Page 45 of The Au Pair Affair

“Few years, actually.”

He caught sight of his expression in the mirrored wall, unsurprised to find confusion written all over his face. Where was this coming from? “The divorce was amicable. We’re friendly.”

Sig grumbled something.

Burgess shoved him in the shoulder. “What was that? Speak up.”

“I said, it might have been amicable...” He crossed his arms, beginning to look pissed. “But you’re the one who walked away shouldering all of the blame.”

“I was always occupied with hockey. All the media attention. The split was my fault.”

“Nah, I don’t see it that way.”

“What?” Burgess was beginning to raise his voice. “You weren’t there.”

“I’ve been here to see the before and after version of you. I don’t think you two were meant to be, but the divorce itself pulled the rug out from under you.” Sig two-hand shoved Burgess in the chest. “Where’s your fucking confidence, man? Burgess before the divorce would have gone and pulled that hot nanny without breaking a sweat.”

“You sound like one of the Orgasm Donors.” Fire scaled his spine. “Call her hot again and I’ll put your head through the wall.”

Sig laughed, visibly delighted by his outburst. “Okay, I won’t.” His friend gave him a slow grin, obviously meant to incite him—and it was working. “I’ll just think about it.”

“You have a death wish.”

“Look. I’m just saying...” Sig made a flippant hand gesture, indicating Burgess’s body. “You’ve still got it. She’s already living with you, right? So you don’t even have to invent reasons to see her. That’s half the battle. Now let’s say you forget to wear a shirt to breakfast. Oops! Suddenly she’s got two hundred and eighty pounds of defenseman of the year looking back at her over a bowl of Cheerios.” Sig picked up a kettle bell. “Just saying, it could be compelling.”

“I promised to take her skinny dipping in Jamaica Pond,” Burgess grumbled, sneaking Sig a measuring look. “Is that something?”

Sig dropped the kettle bell.“What?”

Burgess feigned nonchalance. “Nothing.”

“Fuck you, nothing. Explain.”

“No.”

Sig stared at him hard. “She better not invite Chloe.”

“I’ll make sure to suggest it.”

“God, you’re a prick.” Sig considered him through a squinted eye. “I’m starting to think this au pair affair is going to be fun to watch.”

Burgess didn’t know if “fun” was a word that could be attached to anything related to him.

But he did know he was looking forward to getting home tonight. More than ever.

Again, the memory of Tallulah stroking his bicep skipped like a stone across the pond of his mind. Not that he would admit this to Sig, but...

Maybe the whole shirtless thing had some merit?

Chapter Twelve

Tallulah clutched her chest with one hand, the script in the other. “I fear too early, for my mind misgives. Some consequences yet hanging in the stars shall bitterly begin.”

Lissa flopped onto the couch, throwing a dramatic arm across her eyes. “How do they expect a bunch of twelve-year-olds to know what this stuff means?”

Not for the first time, Tallulah wondered if Lissa was an adult trapped in a tween body. “You read my mind, kid,” Tallulah said, plopping down beside her. “I think the point might be that youtryto figure out what it means. Sometimes that’s what learning comes down to. Making your mind stretch.”

Lissa groaned. “You sound like Mrs. DeSoto, my language arts teacher.”

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