by Harley Reid
We're all in agreement, guess I'm going to the bar.
As I get to the bar, I feel a finger tapping at my shoulder. I spin around only to be faced with a crooked half smile belonging to the man I love.
“Can we talk.” Peter stares at me with those same come to bed eyes that make my knees go weak.
“Sure.” I hesitate. This is it! We're getting back together.
He places his hand on the small of my back and moves me towards a quiet table in the corner where we sit in silence until finally, he speaks.
“Me and Amber are engaged.” He blurts, “I wanted to tell you before you found out from someone else.”
My heart breaks into a million pieces as I try to fight back the tears building.
“Congratulations.” I force the words out, not wanting him to see how hurt I am.
“Oh, one last thing. I hate to ask but can you have a word with your mum for me and let her know that everything is okay between us. She's taken me off her service and now Tom's getting all the good cases.”
“No problem.” Raising myself off the chair, I saunter back over to the bar to get the round in.
Once the drinks are served, I carry them over to the table.
“Centre Stage still happening?” I ask as I sit down and take a huge gulp of my drink. They both nod, “I'm in.”
“What did that idiot want?”
“Oh, nothing much. He wants me to talk to mum about reinstating him on her service.”
“What a dick.”
After a few minutes of walking, we find ourselves outside the neon sign that reads 'Centre Stage'. Cheesy music pumps into the street as we cut to the front of the queue and get waved through by the doorman. Once inside, it takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the bright lights and flamboyant outfits.
Centre Stage is one of the most popular gay bars in Manchester and home to resident drag queen Divine Amour, and tonight is the night of her famous show, so the place is heaving.
We grab a table at the front, by the stage and a girl wearing a sparkling silver dress covered in feathers takes our drinks order, quickly returning with the tray of fancy cocktails. Cristian joins us for a drink before leaving us to get ready for his debut as a Divine Girl.
Just as he disappears backstage, Lexi turns to me with a worried look on her face.
“Are you okay?” She asks as she squeezes my hand, “Only, since you spoke to Peter you look like you're about to burst into tears at any moment. What else did he say to you?”
“It's nothing.” My throat tightens as I choke back tears and then I blurt out, “He's marrying her.”
I can't fight it anymore and suddenly, the flood gates are open. Lexi throws her arms around me before calling the waitress over for another round of drinks. I don't usually drink that much and I'm feeling a little tipsy, so I do the sensible thing and order a coke with my next cocktail.
“I'm going to kill him. How dare he barge back into your life just to break your heart all over again.”
“I think it's kind of sweet. He wanted to make sure that I found out from him and not anyone else, so he must still have some feelings for me. Right?”
“For fuck’s sake Mia, I thought we were past all this nonsense.” Her tone has changed from sympathetic to angry, “If you honestly believe that he is your Prince Charming, then you're a bigger idiot than he is!”
I know what she's saying is true, but I try my hardest not to hear it because, I don't really know who I am without Peter. Everything that I've done over the years has been to support him and his career, to build a home and get ready for a family. We had the same circle of friends and didn't really spend much time apart when he wasn't working. Some would say it was a co-dependent relationship, but I prefer to see it is two people being so in love that they couldn't bear to be apart.
“You need to move on.” She looks at me, pity in her eyes, “He has, and you need to do the same.”
“I know.” I sigh as I finish my drink, “I just don't think I'm ready yet. I can't just go from one relationship to another like that.”
“I'm not saying you need to find a husband.” She winks, “Just go on a few dates, have a little fun and if any of it leads to something more, then great.”
The lights dim and a spotlight appears on the stage, smoke fills the room as a tall Queen in a corseted dress rises from the floor while singing a Cher number. I sit deep in thought, trying to take in her advice as Lexi's eyes become transfixed on the stage. I'm not great at fun, but I guess giving it a try can't hurt.
After Divine Amour finishes her number, she slinks off backstage and the rest of her Divine Girls, including Winnie, parade onto the stage, singing and dancing while the crowd watches and cheers. The show comes to an end about an hour later with an homage to Ru Paul and realising the time, I say my goodbyes before heading out to find a taxi.
It's a bit earlier than kicking out time, so I have a few options at the taxi rank, I jump in the closest cab, give them my new address, and close my eyes, trying to stop the world from spinning around me. The journey back goes quicker than I expect, with the driver waking me as we pull onto the courtyard. I fumble around in my bag for my purse and keys.
“Thanks for the ride.” I say, paying the man and stumbling out of the Mercedes, hoping that Ethan hasn't put the alarms on yet because I'm not sure my brain is capable of remembering the codes right now.
After fumbling with the lock on the front door, I step inside the dark hallway and lock the door behind me. Pressing the alarm to activate it, I stare up the corridor past my room, the whole house is in darkness except for a little light spilling from Ethan's study. He must still be up.
Feeling a little buzzed, I walk into the kitchen, taking in the mountain of supplements that appeared just after I moved in, (what the heck are they even for), and pour myself a glass of water before sneaking to my room as quietly as possible.
I swing open the door and flip the switch to the left of the frame, watching my room flood with light, then I quietly close the door behind me and pull my phone out of my bag to see a text from Lexi glowing on my screen.
