I woke on the couch in the morning, a blanket over me, and it was as if no one had even been there. Yawning as I stood and stretched, I made my way to the kitchen where the dishes had been washed, dried and put back into the cupboard.
It appeared I'd found my nanny.
“Hrmm might keep you on,” I murmured, smiling.
Elliot was not only charming, but apparently very sweet.
Maybe that was just what I needed.
Chapter Five
Olivia.
Out of nowhere she’d come, and I adored the hell out of her.
Our friendship had started when she came to work for me, and grew when her dirt bag husband left her a week after she'd started. Something about her made me want to coddle her; she just needed someone to take care of her for a change.
We’d been through a lot together¸and she was my best friend. Nothing like the girls I’d grown up with, the women I’d just had lunch with.
I couldn’t have been more proud of her when she'd started writing, and I'd worked with her to self-publish her wonderful stories that made me hotter than hell to read. They'd sold like hotcakes. She'd also met and fallen in love with the sweetest, sexiest man I think I’d ever met.
She’d gone from being neglected to being treated like the queen she was. I’d always love Logan for taking such good care of her and her boys.
The best decision I'd ever made was hiring her.
Olivia had been the third person who had come in for an interview for this role. It had everything you could ever want in a job—finance, invoicing, general admin …
The first person who’d come in was this mousey teenager. Her age hadn’t been on her CV, but she’d said she had the relevant experience.
Relevant experience, my arse.
The second hadn’t looked me in the eye, just kept her focus on the table the whole time. I didn’t want someone who was scared of me; I wanted someone who would fit in and have coffee with the rest of the team, not hide in the corner.
The day she'd come in for the interview, my receptionist, Grace, had come into my office, one eyebrow raised with that holier-than-thou expression on her face that she was so good at.
“Your three o’clock appointment is here. She looks nervous. You could probably squeeze her on salary.”
It had been my turn to raise an eyebrow. Dad owned the big finance company; the little lending company he’d bought for me was a subsidiary of his, but I got to run it by myself. As long as I didn’t run it into the ground.
I’d been impressed by Grace’s work history when we’d bought the company, but she could be a real pain in the butt. No one really liked her that much. She was straight up to the point of being rude, had an opinion on everything, and never approved of anything.
“Thank you for your advice. I think I’ll stick to what I decided on.”
Grace had shrugged. “Your loss.”
She’d turned and walked away, and I’d shaken my head with a sigh. It was nice she cared, not so great she’d stuck her nose in where it didn’t belong.
Olivia had been different. She was quiet, yet confident. Her dark hair had been tied up in a bun with wisps escaping at awkward angles, as if she’d been making an effort to look professional, and succeeding, but I’d seen what a busy woman she was. Especially when she’d told me she had two young children.
“Do you think you have any weaknesses?” I’d asked.
“I need to stop saying yes to everything,” she’d said without hesitation.
I’d laughed, and her eyebrows had dipped, uncertainty written all over her face as if she’d been concerned about saying the wrong thing. This job must have been important for her to get.
“I have to be honest—there are times when this job will be demanding, other times when it’ll be quiet. I’m not one of those people that dumps stuff on their staff without thinking about workload. I don’t think you would be pushed to say yes to everything.”
Her lips had curled into the tiniest of smiles.
“Tell you what—I have a couple of other people to see but I’ll have a better idea of where I’m at tomorrow. I’ll give you a call tomorrow afternoon and let you know.”
Her smile had grown, probably in relief that the interview was over, and she’d nodded.
I’d watched as she'd left the building. Her car had seen better days, and part of me wanted to run after her, just give her the job. But I’d had to go through the process, or at least be seen to do it. She could do the job, that much was obvious, and she’d be good at it and work hard.
As she’d pulled out of the car park and onto the road, I’d turned back toward my office. Grace had smiled at me. “She’s the one, right?”
I’d nodded. “I think so.”
“She looks like she needs some help.”
I’d nodded again, choking back tears that had stung my eyes. I’d gotten that impression too. “I think so.”
“You’re a big softy, Rebecca Wallace.”
Grinning, I’d made my way back to my office. Maybe I was, but I still hadn’t been about to screw myself over. I’d thought Olivia Grant and I could help one another.
Now I needed to see her.
She sat in her office, and I slipped in the door, sitting on the other side of the desk.
“Hey,” I said.
Olivia looked up at me. Poor thing. She worked so hard and hated being interrupted.
“Hey.” She smiled and I grinned back. Since she’d gotten together with Logan, every day was happy for Olivia. And I was so glad for her, even if I was a little envious at all the sex she was getting. That man was hot, and he worshipped her. I could only imagine he doted on her in bed as well. That was what I needed, but without all the crap that came with it.
“How’s it going?”
She nodded. “I’ve reconciled those accounts you asked me about so they are all good. Just working on the payments for …”
I rolled my eyes. “As if I’m talking about work. How are things at home? How are the boys? How is that gorgeous muscle-bound hunk you’re entangled with?”
