“Go to your meeting, Daddy. Pippa has a six-year-old, she can look after me fine.”
“Okay, okay. Well, like I said, I won’t be long.”
She nodded to him and laid back down.
“She’s never usually like this. I’ve not known her to just lie down so quietly. She usually whines and moans when she’s ill.”
“Go.” I insisted and Jude reluctantly went into his own office.
I went over to Addison and felt at her forehead and then at the back of her neck. As I suspected she was as cool as a cucumber.
“Do you want a hot chocolate? Liberty loves my hot chocolate.”
“Maybe in a little while. For now, I’ll just lie here.”
“Okay.”
I got on with my work. Addison wriggled a lot. Then Thomas arrived and Jude was ready, so they went off to the conference room.
And Addison sat up.
“I’m feeling a little better. Could I try your hot chocolate now?”
“Sure. Your pyjamas are cute. Are they L.O. L. Surprise ones?”
“Yes! Does Liberty like L.O.L. Surprise?”
“She does, but they’re very expensive so she doesn’t get many.”
“Oh, I have lots. I’m spoiled, but that’s because I don’t have a Mummy. I’d rather have a Mummy than L.O.L. dolls, but that’s just the way it is. If you marry my daddy, then I have a mummy and Liberty can share my L.O.L. dolls. Sorted.”
Addison was now sitting up, bright as a button and fully animated. A complete miracle recovery had occurred.
It was time to tell the truth to someone. Even if they were six years old.
“Liberty isn’t my daughter. She’s my younger sister. Marrying your daddy wouldn’t make her your sister, so there’s no point.”
“There is because you can have a baby with Daddy, and I can still see Liberty, can’t I? What would she be to me?”
“She’d be your auntie, but…” Why was I explaining this?
“I don’t have one of those! And I could still see her lots then.” Addison was now up off the sofa and inspecting my desk where she saw the photo. “Is that Liberty? She looks nice. I like her outfit. Who is the boy?”
“That’s my brother Jamie. He’s ten.”
“I’d get an uncle too?” She said excitedly. “I already have an Uncle, but I can have another.”
I began to shake my head and she looked confused. “No because I’m not marrying your daddy, Addison.”
“Okay then. Well, I tried.” She sighed, going quiet for around ten seconds before she said. “Do you take your brother and sister out to play sometimes?”
“Yes. Jamie plays football and Liberty likes play centres with ball pools, or trampolines.”
“Ooh me too. I want to meet Liberty. I think we’ll be best friends.”
I looked at the clock and saw only eleven minutes had passed since Jude had gone to his meeting. It was going to be a long morning…
Jude came back smiling and then took a double take when he saw Liberty was sitting on my chair pretending to work in the office.
“She’s feeling better?”
I stood near him, leaned in and lowered my voice. “Yes. The minute you left all her symptoms disappeared like magic. You got played, Daddy. Addison just wanted to work on her plan for getting a sibling.”
Jude actually turned crimson. “Oh my god, she didn’t…?”
“She did. Anyway, she’s letting me get to know you better first and now just wants a playdate with Liberty because she thinks they’ll be best friends. I’m sorry, but in the end I gave in, she was relentless; so tomorrow afternoon you’re meeting me and Libby at the trampoline park on Uxbridge Road.”
Jude shook his head. “What an absolute devil she is. Don’t worry, I’ll tell her we can’t go. I’m so sorry.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “You can come along for me. We go there every Saturday afternoon as I take Jamie to football on Ealing Common on a Saturday morning. I take him home, grab lunch, and then go out with Libby. If she has someone to hang with, she’ll probably less of a pain in my butt who asks for drinks and snacks every three seconds.”
“Well, I guess it will be something to do. I get bored of thinking of new activities. Addy has a short attention span. She rarely wants to go to the same place twice.”
“And you get an adult to talk to. Plus, they sell the most amazing gingerbread men.”
“Right, I’m sold. It’s a date.” He blanched to a point where he looked ill. “I mean a play-date.”
