The CEO(38)

Andy shook his head. ‘Don’t tell me.’

She laughed. ‘The only access is by boat.’

Andy scowled at her. ‘Seriously?’

‘Uh huh.’

‘We’re charging an aquatic allowance for that one.’

‘If we get the job,’ Ava cautioned.

‘You know we’ll get it,’ Andy said. ‘Because it’s you.’

‘Yeah,’ she smiled, ‘we will. Because we are awesome.’ They gave each other an exhausted high five before Ava dropped her metal rake prongs down into the dirt and stepped over it to the edge of the garden. Sydney had turned on a near-perfect day, which made the view from Callum’s house out across the ocean even more enviable.

Andy moved next to her and gave her a big nudge. ‘Most of Sydney would kill for this view.’

Ava sighed. ‘Enjoy it while you can. When we’re finished, we’re back to Bondi Beach with every man and his dog.’

She would miss it. It was truly spectacular and while they’d been working there during the past few days, she’d caught herself every now and then mesmerised by it. It was one thing to share a view of the ocean with a beach crammed with people in bikinis and board shorts; it was another, altogether more luxurious pleasure, to look out to the view of the cliff tops and the ocean and the bobbing yachts from this secluded eyrie. It felt as if the ocean was there just for her. Her own private slice of it. Ava hadn’t grown up near the beach but had moved close to it as soon as she could afford to, and loved living in Bondi. The Gibsons were working people from a solid working class suburb, miles away on the other side of the city. When she was young, it would take two trains and a good couple of hours to snatch a glimpse of the ocean and only then on very special occasions. So this, being able to glance over your shoulder at any time of the day and see the blue for as far as the eye could see? Next to a lush garden, it was heaven.

‘So Ava … exactly how rich is this guy?’ Andy asked.

‘Very,’ Ava said quietly. ‘But, you know, would you really want that life? There’s a lot of pressure on me to come up with work for us. And there’s just the two of us. Imagine what it’s like for him, being responsible for the jobs of thousands of people?’

Andy chuckled. ‘Oh, please. He has people to help him with all that. And there are perks, Ava. I mean, look at this place. Look where he grew up. Wouldn’t you want that life if you had half the chance? You could give up work and spend all day at the gym, when you’re not redecorating or looking after your two adorable pugs.’

‘That sounds so mind-numbingly boring,’ Ava said with a roll of her eyes.

‘Yeah, it actually does,’ Andy laughed. ‘As for me, I seem destined to meet poor but talented waiters.’

Ava whipped off her sunglasses. ‘You’ve met someone?’

The smile on Andy’s face was infectious. ‘Maybe. His name’s Declan and he’s a barista. A barista slash actor.’

‘Give me a man who can make a decent coffee and I’ll show you a happy woman.’

Give me Callum Malone and I’ll show you a happy woman.

‘And a happy man,’ Andy said. So, even though you seem to have a sudden flair for finding us the most mind-bogglingly complex jobs in Sydney, you’re stuck with me.’ He slipped an arm around Ava’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

‘Oh Andy,’ she said. ‘You’d be so perfect for me if you weren’t gay.’

He shot her a grimace before laughing. ‘What makes you think I would find you remotely attractive even if I was straight?’

Ava dug a finger into his ribs. ‘You are awful. And also my best friend, so I’ll forgive you. I think this is it for today. The plants and the turf are arriving tomorrow. And the pots. How do you think we’re going to get them upstairs?’

‘We’re going to have to trolley them inside over that very expensive floating wooden floor and hope like hell we don’t scratch it. It’s probably made from rare rainforest timbers or something.’

‘Of course it is.’ Ava yawned and stretched. ‘But let’s think about that tomorrow.’

‘You got plans tonight, sad old spinster?’

‘You really are awful,’ she replied with narrowed eyes. ‘Thanks for your kind concern but, no, I don’t have any plans. Except a bath and sleep.’

‘Paul didn’t call you for a date?’

‘Why yes, he did. And your neighbour and I are going out Friday night.’ She found a fake smile and held it. She needed to do this. She had to do this. She had to forget all about Callum. Then why did the whole thing feel so strange and awkward and wrong? Paul had sounded nice enough on the phone, with quite a deep, sexy voice in fact. They’d agreed to meet at a Bondi restaurant, famous for its pasta. And she’d dared herself not to be nervous. She was going to be the strong woman she was, who was simply dipping her toe into the dating pond to see what might happen. Because there was only room in any one person’s mind and heart for so many memories, right? And at her age, it was getting a little crowded in there and, if she made new memories—met new men, perhaps found herself in the middle of a hot man crush with someone new, instead of stuck in the middle of a never-ending unrequited passion with Callum Malone—she might be able to crowd him out until she didn’t think about him anymore.