Like a Boss Box Set: Like a Boss Series Books 1-4

by Serenity Woods

  Chapter Sixteen

  Elen

  “You’re kidding me,” Colette says. “They were sitting right above you?”

  “Yep.” My cheeks burn at the memory of Kane’s neighbors calling down from their balcony and asking us to keep the noise down. “At least they thought it was funny. I was so embarrassed, though. I made Kane sneak out with me in the morning to make sure we didn’t bump into them.”

  Colette, Gaby, and Roxie all laugh. We haven’t had a girlie chat since Roxie’s wedding. She and Caleb have only just returned from their honeymoon, so we escaped from the office for a lunchtime coffee catch-up. I have heaps of work to do, but I accepted Colette’s offer because I need to talk to someone, and these girls have turned out to be my best friends.

  Roxie had been telling us all about the beautiful beaches in Jamaica and making us all jealous. She then asked what happened after I’d danced with Kane at her wedding, and I finally admitted to them that Kane and I have been seeing each other. They were all astounded that they hadn’t realized--we’ve been careful to remain discreet at work.

  “So,” Gaby says, eyes twinkling, “it wasn’t just a one-night stand, then.”

  “Apparently not.”

  “Is it something, then?” Roxie asks.

  “Bit early to say,” I tell them.

  “Aw,” Colette says, “come on, you must have an idea. Does Mr. Head-in-the-clouds have a future with Miss If-you-turn-up-late-again-you-can-find-another-job?”

  “Hey,” I say indignantly, “that’s not fair. I’m not like that.”

  “Yes, you are,” Gaby says, and they both nod.

  “Maybe I was.” My lips curve up. I’ve been late myself twice this week. Better things to do than check my emails at seven-thirty.

  “Ohhh…” Roxie says, staring at me. “You’re in luuurv.”

  “I think perhaps I am. But we haven’t talked about… you know… forever or anything yet. Not really.”

  “Not really?”

  I hesitate. “Well… there is something I need to talk about…” It doesn’t come naturally to me because I’m a private person, but I have a feeling it will help to discuss it with my friends.

  So I tell them that he can’t have children, and he left his wife when she got pregnant with another guy and suggested they not tell the father and instead bring up the child as theirs.

  “Holy fuck.” Colette has a way with words. “That’s pretty fucking cold-blooded.”

  “Yeah.”

  “He can’t have kids?” Gaby clarifies, picking up on the salient point.

  I shake my head. They all think about that.

  “Saves on condoms,” I announce once they’ve all glanced at each other awkwardly. We stopped using them soon after we started seeing each other and it was clear it wasn’t going to be just once or twice. “I joked about us growing old together, and he told me that he wants me to think about what it would mean--that we wouldn’t be able to have a baby together.”

  “There are other ways,” Colette says.

  “I know. But he doesn’t like the idea of sperm donors, and they had three rounds of IVF that failed. I know it doesn’t mean it would fail with us, and of course there’s adoption--I don’t know how he feels about that. We haven’t discussed it. But I have to consider that having children with him might not be an option, natural or otherwise.”

  “Oh, Elen, I’m so sorry.” Roxie frowns. She’s the only one of us who already has a child. Her son now lives with her and Caleb. I suspect they’re also trying for a baby of their own, as are Gaby and Harry.

  “I don’t know what I’d do if it happened to me and Seb,” Colette says. “We’ve talked about starting a family after we’re married, but you don’t think about what would happen if one of you can’t have kids, do you?” She tips her head at me. “Do you want children?”

  “I’ve honestly never really thought about it until now,” I confess. “I suppose it’s something I thought I’d do one day, like learning how to knit, or visiting England. I’ve never felt broody. Do you feel broody now you’ve met Mr. Right?” I address them all.

  “I do,” Gaby admits. “I keep thinking about what it would be like to have a baby that’s half me and half Harry. I wander around baby shops looking at the clothes and getting all wistful.”

  “Aw.” Colette nudges her, and Gaby blushes.