“I knew what you meant.” I elbowed him and laughed, but his shutters had come down again.
“Come on, Addison. I think you seem fine to go to school now. I’ll take you for the afternoon.”
“Okay, Daddy.” Addison jumped down from the chair and ran to the sofa grabbing her coat. “See you tomorrow, Pippa. Tell Liberty I’m so excited to meet her.”
She ran to Jude and grabbed his hand. “Let’s go. Friday lunch is fish and chips, I don’t want to miss it.”
Jude looked in my direction, shook his head in disbelief, and they left.
I couldn’t stop laughing, and then I made the most of the peace and quiet while I grabbed my own lunch. Addy would give Liberty a run for her money and that was saying something.
11
JUDE
I was mortified. My daughter had completely hoodwinked me and had managed to force Pippa into meeting us tomorrow. As Addy launched into a story of how she was sad that Liberty couldn’t afford some kind of toy, I decided I’d make amends by bringing one with us tomorrow. When I got home from work tonight I’d take Addy out and she could show me what she meant. I’d also noticed that the football strip Jamie wore on the photo was of Chelsea so I’d see if I could get him something too. I could turn up at the football even and pass it to him, then drop him off, or take everyone for lunch.
What are you doing, Jude? My inner voice was going, Remember Tillie? She seemed fine too.
But she hadn’t. Not really. I’d just been very young and very naïve, and Tillie knew how to seduce a man and how to fuck. I’d never loved her. Of course I told Addy I did, it was her mum, but those words had never been uttered from my mouth. One day maybe I’d sit and think about the mess of a relationship I’d had with Tillie Simmons, but for now I’d do what I always did and shove it all down a deep dark hole and forget about it. The trouble with deep dark holes was you could unwittingly fall down them later.
I returned to the office and placed a fancy pink cupcake on Pippa’s desk. “Peace offering. I am so sorry.”
“Forget it. How did the meeting with Thomas go anyway?”
“Amazing. He’s totally on board with the idea and we’ve discussed how to break up the first book so he’s off doing rewrites now. So again, thank you for caring for Addy as there were other publishers after Thomas’ book. I just needed to be able to show him how our deal was the sweeter one and he signed today. Another Jude Davenport success story.” He did a little dance on his feet.
“Never ever do that again. It was a total Dad dance.”
“It was not! I have the moves.”
“No.” Pippa looked at me with the look of pity usually reserved for street musicians with puppet orchestras. “You really do not. Stick to business deals. Those we can agree you’re good at. This…” She made a twirling motion with her finger. “Well, I’ll be applying for compensation for post traumatic stress if I’m forced to witness that again.”
“Charming.” I pretended to be in a huff and flounced into my office. When the door closed, I did another little dance.
And pretended it was because of the deal and not the playdate happening tomorrow.
Addison could barely sleep that night. She made me buy some sparkle thing that came in a ball and said she needed one too so she and Liberty could open them together. On my way home I’d bought a Chelsea DVD for Jamie.
My own sleep was disturbed. Full of dreams of me turning up to watch Jamie’s football match stark
naked and getting arrested; or various different sex dream scenarios of me and Pippa.
I was screwed all right. In my dreams and real life.
12
PIPPA
I woke with butterflies in my stomach. Usually I would be groaning at having to get out of bed and watch Jamie’s football game, yet today I was looking forward to it because I was meeting Zak for a catch up, and then later we were meeting Jude and Addison.
Though I could tell Addison had been spoiled, there was no mistaking that she had a huge appetite for love and really wanted a mum.
Things hadn’t been helped by my dreaming that I’d married Jude, though my dreams were largely focused on him shagging me senseless, rather than my mothering abilities.
What on earth was I doing? I couldn’t develop a crush on my boss. It could never happen. That was why his mum had hired me. Exactly so I didn’t fall for him. Immune, remember?
