CHAPTER TWO
Max entered the new Summer Bay Café (it was once called the Summer Bay Diner) and walked over to the blue granite counter. He noted some of the changes; cane chairs, round tables with white tablecloths, and light blue walls. The jukebox was gone.
A tall, olive skinned man walked out of the kitchen. He wore a chef's hat over his long, dark hair and was tying an apron around himself.
" What can I get you?" the Greek man asked him smiling, his dark eyes twinkling. Max immediately recognized him from his childhood.
" I'm surprised you don't remember me Alex Pholus," Max greeted him feigning hurt.
Alex squinted at him, " You look somewhat familiar, but for the life of me, I can't figure out who."
" It's Max." Alex stared at him blankly.
" Max Sutherland." Max added.
Alex's eye went wide, " Max! Good gracious, I haven't seen you since….well, in years. No wonder I didn't recognise you. Plus, I'm not wearing my glasses which makes it harder." Alex held out his hand, " How have you been?"
" Busy. I'm married and I have a daughter."
Max was still angry about his argument with Jade, but he couldn't help returning Alex's smile.
" A daughter eh? Are you sure you're that little twelve year old twerp I knew so well?"
" Yup. The one and only."
" Still writing books?" Alex queried.
" Sure. Don't you read them?" Max was surprised, " Not to brag or anything, but all ten of my books have been on the best selling lists."
" I don't read much these days. I'm very busy managing this place. With Leah gone, it's hard to keep up by myself."
" Don't you have hired help?"
" Only one at the moment and she's on holidays. I've advertised for vacancies but nobody seems interested. I've been debating wether or not to close this place down."
" You said Leah was gone, where is she?"
" She went back to the city." Alex told him, " And left me in a rut." He frowned, " I thought families were meant to stick together. We had a big fight before she left and I haven't spoken to her since."
" How long ago was that?"
" Two years ago." Alex confirmed, " So I guess you could say we're estranged. I did not invite her to my wedding."
" You're married? At least something good happened."
" Divorced. The marriage didn't work out." Alex explained, " Makes me wonder why I bothered you know?"
" Who was the lucky girl?"
Alex cast his eyes down, " Brodie." He was referring to his first love.
" Brodie? I thought you guys were nuts about each other."
" I thought so too. The romance died and she got sick of me." Alex sighed.
" Anyway, you shouldn't close the café down. It was Alf's place, or rather; the diner had been his place. Who renamed it?"
" Who do you think? The money-grubbing Josh West. He bought the diner after Alf passed away. Would you like a coffee? The café might not look much, but we make the best coffee on this side of Australia." Alex boasted.
" Sure. Black with sugar. It's been nice seeing you again Alex. And I hope you get some help."
" Me too buddy." Alex murmured and went back into the kitchen.
Jade and her husband Nick found their cousin sitting at a table, nursing a coffee. He looked sad and Jade felt guilty.
" It's not your fault Jade." Nick tried consoling her, " we didn't know where Max was living. He did not leave a forwarding address."
" Max?" Jade touched his shoulder, " We don't you to be angry with us. We're thrilled that you came back."
" Yeah Max. It wasn't our fault that we couldn't reach you." Nick added, " How about giving us a second chance?"
" C'mon Max," Jade pleaded, " There's been enough strife in our family without our argument adding to it as well."
" I didn't get to go to her funeral." Max mumbled.
" We can make it up to you. I can take you to her grave." Jade promised, " What do you say?"
Max sighed, " Okay, I'll forgive you."
Jade beamed, " Great. And I know someone who'll love to see you."
" Who?"
" Kristy. She still lives here with her second husband. She has four kids you know." Jade and Nick sat down, " I'm not the only one who's been busy." She smiled at her husband.
" So Uncle Rhys is a grandad six times over." Max paused, " What happened to him?"
" He's still around. He's very busy with his job as a carpenter. Works all day. His company is working on a new hotel in Yabbie Creek."
" I'm not surprised he turned out to be a carpenter. With all that work he's done around the caravan park over the years, he gained some skills." Max remembered.
" Yup." Jade paused, " Danni's living in the city with Scott. Remember him? They eventually got married after Scott's first marriage was annulled."
Max smiled, " Does she have any kids?" he couldn't picture his pretty, flirty, airhead of a cousin with kids.
" Nope. And she doesn't want them but Scott does so you can imagine there's always trouble in paradise."
Meanwhile, inside the kitchen, Alex was busy making the coffee. He wiped away some tears that had threatened to roll down his face. Over the years, he's become something of a sook.
And why not? His life was in shambles. He couldn't get anything to together. And it all happened after Leah moved away.
That little bitch! Alec thought to himself, and to think we've been so close! He stirred the sugar into the mug. One of these days, I'll get her back for what she's done to me.
