***
As all four of us drove toward the school in the Lexus, I found myself unenthusiastically anticipating a rather excited—and let’s just say floored—reaction to the sight of Bryce by the other mothers at school. I was resigned to the fact that their goggling was inevitable, but would I ever get used to it? I guess I was going to have to.
The bell rang just as we got to the school. Both the kids happily said goodbye and ran off to class. “See you in a minute, Bryce,” Charli called out as she ran off. Oh, yeah, don’t worry about me. Apparently being your mother and allowing my stomach to be sliced open in order for you to be born into this world means nothing anymore. I’ll just hug and kiss myself, will I? I shook my head and smiled.
“What are you smiling at?” Bryce asked, after waving to Charli and looking back to me.
“Nothing really, it’s just...you seem to be a massive magnet to all things.”
He smirked. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It can be,” I smiled truthfully.
Just as he was about to add to our conversation, I heard my name being shouted from a distance. “Alexis.” I turned to where Tash stood, beckoning me. She quickened her pace and closed the distance. “Hey, how’s things?” She gave me a hug. “Helloooo Bryce,” she sang adoringly as she smiled at him. I raised my eyebrows and shook my head again. I was saying?
My group of friends were aware of the fact I was completely separated from Rick and now living with Bryce. I had met up with them for a coffee date and filled them in on the whole-truth-and-nothing-but-the-truth scenario regarding Rick, Claire and RJ. With exception to adding that I was pregnant, of course. That was just going to have to wait.
“I’m great, Tashy, how about you?”
“Yeah good, Hun, it’s always good on my day off work.”
“You don’t like your job?” Bryce asked, with a trace of concern in his voice.
“Who does?”
“I do,” both Bryce and I answered simultaneously.
Tash scoffed. “Yeah, I can see why.”
“Do you want a job at one of my hotels?” he offered, without so much as a second thought.
Tash smiled sheepishly. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No. If you want one, give me a call and I’ll see what we can arrange.”
“Really? Oh...um...that would be good.” She looked at me warily.
I just shrugged.
“Tash worked in security for years, Bryce. She is a part-time events supervisor now.” I explained.
Bryce looked amused. “Security? Really?”
“Yes, really. So if you do anything to hurt Alexis, I’ll kick your arse.”
I choked. “Tash.”
Bryce laughed. “Good, I’ll remember that. Maybe I could hire you as Alexis’ bodyguard.”
“Like fuck you will,” I admonished in a hushed voice, glaring at him.
Tash tutted. “I pretty much already do that for free,” she rolled her eyes playfully.
The second school bell sounded behind us.
“So, what are you both doing here?” she asked.
“Charlotte has swimming lessons this morning. We thought we’d come and watch her.”
She draped her arm around my shoulder. “Great! Thomas has his lesson this morning, too. We can be spectator buddies.”
We all walked past the gymnasium to the swimming centre. There were numerous parents poolside, waiting to watch their children. A small group of known bitch-faced mums were chatting quietly and quite obviously stopped their—one could accurately assume—verbal diarrhoea, when we walked in. As we passed them to take our seats, Bryce gently placed his hand on the small of my back and acknowledged the women with his sometimes annoyingly aggravating charm. “Good morning, ladies.”
They were all wide-eyed, and only two of them managed a ‘mornin’.
“You’re having fun, aren’t you?” I asked him under my breath as we sat down.
“Yes, I always have fun when I’m with you.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” I squinted my eyes at him.
“No, I don’t know it. Now shhh, Charlotte just walked in.” He raised his eyebrows at me and gave Charli a little wave. Tash spotted Thomas, so we all gave him the thumbs up, too.
We watched Charlotte’s entire lesson and how she over enthusiastically volunteered for every demonstration. At one point when she performed a torpedo stroke, she deliberately—I think—kept her head down underwater for what seemed like close to a minute or more, completely freaking me out.
When the lesson finished I blew her a kiss before she skipped off to the change rooms.