Page 48 of Worth Every Risk

“Oh, Aries, is it?” She sneers, crossing her arms over her chest. Mr Hawkston says nothing and Gemma spits out, “I’m taking Lucie to my picnic. We’ll see you at the boat race.”

She storms over to where Lucie is sitting on the rug, yanks her up by the arm and drags her to her feet.

“Mummy, ow.” Lucie rubs at her arm.

“Oh, don’t be silly.” Gemma waves dismissively at Lucie. “That didn’t hurt.”

Lucie looks like she might cry, and my heart breaks to see it. Lucie, attempting to heal the rift, reaches out to Gemma for a hug.

Gemma swipes her hands away. “Don’t touch. This suit isCatherine Walker. Your hands are grubby.”

Lucie withers, and Gemma grabs her elbow and ushers her away.

Mr Hawkston glances at me, and without waiting to be told, I stumble after them, balancing the plate of dismantled salmon blinis in one hand.

“Aries,” Mr Hawkston calls.

I turn to see every trace of desire or whatever the hell it was he was looking at me with earlier has gone. The man is a master of deception. He’s performing for everyone all the time.

A hollowing sensation occurs in my stomach that I recognise as disappointment, but there’s something else there too.Anger. He used me to piss off his ex-wife… I want to tell him what I think of that behaviour, but he pins me with a serious, almost threatening glare, and my annoyance vanishes as nerves begin to churn in my gut. “Don’t let Lucie out of your sight.”

“Yes, sir,” I reply, saluting him with my free hand in an attempt to dispel the tension, but Mr Hawkston doesn’t smile, and my nerves only get worse.

I turn and run after Gemma and Lucie, still holding the plate of smoked salmon like an over-exuberant waitress, while trying to shake off the curious foreboding sensation that hovers at the edge of my awareness.

What could possibly go wrong on a day like today?

13

ARIES

Gemma’s picnic is twice as fancy as Mr Hawkston’s, and there are members of staff mingling amidst the other parents that circulate the tables. They’re dressed like waiters and waitresses, in dark trousers and white shirts, and they’re handing out platters of food from trays and pouring champagne.

There are just as many people, if not more, coming over to talk to Gemma as there were at Mr Hawkston’s picnic. She drops Lucie’s arm as soon as she reaches the group and, without bringing her little daughter over to speak to anyone, dumps her on a folding chair that’s made for an adult. Lucie looks lost, her legs dangling in midair, and her white ankle socks with their frills, and her patent Mary Jane’s, add a whole extra level of cuteness that makes my heart ache. When she looks up and sees me, the relief in her gaze is so acute that it softens her entire body, and a small lump forms in the back of my throat.

“Ariel,” she whimpers.

At this, Gemma turns back to look at me. I hand Lucie the plate of salmon, and she starts picking at it with her fingers.

Gemma’s nose scrunches, and she snatches it away. “You can’t eat that. It looks disgusting. Plus, the nanny had her fingers all over it.”

What a bitch.

A man comes up behind Gemma. He’s tall, with salt and pepper grey hair, looking close to fifty. A lot older than both Gemma and Mr Hawkston. In fact, Mr Hawkston and Gemma are probably the youngest parents here. Everyone else looks at least ten years older than they do. They must have had Charlie really young.

“Who’s this?” the man asks, looking at me but keeping one arm around Gemma. He snuffles his large nose into her hair, and she makes a soft purring sound.

“I’m Aries,” I say, sticking my hand out.

The man’s eyebrows rise, and though he takes my hand, I get the sense I’ve done something socially unacceptable without realising, but I have no idea what it is.

“Mark Charlton,” he says.

“This is Matt’s new nanny,” Gemma says, flapping her hand at me. “Can you believe it?”

Mark takes me in, then nuzzles the side of Gemma’s head again. “You know we could have fought for custody, and you wouldn’t have to deal with this,” he murmurs, speaking to Gemma as though I’m not an actual human being with functioning ears, who’s standing right in front of him.

“God, no.” Gemma rolls her eyes. “I don’t want the kids that often. Matt’s welcome to them. Honestly, after today, that’ll be enough for me for a few weeks. I’ll probably need to lie down and recover.” She cackles, and Mark laughs too, as if this exchange is the funniest thing they’ve heard all day.

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