  “I suppose I do a little, too,” Colette says. “There’s something about sharing yourself with a man in that way that is so special.” She looks at Roxie. “Would you like another baby, with Caleb?”

  “I love James to bits,” Roxie says, “and if I couldn’t have kids I would be happy with James because Caleb is so good with him. But I admit I do think about having a baby with Caleb. As Colette says, there’s something about making another person with a man that’s… I don’t know… primeval, I suppose. It’s what we’re all here for, on a very basic level, isn’t it? Procreation?”

  “I guess.” There’s a piece of chocolate brownie on my plate, and I push it around with my fork.

  “Spit it out,” Colette says. “What’s bothering you?”

  “Is it weird that I don’t feel broody?”

  “Of course not,” Roxie says. “Not everyone wants kids.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want kids per se. It’s just not an overwhelming urge for me. Not yet, anyway. At the moment, I feel that loving my partner is the most important thing, and having a family comes second. If I love my partner or husband and we decide to have a family, and it doesn’t happen, I like to think we’ll work together to find another way to have a baby, or we’ll decide together not to have one.”

  “I feel the same,” Colette said.

  “And me,” Gaby says.

  “I hope we all do,” Roxie said. “A strong relationship should survive whatever life throws at it.”

  “Exactly,” I say. “But the thing is… I don’t understand broodiness, and I certainly don’t understand what Kane’s ex did. Is it possible that one day I’m suddenly going to feel this overwhelming urge to have a child? That it will be so all-consuming it will become more important than my relationship? How could a woman want a baby so badly that she’ll sleep with another man to get pregnant?”

  “She sounds like a fucking nutcase,” Colette points out. “I don’t think you can say she’s normal.”

  “But it’s common, isn’t it, that when couples struggle to conceive, it can drive a wedge in their relationship?”

  They think about that. They’re all serious now. I think they’ve realized what’s at stake here. That I’m falling for Kane, and at the moment his infertility isn’t a problem for me, but that I’m afraid I’m being naive, and it might be an issue in the future.

  “I don’t know that it’s common,” Colette says eventually. “It happens, of course. But I would think the important thing here is the strength of the relationship before the question of children even comes up.”

  “That’s right,” Roxie says. “I think it must happen where a couple decides to have a baby because the marriage is struggling, and they’re aware of this--maybe sub-consciously--and they think a baby will fix it. Sometimes, if they do get pregnant, it might work, because it can bring a couple closer together. At other times, either they have a baby and they break up anyway, or they find they can’t have children, and that is just the beginning of the end.”

  I nod slowly. “That makes sense.”

  “The thing is,” Roxie says, “love never comes with a guarantee. None of us can be one-hundred percent certain that we’ll still be with our man in five years’ time, let alone in twenty years. We all like to think we will, but we can’t be sure. And any of us could have a fertility problem, even me, because our bodies change.”

  “She’s got a point,” Colette says. “How would I handle it if I discovered I couldn’t have kids? Or if Seb couldn’t? Honestly, I don’t know, but I’m not going to let that stop me marrying him. If it happens, we’ll deal with it then. The im
portant thing is that, right now, I love him, and I want to be with him forever, and if we couldn’t have children, we’d make it work somehow. That’s the best I can do with the information I have.”

  “You’re right,” I reply. “Of course you’re right. There’s no point in second guessing future me. I can only base my decision on how I feel right now.”

  “It is more difficult for you, though,” Gaby points out. “Because you know about Kane in advance. It’s not quite the same as being with him for a year, maybe even getting married, and then discovering he can’t have kids. By then, you’ve invested in the relationship, and hopefully the love you feel for each other has had time to grow. But you’ve only been with him… what? A month?”

  “Not even that.”

  “Not even a month. I understand why you’re struggling with this. It’s a big decision for you, and it’s not an easy one.”

  “I hope it’s helped, talking to us,” Colette says. “I have a feeling we’ve only made things worse.”

  I smile at them. “Not at all. It’s been very helpful.”