Olivia got this far-away look in her eyes, and an even bigger smile on her face at the mention of Logan and the boys. I loved seeing her so happy.
“They're all good. Thomas starting school has made things bit easier financially. Logan is taking them both to the workshop in the afternoons so we don’t have to pay for childcare. Such a relief with the house renovations and everything else that’s going on.”
I nodded. “That’s awesome. How much longer until you move?”
Since her breakup, Olivia and her boys had been living in this pokey little apartment, with barely enough room for the three of them. Logan had made four, but he had a house that he was doing up and they were due to move in sometime. Preferably sooner rather than later.
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know. Most of the structural work was done, but it had been pretty run down. It’s taken forever to get council approvals and then get the work done. I can’t wait for it though. I’m so over us all being squashed together.”
I grinned. “I bet you are. Tell that man of yours to hurry up.”
Olivia bit down on her bottom lip as if trying to decide whether to tell me something or not.
“You okay?” I asked.
“I’m pregnant.”
Silence hung between us as we gazed at one another.
“Do you want to be?” I asked.
“It was planned, and I’m three months in—just been waiting for that safe time to tell anyone. Logan was so keen to have a baby and we’re so happy that I said yes. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew what was happening. But I’m scared.”
I stood, walking around the desk and crouching beside her.
“Why? You guys are obviously crazy about each other. He’s in it for life from what I can see. And I know your heart. So are you.”
She nodded. “I love him, and I know he loves me and the boys. But we’ve been together just over a
year, and I don’t know if that’s long enough. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I didn’t really hesitate before agreeing to a baby, but now it’s really happening, I can’t pretend it doesn’t frighten me.”
I smiled. “Sweetie, I think that’s perfectly normal. After everything you went through, this whole thing must be terrifying, especially with your kids.”
She sucked on her bottom lip and nodded. “ Maybe I’ll feel better a few more months in.” She gritted her teeth. “Perhaps we’ll be closer to moving into the house then.”
I laughed and stood, leaning over to hug her and pushing Elliot from my mind. She had enough on her plate without worrying about me, and if I told her that I was desperately attracted to my unemployed neighbour, she’d worry. Although, she’d also worry if he was a lawyer, or a banker, or anything else.
“Thank you for listening. We haven’t had a wine evening in forever.” She looked up at me. “I mean, obviously that’s out, but it would be nice to catch up for a real talk.”
“That is a great idea.”
“You know you’re welcome any time, even when my mob is awake. You’re family.”
I grinned. “I know.”
“I can’t wait to get into the house. There’s so much room. I’ll have to take you over to show you sometime. I even have a little quiet spot where I can write.”
I grabbed her hands, squeezing them. “Sounds amazing. I love how you’ve found the support you needed.”
She nodded, a huge grin on her face. “I think sometimes the worst things that happen to you lead to the best things. I never thought I’d ever be this happy. My boys are doing well, I have Logan, and I have you.”
My heart swelled with pride. Her joy made me warm all over.
Maybe it could rub off on me.
Chapter Six
By the end of the week I was tired, bone tired. It had been a crazy busy seven days and we’d pushed through it all. Dad would be proud. Crap. I should really call him to catch up outside of business. We were both hopeless at that.
I stopped on the way home and grabbed fish and chips for dinner. There were a few things in the cupboards at home now, but nothing I felt like cooking.
The house was dark when I got there. Sometimes I wondered why I ever stayed here. When Alexander had been around, it had seemed lively enough. He’d moved in after six months, though looking back it never really felt like a home with him. He was so busy with his legal practice that he was often coming and going at all hours for work. I'd ended up with a replica of my father.
It’s funny when I look back now how clear it is. Back then I’d been so star struck that I hadn’t seen it at all. I guess that was why him cheating completely blindsided me.
I’d had sex a handful of times since that awful day, just the odd one-night stand. When you got dicked around on, it was kinda hard to want to trust again.
I flicked on the television, opening the parcel of food out on the coffee table and tearing the little sachets of tomato sauce to squeeze out onto the paper. My fingernails matched the colour of the sauce today, bright red and still immaculate despite the rough day I’d had. I’d gotten into the habit of applying nail varnish every evening. It was soothing after a stressful day and I must have had fifty colours scattered around the house.
Pondering what colour to change to tonight, I dipped a chip in the sauce and moaned as I took a bite. This fulfilled every food fantasy of the last week and then some. I’d behaved and kept up my daily lunch visits to the gym, apart from on the day I’d had lunch with the girls. I figured that made up for it.
I’d just eaten my third chip when there was a tap at the door.
No one ever visited me at home. The girls would all call first, and I didn’t know anyone as spontaneous as me.
I grinned at Elliot on my doorstep, bottle of Coke in hand. “I thought it’d be polite to bring something over. Wondered what you were doing this evening?”
“I’ve just gotten this gargantuan pile of fish and chips. Wanna join me?”
Eyebrows raised, he nodded. “Sounds great. There’s a movie on TV I want to watch tonight, but if you’ve got other ideas …”
“I have no plans other than eating a lot of greasy food. Come in.”
