F2: Sydney Surprise

* * * *

Brent watched Emily race out of the door wondering how he got so lucky to have her in his life and his bed. She was exceptionally smart, very beautiful, and if he was truthful with himself she was way out of his league. Despite that fact, she was his and he couldn't be happier. His friends and family couldn't understand it beyond the physical, but there was just something magical between them. She seemed to totally understand him, his need to be with his mates at times, to go to the footy like today, the fact that he hated to cook unless it was a barbecue and she got everything ready for him in advance. He laughed to himself, he was one of the lucky ones. Listening to his friends gripe about their wives and girlfriends he knew he was undoubtedly in the lucky basket.

Brent threw some undies and a pair of jeans into a bag with his deodorant stick and dressed in the clothes he planned to wear all day and possibly still be in the next morning. At the last minute, he threw his phone charger in and the ever present small box in his bag in case Emily called him often. It wasn't that he minded, in fact, he hoped she did, he would miss her more perhaps than she missed him. It wasn't that she was uncaring, in fact, she was extremely loving, it was that she was so often calculating in her responses to the moments in life that were unexpected. Unpredictable she certainly wasn't and a part of him wished she was more of a spur of the moment girl rather than a woman who liked to plan out all of events in her life.

The flip side of her being a planner and calculator meant that he no longer over spent on the things that sounded fantastic at the time but fizzled out quickly, like his venture into street luge, the equipment alone had cost him over a grand. With Emily's influence, they were finally in a position to start looking at buying at home of their own. He knew he needed to pop the question soon, but he wanted to make it memorable, not huge and momentous like so many of his friends felt they had to do after so many viral clips on YouTube of extraordinary proposals, he wanted it to be unique to just to them. He just couldn't work out exactly how he wanted to do it and had been carrying around a ring box for almost six months in case the moment arose. Zipping up the small bag he could carry on the plane, he shrugged and headed out the door. His friends would be downstairs to meet him if not already waiting for him, they would arrive within minutes.

As he exited the apartment block he could see Dave's car waiting for him, and he hurried to jump into the back where there was room. "What's crack-a-lackin'?" He asked jovially as he entered the car.

"Queenslander!" Dave yelled, and the car lurched forward into the traffic. As they drove to the airport, the men whooped about leaving wives and girlfriends behind and shedding the shackles of bondage as they put it for a boys only trip. Happily entrenched in a male bonding exercise only one step removed from a deep sea fishing trip as far as the men in the car were concerned they discussed the game at hand and how the coaches and managers should organise their teams.

Troy turned to lean over the front passenger seat and look back at Brent, "Hate to tell you this old mate, but you're the last bastion of freedom."

"Yeah right, I can see it now, you down on one knee begging Kylie to make an honest man of you," Brent laughed unbelievingly.

"Didn't have to, she got down on one knee and threatened me last night," he laughed loudly. "Kylie is taking me ring shopping when we get back from this trip," he said sullenly his laughter dying suddenly.

"Ah shit," Dave muttered.

"Knew it," Ash grinned and added, "You can pay up at the airport mate." He punctuated his last statement by slapping Dave's seat. He turned to Brent, "I knew you would never find your perfect moment."

"Yeah well. I guess as she can have me, settling for you is understandable," Brent smirked.

"Pffft," Troy made a dismissive sound. "Emily will wake up one day and realise she is way out of your league and dump your ass."

"What can I say, I'm irresistible to the ladies," Brent looked around at the other men in the car who were laughing hard. He knew the woman he loved was way out of his and their league, and took all the good natured jibes he received about the fact, playing down that he had such a hot girlfriend.

The men's talk turned to football, and they laughed and joked about the various trips they had been on to see their mighty maroons. They laughed over the year when one of the girlfriends on her first encounter with their State of Origin ritual had stood up during the event full of excitement at a try and yelled... "Go Burgundy!"

"I wonder whatever happened her to," Dave mused.

"Joined Mensa probably after dumping Troy's ass, smartest thing she ever did," Brent said with a perfectly straight face.