So, somehow, I had to keep my distance on this playdate. I actually hoped Liberty and Addison hated each other on sight and Jude could then take her home and leave.
Liar.
I put make-up on and plaited my hair and refused to think about the fact that I usually left it in an unwashed heap and probably still had sleep in my eyes when we arrived at the pitch.
“You didn’t need to make all that effort for me, but thanks, babe. You do look rough in a morning sans make-up, so it’s appreciated.”
I punched Zak in the arm and then hugged him. “So, you survived a whole week without me?”
“Yeah, it was hard, babe, but that’s cos the new girl is soooo fineee.”
“Zak!”
“God, you are so easy to wind up. I told you, she’s too young for me. I like my women with experience. How was your first week with the boss from hell then?”
“Surprisingly okay. He admitted defeat, apologised for being an arsewipe and we’ve got along fine since. Work is going well; I’m pleased to report. Your idea to be annoying was first class. I owe you a beer.”
“Oh no.” Zak held me at arm’s length and looked down at me.
“What?”
“You have that look. The one you always got when the sexiest customers were due in. You like him. You fancy your boss. It’s not allowed is it?”
I was going to deny it, but I always told Zak everything. “I only realised I think I like him this morning. But it’s okay, I’m just going to act professional, because although Ann didn’t say outright that I couldn’t date Jude, she did say it was the fact I seemed immune to good-looking men’s charms that landed me the job.”
“I’ve never understood how you’ve been unable to resist me. There must be something wrong with your vision.”
“That’s exactly how I resist you; it’s nothing to do with sight. It’s my ears with that patter. I need a bucket it’s so sickly.”
Zak hugged me again and pretended like he was going to kiss me. “Let me show you how good I am with my tongue; you’ll change your mind.”
“Get off me you idiot.” I laughed and pushed him away. “Now watch Jamie play and behave.”
JUDE
When she’d said there was just her mum and the kids and her, I’d never considered she may have a boyfriend, or that the dad could still be on the scene. As Addy and I walked onto the pitch, I watched as Pippa kept hugging and being hugged by a tall, very good-looking man. It was clear they were close and as a boy who I presumed was Jamie ran up and the man hugged him and rubbed the top of his head affectionately, I realised that turning up here unannounced was a huge mistake.
“Silly Daddy. I got the wrong place.” I told Addison who’d complained the whole way here about having to come to the football first. Luckily, she’d not spotted Pippa in the crowd.
“Oh, Daddy. You are a silly-billy.”
“I know, so why don’t we call for burgers for lunch?” I’d take Addy on the playdate but only because I didn’t want to disappoint her. There was no point in both of us being miserable.
Driving to the play centre, once again Addison started going on about Liberty and Jamie.
“Please marry Pippa and then they can be my auntie and uncle.”
“Do you mean siblings?”
“What’s a sibling?”
“A brother or a sister.”
“Then no, Daddy. I meant auntie and uncle.”
I was starting to become stressed. “Addy, sweetheart. Pippa is Jamie and Liberty’s mummy; and no one is getting married anyway. Please drop it.”
“What-ev-er. Adults are soo stoopid.”
“Addison Romilly Davenport. Shall I turn the car around and go home?”
She sighed.
“No. I’ll be quiet, even though you’re wrong.”
We walked into the trampoline park and there at the entrance was Pippa, with a blonde girl. It hadn’t been as clear on the photo but there was no doubting they were related. Though Pippa was dark haired, they had the same green eyes and pouty mouths, which looked cute on Liberty, and sexy as all fuck on Pippa. I felt my cock harden. Great, a rock-hard cock in a kids’ trampoline park. I’d just wait to get arrested.
“Hey.” Pippa waved over at us, as the girl with her ran off towards the trampoline entrance. Pippa dashed and caught her. “Don’t start, Libby, or we’ll go straight home. You know we have to book in and pay. Now this is Jude, and this is his daughter, Addy.”
A cool, calculating, assessing gaze came from Libby.