Lexi: Remember what I said... Get yourself signed up to tailor-made.
Mia: OK.
I type, watching the three dots appear on my screen to show that she's replying but after a couple of seconds, I realise that she's not going to answer and drop the phone onto my bed.
I kick off my tan biker boots, toss my leather jacket on the chair and take a deep breath, as the scent of Peter's aftershave catches in my nose. I need to get out of these clothes, and away from the smell of him.
After making sure that the curtains are closed, I unbutton my jeans, pushing them over my wide hips and letting them fall to the floor, then I pull off my salmon lightweight sweater and replace it with an old sports t-shirt that I find in my chest of drawers. It's two sizes too big but the fabric feels so good against my skin.
Walking back towards the bed, I pull back the covers and get in, grabbing my phone to check if there is a reply from Lexi yet. When my screen is blank, I download Tailor-Made and fill out my profile, trying not to sound like a desperate romantic. I settle for something quite short and sweet.
Twenty four year old romantic seeks like-minded soul.
My career is important to me and in my free time I love to watch Netflix and chill. I enjoy yoga, reading and great movies and I will never turn down an invitation to a good charity event.
My ideal match is kind, intelligent and generous (bonus points if you put the trolley back after you've been shopping) with a great sense of humour.
If I seem like the right woman for you, please message me and we can go from there.
Yep, that sounds alright. I upload a recent selfie as my profile picture, plug my phone in to charge ready for tomorrow — a fully charged phone at all times is another one of Ethan's safety precautions — and then drift off to sleep.
The alarm goes off at seven-thirty, waking me with a start. It's a Sunday
so Madison won't be up for at least another hour or two, so I hit the snooze button and bury my head back in the pillow.
Ten minutes later, I blink my eyes open, to be greeted by the morning sun searing into my brain and I pick my phone up from the nightstand. Ten notifications from the Tailor-Made app that I installed last night.
As I scroll through the messages, I am absolutely mortified by some of the dirty messages I've received. What is wrong with people? Why would you send a photo of your genitals to someone you've never met?
I'm about to uninstall the app when a new message pings through from 'Elijah', a handsome law student with a love of dogs, movies, and hiking.
Elijah: Just seen your profile, you seem pretty cool. Message me back if you want to know more.
Finally, someone normal!
Mia: Good morning, how's your weekend been?
I type back, placing my phone back onto the side. I summon the energy to drag myself out of bed and into my sport gear, ready for a quick yoga session and curse myself for drinking so much last night.
Once I've finished my sun salutation, I jump in the shower to freshen up and return to my room, surprised to see Maddie sitting on my bed cross-legged and wide-eyed.
Ethan is probably training in the gym by now, so I guess this tiny little visitor is going to be a regular occurrence on days when she's not at school.
“Morning Mia.” she beams, “Can we have pancakes for breakfast this morning, and then go to the park?”
“Of course we can.” I reply with a smile, “Why don't you go and get dressed. I'll make a start on breakfast?”
She heads back to her room and I make good on my promise, making my way to the kitchen and cooking up a batch of blueberry pancakes with a drizzle of maple syrup. I've just finished plating them up when she walks in wearing the most ridiculous poofy pink dress and a toy crown on her head.
“I want to be a princess today. Do you like it?” She sits down at the counter, barely able to see over the top and starts to eat as I gaze at her in awe. She has absolutely no worry in the world and could not care less what people think of her.
“You look beautiful.”
“I know.” She replies with a toothy grin that makes me chuckle.
After plating up a portion for Ethan and leaving it on the side with a little note, I sit down at the counter opposite Maddie and join her for breakfast while she tells me all about the day she spent with her dad yesterday.
Once breakfast is finished, I take a few moments to clean the kitchen, and then we head out to the park. It's a ten-minute walk from the house, so we get there in no time. Within seconds, Madison is running towards the swings to greet a few of her school friends who are playing happily.
Not wanting to embarrass her, I sit at one of the benches just outside the park and watch her run around, having fun.
As I observe them all playing, I think back to my childhood. I remember how dad would take me and Lexi to the park when mum was busy, he'd push us on the swings, spin us on the roundabout and just spend time with us.
I'm abruptly pulled from my thoughts when my phone starts buzzing in my pocket.
It's Lexi, probably calling to see how I'm doing after Peter's bombshell last night, so glancing over to check that Madison is okay, I answer.
“Hey sis, how's the head this morning?” She chirps, way too happy considering she continued drinking after I left, “Did you think about what I said last night?”
“I did, and I actually set up a profile but so far it's mostly been rude pictures and dirty messages.”
“Hang on, I'm just logging on to check your profile.” The line goes quiet for a few seconds, and then she starts giggling, “Babe, you are so not the Netflix and Chill type.”
“What do you mean? I like watching Netflix and I like to chill. What's wrong with that?” I glance over at Madison again to see her pushing one of her friends on the swing. Oh, good, she's fine.
“That is so not what that means, Mia.” She's laughing so hard now that I have to pull the phone away from my ear.
