Page 43 of The Reality of Us
Alice blanched.
“We’ve got a book club, you know.” Joan pursed her lips. “We read Fifty Shades of Grey last month. We’re not that old. All those whips and contracts, though. So much effort.”
Alice clapped her hands on her thighs. “Would you look at the time! I better get going. I have some candles to make before I meet up with Eloise.”
Lulu picked up her coffee as the hairstylist reappeared. “We’ll meet you there and help you set up so you can finish making the candles for the launch.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“We look after our own out here, Alice. We’re happy to help. And we’ll bring gluten-free snacks.” Joan winked.
A different kind of warmth spread throughout Alice’s body, and she looked at her reflection again. This new version of Alice was already better than who she’d been pretending to be for the last few years.
Owen was in serious pain, and Nate and Teddy were about to wet their pants laughing at him. They giggled like children every time he ground his jaws together and groaned.
And he’d been groaning plenty.
“What’s going on today, O? You normally lift more than this.” Nate leant forward to spot him as Owen pushed the bar away from his chest.
Two more. Then he’d be done.
“But does he really?” Teddy quipped.
Even if a tsunami of sweat was sliding down Owen’s forehead, he’d still be able to see Teddy’s shit-eating grin.
“Have we considered that maybe he wears shoulder pads every day?”
Owen was this close to telling them to shut up, but a) that’d just make them happier and b) he might drop the bar on his chest. Really, his day had started brilliantly with a message from Alice telling him she was ready to light all of Phoenix’s shit on fire. Once his heart rate had returned to normal and he’d had a second to translate her clumsy metaphor, he’d—embarrassingly—done a fist pump in his office. And then he’d reminded himself that she was his client because, Jesus, the breathy excitement in her tone made him forget he was her lawyer when he called her to confirm. He hadn’t really needed to speak to her, but he’d wanted to … which was a problem.
The residual energy and—he huffed—arousal had carried him through the morning with a spring in his step and a smile that made his cheeks hurt.
It had all come crashing down in this afternoon’s mediation with Jessica. Rob had arrived early, both arms in plaster, courtesy of a car crash that had knocked him unconscious, which explained why he wasn’t able to make the previous session. And then they’d presented all their supporting documentation. He’d spent the last year in a sober living facility and was a regular attendee at his local Gamblers Anonymous. He had a steady job and a small flat he’d toddler-proofed. There was even a swing set in the small courtyard. More evidence he’d tried to get in touch with Jessica and her family to give her child support. A thick binder full of character references and reports from his doctors. Through tears, Rob had apologised and stressed that all he wanted was a relationship with his son.
Owen had sat there, asking questions, taking notes, his expression perfectly blank, knowing Jessica’s chances of getting full custody with no visitation for Rob were evaporating by the second. It was unlikely Rob would be given the fifty-fifty he was angling for, but … Jessica was in for disappointment, and there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it. He’d tried to talk to her about it gently, but she hadn’t wanted to listen.
He pushed the bar up again, gritting his teeth and only letting go when it was safely on the rack.
Nate passed him a towel as he sat up. “I’ve got bad news.”
This day just gets better and better.
Owen’s arms ached as he wiped his face. “Hmm?”
“I can’t do the race. I’m sorry, mate. My US trip dates have changed because of a scheduling clash with the main sponsor, and I can’t really skip my own charity’s gala. I won’t get home until after the race has started now. But I’m still on board with being a sponsor, though. Or donating the money for the renovation. I’m always happy to support KPs.”
Owen swallowed. Nate wasn’t trying to throw it in his face that he could write a cheque with a bunch of zeroes on it. He’d always been generous, especially with his family. Hell, Nate had even offered to be Owen’s silent partner, but he’d been too proud to accept. This was another reason he’d invited his brothers to his place for this weights session instead of the state-of-the-art fancy set-up Nate had at his house.
Owen was in a mood and needed to sweat it out before he did something reckless, like ask if Alice still wanted to watch a movie, dangerously blurring the line between their professional relationship and budding friendship.
“More like he’s trying to get Eloise to notice him,” Teddy muttered, and Nate threw his drink bottle at him.
“She notices me plenty, jackass.”
“Then why are you stuck in the friend zone?”
Scratch the movie idea. Being relegated to friend status with Alice would be worse than wanting her from afar.
“You’re not stuck if that’s where you want to be.”