Troy groaned, "Talking about your own relationship there, aren't you? Oh wait she hasn't dumped you yet even though she is Mensa smart. You must be like her kryptonite or something."

"Yeah that's me kryptonite... Kryptonite for the Blues!" Brent agreed and steered the conversation back onto safer ground.

They had laughed long at hard at the many attempts each of them had had at indoctrinating their partners into the State of Origin fervour. It was enough now that their partners tried to understand the depth of their commitment to the team, and once a year didn't stand in the way of their football fanaticism regardless of which state the final was held in. Queensland's Mighty Maroons though had won the last seven series so inevitably the final was a two day trip into enemy territory for the four friends.

The flight was mercifully short and without delays and they landed in Sydney within two hours of taking off. Having booked into a package deal the men piled onto a bus with a dozen other diehard fans from the northern state and made their way to the CBD where their hotel was. The same bus would pick them up and transport them to the game as well as home again.

Buoyed up by the camaraderie of new as well as old friends venturing like warriors into enemy territory the four men laughed and joked with the group of companions railing about the injustice of the last game that they had lost and lamenting that they had to throw the Blues a bone now and then to make it more entertaining than the white wash they knew the Maroons could generally deal out.

It wasn't until he had checked in and stowed his bags that Brent turned his phone on after the flight and found two missed calls and a puzzling message from Emily. He read it several times and shook his head as Dave walked into his room to see what was holding him up. Brent quickly sent back a message with two question marks and a love heart before sliding his phone into his pocket and heading down to the hotel bar with Dave to being what was to be an epic day and one he had been looking forward to for months.

The message nagged at him though as so often he misunderstood her cryptic comments and he took his phone out once more and reread, "I will see you in the tonight but will you see me?" He had told her exactly where he and his friends would be sitting pointing out the exact spot in the first game of the series that had been played in Sydney so she could see him on TV when she pretended to watch the game. Maybe she was planning some sexy face time during the game if he dared to answer his phone and the thought made him grin. Dave gave him a puzzled look and tried to sneak a peek at his phone to see what had made his friend smile but once again Brent slid the phone back into his pocket coming up with a plausible meaning of the cryptic text.

* * * *

Emily looked at her phone and laughed at his questioning response to her text. After trying to call him twice with no success, she had been swept up in the whirlwind that Clive had made of her day. Emily was not an unpredictable woman, she did not do things on a whim, she calculated pro's and cons and then moved forward probably the only exception to that rule had been the irresistible pull she had initially felt toward Brent that had clouded her mind and erased any thoughts from her head aside of how good he made her feel and how much she laughed when she was with him.

Smiling at the text Emily decided not to explain but rather send him further cryptic clues during the day and she knew just where to start. Bringing up the statistics page she had created for Clive regarding tonight's football game in Sydney on her computer She quickly grabbed a fresh piece of copy paper and write in her own precise script, "Luckily they play on grass not paper!" Standing it up against her computer Emily stood back and took a photo on her phone sending it to Brent.

She was more than satisfied when his text came back, "You better believe it smart girl!"

Clive was in and out of her office giving her the run down on the meeting they would attend in the morning and asking her to run over the figures and risk analysis of the particular company expanding into a new market at this time. By lunchtime she was up to date within reason and had several questions about the data she had been given. It had been compiled by one of the senior analysts, and as she left her office to meet with him Clive stopped her in her tracks.

"Run home and pack a bag and get back here as soon as you can, then we will leave for the airport," Clive turned to walk away but reached out to touch his arm.

"I am on the way to the airport maybe it would be more effective for me to meet you there," she explained quickly hoping that would buy her a small amount of extra time. Clive seemed to consider her words and looked at his watch gauging the time.

"Leave your address and mobile number with Wendy. We will pick you up on the way," he murmured. Not wanting to push her luck Emily went back to her desk and grabbed her bag and headed home forgetting the questions she had planned to ask the senior analyst. No, soon had she packed a bag trying to choose an outfit for any occasion as well as another for work the next day, Emily heard her phone ring and rushed to pick it up. Clive was downstairs already, and she raced to zip up the suit bag and leave the apartment.

