

Before June could say, "Oh no, I'm fine. We're actually talking about me." Terry pulled her up by her elbow. "So sorry, Adele, would you excuse us for a while? I just have to steal her away for a quick moment, so I can ask Chad a very important question with her present."

June gave a frantic apologetic look at Adele, before being pulled fast towards a huddle in the middle of which they could briefly make out Chad's face. "What's the matter?" she asked, panicking that her dress had slipped or her hair was undone, or something drastic that Terry was stealing her away from Adele.

"Chad's not a big fan of Adele." Terry glanced back at her briefly. "She has a terrible habit of getting too personal. If I hadn't saved you when I did, she would have invited you to their home for brunch or such, and you, out of the kindness of your heart, would have said, yes, and Chad, would spend the rest of the evening hyperventilating in a paper bag instead of asking you to—" she stopped herself short, and pushed June forward, ahead of her.

"Asking me to what?" June tried to turn around to see Terry's face. The woman never flushed, and just before she'd propelled her forward, June swore she's seen her face flush. And like Chad, June relished the very few, very rare moments they ever caught Terry off guard. Ever. She tried to turn around again. "Ask me what, Terry? Terry!"

June dug her heels into the carpet and tensed her body so that Terry could no longer push her forward with ease. When Terry let go, surprised, she turned and glared at the older woman, whose eyes filled with mischief. "What's going on? Why do you look sheepish?"

"Nothing. Just had to get you away from Adele before you committed Chad to an evening of dread." Terry shrugged, looking anywhere else but at her. "Now just keep moving. I bet Adele's looking this way!"

June stole a glance back toward their table, and indeed, Adele was still eyeing them. The older woman waved with a wolfish grin.

"Yup, still looking," June snapped back to the huddle Terry was propelling them towards. She looped her arm through Terry's in order to look casual. "You're acting weird today."

"Am I? It's probably just this place." Terry waved her hand at the hall. "Truth be told, I'm not a big fan of events like this anymore. I'm too old for this, but in our business, you gotta keep your teeth sharp and your mind and network sharper." She stopped walking before they walked into the wall of people. "So, have you gotten your results yet?"

June shook her head. "I hope it comes out soon."

That's when Chad crossed over to them, and kissed Terry on the cheek as she said, "Congratulations, honey! Well deserved!" Then he scooped June in his arm and kissed her temple before turning back to the huddle of people he'd abandoned to introduce her.

"Everybody, this is June. June, this is everybody!" He introduced them by name and June shook so many hands that by the end, all she remembered was one of them was called Geoff something or the other.

"Your muse, Chad?" A grin floated on the face of the youngest woman in the group. She was a crime fiction novelist, June could remember from the intro, but not her name.

June laughed nervously. "Hardly. The women in his books are all gorgeous and strong."

Chad nodded, oblivious to her, but Terry leaned in to whisper the name of the woman who might have caught on. "Courtney Lox. Immensely talented weaver of words. I tried to poach her as a client once, but apparently, these two have a history and she didn't want to join, a conflict of interest. Chad won't tell me what it is."

"So, I heard you recently had baby number two, Court! Congratulations are in order for you too!" Terry chimed, steering the conversation in other directions than Chad's muse. And for the rest of the night, it was all June could do to stay entertained, stare at Terry or Chad, nod as if she knew what they were talking about, occasionally laugh, and sip her champagne for want of things to do. It was that or return to their table and get ambushed into some plan by Adele.

By midnight, her feet were screaming, her chest felt tense from the confines of the dress, and the makeup made her skin feel dry and caked. She leaned into Chad's neck. "Take me home, Chad Gilligan, and out of this dress, right now. I'm done waiting!"

Chad swivelled around so fast, he almost head-butted her. "Yes, ma'am!"

They bid adieu to others, thanking them for the wonderful chat. Terry even exchanged some whispers with Chad, occasionally eyeing June with glittering eyes. And they left the venue, barely escaping a chat with Adele and her husband when she went to grab her handbag from the table.

"Good luck!" Behind them, Terry yelled as they headed for the door, arm in arm.

"What's she wishing for?" June eyed Chad. "She's been acting weird all night."

"I don't know. You'd have to ask her." Chad shrugged, barely meeting her eyes.

"I did."

"And?"

"She wouldn't tell me what it is, and I know it's something." She squeezed his arms. "Why is she wishing you luck? What for? You already won."

Chad shrugged once more and kissed her cheek with a wink. "Maybe for luck tonight so you don't fall asleep before I have my way with you!" He nibbled on her ear as they walked out into the fresh night, light drizzle falling on their hot faces.

Chad held the limo's door open for her and slipped in after her. There he kissed her deeply as it pulled out into the traffic, and to June's horror, she almost moaned impatiently in the back seat.

When she resurfaced for a breath and noticed that they were heading in the opposite direction to where they'd come from, their hotel, she slid up, alert on the seat. "Chad, he's taking the wrong turns... where's he taking us?" Panic gripped her throat.

"Relax. I know where he's taking us." Chad squeezed her hand and pulled her back down.

"Where?" She eyed him, refusing to melt back into his arms.

"It's a little detour. A walk down memory lane, if you will."

"What detour?" June narrowed her eyes at him before staring out the windows, trying to figure out where the detour led.

She didn't have to wait too long. "Chad?" She breathed slowly as the park came into view, the park where they'd first met. The park where they'd shared many coffees and many croissants, and laughter with Bax. "Chad? What are we doing here?" She turned, only to see him opening the door and stepping out into the night.