  We all rise, gather our things, and make our way out of the coffee shop. I leave the girls because I have a couple of jobs to do in the city. When they’re completed, I head back to the office, but take a detour down to the river. It’s started to rain, and the sky is heavy with thundery clouds. The river is like a sheet of metal, still and gray.

  It was good to talk to the others, and they helped clarify the issue. But ultimately, I have to make the decision myself. And deep down, I’m certain it’s a straightforward one.

  Basically, how strong are my feelings for Kane?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kane

  I’m having a working lunch in the board room with Seb, Harry, and Caleb.

  Well, I say working lunch… Harry and Caleb are currently trying to shoot balls of paper into a basketball hoop stuck to the back of the door, and Seb and I are firing smaller balls at each other in a tabletop game of flick-soccer.

  We are working, sort of--as we play, we’re talking about ideas for an advertising campaign for Hearktech’s new mobile phone--but, being guys, who are nothing more than grown up boys, we work better when we’re playing too.

  “Goal!” Seb yells, flicking a paper ball under my arm.

  “Fuck.” I retrieve it from the floor, have a bite of a sandwich, and prepare to start again. “Ready?” I flick it toward him. “I was thinking an advert for kids.”

  “Kids?” Seb has a swig from a can of soda and flicks the ball back. “I think the phone is probably out of the price range of most five-year-olds.”

  “Ha ha. I meant targeted toward parents, for their kids. I was thinking about your new app.” I nod toward Harry, who has developed a game to help kids read. “And I was watching Roxie’s boy play with Caleb’s phone the other day. I would think it’s quite common for a tablet or a phone to be used by both parents and children. We could market it that way.” I flick the ball back to Seb.

  He catches it and studies me thoughtfully. “That’s not a bad point, actually.”

  “Call it a phone for mums,” Harry says, turning to face us. “Great for keeping the kids occupied while you’re shopping or out for dinner.”

  “That’s sexist,” Seb points out. “Could be dad taking them shopping.”

  “As you’ll discover very soon,” Caleb tells Harry. We all chuckle as Harry gives him the finger. He and Gaby are apparently trying for a baby.

  “I’m going to make some notes,” Harry says. “I might even target the app as a way to keep your kid occupied that’ll also help them learn.” He picks up his jacket and stalks from the room, his head already in another place.

  “I’d better get back too.” Caleb throws the last ball of paper into the basket, sighs when he misses, and follows Harry out.

  Seb starts gathering up the small balls of paper, while I collect the wrappers from the sandwiches and throw them in the trash.

  “Harry’s going to be a terrible father,” Seb says. “He’ll be constantly leaving the kid in supermarkets and shopping malls and forgetting where it is.”

  I laugh, because I know he’s joking. Harry loves Gaby to bits, and I’m sure he won’t let any baby they have out of his sight.

  “How are things going with Elen?” Seb asks out of the blue.

  I raise my eyebrows, surprised by the turn of the conversation. I wasn’t even sure that Seb knew Elen and I were seeing each other. We’ve kept it to ourselves, or tried to, anyway, and she’s not mentioned that she’s told him. Then again, they’re brother and sister, so maybe they talk more than I think they do.

  “Good,” I say. I scoop some crumbs up in my hand. “I think.” I hesitate, wondering whether to confide in him. Generally, opening your heart to other men isn’t the done thing for dudes, but I’m worried about Elen, and it would be nice to talk to someone who has some insight into what she might be thinking.

  I open my mouth to say something, but at that moment the door opens and Seb’s secretary, Tania, comes in.

  “Excuse me,” she says. “I’m very sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Peters is here asking for Ms. Wright.” She looks worried. “He’s holding flowers.”

  I glance at Seb, confused. “Who?”

  “Danny Peters,” Seb says. “Elen’s ex.” He gets to his feet. “I’ll handle this.”

  He goes out, Tania behind him. I hesitate, knowing I should keep out of it, but I can’t stop myself following them. I have to see the man for myself.