It surprised her to find that rather than veering into the domestic terminals they drove past them down a road that ran parallel to the public airport to the general aviation terminals. She shouldn't have been surprised at the sight of the small gulf stream that waited for them there, but she was and as she climbed out of the car she stopped and took a photo with her phone. As their bags were checked and loaded, she quickly sent it to Brent and wondered what he would think if he knew she was heading to the city he had flown to only a few hours earlier. Turning off her phone for the flight Emily walked up the stairs and took a seat in the small but plush cabin.

During the flight, they went through the data and background company information, and Emily was able to ask the questions she had meant to see the analyst who put the data package together about. Clive was impressed with her quick and agile mind, the way she could follow the figures so quickly and talk about the economic policies and trends in the current markets and their effects on the economic status of companies such as the one they were advising.

Landing in Sydney a car and driver waited for them courtesy of a business associate of Clive's. The afternoon had seemed to rush past her, and as they entered the Sydney Hyatt. Entering her room with the promise to change and meet Clive downstairs for an early dinner after missing lunch Emily chained into a wine coloured slip dress that could pass for maroon and as it was winter paired the short dress with thick black tights and boots. It could pass in a dressy or casual crowd, and she left her hair to hang loosely down around her shoulders. Taking a picture od herself in front of the large window with the Sydney Harbour behind her featuring the opera house but obscuring most of it with her body she laughed wondering if Brent would be sober enough to notice anything but the short dress.

Pressing send she swung her small bag over her shoulder and left the room, marvelling that she of all people would be going to the football, a game she barely understood. She had impressed her boss with the passionate words of her boyfriend, and she felt like a fraud as the lift doors opened and Clive sat in a comfortable chair waiting for her. While they dined, Emily told Clive of her boyfriend and his absolute belief in the mighty maroons and his confidence in the outcome of the upcoming game.

"It's like an obsession for Brent and his friends. They would just about kill to be going to a corporate box like I am," she admitted ruefully. "It's not that I don't appreciate the opportunity," Emily quickly corrected herself, "It's just that Brent's the bigger fan." Emily smiled to herself thinking that she was more interested in the company financial report she had just read than in watching a game of football.

Emily could feel the phone in her bag buzz but waited until Clive excused himself from the table for a moment to look at it she grinned at the message, "Amazing dress, go Maroons." He hadn't even noticed the background. Placing the menu of the restaurant on the table with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House in its logo she took another photo and sent it in response before putting her phone away again and grinning. She stood as Clive returned and they left for the game.

* * * *

Brent and his mates were already at the stadium with a beer in hand enjoying the pre-show entertainment when his phone buzzed against his thigh. Pulling it from his pocket Brent looked at it. He saw the menu not registering the logo and wondered who she was out with flicking back to photo of her all dressed up.

"Alright," Ash broke through his thoughts, "Show me what you have been frowning at all afternoon or put it away." They all got messages and calls from their partners, but Brent was looking worried, and Ash was concerned for his friend.

Having looked at the text and the ensuing pictures Ash could see the trail quite easily. Emily was obviously in Sydney with some rich bastard, and he cursed at what a bitch Emily was being showing Brent photos of her running off with another guy. Handing the phone back with a shrug as if he too had no idea what she was doing he offered to get more beers before the game started.

"I'll come, Dave said, "I need more food."

"You always need more food," Brent laughed, "It's as if you're eating for two," he looked down at his friends paunch meaningfully, "Is there something you need to tell us?"

Dave waved away the comments saying, "You wish you had my physique, it's all muscle baby!"

"Someone should have told you it's supposed to be a six pack not a whole carton," Brent smirked.

Dave smoothed down his shirt, "Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful." Then he walked off to the bar with Ash leaving Brent chuckling and looking at his phone again.

"Here Troy," Brent said leaning towards him, "put these pictures together and tell me what the hidden message is. All I have been getting all day is pictures."

