Mr. Park Lane (The Mister)

This could be a travesty for a generation of children. Something had to be done, and I was just the person to do it. This was just the kind of problem I’d been eager to sink my teeth into.

“I want to help. And I promise, I’ll keep baking and have dinner with Jacob, but we can’t let this happen.”

Gerry gave a weary smile and nodded. “I knew I was right to hire you.”

We had to stop Merdon before this strategy was out of the gate. I had no idea how, but I was determined to do whatever it took.

Nine

Hartford

I was exhausted after a week spent researching Merdon and Calmation. To my surprise, I was actually looking forward to a break. My goals for today were simple: learn everything I needed to know about dating in a single afternoon from an almost-stranger, and try to bake a cake that didn’t taste like it belonged on the surface of the road. And, if possible, try to forget about work for a few hours.

Stella flung open the door to her apartment and held out her arms like I was a daughter coming home from the army. “Hartford—it’s so great to have you here. We’re going to bake up a storm!”

Stella’s positive energy seemed to saturate the air around her in sunshine. I just hoped she didn’t mind me picking her brain about men and dating while we baked. I’d considered cancelling on Jacob a thousand times. But there were two good reasons why dating someone—anyone—would be a good idea. First, it would keep my boss happy. But second, and maybe more importantly, it would keep my forcefield against Joshua intact. My defenses had been like bad WiFi recently—patchy and at some points nonexistent. After he gave me that massage, I’d avoided him for a few days while I tried to block out the old crush hammering at the door. Dinner with Jacob would therefore serve a dual purpose. And since I hadn’t dated since way before I started with Medicines Sans Frontiers—and even then, I hadn’t amassed a particularly impressive track record—I needed some help.

If I impressed Gerry with my array of outside interests and bubbling social life, I hoped he’d see I was serious about my career and completely dedicated to medicine. Counterintuitive? Yes. Possibly the key to securing a reference from the most famed pediatric specialist in the UK? Also yes.

“Hi.” I tried to look relaxed and happy as I looked over Stella’s shoulder to see Autumn and another girl sitting at the kitchen island. Asking dating questions in front of an audience would be daunting, but better that then making a complete fool of myself with Jacob.

Stella ushered me into the apartment, but before she got a chance to introduce me, the girl I didn’t recognize jumped from her bar stool, bounded over, and wrapped me in a hug.

“I’m sooo excited to meet you! I’m Hollie.” She stepped back. “Joshua!” she said inexplicably.

“Actually, it’s Hartford,” I replied, well and truly confused. I’d only been inside for thirty seconds and already I felt out of my depth.

“Yes, Joshua’s new . . . friend.” She grinned at me as if she and I were in on some kind of secret.

Stella guided me to one of the bar stools and I took a seat, slightly nervous about what I’d walked in on. It was only noon. Had they been on the breakfast wine?

“You’ll have to excuse us. Joshua’s never introduced us to a woman of his before, so we’re all a little giddy,” Stella said.

A woman of his? Had I slipped into some 1950s soap opera?

“It’s not like that between us. I’ve known him since forever. Our mums are best friends.” Private fantasies of mine aside, Joshua was as likely to see me as a romantic interest as he was to date a slice of toast with that awful marmalade he’d always loved as a kid.

“Hmmm,” Hollie said, narrowing her eyes.

“So you’ve not had sex with him?” Autumn asked.

I laughed. “No, definitely not. Not in real life, anyway.”

Stella’s eyes widened. “So in your pretend life . . . ?”

I sighed and glanced around the kitchen, wondering when the baking lessons were going to start. When I turned back to the island, three sets of eyes stared at me. Nothing for it than to tell the truth. “I was a fifteen-year-old girl, filled to the brim with hormones, when Joshua was a tall, tanned, impossibly good-looking eighteen-year-old. Of course I’ve had fantasies.”

“We need mimosas,” Hollie announced. Stella jumped off her stool and began to pull out glasses.

“Is drinking and baking a good idea?” I asked.

“Of course,” Stella said, pulling out a carton of orange juice from the fridge.

“Tell us everything about eighteen-year-old Joshua. Did you ever kiss him?” Autumn asked.

Within a couple of minutes, Stella had poured four mimosas and pulled baking materials onto the counter.