by Clare Lydon
Heidi nodded. “Makes me glad my parents are still together.”
“It makes it easier,” Meg replied. “But for you, it shouldn’t be as hard. Charm Eden on a date, and then surely she’ll be charmed by Maya, too. How could she not be?”
Heidi winced. “I’m not sure it’ll be that easy. I get the impression she’s dragging a lot of childhood baggage along with her.”
“Maybe she needs someone to help her unpack.”
Heidi sat back, shaking her head at Meg. “You’re very wise, you know that?”
Meg winked. “Remind my wife of that when she comes back.”
Heidi smiled, standing up. “Anyway, I should go. I’ve got another wedding tomorrow, but it’s a short one. Just four hours in the afternoon. This little one’s going to my sister’s for the afternoon. I should get her home so she’s not too grouchy tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Meg jumped up and put her hands on her hips. “But you’ll think about what I’ve said?”
Heidi nodded. “I promise. No what-ifs.”
Chapter 15
Eden woke up in a sweat — she’d dreamed she had a child. The child was mixed race and running towards her, arms outstretched. She didn’t need a dream doctor to decipher that one.
Heidi.
She rolled over and got her phone from her bedside table, pulling up the photo of her and Heidi they’d snapped at the festival. One of many they’d taken after too much wine, but this one was the shot Eden had gone back to again and again. The one where Heidi’s smile and her spirit jumped off the screen. She was pretty sure Heidi’s daughter was just as cute as her mother.
In the dream, Eden had scooped up the little girl in her arms, showering her with kisses. She’d never done that to a child in her life. Was Lib right? Might Eden have something to offer kids if she gave them a chance? Eden went on adult-only holidays, and most of her friends were happily child-free. The ones who had kids, she saw less frequently. Maybe she should make more effort.
She’d always just assumed her terrible childhood meant she’d be a nightmare with kids. But was it true? Could it be she just had to give it a shot with children and maybe she might surprise herself?
She closed her eyes and pictured her gran in front of her. What would she say?
“You were a child once, you know. And what would have happened if I hadn’t wanted anything to do with you?” That would never have happened, but her gran had a point. She wasn’t finished, either. “Play with a child and you’ll have a friend for life. Nobody forgets who plays with them when they were little.”
That was true, too. Eden remembered her gran, and also her uncle Ed. Both were gone now, and she was pretty much alone. She’d thought she was happy that way, but meeting Heidi had made her question that. How had that happened in such a short space of time? She and Heidi had spent less than 12 hours in each other’s company. Twelve hours. Was that really enough to reassess what you’d always thought, the rules you lived your life by?
The plain fact was, she couldn’t stop thinking about Heidi, and thinking about the future date with India made her stomach churn with anxiety.
Eden had to get out of this date, didn’t she? But first, she had to impress India with her advertising prowess, and then let her down gently. That would take all of Eden’s PR skills. Her life wasn’t normally so complicated, but strange things had happened since she met Heidi.
Heidi had unlocked a part of Eden she’d kept under strict orders not to show its face. But now the genie was out of the bottle, and she couldn’t stuff it back in no matter how hard she tried. One thing was now clear. Even though Heidi had a child, Eden wanted to see her again. Now, she just had to swing into action.
What was more pressing was her need to get out of bed and get to work. The chocolate spread competition was in full swing, with the whole country talking about it and social media going mad. Two of the missing discs had already been found, and they were just waiting for the final four to be claimed before they could put that PR triumph to bed.
If only Eden’s personal life could be solved so easily.
“The third and fourth people have claimed their prizes! So far, nobody’s died or sliced a hand off. Job nearly done.” Johan walked over to her desk, undoing the top button of his black shirt. He’d been doing it up and then undoing it all day, not quite decided on which look he liked best.
Eden held up her hand and he high-fived, their palms connecting with a satisfying thwack.
“Boom!” Johan added. “PR disaster turned into PR triumph.”
