Page 7 of The Six-Week Single Dad
“Do you want me to get you a duvet cover? Or blankets? Or more pillows?” I desperately wanted her to be comfortable here, to be able to treat it like her home.
Bea shook her head. “I’ve got a few things already.” She gave me an embarrassed smile. “I’ve kind of been stockpiling a few things for when I get my own place. And this means I can give them a test run.”
“Right, that’s good.” I nodded, even though I was a little disappointed. In my head, we would have gone shopping together, picked out a few things… I was getting way ahead of myself. Bea was here to look after Alfie, not me. For all I knew, she had met someone on her trip and it wouldn’t be long before a Laguna Beach-esque surfer type would turn up on the doorstep and declare undying love.
I backed out of the room and showed her the bathroom, which definitely needed a good clean. I made a mental note to do that before I went to bed that night. As I came to the door to my room, I hesitated. It definitely wasn’t tidy and I was embarrassed to let Bea see it. Plus, it felt strange taking her in there when I wasn’t fully sure how I felt about her.
Who was I kidding? I knew exactly how I felt.
“That’s your room, right?” she said. “I’ll make sure not to get confused in the middle of the night and end up in there.”
She giggled and I followed suit.
“Right, well, if there’s nothing else, I should get going. Did you say you had keys for me?”
“Yep, yes. Hang on.”
I went over to the kitchen and found the set I’d had cut on the way home that evening. On impulse, I purchased a unicorn keyring, as well.
“Here you go.” I pressed them into her hand, my thumb caressing hers a little longer than was necessary. “Come over whenever you want. Actually, I’ve got a few things being delivered tomorrow afternoon, so would you mind being here for that?”
Bea nodded. “No worries. Do you want me to have dinner ready for when you get home?” She winked and I knew she was joking.
“Just knowing you’ll be here is a great help. Thanks, Bea.”
I gave her a quick hug before she left, the light scent of her perfume lingering in my nostrils afterwards.
Fuck. I was in trouble.
Chapter Four
Bea
The silly little unicorn on the keyring dangled in the lock as I pushed open the door to Hayden’s place. Laura barged past me, loaded down by black bin bags.
“Oh my God, this place is amazing! Is he loaded or what?”
I was grateful that Laura was still on lates as she offered to help me move my stuff in. After my trip, I knew the tricks of travelling light, and being away for just six weeks was a breeze in comparison. It still helped to have someone lug a couple of boxes though.
In response to Laura’s question, I pondered an answer. I vaguely remembered an inheritance and Hayden’s parents telling him to invest it wisely. Tom was always going on about how successful Hayden was at work, consistently meeting and exceeding his targets and always getting the maximum amount of commission available. All of those things added together probably made sense.
Still, this place was a revelation. Even the tiny box-room was bigger than some of the places I’d stayed in on my trip.
“I guess he must be.”
Laura was exploring, opening all three of the bedroom doors, including Hayden’s. He hadn’t taken me in there last night, which I was sort of grateful for. Despite the fact I hadn’t forgotten how I thought of him, it felt way too intimate to be poking around his room. I remembered him finding the bra tangled up in the bedding in the second bedroom, and the colour of his face as he removed it. I shouldn’t be jealous if he had been with other women; I didn’t have any claim on him.
Just because I was there for the next few weeks helping him with his son, that didn’t mean anything.
He’d sent me an email late the previous evening that outlined what he expected me to do, sort of like a contract. Then he’d told me how much he was prepared to pay me to do it. I hadn’t expected that at all. Giving me a place to stay that wasn’t Tom’s couch was a bonus to start with. And what he’d proposed would probably get me the deposit on my own place when I started work. Or might get me a room in Laura’s house, if one of her housemates moved out. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about money for a little while.
“Ugh, it’s a tip in there.” Laura slammed Hayden’s door behind her. “Come on, let’s get your room sorted out.”
I followed her. She was standing there, hands on hips, as if casing the place.
“What?”
“Your bed’s in the wrong place. If we move it over to that wall, you’ll get to see out of the window when you wake up.”
