The Summer of Sunshine and Margot

by Susan Mallery

  “How old are you?” she asked bluntly.

  He grinned. “Old enough.”

  She waited.

  His grin faded. “Twenty-three.”

  She waited some more.

  “Eighteen.”

  “That’s what I thought. Thanks, Justin, but no.”

  She moved around him and headed for her car. Puppy Justin chose not to follow, which was heartening. Now if only she could get rid of her sense of impending doom. Telling herself she could do it, she could figure out college, wasn’t working any kind of magic. She was scared and apprehensive and not the least bit confident about her abilities.

  “Change is always hard,” she murmured to herself as she drove out of the parking lot. “I have to do this. I have to.”

  It was the only way for her to be more. If she didn’t want to believe herself, she had Justin as an illustration. She wanted to be more than the girl with boobs and an ass. She wanted to be proud of herself. It all started with this math class and by God, she was going to get through it.

  Or so she hoped.

  * * *

  Bianca had left a note on Margot’s door requesting they start at ten in the morning. Despite her late night, Margot was up at six, and showered and dressed by six-thirty. She waited until seven to go down to breakfast where, as promised, a small buffet had been set up in the dining room.

  Alec was already there, eating his breakfast and reading the paper. An actual paper—not a digital version—which made sense, given what he did for a living. He looked up when she entered.

  “Good morning.”

  She nodded. “Morning.”

  And that was it. He returned his attention to his paper, she collected her breakfast and took it upstairs. When she finished, she returned her dishes to the kitchen before going over her lesson plan for the first few days. Mostly she and Bianca would get to know each other. It was very likely that she would have to modify her lesson plans as she figured out how Bianca liked to learn and what she most liked to do.

  Promptly at ten, Bianca appeared in the lounge. She wore yoga pants and a sweatshirt. Her dark blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wasn’t wearing any makeup, yet she still looked so beautiful as to be otherworldly.

  “Good morning,” Margot said, standing. “I’m excited to get started. How are you feeling?”

  “Nervous mostly. I’m not sure why I’m doing this. It’s really a ridiculous thing, when you think about it. How can you possibly help me?”

  First-day jitters weren’t uncommon. Margot smiled reassuringly. “Of course you can always change your mind. Let’s try this for a few days and see how it goes. If it’s not working, then I’ll completely understand.”

  Bianca tilted her head. “You’re not going to try to talk me into staying the course?”

  “Not my style.”

  She relaxed visibly. “Good.” She pointed to the window. “It’s foggy out. Let’s go walk in the garden. We can pretend we’re in London and we’re spies on a mission for Winston Churchill.”

  Margot’s first thought was that if they were spying for Churchill, they wouldn’t be in London. They’d be behind enemy lines somewhere in France or Germany, but she sensed saying that would spoil the moment.

  “Let me grab a jacket and we’ll head out.”

  The fog was thick and damp and they could only see a few feet in front of them. Margot knew that on her own she would get lost in a matter of seconds, which might be what Bianca intended. But rather than try to remember which way they’d come, Margot told herself to relax and enjoy the experience. Even if she did get lost, eventually the fog would lift and she would find her way back to the house.

  Bianca linked arms with her. “The fog always makes me think of Rod,” she said with a laugh. “He never liked it. Said it made him sad, which was always funny to me. The man is from Scotland.”

  “Rod?”

  “Rod Stewart. I met him when I was very young.” She thought for a second. “Maybe nineteen or twenty. I was in Saint-Tropez and there was a party. Back then there was always a party. We had a wild week together. He was just so charming.”

  Margot wasn’t sure if the story was informational or meant to impress. They were walking along a stone path lined with plants, bushes and trees. The fog seemed thicker and the dampness seeped into her jeans and through her jacket.

  “Let’s talk about what we’re going to do together,” she said.

  Bianca immediately stiffened and pulled away. “If we must.”

  Margot stopped and looked at her. “I’m not here to make you uncomfortable or put you in a situation where you feel foolish. My job is to help you in any way I can. I want this to be enjoyable and informative. Would it help if I told you how I work?”

  Bianca’s gaze was wary at best. Margot half expected her to bolt.

  “It might,” Bianca said. “Tell me.”

  “Maybe we should go inside where it’s not so cold.”

  Bianca surprised her by linking arms again. “I know somewhere better.”

  They continued walking, then turned onto another path. Up ahead Margot saw a structure. As they got closer, she realized it was a greenhouse filled with exotic flowers. They went in through a glass door.

  The first thing she noticed was the fragrance. It was powerful but not overwhelming, as if the scents from the thousands of flowers somehow blended into a beautiful singular perfume. The temperature was comfortable, maybe seventy or seventy-five degrees.

  “Over here,” Bianca said, leading the way to a seating area in the middle of the greenhouse. Wicker furniture formed a circle. Overstuffed cushions offered comfortable surfaces. There was a low coffee table and a bistro table and chairs.

  “What is this place?” she asked. “It’s wonderful.”

  “Isn’t it? Alec hired the most amazing landscape architect a few years back. The greenhouse had always been here, but it wasn’t used for anything. Now there are all these flowers. I love to come here to read or think. Especially when it’s foggy. It’s like we have our own special place, away from the rest of the world.”

