Page 130 of Endgame

‘Caleb?’ Honey pokes me awake. ‘We’re about to land.’

‘Thanks for coming, Honey.’

‘I didn’t come for you. I miss my girl.’ She smiles shyly.

Both the girls are home when we show up unannounced. Lara seems to fly through the air to land on Honey. Ariella is so shocked, I just pick her up carefully, put her over my shoulder and head straight upstairs.

‘Hey!’ Lara calls, still attached to Honey. ‘Whatever disgusting things you’re about to get up to, just remember you’ve got fourteen heirloom tomato, fresh basil and caramelised onion quiches to make before tomorrow at noon!’

‘Okay!’ Ariella calls from over my shoulder. I wouldn’t be so sure. First we’re going to shower, then I’m going to make her pay for that filthy voice note. Repeatedly.

‘You made it back!’ Jasper laughs happily as he comes round from behind his desk to give me a rough hug and two pats on the back.

‘I did. Just. I needed a week to get over the trauma.’

‘You going to tell me how you did that?’

‘Over lunch at the pub if you have time?’

‘As long as Sophia doesn’t go into labour, I’ve got the time, but we need to talk first.’

Jasper returns to his seat and points to the one in front of him, so I take it.

‘If we don’t do something about your finances, you’re going to have problems.’

‘Tell me.’

‘You can’t sustain four properties, especially now that you’re not working. You’ve got the flat, the house and the gyms. I assume you’re going to tell Ariella that the house is yours at some point?’

‘Of course.’

‘Then I assume you’ll stop collecting her rental payments for the house. When you do, you’re going to have to lose something.’

‘I’d like to keep the gyms. Let’s sell the flat. Jack’s in it at the moment but it’s too big for him anyway.’

‘He doesn’t need to move out until we find a buyer, but I suggest he start looking. It will go quickly.’

‘No worries.’

‘That was easy. I’ll have it put on the market. Second problem. You need an income. The gyms are sustaining themselves but they won’t be able to provide for you too.’

‘I have a plan.’

I unlock my phone and email Jasper the business plan for the fight studio. He takes a couple of minutes to skim through.

‘Looks good, but it relies heavily on word of mouth, Honey and rotating fighting legends.’

‘I’m going to start with the gym closest to us. We’ll run seasonal training with Honey and the other fighters. She and Lara are talking about splitting their time between locations, so I know that I can get her here for at least three months in a year. Also, Lara has managed to infiltrate every secret and public parents’ WhatsApp group within a five-mile radius and is setting herself up as some kind of mum and dad whisperer.’

‘How?’

‘No idea, but they all think that she’s a gay mum-to-be, expecting with her faceless partner. She’s been taking pictures with Ariella’s bump and cooing in the groups.’

‘She’s going to get found out.’

‘Of course she is, but she is giving incredible recommendations, vetting suppliers like MI5, protecting them from scammers, and has got all of them doing favours for each other. The good news is, she owes me a favour or two. So basically, murky beginnings, but honourable intentions, sort of.’

‘That’s Lara in a nutshell. Let me know if you need an investor. I think you might have a hit on your hands.’

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