  He’s standing by Tania’s desk. I can immediately see what a couple he and Elen must have made. He’s wearing an expensive dark-gray tailor-made suit, and he looks Italian, or half Italian at least, suave and handsome, with dark, expressive eyes. He’s talking to a couple of staff members, and as I watch, he gestures hello to someone else further down the corridor. He’s obviously spent some time here.

  I hate him immediately.

  “Seb!” He holds out his hand. “Good to see you.”

  “Dan.” Seb shakes his hand automatically. “Elen’s not here. She’s at lunch with friends.”

  Danny blows out a breath and looks at Tania. “Can you tell me where? I’d like to surprise her.”

  Tania clearly doesn’t know what to say, and she just looks from Seb to me, her cheeks reddening. Danny follows her eyes, runs his gaze up and down me, and obviously dismisses me just as quickly. He looks back at Seb, puzzled.

  “I don’t think so,” Seb says.

  The smile fades from Danny’s face. “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t think she wants to see you,” Seb clarifies.

  Danny shrugs. “You know what we’re like. Off again, on again. I thought she might have cooled down by now.” Impatience flickers on his face.

  “I think you’re likely to stay off again,” Seb advises. “You’re not going to be able to talk her around this time.”

  Danny gives a wry, knowing smile, and I know he’s thinking about kissing her, or worse. “She always says that. She’s always wrong.”

  For the first time in my life, I think, I understand what the phrase ‘seeing red’ means. Unable to stop myself, I walk up to them. “I think you should leave.”

  Danny turns his dark eyes on me. “And what fucking business is it of yours?”

  “He’s right,” Seb says, thank God. “You need to leave.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until someone tells me where Elen is.” His stare dares us to force him to leave.

  He’s a big guy, bigger than me, although Sebastian has an inch or two on him. Between us, we could probably take him, I think.

  Then I remind myself that we’re not in high school, we’re all wearing suits, and we’re at work, possibly with clients and/or investors somewhere in the building.

  But more importantly than that, I don’t know whether Elen would want to see him. Yeah, we’ve been dating for the past few weeks, but it has crossed my mind whether she would want Danny back, if he were to ask her.


  And now I’ve told her to think about our future, and whether she’s prepared to have a life without children. What if she sees Danny, and decides, like Jen, that having kids is more important than being with me?

  “I’ll tell her you called,” Seb says, “but I’d like you to leave. Don’t make me call security.”

  Danny glares at him, looks at me, then goes to walk around us, toward Elen’s office. I step to the side, blocking his way.

  “Out of my way, boy,” he snaps.

  I stiffen. “Excuse me?” I haven’t been called boy since I was fifteen.

  He glares at me, then tips his head to the side. His lips curl upward. “Ohhh… She’s gotten herself a new toy to play with, has she?” His gaze slides down me again, no doubt taking note of my off-the-peg suit, then back up, turning into a sneer. “She’s buying cheap and nasty now.”

  “I came in a ‘buy two, get one free deal,’” I tell him. “Now fuck off.”

  “I’ll speak clearly, seeing as you’re obviously a bit slow,” he says, enunciating his words. “I’m not going until I see Elen.”

  “I’m here.” Her voice sounds from behind me. “What do you want?”

  My heart hammers. Shit. Well, this is crunch time. At least after this I’ll know whether the relationship we started has any hope of going on.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Elen

  My mouth has gone dry. The last person I expected to see in the office was Dan. I was convinced we both understood that our relationship was finally over. We said things last time that can’t be unsaid, and they’re imprinted on my mind as if written with a permanent marker pen.

  I stand by Kane’s side. He doesn’t look at me, but his spine is stiff, and he’s breathing fast. He’s angry. I wonder what Dan has said to annoy him.

  “I’d rather not act out a soap opera in front of everyone,” Dan says. He catches my eye and holds it. He’s always done this--gotten his own way through sheer force of will. I think of myself as a strong person, but he makes me feel as if I’m somehow being unreasonable. A century ago, he would have said I was being ‘irrational’, and that I ought to have a lie down before I had a fit of the vapors.