She pointed a finger at him. “Leave it undone. I prefer the more relaxed look.”
He raised an eyebrow and fingered his collar. “You do? Okay, I’ll go with what you say, seeing as you’re the office style icon.”
Eden laughed. “I hardly think I’m that.”
“As close as we get, anyway.” He paused. “Seriously though, great work on the competition. The public are gullible, aren’t they? They thought Chocolate Delight was doing them a favour, when really, it was a huge cock-up.”
She shook her head. “Just goes to show that, lurking behind every supposed disaster, there’s an opportunity. It’s a message for life, in case you were wondering.” She gave him a wink. “Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.”
Johan laughed. “I don’t know how I’d get through the day without you.”
“You’re not the only one.” Eden spun in her chair, blowing out mouthfuls of air as she looked at the ceiling of their office. “But you know that’s only half the job done, right? We still need to follow through with that brilliant ad campaign we promised. How do we link sexy with family life and do it in a light-hearted way that doesn’t offend the nation?”
Johan plonked himself down in the chair beside her. “We’re not the best two to ask, are we? Seeing as neither of us have kids.”
“But you have friends who have kids, right?”
Johan nodded. “Course. Friends, family. I love kids, want some of my own one day. I just need to convince Cam that he does, too.” Johan and Cameron had been together for five years, and Eden knew Johan was itching to add kids to their portfolio. Cameron, on the other hand, was yet to be convinced of the impact said kids might have on his actual portfolio.
Eden hoped they worked out their differences soon, because Johan was getting broodier by the week.
“Hey guys.”
She spun round, as did Johan. Their boss Caroline was smiling at them. She was dressed in her regulation Cos wardrobe, all block shapes and muted colours. When she walked round the office, she was like a gentle waft of sophistication. Eden tried to keep up with style, changing with the seasons. Caroline didn’t bother. Seasons came and seasons went, but Caroline was classic and cool all year round.
“You saw the email about the competition?” She leaned on Johan’s desk, opposite Eden’s.
Eden nodded. “Yep, Boy Wonder here was just telling me.”
“Now that’s nearly complete, they want the proposal for the ad by next week. Do you think you can come up with something by then? Doesn’t have to be storyboarded, just the basic outline.”
This was a question that had only one answer.
“Of course. We were just discussing it,” Eden replied. “We’ll come up with one a little out-there, like they requested, and then one a little more safe.”
Caroline grinned. “You read my mind. You know what these companies are like. They say they want to push the boundaries, but when you give them what they ask for, they’re normally a little weirded out by it. Best to have a Plan B to offer them, too, just in case Plan A pushes them too far out of their comfort zone.”
“Leave it with us. Although we might have to go down the pub and brainstorm.” Johan grinned at Caroline, who waved her hand.
“Whatever it takes. Take the company card and get pissed, just so long as you give me a winning idea next week.”
Eden grinned. “You know, some people moan about their boss. Whenever they do, I always
think how lucky we are to have you.” She knew it was cheesy, but it was true. Caroline was the main reason Eden was still at Quote Media.
Her boss wagged a finger at her, getting up from the desk and smoothing down her top. “You know what they say, Eden. Keep the flattery coming.”
Johan rolled his eyes when Caroline had gone. “You’re such a suck-up, you know that?”
“You’re just sad I got there first.” Eden stuck out a tongue, then picked up her phone. She scrolled to the photo of her and Heidi, grinning and drunk. It had been taken before their scorching kiss. A tingle raced down her spine when she thought back to it.
Things were going well for her today, and she believed in positive energy. She should strike while she was feeling good. Before she second-guessed herself. She opened her text app, and sent Heidi a brief message asking if she fancied going out again. That was step one. She could grovel when she saw her.
She sent the message, then sat back. Her stomach lurched. All her positive energy disappeared. Eden hadn’t missed this part of dating. She put her phone on her desk and checked some emails.
