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‘Get used to it.’ Catherine grinned. ‘And if this so-called newspaper’s article moves the sisterhood on an inch then I’ll be a happy woman indeed.’
‘Happy’s good,’ Rico said softly, and Catherine felt her smile fade, replaced instead with a nervous lick of her lips as their eyes locked. Tension seeped in, but not the head-on, angry confrontation that had become so much a part of them—this time it was a thrum of togetherness, a sexual awareness that had never really gone away, just faded a touch from neglect. And when Rico moved a step forward she shivered with excitement as he moved closer.
‘Are you both off, then?’ They both jumped as Jessica came out to the hallway, holding a bleary-eyed Lily, her hair all sticking up. Catherine felt her heart trip. The eyes staring back at her melted her for a second so fleeting, so fragile, Catherine was almost scared to acknowledge it—almost scared to comprehend that the maternal instinct the social worker had promised would ensue might actually be stirring.
Last night she had come home, tired but elated after her first day back at work, and as she had climbed the stone steps of her new home a curious bubble of elation had welled inside her—almost a need to get inside, to see the little girl she hadn’t even realised she’d missed.
‘I’ll be back around five,’ Catherine responded. ‘Though I can’t vouch for Rico.’
‘Seven,’ he quipped, but his face softened as he made his way over to Lily. ‘So save her bath for me, Jessica. And as for you, little lady…’ He tickled the baby’s chin, and Catherine watched as her face lit up, a smile breaking on her sleepy face. ‘Make sure Jessica chooses a good bedtime story for me to read to you—preferably one with no songs!’
‘Is that what that awful droning was last night?’
He didn’t answer, his face concentrating intently on Lily before he turned to Catherine with an incredulous smile. ‘I think she’s getting a tooth!’
‘Really?’ Making her way over, Catherine peered at the gummy mouth. Rico tickled Lily to ensure she laughed enough for a good view. ‘She is too.’
Such was the happy atmosphere in the hallway Catherine was almost reluctant to leave it. For a while there they almost looked like a normal family, celebrating one of life’s tiny milestones, and most amazingly of all she relished it. But Jessica was a stickler for the clock, and soon pointed out that if they didn’t get a move on they’d both be late.
‘I’ll see you this evening.’ Catherine smiled, kissing the plump cheek almost without thinking about it, taking in the soft baby smell and lingering just a second before turning away.
Now came the difficult part.
For the staff’s sake, appearances were always kept, and every morning as Rico left for work they always kissed—only on this morning it didn’t feel so staged; on this morning it felt like the most natural thing in the world. But though it might feel natural, it didn’t lessen her awkwardness. A furious blush darkened her cheeks as she lifted her face to his, and something in the way his hand snaked around her waist, something in the way his lips dusted hers, held hers for just a moment too long, told Catherine this wasn’t a kiss for the cameras. This kiss was loaded with the passion that had lingered unchecked for so long, loaded with the tenderness that was starting to tentatively grow between them.
‘I’ll see you tonight.’ His voice was gruff, his pupils dilated as he stared down at her pink cheeks, taking in her glittering eyes, feeling her chest rise and fall against his. His head moved a fraction, so when he spoke his words were for her ears only. His hot breath tickled her ears, making her toes curl just at the sound of it. ‘You can save your bath for me too.’
‘No songs,’ Catherine teased, but her eyes grew serious, the magnitude of tonight starting to take shape in her lust-dazed mind.
‘No songs,’ Rico said softly. ‘But maybe we could put some music on, have dinner up in our room…’ Reluctantly he let her go, but took her hand as they left the house, walking towards their cars. Rico’s driver nodded and held the door open as Catherine dived into her rather less impressive, infinitely unreliable but much loved car, winding down the window as Rico knocked on it.
‘I’m going to be late, Rico!’ she warned.
‘Will your feminist principles object to me buying you a decent car?’
‘Not a bit.’ Catherine grinned. ‘You see, the wonderful thing about being a woman in the twenty-first century means you really can have it all. But nothing too flash,’ she added hastily.
‘Mustn’t outshine the principal,’ Rico said dryly, but his eyes were smiling. ‘Here.’ Tossing the newspaper through the window, he gave her one final knowing smile. ‘You know you’re dying to see yourself.’
‘I couldn’t be less interested,’ Catherine lied, but she didn’t hand the paper back.
‘Suit yourself.’ Rico shrugged, turning to go, then halting again. He swung around on a smart heel, a mischievous smile inching across his lips. ‘And next time the press are around do up your blouse!’
Determined not to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d piqued her curiosity, Catherine pointedly started her car and headed out of the long driveway into the peak hour traffic.
She didn’t get very far.
Pulling into a side street, she almost tore the newspaper in her haste to get to the said article, scanning the photo with a critical eye and letting out a groan as she saw the rather vast expanse of cleavage, courtesy of a forgotten button. A loud toot had her practically jumping out of her skin, but her annoyed look faded into laughter as Rico’s car slid past, with Rico giving a knowing wave as the headlights flashed.
Truly caught, there was nothing for her to do except smile and rather sheepishly wave back.
As she pulled off the handbrake, the smile stayed put.
Oh, it wasn’t much—in the scheme of things it barely added up to anything—but sharing a laugh was always good: their history in the making, a tiny step in the right direction…
* * *
Her glow didn’t last that long. Somewhere mid-afternoon, Catherine’s elation at being back at work wore off. Her back ached and so did her head, with the children’s raucous laughter growing more grating by the minute. Lily’s two a.m. feed, was clearly catching up with her.
