Stanton Bliss(14)

I narrow my eyes. “So, like, six weeks or so?”

He nods and his eyes hold mine. I know he wants to ask what’s going through my head but is choosing to be polite instead.

“Do you think they are still together?” I hesitate. “I mean, based on their body language?”

“I wouldn’t think so.” He shrugs.

I nod. Ok. Interesting. “You ok if we hang here for a while longer? I don’t want to go back for another couple of weeks.”

“I think I could handle that. Just.” He smiles. “This is such a terrible location to work from.”

I laugh as I look around. “It is pretty cool here, isn’t it?”

He raises his eyebrows at my nonchalance. “You could say that.”

I feel him before I see him, and when I turn, Joshua is standing in the doorway. He has obviously been looking for me as he smiles a relieved smile.

“I was just asking Max if it’s ok if we stay here for a couple more weeks,” I blurt out in a guilty rush.

Joshua’s eyes flick to Max.

Max smiles with a curt nod.

“Of course, sweetheart,” Joshua replies softly.

I frown at the sympathy sweetheart. My eyes wander between the two men and I notice they seem to know something that I don’t.

“You two seem to be getting along very well.”

“We are,” Joshua replies flatly.

I continue to look between the two of them and I smirk. “It’s creepy.”

Max laughs out loud while Joshua shakes his head and smacks me on the behind.

“You two are like friendly creepers now. It’s weirding me out.”

Max shakes his head and rolls his eyes at Joshua who laughs in response.

“I thought you wanted us to be friendly creepers?”

I look at him and raise my eyebrows.

“I’m friendly and Max is the creep.”

I smirk and walk back inside. “Bye, Max,” I call over my shoulder.

“Goodbye, Natasha.”

Joshua cuddles me from behind as I walk. “I need to work today, Presh.”

“That’s ok,” I reply. “I’m on my way to see the girls and Adrian.” My face falls. “Is Adrian working today, too?”

“No, he has been working nights.”

I smile with relief.

Joshua’s face lights up. “And this is good because…?”

“This is good because that means I get to see him today.”

He kisses me gently on the lips. “Don’t forget lunch with my parents.”

“Ok. See you.” He disappears into his office, and I shower and dress. I exit through the front door and follow the path around until I get to Adrian’s place. Cameron is sitting on the front steps in the sun.

“Mrs. Stanton.” He smiles.

I grin as a rush of excitement fills me. I rub my hand through the top of his hair. “You know it, baby. Is Adrian inside?”

“No, I think he’s at the girls’ place.”

“Ok, thanks.” I continue walking until I get to their house, and I can hear laughter coming from Mum’s bedroom. I smile and go to investigate.

“You can’t be serious.” Adrian winces as he throws what looks like a shirt out of Mum’s wardrobe.

“Deadly.” Mum frowns as she picks up the discarded shirt from the floor.

Bridget and Abbie are lying on Mum’s bed, curled up in fits of laughter.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

Adrian comes out of Mum’s wardrobe and places his hands on his hips. “Your mother asked me to give her a makeover, but now that I’m in her wardrobe, she won’t let me throw anything out.”

I smile and turn my attention to Mum.

“He’s trying to throw out my best clothes.” She shakes her head in disgust.

Adrian pinches the bridge of his nose. “God, give me strength,” he whispers to himself, and I a giggle. Mum is the worst person to style, she has things in her wardrobe she has had for twenty years. This styling project is long overdue. He disappears back into the wardrobe and I flop onto the bed in between my two friends to watch the show.

“This is going.” He throws a handbag out onto the floor.

“No, it is not. That is a beautiful piece.”

“Exactly, piece being the key word. It belongs in a museum,” Adrian huffs.

The girls and I smile as we listen on.

“I’m glad you think this is funny, bitches.” Mum calls from inside the wardrobe.

“Who wants a coffee?” Abbie asks as she rises and disappears to the kitchen.

Bridget takes my hand in hers and we lay together watching Adrian and Mum squabble over what clothes he is throwing out and I smile. How has this beautiful man become so dear to us? He is like a son to my mum… although it’s a very different relationship to hers and Brock’s. Never in a million years – when I first met Adrian and I thought he was Donatella Versace – did I think I would be laying on a bed watching him clean out my mother’s wardrobe.

“Coffee is up,” Abbie calls from the kitchen. We all take our seat on the kitchen bench. She has cut up warm banana bread and slathered it in butter.

“I think Joshua and I are going to stay for another two weeks,” I mutter as I bite into my bread.