It only took ten minutes for a reply to appear. When Eden saw it, she exhaled deeply, then spun around, glad Johan had slipped away somewhere. This text was about to predict her mood for the rest of the day. She swallowed hard, her stomach fizzing with anticipation. She counted to three, then clicked.
The text read: ‘I’ve been thinking the same. I think there were things left unsaid. So let’s meet up.’
Eden leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. They were on the same wavelength. Plus, Heidi had replied straight away, showing she wasn’t a player. That thought warmed Eden. She hadn’t been tactical, playing a game of emotional Jenga. She’d been honest. Maybe her first lie wasn’t the crime of the century, after all.
Eden stared at the message, and thought about the kiss. Then her heart boomed. She was going to reply right away and get another date in the diary.
And this time, she wasn’t going to fuck it up.
Chapter 16
Heidi wasn’t sure having her next date with Eden on April Fool’s Day was wise, but they were about to find out. Between both their work commitments and Maya, it’d taken a week till they both had a matching free day or evening. To assuage her guilt over leaving Maya on a Sunday, Heidi had taken her trampolining this morning, and Maya had loved it. Heidi had already decided that trampolining was taking the place of Aquababy. The parents there had been happy to engage in small talk while their kids bounced. She’d even exchanged phone numbers with another single mum, Denise. The experience had left Heidi feeling upbeat about the world. She hoped it continued into her date with Eden.
What to wear for such an occasion? It was a day date, so she didn’t want to go overboard. She decided on a denim skirt and patterned top, with strappy sandals. Casual, but showing she’d made an effort. Plus, she knew it would be something Eden wouldn’t wear. She’d only ever seen her in trousers or jeans, and got the impression she never wore skirts. Which is exactly the kind of lesbian Heidi preferred. An image of Eden strutting into the pub looking hot in jeans and a shirt dropped into her eyeline. A flash of heat left pinpricks on her skin. Yes, she was ready for this date.
She glanced at her phone and saw she had two missed calls from Kate. She was dropping Maya off to them on the way to her date, and her breathing stalled. They’d made the arrangements by text yesterday. Had something changed? Heidi winced as she opened the message.
When she read it, her heart sank.
The whole family had come down with some sort of vomiting bug, and they’d spent yesterday and today taking it in turns to be sick. Kate was apologetic, but said it was for the best that Maya didn’t come round and catch it.
Disappointment ran through her, until Heidi focused her thoughts. Was there anyone else she could ask at such short notice? Not really. Her family were all away this weekend. Sarah and Jason were at his parents’ place in Devon, and her mum and dad were on holiday in the Lake District.
She flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. The stars were not aligning, were they? All her closest babysitting resources had been cut off. She either cancelled, which she was loath to do, or she went ahead and took Maya with her.
That thought made her swing her legs off the bed and sit up.
Could she test their fledging relationship so soon? Ideally, she wouldn’t introduce Maya so early to anyone, but her daughter was young enough to not really understand what was going on. Maya was introduced to friends and family she only saw a couple of times a year all the time. Was this so different?
She grabbed her phone and fired a text to Eden, telling her the situation and the options. She sat back, a strange metallic taste settling on her tongue. If Eden really had no appetite for kids, Heidi guessed she was about to find out.
Eden’s reply was swift, flashing up on Heidi’s phone within five minutes.
‘Sure, bring Maya. It would be lovely to meet her.’
It was time to see if Eden was telling the truth.
They met in the pub Heidi had chosen: The Pied Piper. A massive old boozer with a scuffed-up wooden bar in the centre of the action, it had five bar staff taking care of customer needs. On Sunday lunchtime it was bustling, but Heidi had snagged a table. She waited with Maya on her lap.
Was she about to commit dating suicide? Possibly. Still, at the very least, she was determined to order food this time, because she hadn’t eaten today. She’d already been eyeing the fish and chips, along with the delicious apple crumble and custard she’d seen those at the table beside her devouring. Her stomach growled as she thought about it.
