Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 157032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
“Thank you.” I grab her hand over the table as emotion overcomes me. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you do all you do.”
She smiles warmly. “I know.”
Her eyes glance to Owen as he sits beside me, and then she pours me a glass of wine. “I can’t wait to hear all about your day and your new boss.” She widens her eyes in jest. I shovel the first fork full of food into my mouth. “My new boss is nice.” I gesture to the food. “This is delicious.”
“And?”
I smirk around my mouthful, not wanting to elaborate in front of Owie. “And I will tell you later when I have drunk this bottle of wine.”
Two hours later I am trying my hardest to explain my predicament.
“The forms were really long and I was doing them for an hour. I don’t know why I wrote it, I just did.”
We are on our second bottle of wine at the kitchen table with Owen safely tucked up in bed.
Jenna frowns. “I just don’t understand why you lied. There is nothing wrong with having kids Ashley.”
I blow out a defeated breath. “I know, but I didn’t know I was going to know him when I filled it out, did I?”
Her eyes hold mine.
“I don’t want to be judged and given special treatment because I’m a single mom.”
“You won’t be.”
“I will be. I will get the whole ‘you go first, your kid is waiting’ bullshit. ‘You can’t do overtime because you have a kid at home’.”
Jenna watches me sadly. “But what happens if you like this guy and he asks you out on a date?”
“He won’t.”
“He might. He remembered you. That’s something.” She smiles hopefully.
I roll my eyes as I drain my glass. “Trust me, as soon as he finds out I have a kid he will lose interest instantly and I will become someone’s mom who is not needed anymore.”
Jenna purses her lips as she thinks. “You need to tell him, so if there’s a chance, you can rekindle what you had.”
My eyes hold hers.
“You’ve talked about this guy for years, compared everyone to him, and now he’s come back to you in a weird twist of fate and you’ve started it all with lies. What’s wrong with you?”
I drop my head into my hands. “Oh God, I don’t know. I was flustered, he’s all gorgeous, and the women swoon over him. I just felt so bloody old.”
“Go in there tomorrow and tell him everything. Tell him you remember him, tell him you had a son, and tell him you want to explore anything there might be between you.”
“I’m not saying that.” I screw up my face in disgust. “I want to explore things with you.” I shake my head. “Sounds like bloody David Attenborough.”
She laughs. “What did he look like?”
I throw my head backwards. “I have never seen a man so hot. He could do me some damage, that’s for sure.” I shake my head in disgust. “I’m practically a virgin again.”
“Did you take a photo of him?”
I screw up my face again. “Are you a freak? I am not taking a fucking photo of him.” I shake my head. “Oh, my friend wants to see what you look like. Mind if I get a shot?”
She laughs and we both fall silent, deep in thought. “What are you going to do?” she eventually asks.
I narrow my eyes. “Well, first things first, I’m going to ace up the work clothes and look hot. Second of all, I’m going to drag him into an office and ‘fess up about my lie.”
“You should kiss him.”
“What?” I smirk.
“Can you imagine? You look really sexy and then you ask him to come into the office and you kiss him all seductive like.”
I look at her, deadpan. “This is my job and there are rules that I can’t break.”
She smiles and raises her glass. “I would like to propose a toast.”
I sip my wine and raise my glass.
“To breaking rules in French, in offices, on desks with doctors.”
I laugh and snort my wine up my nose the wrong way. I begin to cough uncontrollably. “Shut up, I am not seducing a doctor in French on a desk.” I cough. “I will get fired.”
“Or fucked hard.”
I continue to cough as I laugh.
“Oh, we we mouser, we shall see,” she retorts in a fake French accent.
I wait for the boom gate to rise in the car park. Its 6.40am and I am preened to the nines. After today I will be wearing scrubs while I’m working, and then there is zero chance of impressing anyone. Least of all Dr. Vegas.
Black fitted dress? Check.
Hair out and straightened? Check.
Makeup? Check.
Sheer black stockings and heels? Check.
Absolutely no sleep and running on empty? Check, check, and double check.
I blow out a frustrated breath. Go up, you stupid thing. The boom gate is not going up. Why? I put on the parking brake and get out of my car. My card got me through the first gate, but then stopped me at the second. Now I can’t go back because I have to get back through the second boom gate.