  Margot had to agree. She had the thought that she would love to bring a sleeping bag and spend the night in the greenhouse. With the flowers and the night sky, it would be quite the experience.

  She returned her attention to the job at hand. Once she and Bianca were seated, she leaned forward, deliberately relaxing her body language.

  “I thought we’d begin by talking about Cardigania. The history of its customs as well as what the culture is like today. Their basic industries, areas of growth, demographics. That sort of thing. I’d like for us to brainstorm different events you think you’ll be attending with Wesley. We can talk about what you might wear and who you’d meet. During those sessions we’ll come up with things for you to talk about and I’ll help you become familiar with phrases and strategize ways to incorporate their various customs. None of this is formal. We can switch from topic to topic organically. I do have a workbook I’d like you to consider using. It’s more structured and we can go through it together.”

  Bianca wrinkled her nose. “I hate being flawed. Real life is messy. I prefer pictures where everything can be airbrushed.”

  “You hardly need airbrushing. You’re luminous in person. I’m not sure a photograph can capture that.”

  Bianca’s eyes filled with tears. “What a lovely thing to say.” She blinked. “Still, there are flaws. I have to do this for Wesley. The Cardiganian ambassador to China was recalled for having an affair. That’s so ordinary a thing to do. I’m not sure I could ever be that ordinary. Wesley says I’ll be fine, but what if I’m not? I don’t want to cost him his career.”

  Margot had learned that nearly everyone was apprehensive when she started working with them. “Would you be comfortable taking out my appendix?”

  “What?
You can’t ask me that! It’s a ridiculous question.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m not a doctor.”

  “You’re right. Knowing how to perform surgery is something a person has to learn. It’s a skill—not intuitive. No one is born knowing how to do something like that.” She smiled. “That’s all this is. Learning a new skill. I wouldn’t know the first thing about acting, but for you, it’s easy. You wouldn’t have to wonder if you could do it, you’d jump right into the role. You have your process and you’re confident in your abilities. My job is to make you confident when it comes to dealing with Wesley’s lifestyle. Whether you’re meeting a factory worker or a prime minister, there are ways to be appropriate and genuine while still being yourself.”

  Margot shrugged. “A lot of it is just plain silly. Like the way to set a table for a formal dinner. There are rules that sometimes make no sense. We’ll study them so you’ll know how to navigate state dinners. None of this is hard. It’s time consuming and requires some learning, but only because you haven’t had the experiences before.”

  Bianca relaxed. “Like taking out an appendix.”

  “Exactly. Now how did you meet Wesley?”

  Bianca leaned back in her chair and sighed. “It was just one of those things. I had a meeting downtown. I never go there, but that day I had to. When I was finished, I walked back to the parking garage and on the way, I passed a dog park.” Her smile turned impish. “I do love dogs so I went in to pet a few. This cute Boston terrier came running up to me. He was so friendly and handsome.”

  “You don’t have a dog of your own?”

  “Oh, I’ve never had a pet. I wouldn’t be a good pet parent. I did all right with Alec, but only until he was a teenager. Then he went to live with his grandparents. It was the best thing for him.” Her tone turned wistful.

  Margot wondered if Bianca had wanted her son to go, or if she’d been given a choice.

  “Was the handsome dog Wesley’s?” she asked.

  “It was. His name is Bruno and while I was loving on him, Wesley came over and introduced himself to me. We took one look at each other and just knew.”

  “Love at first sight.”

  “It was. For both of us.”

  “Do you experience that a lot?”

  “Sometimes.” Her smile returned. “The best loves are the ones where you know right away, don’t you think? But it’s never been like this before. Never so powerful or strong.” She laughed. “I haven’t tried to change myself for anyone else.” Her laughter faded. “Alec always wanted me to be different. He never said anything, but I could tell. Especially as he got older. I disappointed him.”

  Margot thought about Bianca sleeping with Alec’s best friend when they were both still at boarding school. Not exactly a topic she was going to bring up.

  “Why do you think you disappoint him?” she asked instead.

  “It’s just who I am.” Bianca sprang to her feet and spun in a circle. “I didn’t eat breakfast and I’m starving. Let’s go raid the kitchen. Then you can tell me all about the special Cardiganian sheep.”

  Before Margot could respond, Bianca was gone, running out the door and into the garden. The fog had mostly lifted by now so she could see her until Bianca turned the corner and was lost from view.

  Chapter Six

  Declan expected clients to be difficult. But his current clients were doing their best to give him a heart attack. Even if that wasn’t their stated goal, they were doing a great job of pushing him closer and closer to the edge.

  He left his office early and drove home, arriving a little before four. When he opened the door leading from the garage to the house, he was hit by a blast of music and the smell of chocolate and berries and all things delicious.

  He walked into the kitchen only to come to a complete stop as he took in the view. Two pies sat on cooling racks. A tray of brownies was on the kitchen table and frosting dripped off obviously still-warm cinnamon rolls. But what really caught his attention was Sunshine.

