‡
It took Ava a full hour that night to make the call to her sister. Her head was still in a spin about what had happened at The Meadows.
And it wasn’t about the house or the stunning gardens.
She hadn’t known before, but she knew now how hard it must have been for Callum to walk back into that home, to be confronted with such a sad and complicated history between him and his father, and memories of the mother he had clearly loved.
They’d driven home and Callum had barely said a word on the way back to Bondi. He’d accepted her repeated thanks for the tour of the gardens with a small nod and a barely there smile and then driven off.
Afterwards, she’d padded around her Bondi flat, unnecessarily watering her household plants, trying desperately to avoid the fridge and the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that she knew would be perfectly chilled right about now, and went over and over what it would mean to work for Callum Malone.
First things first. She had to tell Lulu.
It seemed like—no, it was—the right thing to do.
But where to begin?
Hey, Lulu. I’ve got this great new client. He has loads of money and connections. I’ll be able to use some photos of the work on the Ava Good Weekend website and it’ll take me into a whole new league. Andy and I will get to work on some major projects. This is the big break we’ve been waiting for.
Not bad.
Hey, little sis. I’ve been meaning to tell you something. I’ve got this amazing new landscaping job lined up that I’m really excited about.
Not so good. It kinda fudged the real story.
Listen, Lulu. That man who broke your heart? I’m working for him.
Slightly more honest.
Or perhaps …
I’m in league with the devil.
Yep. That about summed up how she felt. The visit to The Meadows with Callum that morning had been wonderful and breathtaking and confusing. When she had been lying on the grass staring up into the brilliant sky, there had been a moment. She’d goosebumped when he’d looked at her, long and intense and brooding. God yes, it was a brooding moment. She’d seen it in movies, but a look that powerful had never been aimed at her before. She was sure of it. It was almost as if he was imagining what she looked like naked. And when he’d turned his gaze on her, she’d wanted to be naked for him, more than any damn thing she’d ever wanted in her life.
A slight exaggeration maybe. She’d wanted her own business more than anything she’d ever wanted in her life. But great sex was number two with a bullet. Hell, even mediocre sex would be number two with a bullet after her years of born-again virginity.
She had to tell her sister. Maybe telling Lulu would help with the lust that was coursing through her, that she’d felt lying there on the grass as Callum had looked down at her, that had flooded her when she’d touched his arm on the stone steps.
Ava flopped onto her sofa and rested her feet on the coffee table, pushing aside a pile of gardening books with her toes. She dialled the number. She wouldn’t be able to sleep until she’d told Lulu. Who was she kidding? Sleep? After being gazed upon by the gorgeous Callum Malone? She’d be tossing and turning all night anyway.
When the call connected, Ava took a deep breath.
‘Hey, Ava,’ her sister answered.
‘Hey, Lu.’
‘What are you up to?’ Lulu sounded carefree and chirpy, which was so lovely to hear that Ava teared up a little.
‘Me? I’m working hard. You know how it goes. What about you?’
‘Well,’ Lulu sighed dreamily. ‘Everything’s good. I have some news, actually.’
Ava held her breath. The words ‘I have some news’ were usually followed by ‘I’m pregnant.’
‘You do?’ Ava squeaked.
‘Michael and I are having a weekend away. It’s all very exciting.’
Good. This was good. Ava knew it had become serious between Lulu and Michael, but they were still dating, and Ava guessed the trip might be the two of them taking the next step.
‘How exciting. Where are you going?’
‘That’s the best thing. I don’t know! Michael’s being so romantic about it all. He won’t tell me anything. He wants it all to be a complete surprise.’
Lulu was positively bubbling. Her little sister liked being looked after by men. She always had. It wasn’t a manipulative character trait or a personality flaw. She was born that way. She had always been the kind of girl, and then woman, who men simply wanted to look after. She was slight and blonde, with big eyes and a winning smile, and the combination of all that coquettishness drew men like moths to a flame. Ava had always figured it roused that caveman thing in them. That only thing Ava had ever roused in men was jealousy when she’d beat them at sport. She’d whipped the butts of boys throughout her school life: at cricket, tennis and basketball. A tear to her cruciate ligament when she was at university had put an end to her sporting career and she’d focused her energies on her studies, and then on her work. Maybe it was all that confidence and strength she projected, but men never seemed to think she needed looking after. Which she didn’t, of course, but it would have been nice occasionally to have someone do things for her.