“I brought us both a sparkle L.O.L. Do you wanna go open them?” Addy shouted, holding up her bag.
The girl’s face changed from cold to warm in a millisecond. “Oh my god, really? You got one for me? Yes, please.” The girl turned to Pippa. “Pippa, please can I go through and sit at the café table? I promise not to go jump without you.”
“No. I’m sorry but you’re not old enough yet, Libby. Plus, Addison’s daddy has to get her membership sorted first.” She looked over at the far corner where there was a windowsill. “Why don’t you both go over there? We can see you from here.”
“Okay.” The kids went off, chattering away like they’d known each other forever.
“You’ll have to excuse Libby. She can be a handful at times. I don’t know if it’s her not having a dad, or what’s going on with Mum, or whether she was just born with satanic genes.”
“I noticed she didn’t call you Mum.”
Pippa chewed on her bottom lip. “That’s because I’m not her mum… I’m her sister. I did try to correct you when we were talking about it, but it was difficult to get a word in and then my phone rang. I should have told you afterward, but it had made you be nicer to me so I kind of… left it.”
I should have been mad that she’d let me believe otherwise, but there was no real harm done. Addy still had a new friend her own age to play with. But, what about the guy I’d seen her with? Was that her boyfriend then? My stomach lurched at the thought for a moment but then my stomach rumbled, despite the fact I’d just eaten two double cheeseburgers and large fries.
“Never mind. I’ll let you tell me all about it over one of these famous gingerbread men, and you’re paying now.”
After I completed a health and safety form, we went through to the main part of the trampoline park and sat down at a café table. The girls sat down and opened up their L.O.L. balls.
“Oh that’s adorbs.” Liberty shouted sounding American.
My forehead creased.
“I gather you’ve not watched the videos on YouTube where they open them live?”
“No, and I think I’ll not bother.”
Pippa grinned and began to remove her coat and that’s when my mouth dropped open as the short-sleeved white t-shirt she wore meant that a sleeve of tattoos was visible all the way down to her wrist.
“Blouses hide a lot of things.”
“This artwork is amazing. Who did it for you?”
“A guy in Acton. He’s really good if you ever want to expand yours. I know you have the design on your hand; how many do
you have?”
I removed my own coat revealing my black t-shirt and my own sleeve of tattoos.
“Snap!”
“I also have these up my ankle.” She showed me her trail of daisies that ran up her leg. I imagined my fingers tracing them, going higher.
“I have them across my chest too. A tribal design. You’ll just have to guess how that looks. I’m not lifting my t-shirt. I’m shy.”
“Of course you are. But yeah, I think that goes beyond the friend zone.”
Was that where we were? In a friend zone?
The lines between boss and employee were definitely blurring.
“Okay, I’ll go grab some drinks and gingerbread men. Do you two want slushies?”
While she was at the counter, I kept an eye on the kids who were playing and chattering away and I sat back and relaxed, realising it was a long time since I had done.
“So, there’s just your mum at home then?”
“Yeah.”
Pippa’s gaze went wistful and that’s when she told me all about the loss of her father and I discovered just how much she did for everyone to keep her family together.
Making me fall for her that little bit harder. Becoming something increasingly difficult to deny to myself.
“So did Jamie enjoy his football this morning?”
“Oh he did. His Uncle Zak was, there so that made everything even better.”
“Uncle Zak?” The guy was her uncle?
My friend from the hairdressers where I worked. He’s been a good influence on Jamie.
“Ah.” Shit, what was his influence on Pippa though?
“You and he ever…?”
“Oh God, no. He’s a total vain manslut. But he has a heart of gold and he adores Jamie. He took on a distant uncle role. Pops to see him play footie about once a month.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked anyway. It’s not appropriate boss behaviour.”
She smiled at me. “Well, you’re not my boss here, are you? You’re the father of my sister’s playdate, so I think I’ll be the bossy one today. Go get me another gingerbread man.” She ordered.
Then There Was You: A Single Parent Collection Page 125