  Connor’s nanny had pinned up her hair, leaving her neck bare. The sweet curve led to nearly bare shoulders. She had on some kind of tank dress that came to her knees. It was shapeless, but she was not, especially not when she was dancing and singing along to “Fixer Upper” from the Frozen soundtrack.

  Her hips gyrated, her breasts moved and as shameful as it was to admit, he stood there taking it all in like a lusty sixteen-year-old. He was as hard as one, too, he thought, shifting uncomfortably, grateful his suit jacket would cover his inappropriate response to her.

  It was the lack of sex thing, he told himself. He wasn’t disgusting enough to lust after the woman who took care of his son. It was women in general and his not getting laid that had him wanting to set her on the counter and—

  Sunshine saw him and screamed. She pressed a flour-covered hand to her chest. “You scared me! Don’t do that.”

  “Sorry.” He set down his briefcase while making sure he stayed safely behind the counter where she wouldn’t catch a glimpse of his inappropriately hard dick. “Opening a bakery?”

  “What?” She dropped her arms to her side, leaving a white handprint on her dress, then reached for her phone and silenced the music. She smiled at him. “It was kind of loud, huh? Sorry. Connor’s fine with the volume as long as he gets to pick what I’m playing. He’s in his room reading.”

  “I didn’t know he still liked Frozen.”

  She smiled. “Everyone likes Frozen although last week it was the soundtrack from Hamilton. One of our favorites.”

  She’d been working for him for less than a month and already she and Connor had favorites. That was a good sign, he thought, letting a little of the ever-present worry about his son fade. As far as he could tell, Sunshine was an excellent nanny—even if she did have surprising hobbies.

  “What’s with all this?” he asked.

  “Oh.” Her smile faded and her expression turned guilty. “Yes, well, I stress bake.” Her chin came up. “I stopped at the grocery store after class and I paid for the supplies myself.”

  “Sunshine, I’m not worried you’re overbuying flour and baking soda. I was wondering what brought it on. And what we’re going to do with it all.”

  Her smile returned. “Most of it freezes. There’s a bake sale coming up at Connor’s school so some of it can go there. Maybe you’d like to take cookies to work.”

  “Mostly I’d like to quit and go live on an island.”

  “Bad day?”

  “The worst. Tell you what. Let me go say hi to Connor and get changed, then we’ll compare notes on our day.”

  A timer dinged. Sunshine reached for hot pads.

  “That’s the banana bread.”

  “Of course it is. I’ll be right back.”

  He grabbed his briefcase and positioned it strategically. Things had mostly calmed down but with her bending over the oven, well, he was a disgusting human being. That was for sure.

  He went into his bedroom and changed into jeans and a T-shirt, all the while thinking about how many billions of people didn’t have access to safe drinking water. A few minutes later, he was back to normal, so to speak. He went in to check on Connor.

  When his son saw him, Connor jumped to his feet and raced toward him. “Dad! Sunshine is baking everything. I think we should have pie for dessert. It’s mixed berry and I got to taste the filling and it’s delicious.”

  “Then pie it is.”

  He swept Connor up in his arms and hugged him. Thin boy arms tightened around his neck. This was right, he thought fiercely. These moments with his child. As long as Connor was happy and healthy, then the rest of it didn’t matter all that much. Work would figure itself out.

  “What are you reading?” he asked as he set Connor on the floor.

  “Another book on ants. It’s really good. I can’t wait for the
farm to get here.”

  “Me, too. I’m going to go back to the kitchen and talk to Sunshine. Want to come hang out with us?”

  Connor’s gaze slid toward his book. “I’ll wait until dinner.”

  Declan grinned. “No interest in talking with the old people?”

  “Sunshine’s not old.”

  Declan clutched his chest. “Hey, I’m not old, either.”

  Connor giggled. “You’re my dad.”

  As if that explained everything. Declan supposed it did.

  He returned to the kitchen. Sunshine had changed the music to a classical station. She’d also cleared off a spot at the island where he could pull up a stool, and set out all the fixings for a martini.

  “You read my mind,” he said. “Thanks, but I can make it.”

  “I’ll do it. I need the practice.”

  “Not a martini drinker?”

  “I’m more of a wine with dinner girl.”

  “Then feel free to pick out a bottle.”

  “That bad a day?”

  He reached for a cooling cookie and took a bite. “My business partner and I have a contract with a new hotel on the north end of Malibu. They’ve started construction so now we’re talking about the grounds. They’re extensive, both in the front and back, with several acres heading up into the hills.”

  She measured vodka and vermouth, then added ice. “Sounds like a challenge.”

  “It is. We’re going to build a walking path through the hills, which is easy enough. It’s the rest of it that’s the problem.”

  Sunshine poured the drink into a martini glass, then added three olives on a plastic toothpick and handed him the drink.

  He took a sip. “Perfect. Thank you.”

  “Pie and martinis. I am a miracle. So what about the rest of the grounds?”

  “They won’t make a decision. No, I take that back. We can’t get to the point where they have to make a decision. They want something different. Something special, but so far they hate everything we’ve suggested. I’m to the point of offering dolphins and elephants.”