Bondi Beach Read Online Free Page A

beside the bed before sitting down. “I thought you might be hungry.”
    “A little .” I glanced around, careful to keep the top of my red nightgown in place as I sat up. “What time is it?”
    His eyes stayed fixed on mine. “Just past eight. What would you like?”
    “What do you have? ” I hadn’t eaten since breakfast at the hospital and realized that I was famished.
    “Well,” he began, turning on a small bedside lamp before settling back in the chair. “Do you have a favorite food? Sydney isn’t far, and I can pick up just about anything.”
    “I appreciate it, but I’d really love something simple. Like soup and crackers.”
    He smiled. “That’s easy.”
    “I’m vegan ,” I said, hoping it wouldn’t be an inconvenience for him.
    He shook his head. “No problem. I eat veg about half of the time, anyway. How about lentil soup?”
    “ That sounds great,” I replied.
    Giving me a small smile, his eyes held mine for a moment before he got up and left the room. There was something there, but I couldn’t tell what it was. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable – just intense.
    A few minutes later, Martin returned with a tray filled with crackers and a bowl of steaming soup .
    “That smells delicious . Thank you.” I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude on top of the feeling that he was the only friend I had in Australia – the man who had smacked me with his surfboard.
    Moving the lamp out of the way, he laid the small tray on the bedside table and sat down in the chair beside me. “You know, this is really the least I can do for a woman I put in the hospital right after she got to Sydney.”
    “Don’t make me laugh ,” I said, my head and face aching.
    “Sorry,” he smiled before becoming more serious.
    “ I can’t tell you how much this means to me. I really don’t like imposing on you like this. I’ll leave as soon as I can.” I began feeling a little choked up but pushed it away. I only hoped that he hadn’t noticed.
    There was a look in his eyes that I couldn’t read . He continued to watch me for a moment before placing his hand gently on mine. “Eva, you’re not imposing. Let’s just get you better so you can travel.”
    I sighed. Since I would be here for a few days, a thought occurred to me. “I don’t even know if you live here alone. Does anyone else live here? A wife or girlfriend?”
    Martin shook his head. “No.” Looking pensive, he shifted his gaze down for a moment before looking back up at me. “What about you? Do you have a husband or boyfriend waiting for you at home? Someone you need to call?”
    I shook my head slightly . My headache was getting worse, and I hesitated answering.
    His brows furrowed . “You know, we really don’t have to talk tonight. I can leave you alone to eat.”
    “No, it’s okay ,” I told him. I hadn’t really wanted to get into it, but Martin had opened up his home and been a friend to me. The least I could do was to tell him something about myself. “I lost my husband to cancer two years ago. My father died the year before. My mother was killed when I was a kid. No one’s at home waiting for me,” I said simply.
    H e seemed surprised by my answer and shook his head slowly. “I’m really sorry.”
    “ It’s okay,” I said reassuringly. “As I told you earlier, I came here to get away.”
    Martin wore a mildly pained expression but didn’t say anything.
    “I don’t know exactly why I came to Australia. I thought it might help me figure out how to get on with my life. I’m not sure what I expected to find here.”
    Trying to lighten the mood , he said, “Well, I know you didn’t expect to be hit in the face with a surfboard.”
    I managed a smile and, then, moved the tray onto my lap and began to eat. I looked up at Martin thoughtfully and could tell that he wondered what I was thinking. “You know, you didn’t have to visit me in the hospital. Why did you come?”
    He hesitated for a moment, looking off toward