“You’re not going to love them when I start pushing you to move on.”
“We’re going to get in a fight, aren’t we?”
“Only if you stop thinking with your head.” He glances at me, giving me a look that says he thinks I’ve already stopped doing that. “Your goal has always been CEO, Jess.”
I move so we’re standing side-by-side, arms against each other. Leaning my head on his shoulder, I say, “I’ll still love your hard-ass ways when we get in a fight.”
I do want a CEO role, and Will is right that I may never get that opportunity with Ashton. He’s also right that I don’t think with my head as much as I should when it comes to my career. The thing is, that was the career I always wanted, but somewhere along the line my vision changed.
I like working with Ashton.
Against all my better judgement, I like spending my days with one of my seven.
And I’m not sure I want a CEO role more than I want that anymore.
“Auntie Jessica!” Olivia runs my way, her cheeks flushed with excitement and happiness. “Come and dance!”
I lift her into my arms and press my nose to hers. “Are you having a good time, baby girl?”
She nods enthusiastically. “Yes. Jack said we can look for shapes later!”
“We can definitely look for shapes later.”
She wiggles in my arms, wanting to be put back down. When her feet hit the ground again, she takes off running back towards Jack. “Hurry up!” she cries as she runs.
“She hasn’t shut up about Jack since that weekend,” Will says.
I stifle a laugh. “You sound pained by that.”
“I am fucking pained by that.”
I pat his chest. “Welcome to the rest of your life.”
His groan makes me smile as I walk to where the girls are dancing with Mira and Jack.
“Are you ready to get your teapot on?” Jack says, a playful glint in his eyes as the girls giggle and dance around us.
“Why do I get the feeling you could do this all day long?”
“Couldn’t you?”
“Ah, no. And I’m concerned that you could.”
He slides his hand around my waist and pulls me close. “I’ll keep that in mind for when our girls have a tea party.”
“Who said anything about us having any girls?”
“You’re right. We may have boys.”
“Or we may have just us.”
Those brown eyes of his shimmer with a whole array of emotions. “Sweetheart, you can’t expect me to watch you with these girls and not want that for us.”
Holy hell, he is going to do that thing he does so well and talk me into having children with him. When he says things like this to me, I don’t stand a chance against him.
I put my hands to his chest. “Stop talking and start teapotting. This conversation is finished.”
“This conversation is just getting started.”
With that, he gets back to dancing. I join in and secretly love every minute of it, not that Jack needs to know that. Jesus, I need to stay on guard with him at all times.
We play some other games and then the girls sit and have their tea and cakes at the little table Mira has decorated so beautifully with flowers and fairy things.
“They’re having a wonderful time,” I say to Mira in between her fussing over the girls.
She looks at me and I don’t miss the worry in her eyes. “Do you think so?”
I smile. “Yes. And I overheard Olivia and one of the girls talking about playing at each other’s house. You’ve done good, Mama.”
Relief fills her eyes, and I feel her emotional relief like I do every time she fights Mummy battles and wins for her girls. “Oh, thank goodness.” She pauses. “I just want her to be happy, you know? We all need at least one friend in this world.”
“Yeah,” I say softly. “We do.”
My attention is drawn to Jack when his phone rings. He puts it to his ear and has a quick conversation before coming our way. “Mum just called,” he says, a trace of concern in his voice. “She’s had a fall and asked me to come over to help her.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s in some pain. I want to get a doctor to check her out.”
“We should go.”
“No, you stay here. Olivia is looking forward to staring up at the sky with you after she has her tea.”
“Okay,” I say because I know she’s looking forward to that. “Take my car. I’ll get Will to drop me at home.”
He nods and leans in to brush a kiss across my lips. “I’ll keep you updated.”
“Have I mentioned how much I love that man?” Mira says as we watch Jack leave.
“Far too many times. I’d like to add to my previous list. He uses ten glasses a day rather than just using the same glass to drink from all day. He leaves the toilet seat up. And he thinks I want to suck his dick at all hours of the day.”
She pats my arm. “Oh, honey, make the most of him wanting his dick sucked. Once you have kids, there won’t be enough time for that.”
“Seriously, you are the worst best friend. And we aren’t having kids.”
She laughs. It kind of barks out of her like she wouldn’t be able to stop it even if she tried. She then looks at me and says, “I’m going to enjoy this.”
“This what?”
“This dance you and Jack are going to do because let me tell you, that man is already plotting how to get you pregnant.”
“Mama!” Hazel says from the table where Will is helping her eat. She babbles something else I can’t make out, and Will makes eyes at his wife that signal his request for help.
With one last pat on my arm, Mira says, “I give him a year. If he doesn’t have you knocked up by then, I’ll eat my hat.”
After she leaves me to help Will, I decide I need to find a bathroom. The small park is busy this afternoon and there’s a short line for the toilets. While I’m waiting, a guy lights up a cigarette not far from me. I throw him a glare. Honestly, I believe people should do what they want in life, but have a little respect for others.
“Can you please smoke that over there?” I ask, motioning at the space he could use that would help keep my lungs free of his smoke.
“I’m happy where I am,” he says, looking like he gives no fucks about anyone.
I can’t stand the smell of cigarette smoke, but more importantly, my lungs don’t like it. I can already feel the smoke working its way into my chest, and not in a good way.
“I have asthma and would really appreciate you not doing that near me.”
“Yeah well, bitch, I have sore legs and don’t want to use them unnecessarily.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I cough.
He stands right where he is and continues smoking. He also intentionally blows smoke my way like the asshole he is. I debate my need to use the toilet and decide I will actually pee myself if I don’t stay in this line. I don’t bother wasting precious breath on the asshole, though. I need to conserve all my breaths right now.
The women in the toilet take their sweet time, meaning I have to endure an entire cigarette. I face away from the guy and do my best not to inhale the smoke, but it’s impossible not to take some of that smoke in.