Eden walked in five minutes late. Had she timed it that way? Whatever, her cheeks were adorably flushed as she approached Heidi, a mix of trepidation and concern stamped across her face. Heidi could well understand it. Their relationship so far had hardly gone well, apart from a single Saturday spent in a damp field. Plus that far-from-damp kiss.
It was that kiss that had kept them tethered, she was sure. That kiss was why Eden was walking towards her, wearing a pair of jeans with artfully ripped knees. Heidi smiled inside and out when she saw them. Yep, Eden wore a pair of jeans just as well as she recalled. Her long legs filled them well, the denim close to her skin. Eden had teamed the jeans with a black shirt, Nikes and black bomber jacket.
Heidi’s heart rate rocketed. Yep, she wanted to see how they could build on that kiss for sure.
“Don’t get up.” Eden bent down as Heidi was doing just that.
Heidi went to kiss Eden’s cheek, but their mouths rushed together at speed, as if drawn by an invisible magnet. The resulting kiss was bruising. More of a kiss-punch, if that was a thing. Heidi pulled back, stunned.
“Sorry. I was going for your cheek.” Her cheeks heated like a winter furnace.
A smile danced onto Eden’s lips. “I was going for yours, too. But I prefer your lips.” She paused. “Shall we try that again?” Eden stared at Heidi’s lips, before placing her own back on them again. Lightly, briefly, but with maximum intent. Then, as if it were an everyday occurrence, she sat down next to her.
Heidi wobbled. Fuck. She hadn’t expected that. But it wasn’t a kiss she wanted to reject. When it finished, she stared at Eden’s lips. Then Maya squeezed her hand and she was brought back into the room. Into the here and now. Heidi gulped, straightened up, and placed a kiss on Maya’s head.
“Mummy kiss!” Blood rushed to Heidi’s cheeks as she shook her head. At least Maya was young enough to not decipher the difference in that kiss to one she might give to, say, her cousin. At least, Heidi hoped she was. She gave Eden a tight smile, then turned Maya towards her.
“Maya, this is Mummy’s friend Eden. You want to say hi?”
Maya glanced at Eden, frowned, then buried her head in Heidi’s chest. Heidi hugged her daughter close. “She can be shy at first.”
“Not a glowing initial report.” Eden took off her jacket and hung it over the back of
her chair. “Good job I’ve got an in with her mum, so perhaps we can work on it.” Eden reached into her bag. “I brought some swag from work as a bribe. For you and Maya. Chocolate Delight, have you heard of it?” Eden held up a Chocolate Delight-branded bag. She opened it to reveal it held a few tubs of the spread inside, along with a soft toy wearing the Chocolate Delight emblem on its chest.
Heidi nodded. “Course I have. They’ve had that big competition where you could win ten grand. I bought some hoping I might get one of those winning discs, but it wasn’t to be. But we’ll accept those gladly. I might love it more than she does.”
Eden gave her a broad grin. “I’ve been trying not to eat it, but seeing as I’m working on the PR and marketing campaign, it’s a bit tricky when they keep giving us boxes of the stuff.” She paused. “The competition was my idea, so I’m thrilled you know about it.”
Heidi sat back. “Really? I’m sure they were pleased with you. You couldn’t get away from it. It was on radio, TV, billboards, social media. If that was your intention, well done, you succeeded.”
“Media saturation was the goal, and I think we achieved it.”
Heidi laughed. “You did. The product’s a hit with everyone. I was round at a friend’s house recently, and their little boy got into a jar and got it all over his face. He was pretty pleased. His parents, not so much.”
“Sorry, not sorry.”
Heidi tilted her head. “If you ran that competition, does that mean you’ve met India Contelli?”
Eden’s face twitched, before she gave Heidi a half-smile. “I have. A few times.”
Heidi’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, I love her. She’s so fierce and hot. I mean, when she’s on those business shows, she’s always the one the camera loves. Is she as forthright and gorgeous in real life?”