I'm just about to reply when I catch a glimpse of Madison on the ground, bawling her eyes out and holding her head.
“Lex, I need to go. I'll call you back later.” I hang up, shoving the phone back into my pocket as I run over to where Madison is sitting.
Her friend on the swing has somehow managed to kick her in the face and I can already see a huge red bump forming above her left eyebrow. I need to take her home and get some ice on it to reduce any swelling and redness before Ethan sees her.
I've only had the job a week and I've already disfigured his daughter. He's going to kill me.
I arrive back from my morning run at around seven-thirty and as I walk past Mia's room, her alarm is going off. Usually, she'd be shuffling around in her room by now but judging by all the noise I heard last night when she got home, I'd say she is probably suffering a little this morning.
Saturday's are her day to do what she wants, and I look forward to spending the day with my girl. Yesterday we went to an adventure park, and I was so proud of the way that Maddie wasn't afraid of anything. She took to the obstacle course without hesitation and when they put her in a climbing harness, so she could go on the high ropes, she was fine. Samantha was so scared of heights that she couldn't even step one rung up a ladder, so I'm glad that Maddie hasn't inherited that trait from her.
When we got back last night, she was so tired that she didn't even want a story after her bath, so I tucked her in, gave her a kiss goodnight and spent the rest of the night in the lounge playing video games because I couldn’t face more fight analysis. I left the alarm off when I realised that she wasn't home and was about to get ready for bed when I head the taxi pull up outside, gazing out of the window just in time to spy her stumbling towards the door.
I could tell she was trying to be as quiet as possible — the self-shushing was a good indication of that — but she was like a herd of baby elephants stomping down the hallway and into her room. She doesn't strike me as someone who drinks a lot but that sister of hers strikes me as being a bit of a live wire, so I'm guessing she's not the best influence.
One week down and so far, there have been no big disasters and I'm actually feeling pretty great after the training sessions. I was sure, after two years off, getting back into heavy lifting and sparring would be a killer but I forgot how much I enjoy it.
Having a woman around the house isn't so bad either. Each morning after training I go into the kitchen and there's a little plate of breakfast waiting for me and all of a sudden, the house smells like a cake shop thanks to the amber and vanilla blossom scented candles she burns.
Today I've run about three miles as a warm-up for my resistance training session this morning and I'm currently waiting for Jamison to arrive.
He's late as usual.
Thirty minutes later, I hear a knock at the door and Jamison stands there sheepishly.
“Sorry, car trouble.” He mutters as he walks past me and rounds the corner to the gym. I catch a glimpse of Mia scuttling between the bathroom and her room in a skimpy towel and my mouth starts to water. Every morning she forgets her clothes and has to make a dash from the shower trying not to be seen.
Squats, dead lift, bench press and some shoulder exercises make up the next hour and a half of training.
“How's things with the new nanny?” Jamison asks as he watches them walk down the drive through the large picture window.
“Yeah, not bad.” I hold my breath as I pull the hundred kilos of weight off the floor and push my hips forward to complete the movement, “She keeps herself to herself mostly, but Maddie seems to like her.” I drop the bar and the weights bounce off the floor.
“She's cute.” Jamison adds another plate to either side of the bar as I rest for a minute.
“Yeah, I guess.” I try to sound a little nonchalant, the last thing I need is another argument with Sarah. “If you like that sort of thing.”
“One more re
p and then water break.” He closes the collars back up and signals for me to go again. “So, you're not interested?”
“Nope, why?”
“So, would you mind if I ask her out?”
Fuck no! There's no way I'm letting her get involved with him.
He's a nice guy and a knowledgeable coach but I met him when I was in foster care, and he has some huge issues with anger management. Nope, I don't want him sniffing round her.
“I think she's got a serious boyfriend.” I lie, hoping that he'll drop it. “Plus, it's probably not the best idea for my coach to be involved with my employee.”
“Dude, if you want her for yourself all you got to do is say.” He jokes as we stop for a drink.
Heading into the kitchen to grab a couple of bottles of water from the fridge, I see the plated pancake stack that Mia has left for me with a handwritten note that simply reads; 'enjoy' and smile.
We're just about to head back into the gym when my attention is pulled to the front door.
That was quick.
I follow Jamison into the corridor and spot Maddie. Her eyes are red and puffy and there's a huge swelling above her eye. My poor girl.
“What the fuck?” I yell, noticing the worried expression on Mia's face.
“Sweetie, go wait in the kitchen and I'll be there in a minute. I just need to speak to daddy quickly.” She pats Maddie on the shoulder and sends her on her way as Jamison walks towards the gym.
“What the fuck happened to my daughter?” My voice booms through the hallway, echoing in my ears. She's supposed to be protecting my girl, how could she let her get hurt?
“I'm so sorry. I took my eye off her for one second while she was playing on the swings and her friend accidentally kicked her.” She blurts out without taking a breath, her face flushed.
“You were too busy nursing your hangover to do your fucking job more like!” I growl, immediately regretting it when I see moisture building in the corner of her eyes. She doesn't respond, instead, she pushes past me and shuffles in the direction of Maddie.