He entered, laughing as he saw the food pile on the coffee table. “You weren’t kidding about how much there is.”
“I thought it could keep me going all weekend.”
Elliot flopped on the couch. “Do you always take such good care of yourself?”
Shrugging I moved toward the kitchen to get some glasses. “I’m just really bad at it lately.”
“Are you usually alone on a Friday night?”
As I bent into the cupboard, I slowed, closing my eyes at the question. I’d enjoyed being able to swing around to Olivia’s whenever I needed company, and she’d needed it, too. Now she'd formed a family with Logan, that seemed much less of an option now, no matter how welcome I was around there. She hadn’t written much lately, so I didn’t even have her dirty words for comfort. Boy, did she know how to stoke the old fire.
“Sometimes. I try not to go out drinking very often.”
“Good.” He was smiling at me as I re-entered the living room. “Don’t want you leaving your door open. Anyone might walk in.”
I laughed, sitting on the couch beside him, and taking the Coke bottle from his hands. I poured two glasses and nodded at the fish and chips. “Help yourself.”
He looked around, lifting the paper and locating the remote, flicking though the channels, until he found the one he was after. “Hope you don’t mind.”
I shook my head. “It’s fine. I didn’t have any plans. It was just background noise.”
We sat side by side on the couch while some reality show played first. I wasn’t a big fan of reality TV and the food held more interest right now than the television did.
I don’t know what it was about Elliot, but while he was easily one of the most gorgeous men I’d ever met, both inside and out, he was just so easy to be around. This didn’t feel like a date or anything like that—it was just a casual visit from my neighbour, who just happened to be hot and sweet. My favourite combination.
It was, however, incredibly hard to concentrate with him beside me. Despite my just wanting to flake in front of whatever was on, I couldn’t help glancing at him, all relaxed and engrossed in the show.
He just seemed to settle in, leaning back with his legs stretched out, burping when he finished his Coke. All I could do was laugh; this was clearly no date.
“Sorry.” He laughed as I shook my head, one eyebrow raised.
“Not trying to impress me then.”
The distinctive theme tune to The Lion King started and I roared with laughter. “This is the movie you want to watch?”
Elliot grinned. “It was one of my favourites as a kid.”
Smiling, I nodded. “Mine too.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” His blue eyes flashed with mischief and one of my eyebrows crept up involuntarily.
“What?”
“I cried like a baby when Mufasa died.”
I patted his arm. “It is a sad part of the movie. Do you want to know a secret of mine?”
He nodded.
“I cried when Nemo and his dad got separated.”
Elliot laughed. “Aren’t we a couple of softies?”
I shoved his shoulder with the palm of my hand. “Speak for yourself.”
“Let’s see who gets through this without tears in their eyes then.” He tilted his head as he gazed at me. When he grinned that widely, dimples formed at the corners of his mouth. It wasn’t possible for him to be any more cute. And distracting.
“Fine.” I stood.
“Where are you going?”
“To get a box of tissues. Just in case.”
I thought I’d be self-conscious sitting with Elliot, but even as the movie got to the saddest part, I felt nothing but comfortable being beside him. We laughed and sang al
ong with the songs, and when Mufasa passed I wasn’t the only one reaching for a tissue.
“So, I guess that was a bit much for both of us,” Elliot said gently as the film finished, and I dabbed at my eye for one last time.
“Maybe for you. I’ve just got something in my eye.” I failed to keep a straight face and he laughed, rolling his eyes.
“Whatever.”
There was a moment of silence as we looked at one another. He seemed to be trying to read my mind, the way his eyes bored into me.
“You know, I should warn you I have a habit of speaking my mind. And being bitchy. Though there’s probably not too much to be bitchy about with you. Except if we start talking about my friends, who I absolutely adore, but sometimes it would be nice to have someone to moan at when they have these expectations of me and I’m just not who they think I am and—"
Elliot inched closer. “Are you nervous?”
“Why would I be nervous?” I swallowed hard as he grew closer.
“Because you’re talking an awful lot about nothing, and you look tense, like you’re about to explode.”
I relaxed my shoulders, releasing the tension I hadn’t even realised was there. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be weird.”
“You’re not weird. I like you.”
I smiled and he tilted his head. “You seem like a good person, Rebecca. I mean, we don’t know one another very well, but I like spending time with you.”
“I like spending time with you too.”
Elliot grinned, those dimples setting me on fire. “Glad to hear it.”
He reached for the remote, switching the television off and dropping the controller on the table.
“So, Rebecca. I don’t even know your last name.”
I grinned. “Wallace. It’s Rebecca Wallace.”
“I’m Elliot Franklin. Nice to meet you, Rebecca Wallace.”
Laughing, I took his hand in mine as he extended it to shake. “Nice to meet you, Elliot Franklin.”
“At least this time I knocked on the door before entering the house.”
I nodded slowly, a smirk on my face.
The Right One Page 3
