Page 16 of The Six-Week Single Dad
I opened my mouth to protest, then thought better of it. It wouldn’t be long before Hayden would be at work all day and I’d be on my own with Alfie. I would make the most of today.
* * *
Laura had booked the back room in The Green Man for my party. There was a cheesy ‘Welcome Home’ banner stretched between two of the light fittings, a table laden with party food: mini burgers, chicken goujons, sausage rolls, vegetarian pizzas, and several bottles of Prosecco. Not to mention about thirty people, most of whom I didn’t know.
I spent a lot of the evening chatting to the people I did know and telling them about my trip, where I’d been, what sights I’d liked best, and then about the PR job I was starting. Everyone appeared really interested, but as soon as I mentioned I was a live-in nanny for one of my brother’s closest friends, their attention began to wane.
“This is all your fault, Tom.” I wailed to him after another person had walked away. To get me through saying the same thing over and over again, I’d downed several glasses of fizz in quick succession and they were starting to affect me. “If you hadn’t have suggested the idea to Hayden, I wouldn’t be the most boring person on the planet.”
“Don’t be silly, you’re not boring, Sis.” He ruffled my hair. “Although if you tell one more person about Hayden, I’m going to think that you fancy him.”
His words sobered me up quicker than coffee. Was it really that obvious? I mean, I knew that I was attracted to him—the dreams I’d had that morning seemed to confirm that. I thought I’d managed to hide it well. Then again, I hadn’t drunk a vat of Prosecco in a very long time, so it was possible my tongue may well have run away with me.
“Don’t be silly, I couldn’t possibly fancy him. He’s your friend for a start.” I made a face, which I hoped conveyed something like ugh-any-friend-of-yours-would-have-to-be-hideous.
Laura bounced up to us, a bottle in her hand. “Do you need a top-up?”
“I think that’s the last thing she needs, but I’m her older brother, so who am I to tell her what she needs?” Tom laughed. “I’m going to chat to those girls.” He pointed at some of Laura’s friends from the beauty salon and headed off in their direction.
“I haven’t had chance to talk to you since we moved you into Hayden’s place,” said Laura, topping up my glass and pulling me over to a table in the corner. “How’s it all going so far?”
I sighed, sipping my drink. “You have to promise you won’t breathe a word of this to my brother.”
Her eyes lit up, sensing gossip. “I promise, now spill.”
Briefly, I told her all about the previous day and then this morning’s show, then described the dreams I’d had. Her jaw dropped open.
“What are you going to do?”
That was what I’d wrestled with the whole day. It wasn’t as if I could make a move on Hayden at any point over the next six weeks. And after that, I’d be moving out, and potentially moving on. I’d have to lust over him from afar and pretend I wasn’t interested. That was going to be difficult.
“Try to close my eyes whenever he’s topless?”
Laura shook her head. “Come on, you must be able to tell if he’s interested in you.”
“Apart from a passing comment about my nipples, I don’t think he sees me like that. I’m just there to help him out with Alfie. I might as well be over fifty with chin hair and a wart on my nose.”
“Er, I don’t think so.”
“Besides which, he’s Tom’s best friend.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
She was right. If I did decide that I wanted anything to happen with Hayden, and he reciprocated, then Tom wouldn’t have any say. I downed the rest of my drink and held out my glass for Laura to refill. Maybe the answer would lie in the bubbles.
Chapter Nine
Hayden
The crash came from the living room and I woke with a start. As I came to, I immediately listened out to see if there was any sound from Alfie’s room. When there was none, I got out of bed to investigate.
As I switched the light on, I saw Bea on her hands and knees in the kitchen, muttering to herself.
“Shit, shit, shit…I’m such an idiot…”
There was glass on the floor around her, evidently the result of her trying to get one out of the cupboard.
“Wait, let me do that.” I didn’t want her cutting her hand and needing to go to A&E. Carefully, I gathered up the larger pieces and placed them in the bin.