Max entered the new Summer Bay Café (it was once called the Summer Bay Diner) and walked over to the blue granite counter. He noted some of the changes; cane chairs, round tables with white tablecloths, and light blue walls. The jukebox was gone.
A tall, olive skinned man walked out of the kitchen. He wore a chef's hat over his long, dark hair and was tying an apron around himself.
" What can I get you?" the Greek man asked him smiling, his dark eyes twinkling. Max immediately recognized him from his childhood.
" I'm surprised you don't remember me Alex Pholus," Max greeted him feigning hurt.
Alex squinted at him, " You look somewhat familiar, but for the life of me, I can't figure out who."
" It's Max." Alex stared at him blankly.
" Max Sutherland." Max added.
Alex's eye went wide, " Max! Good gracious, I haven't seen you since….well, in years. No wonder I didn't recognise you. Plus, I'm not wearing my glasses which makes it harder." Alex held out his hand, " How have you been?"
" Busy. I'm married and I have a daughter."
Max was still angry about his argument with Jade, but he couldn't help returning Alex's smile.
" A daughter eh? Are you sure you're that little twelve year old twerp I knew so well?"
" Yup. The one and only."
" Still writing books?" Alex queried.
" Sure. Don't you read them?" Max was surprised, " Not to brag or anything, but all ten of my books have been on the best selling lists."
" I don't read much these days. I'm very busy managing this place. With Leah gone, it's hard to keep up by myself."
" Don't you have hired help?"
" Only one at the moment and she's on holidays. I've advertised for vacancies but nobody seems interested. I've been debating wether or not to close this place down."
" You said Leah was gone, where is she?"
" She went back to the city." Alex told him, " And left me in a rut." He frowned, " I thought families were meant to stick together. We had a big fight before she left and I haven't spoken to her since."
" How long ago was that?"
" Two years ago." Alex confirmed, " So I guess you could say we're estranged. I did not invite her to my wedding."
" You're married? At least something good happened."
" Divorced. The marriage didn't work out." Alex explained, " Makes me wonder why I bothered you know?"
" Who was the lucky girl?"
Alex cast his eyes down, " Brodie." He was referring to his first love.
" Brodie? I thought you guys were nuts about each other."
" I thought so too. The romance died and she got sick of me." Alex sighed.
" Anyway, you shouldn't close the café down. It was Alf's place, or rather; the diner had been his place. Who renamed it?"
" Who do you think? The money-grubbing Josh West. He bought the diner after Alf passed away. Would you like a coffee? The café might not look much, but we make the best coffee on this side of Australia." Alex boasted.
" Sure. Black with sugar. It's been nice seeing you again Alex. And I hope you get some help."
" Me too buddy." Alex murmured and went back into the kitchen.
Jade and her husband Nick found their cousin sitting at a table, nursing a coffee. He looked sad and Jade felt guilty.
" It's not your fault Jade." Nick tried consoling her, " we didn't know where Max was living. He did not leave a forwarding address."
" Max?" Jade touched his shoulder, " We don't you to be angry with us. We're thrilled that you came back."
" Yeah Max. It wasn't our fault that we couldn't reach you." Nick added, " How about giving us a second chance?"
" C'mon Max," Jade pleaded, " There's been enough strife in our family without our argument adding to it as well."
" I didn't get to go to her funeral." Max mumbled.
" We can make it up to you. I can take you to her grave." Jade promised, " What do you say?"
Max sighed, " Okay, I'll forgive you."
Jade beamed, " Great. And I know someone who'll love to see you."
" Who?"
" Kristy. She still lives here with her second husband. She has four kids you know." Jade and Nick sat down, " I'm not the only one who's been busy." She smiled at her husband.
" So Uncle Rhys is a grandad six times over." Max paused, " What happened to him?"
" He's still around. He's very busy with his job as a carpenter. Works all day. His company is working on a new hotel in Yabbie Creek."
" I'm not surprised he turned out to be a carpenter. With all that work he's done around the caravan park over the years, he gained some skills." Max remembered.
" Yup." Jade paused, " Danni's living in the city with Scott. Remember him? They eventually got married after Scott's first marriage was annulled."
Max smiled, " Does she have any kids?" he couldn't picture his pretty, flirty, airhead of a cousin with kids.
" Nope. And she doesn't want them but Scott does so you can imagine there's always trouble in paradise."
Meanwhile, inside the kitchen, Alex was busy making the coffee. He wiped away some tears that had threatened to roll down his face. Over the years, he's become something of a sook.
And why not? His life was in shambles. He couldn't get anything to together. And it all happened after Leah moved away.
That little bitch! Alec thought to himself, and to think we've been so close! He stirred the sugar into the mug. One of these days, I'll get her back for what she's done to me.