The Summer Deal

Three - My spirit animal is a... Platypus?

"Australia."

"Australia?"

"Australia," Quincy confirmed. She turned the laptop in my direction and showed me a lot of pictures. Most of them were of beautiful sunny beaches, aquariums, and underwater marine life. Deep-sea diving? "It's perfect. They're having the summer season, which in my terms, I call the beach season. The place will have an awesome touristy vibe, and you get to wear the bikini I gifted you last year."

"So you want me to travel..." I checked the distance, and my eyes bulged out. "... ten thousand miles to sit on a beach?"

She gasped dramatically, placing a hand on her chest. "Not just a beach. Sydney has over 100 beaches, and you don't just sit on a beach. You get a tan, enjoy the sun and the waves, and ogle hot Australian men while drinking coconut water."

"There are beaches here!" This is unbelievable and a waste of money. "And pretty good ones. I can just visit one here and call it a holiday."

Quincy got up from my bed, walked to my window, and pulled the curtains away harshly. I winced. It was snowing outside. Wait, wasn't it raining an hour ago? Why was I even surprised by London's weather? "In this weather, Sarah? You have got to be joking. You're going to Australia," she declared, pointing her finger at me.

"Beaches or not, you can't expect me to simply change from Northern to Southern Hemisphere only to sit and drink coconut water in a bikini," I reasoned, "I better make good use of time there."

"You and your time need to take a break. I have had enough!"

My jaw dropped in shock. "Don't yell at me, Quincy. I have worked my butt off to stand in the position I'm standing now. Years of hard work, and now you and that bloody HR manager are telling me to take a break and get a life."

"I don't want to fight," she mumbled.

"We're not fighting. We are just discussing things with our voices raised so high that we'll probably have a sore throat tomorrow," an eerie silence passed between us as the tension between us resolved on its own, "I'm hungry. Do you want to help me raid my freshly stocked fridge? We can continue discussing places after that."

"Yes, please."

Quincy and I made sandwiches together. She opened up a packet of Lays and Doritos and mixed them in a bowl before we finally settled in my bed again.

"Australia. I rest my case," she said, munching on her chips. "And before we start 'discussing things with our voices raised', hear me out. Like I said before, the weather's going to be great there, a tan would suit your skin, evening walks on beaches are a bliss, we can easily book a room or a suite at some high-class hotel so you'll enjoy their amenities and tour the entire city."

I groaned. "Australia is really, really far. I was having Canada or Greece in mind."

"You can't wear a bikini at minus three."

"So you just want me to wear a bikini, don't you?" I asked.

"Yes. Google clearly mentions that Australia is the best place to visit this season. While the rest of the world is suffering from winter, Australia and other countries of the Southern Hemisphere are having the best time of their lives," she licked her fingers clean and scrolled more through the pictures, "Look at this place! Sarah, you have to go there. You need to have the best time of your life."

"I don't know... why Australia? If you want me to go South, there's New Zealand too. I hear it's quite beautiful."

"Simple. You'll meet your spirit animal."