Page 3 of The Six-Week Single Dad
“It’s a shame we don’t know anyone who needs a job for a few weeks.”
Tom punched me on the arm. “Hang on a minute, mate, I might just have the answer for you.”
“Who?” I screwed up my face, trying to think of who he meant. The majority of the girls in our friendship group could hardly be classed as maternal; they were more like Maddy at the height of her party days. I doubted I’d be able to persuade any of them to change nappies and burp a baby.
“Bea’s back from travelling and I don’t think she starts her new job for a while. Maybe she could help you out?”
The mention of Bea’s name hit me in the stomach.
Bea Hudson.
I hadn’t seen her in about a year.
Beautiful Bea, with her long, dark, wavy hair, expressive green eyes and slender, shapely body.
But that didn’t mean I hadn’t thought about her.
I couldn’t ask for her help because I’d be in more trouble than I’d ever thought possible.
I’d had a secret crush on Tom’s younger sister for years. Not that he ever knew. Because if he did, he would probably kill me.
I couldn’t ask her for help.
Could I?
“Is she good with babies?”
Tom laughed. “How the hell would I know, buddy? She’s been away for almost a year and God only knows what she got up to while she’s been gone. I reckon me and the ‘rents got the PG version.”
“Would you ask her for me?”
“I’m meeting her for a drink later. Why don’t you ask her yourself?”
Chapter Two
Bea
The Green Man hadn’t changed at all since I’d last been in there. There was something comforting about coming back to something so familiar. After the bright lights and chaos of the States, London seemed almost restrained and civilised in comparison. I was finding it hard to settle back into a routine, even though it wouldn’t be long before I started my new job. I had almost three months to kill, and I was already beginning to feel bored with so much free time on my hands.
Laura was at the bar, chatting up the barman as per usual. Some things stayed the same. They must have been flirting for the whole year I’d been gone, yet neither of them seemed to have plucked up the courage to ask the other one out.
“We got this one on the house.” Laura plonked the ice bucket, containing a bottle of dry rosé, on the table.
I rolled my eyes at her. “At least I get the lion’s share because I don’t have to be at work tomorrow.”
“I’m on lates this week, meaning I don’t have to be up at the crack of dawn so it’s equal measures, okay?” Laura poured us both a glass and we toasted to lie-ins. She grabbed my hand and examined my nails. “You want me to save you a slot?” She was a beauty therapist and I’d missed her doing my treatments.
“Why not? It’s not as if I have anything else to do right now.”
“You should make the most of it. As soon as you start work, you won’t have time for much else.”
She was right. I’d secured an internship with a PR consultancy which, if everything went well, could lead to a place on their graduate scheme. After my gap year, I knew I had to do something that would be meaningful. I’d got the job before I went away and, although I hadn’t heard anything from them in a while, expected that everything would be fine for me to start. It would probably mostly entail making the tea, fetching lunches for the important people and doing lots of printing and photocopying. If it didn’t work out, I could always use the money for another trip.
That still didn’t leave me with much to do until I started though. Unless my brother wanted me to clean his flat. I shuddered at the thought. Although after a few more days sleeping on Tom’s couch, I might find myself doing exactly that.
“It’s good to have you back, Bea. I’ve missed you so much.” Laura clinked her glass with mine again.
“I missed you too.” I smiled. There had been a few other girls, and guys, that I’d made friends with on the trip and we’d done some things together, but there was no substitute for chewing the fat with your bestie and putting the world to rights. “Tell me what else I missed out on.” I gestured to the barman. “Like, have the two of you got anywhere yet?”
