Page 11 of The Six-Week Single Dad
Hayden was a little quiet when we went over to Maddy’s to pick up Alfie. I spotted the half-empty wine bottle on the side that was definitely full when I went to bed, and guessed that he had stayed up later than me, drinking.
For some reason, I was feeling nervous. The previous evening we’d built the furniture together and Hayden had constantly referred to ‘us’ and ‘we’, like we were some kind of couple. And when he hugged me before bed, well, that had fuelled some amazingly hot dreams and I’d woken up all clammy and edgy.
I mean, it wasn’t as if I’d had a crush on him since I was old enough to know what that was or anything.
“I’ve got a horrible feeling I’ve forgotten something important.” Hayden was concentrating on the road. He’d hired a car for the duration of the time he had Alfie, but admitted he hadn’t driven for a long time and was finding it hard to adjust.
“Maddy said she had a baby seat for the car, so it can’t be that.”
We crawled through the London traffic, which was probably a blessing in disguise as Hayden seemed nervous driving. The time ticked by and his phone vibrated with a message.
“Can you see who that is?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the road.
I reached for the device. Maddy’s name flashed on the screen with a ‘where are you? You said you’d be here by now. You’re upsetting Alfie’s routine’ rant. “Maddy. She wants to know why we’re late.”
“Ignore her. We’ll be there when we get there.”
As we went along, I looked out of the window, observing the number of women pushing babies in buggies or holding the hands of toddlers or both. Since I’d agreed to help Hayden, I’d been seeing this sort of thing everywhere. It wouldn’t be long before I’d be one of them.
Finally, we pulled up outside Maddy’s house, a modest Victorian terrace. Not for the first time I thought I must be going into the wrong profession if a couple of mid-twenties recruiters could own houses like this.
A salt-and-pepper-haired woman, in her fifties, opened the door to me while Hayden went to find a parking space. “Ah, you must be Bea. Maddy mentioned that Hayden had someone helping him out. I’m Maddy’s mother.”
“Hello, yes, I am.”
The woman leaned in conspiratorially. “To be honest, I’m pleased you are helping, love. I’m not sure Hayden would be able to cope on his own. Maddy certainly didn’t seem to think he could.”
I smiled. “Happy to help. Although I’m sure you could too?”
“Oh, I would have done, but I’m off on a girls’ holiday in Spain at the weekend and it’s really no place to have Alfie.” She moved to one side and waved me through. “Come in.”
As I glanced around the hallway, I realised that this wasn’t Maddy’s place at all, but her mother’s. Maybe I’d been wrong about her level of income.
Maddy appeared in front of me. “Where’s Hayden? Alfie’s been crying for him.”
“He’s just parking the car. He’ll be here in a minute.”
“I don’t know why he got the car anyway. Unless he’s put you in the insurance, he’ll be working and you’ll never use it.”
Maddy’s mother ushered me into the living room, where I got to meet Alfie in the flesh for the first time. At a little over a year old, he looked like all the other babies I’d come across, all big, blue eyes and peach-fuzz blond hair. Although right now, he was screaming, sitting in his buggy, his face red and screwed up.
“He’s teething,” explained Maddy.
“And it may be that he senses you’re going away and won’t be around him,” added her mother. “You’re not exactly calm and collected right now.”
“I could be if Hayden had turned up when he said he would.”
As if on cue, there was a rap on the door and Maddy’s mother scuttled off to answer it.
I reached down into Alfie’s buggy and chucked him under the chin. His little hand reached up and grabbed my finger as his sniffles subsided and I swear my ovaries cried out to him in response. Maddy glared at me.
Hayden walked into the room, looking flustered. “I could only get a space around the corner and I think I’ve blocked someone in, so we can’t stay long.”
“If you’d got here on time, there would have been space,” huffed Maddy. “I’m going to be late getting to the airport.”
I caught Hayden staring at me as I continued to soothe Alfie, a shy smile crossing his features. “I think he likes you,” he said, as he came towards us.
“I hope so.” I smiled back as Alfie gripped me tighter.
