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He was trying to impress Ra’if and the certainty sat inside of her like a just warmed cup of cocoa.
“You look great,” she said.
“I know.”
She laughed. “Okay, little chef. Ra’if will be waiting for us. You ready?”
“Uh huh.”
She wondered, on the cab ride to his apartment building, how it had got here so quickly. Despite her best efforts, she had not been able to keep Ra’if at arm’s length, and nor had she been able to stop Jordan from becoming involved.
Wasn’t this the kind of parenting she judged? Wasn’t she doing everything wrong? She didn’t want Jordan to know a succession of mummy’s ‘friends’. She didn’t want him to grow up seeing a revolving door of men in Melinda’s life.
But she was twenty three. Surely she was allowed to date?
And Ra’if was not one in a succession of men.
It would not work out for them.
How could it?
But she would never know anyone like him.
That much was certain.
She carried the gingerbread house into the building, but once the lift had been called, she past it to Jordan to hold carefully. His little fingers glowed white, he held the backing board so tight.
The lift soared upwards, opening up into his penthouse, and Ra’if was standing there to greet them.
He smiled, but it was constrained.
“Jordan, Melinda. How nice to see you.” He crouched down in front of Jordan. “And what’s this?”
“A present for you,” Jordan said importantly.
Ra’if winked at Melinda. “It’s incredible. Where did you buy it?”
“Buy it? No way. We made it. Even the dough.”
“I can’t believe it. It looks too good to have been made by people. Surely it was elves …”
“Nope. It was mummy and me.” He pushed it up to Ra’if. “And mummy doesn’t love you because she loves me.”
Ra’if burst out laughing, his eyes lifting to Melinda. “Right. I see.” He straightened, and she detected an air of tension in his frame.
“Tara’s kids have been educating Jordan on the ways of the world,” she murmured by way of explanation.
“I see.” He nodded. “I had intended to call before you arrived.”
“Oh. Is everything okay?”
“Yes. It’s just …”
“Did you say it’s in your bedroom?” A woman emerged, at that moment, from the corridor. She was, quite simply, the most beautiful woman Melinda had ever seen in real life. With long hair, so fair it was like gold and gossamer threads, eyes that were enormous and the colour of the ocean, pouting lips and a figure that would have made Jessica Rabbit jealous.
Melinda stared, her heart groaning under the weight of confusion.
“Oh! I didn’t know we had company.”
