‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
01
“Maybe we shouldn’t have left it to the last minute,” Zac smirked.
“I’ll make a note of that, shall I?” Taylor gave him a condescending look from the driver’s seat.
“Where are we even going to find a butcher still open at this time of night, in this part of town?”
“I’m working with… fate,” Taylor shrugged.
“Fate?”
“That works.”
“Whatever,” Zac kept his eye out the window, looking for any kind of store they could use, “Frankie’s going to be pissed if we don’t turn up with something at least.”
“We’ll get it,” Taylor assured, “look up there. That looks open.”
Zac spied the small corner store with lights still on and a stocky man sweeping the floors inside.
“If we hurry maybe,” he said, taking his seatbelt off and getting ready to open the door.
“Go for it,” Taylor insisted, pulling up at the curb.
Zac’s door was open in an instant and he rushed over to the door as Taylor parked the car properly. The man inside heard his footsteps and looked up, already shaking his head.
“Please! We really need something for tonight!” Zac begged at the door.
“Unless you take end of day cuts, no meat!”
“Anything,” Zac insisted, barely making out the words from the thick Italian accent.
“Then quickly, come see,” the man beckoned him inside, “but you rush. I go home.”
“Thank you! Thank you,” Zac said sincerely as he stepped inside the store.
The man indicated the last rack that his assistant hadn’t cleared, and Zac made his way over.
“Nikolai! You help customer, si? I go home to Cecilia. Her mother demanding,” the man called to his assistant as he quickly wiped down the counter top.
“No problem,” came the response from out back.
“Nikolai help you. Good evening,” he nodded to Zac.
“Thanks,” Zac returned the nod, before spotting Nikolai.
He offered him a smile, before his eyes narrowed slightly. The guy looked vaguely familiar, but he was having one of those can’t-quite-put-my-finger-on-it moments. He opted to leave it and went back to looking over the small selection.
“What can I help you with?” the much younger, leaner man came over wiping his hands.
“You know, this is really my brother’s forte. He’s going to be the one cooking it,” Zac shrugged, “he was just parking the car, so he should be-“
Zac cut off as the door chimed, signalling Taylor’s entry.
“Hurry up Tay, they need to close,” Zac waved him over.
Taylor came over to him and looked over what was available.
“We might as well take everything,” he shook his head, before moving his sunglasses onto his head.
“Ah… sure,” Zac had hesitated, “as long as you’re paying.”
Taylor fished in his pocket for his wallet, before looking up at Nikolai for the first time. His face immediately lost colour when they locked eyes.
“What?” Zac asked when he noticed something was up.
Taylor suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Zac we have to get out of here,” he barely breathed, before turning to bolt for the door with his grip still on Zac’s arm.
He froze when he saw that the store’s burglar screens had been activated, locking them in.
“I’ll make a note of that, shall I?” Taylor gave him a condescending look from the driver’s seat.
“Where are we even going to find a butcher still open at this time of night, in this part of town?”
“I’m working with… fate,” Taylor shrugged.
“Fate?”
“That works.”
“Whatever,” Zac kept his eye out the window, looking for any kind of store they could use, “Frankie’s going to be pissed if we don’t turn up with something at least.”
“We’ll get it,” Taylor assured, “look up there. That looks open.”
Zac spied the small corner store with lights still on and a stocky man sweeping the floors inside.
“If we hurry maybe,” he said, taking his seatbelt off and getting ready to open the door.
“Go for it,” Taylor insisted, pulling up at the curb.
Zac’s door was open in an instant and he rushed over to the door as Taylor parked the car properly. The man inside heard his footsteps and looked up, already shaking his head.
“Please! We really need something for tonight!” Zac begged at the door.
“Unless you take end of day cuts, no meat!”
“Anything,” Zac insisted, barely making out the words from the thick Italian accent.
“Then quickly, come see,” the man beckoned him inside, “but you rush. I go home.”
“Thank you! Thank you,” Zac said sincerely as he stepped inside the store.
The man indicated the last rack that his assistant hadn’t cleared, and Zac made his way over.
“Nikolai! You help customer, si? I go home to Cecilia. Her mother demanding,” the man called to his assistant as he quickly wiped down the counter top.
“No problem,” came the response from out back.
“Nikolai help you. Good evening,” he nodded to Zac.
“Thanks,” Zac returned the nod, before spotting Nikolai.
He offered him a smile, before his eyes narrowed slightly. The guy looked vaguely familiar, but he was having one of those can’t-quite-put-my-finger-on-it moments. He opted to leave it and went back to looking over the small selection.
“What can I help you with?” the much younger, leaner man came over wiping his hands.
“You know, this is really my brother’s forte. He’s going to be the one cooking it,” Zac shrugged, “he was just parking the car, so he should be-“
Zac cut off as the door chimed, signalling Taylor’s entry.
“Hurry up Tay, they need to close,” Zac waved him over.
Taylor came over to him and looked over what was available.
“We might as well take everything,” he shook his head, before moving his sunglasses onto his head.
“Ah… sure,” Zac had hesitated, “as long as you’re paying.”
Taylor fished in his pocket for his wallet, before looking up at Nikolai for the first time. His face immediately lost colour when they locked eyes.
“What?” Zac asked when he noticed something was up.
Taylor suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Zac we have to get out of here,” he barely breathed, before turning to bolt for the door with his grip still on Zac’s arm.
He froze when he saw that the store’s burglar screens had been activated, locking them in.