"Shit, man if it was anyone but Emily I would say they found a rich sugar daddy who has flown them to Sydney for the night," he grinned, "But for some reason that girl loves you, never understood it myself, but anyone can she does."

"Yeah, she has fall for the Brent good looks and charm, can't blame her really," Brent smiled.

"You forgot modesty my friend," Troy said helpfully. "Still looks like she is in Sydney though, whatever the reason. I don't think Photoshop is good enough to fake that on today of all days."

"Shit, I didn't even notice it," he said suddenly noticing the background of her photo in front of the window. He had been too busy admiring the long legs that went all the way up to her cute little ass.

"You know the rules," Troy said, "No girls on original finals night."

"She couldn't be in Sydney, she doesn't do things spontaneously, she knows it's out boys night," Brent seemed confused by what he knew and what was clearly on his phone and he stared at the picture of the woman he loved.

So lost in though was he that he started as Ash and Dave returned with more beers and food, settling into their seats as the pre-game entertainment wound up and the teams began to be announced.

"Enjoy the friggin' game mate, stop worrying about some photo's, she knows the game day rules," Ash snatched his phone from his hand, "You can have it back at half time."

The game started well, and the men were a small voice when raised in compassion to the sea of blues supporters that surrounded them, but at half time, Queensland's mighty maroons were up 8 – 4 and their mood was jubilant as they exchanged trash talk with the people around them. Ash reluctantly handed back Brent's phone and to his surprise there were photos of the crowd he sat in, a small group of maroon coloured jerseys amongst the sea of blue.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed causing the men to look at him. "She is here somewhere," he exclaimed gesturing around him. "Where are you?" He quickly sent a text to her.

"Right behind you," Came the answering reply and he stood up in his seat and looked around.

Wondering what was going on Dave watched Brent until his own phone rang, recognising the number he picked it up and laughed, "What's going on, he's jumping around like a madman."

"Don't tell him it's me, yet! Emily exclaimed. "I was just wondering if you might suspend the no girlfriends rule just enough to bring Brent up to the corporate box I am watching the game from."

"Hell, yes!" Dave almost yelled. He stood beside Brent and turned around looking as she gave directions to find her. She was indeed directly behind them but up behind a glass wall. She gave Dave the box number and the simple directions she had taken down to get there from where they were.

"Gentlemen," Dave said hanging up. "We have a mission." He pointed up at Emily who had begun to wave furiously to get their attention.

"No women," Troy said looking at them all.

"Stay then," said Ash moving past him, trying to catch up with Brent and Dave, "but I am going to the corporate land of free beers!"

"Well when you put it like that," Troy mumbled and followed his friends.

They barely made it into the box before the half time whistle blew to start play, and as Emily introduced the men, Clive grinned at them all, "We needed a bit more maroon in our midst."

Both teams scored in the second half and with five minutes on the clock it seemed Queensland would put a nail in the Blue's coffin with another try when out of nowhere a streaker appeared to run eighty metres and tackle the Queensland ball carrier from behind. Play when on with a try being scored but then disallowed due to the interference in play. The game ended with a win but no one overly happy with the close fulltime score of 12-10, despite the celebrations of the small group within the box.

Brent had not moved far from Emily during the second half, the implication Troy had made that she had found a sugar-daddy and flown to Sydney without telling him had messed with his head a little and he found himself considering the likable man Clive.

"So you're the man who told Emily that these teams play on grass and not on paper," Clive laughed and clapped Brent of the shoulder. "It seems you were right about that. Won myself a delightful little side bet and I think I will go collect," Clive strode over to another man in the box leaving Brent looking at Emily for an explanation.

She explained that he had set all the junior's the task of running the data for this game and coming up with the winner. "I told you that, on paper, the Blues had a better team this morning remember?" Emily prompted him. "You, as usual, gave me all that stuff about team spirit and the line that they play on grass not paper and all of the traditions people have," she continued. She then explained her presentation of the figures to Clive and her assertion that te data didn't take into account Brent's unknown qualities of a game like this, and he loved it enough to bring her down for the game and a business meeting in the morning.