AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Doesn’t that worry you?”
“You’d think it would, right. You’d think I’d be all hung up on him not wanting to be seen in public with me, but no, I’m all hung up on how much time that boy wants to spend in bed with me.”
Audrey laughed. “You still think this is only a wild fling.”
“The wildest. Absolutely no future in it. But who cares? Not me. No one is getting hurt and we’re having fun. Oh, he did take me to a karaoke competition last weekend. I sucked so badly at it. It was wonderful.”
Les on stage singing. No. Way. “How drunk were you?”
“One shandy. I was stone cold sober and I loved every minute of our off-key Islands in the Stream. Polly was Kenny to my Dolly. He’s just as tone deaf as I am.”
“This sounds like much more than a fling.”
“Ah-ha,” Les sang.
“Friends with benefits then.”
“Ah-ha.”
“I’m not buying that. I can hear in your tuneless voice how happy you are. It could be the real thing.”
“Oh very funny. Wear a dress, nothing officey, or jeans and a sexy top. But honestly, Aud, Reece would love you in a hessian sack.”
Audrey moved a few coat hangers. Suit, suit, another suit. “I’m all out of this season’s hessian and last season’s sackcloth is so St Vincent de Paul.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Mia says hello. You’ve been a big help.”
“Hello, Les. You’ve been a big help,” Mia called. She blew a kiss and made a mwah sound without taking her eyes off her game. She was deep in make-believe and so was Audrey.
“You know we’re both in deep trouble
here,” she said.
“No, we’re not. We’re intelligent, independent women who’re gettin’ some. And when we no longer want it, we’re entirely capable of movin’ on to something new.”
Of course they were. But Audrey’d never heard Les sound so confident outside of work. It was unbelievably irritating that it had taken a man to make her feel that way. What did that mean about her and Reece?
“I’ve lost you, haven’t I?” said Les.
“Around about the time you called us independent.”
“Talk to me.”
“You and me, we were independent. Hard to find two better examples of more independent women. Our own money, homes, careers. But now you’re singing karaoke and I’m worried about what to wear because of men.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah, ah.”
Mia said, “Ah-choo.”
Audrey sat on the bed beside Mia and her menagerie of now flu-ridden stuffed toys. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about that.”
“It’s not like there’s an official independent woman operations manual.” Audrey imagined Les putting finger quotes around that. “We get to make our own rules you know.”
“What rule should I make about falling for my kid’s nanny?”
