Unsuitable

“You’re not in your office,” said Les.

“I took your advice and came home.”

“That doesn’t sound like home in the background.”

“That is the sound of children playing. I’m at the playground with Mia and Reece. I feel a lot better. Reece is going to stay late and put Mia to bed. I’ll have an early night and be back to myself tomorrow.”

“You’re sure he’s not going to put you to bed and screw you into tomorrow? Not that I’d blame you if he was.”

Audrey groaned. Ever since the Do the Propeller nanny cam episode she’d copped grief about Reece. Les was joking, but others in the office, not so much. There were all kinds of innuendo flying about the possibilities for extracurricular nanny activities. “You need to get out more.”

“You can talk. And you have a totally acceptable virgin hunk at home on tap.”

“He’s hardly virgin.”

“I meant virgin to you, or is there something I don’t know?”

“And you made me ring you because?”

“Never mind. I can dream.”

“You’re still dreaming of a certain builder with a girl’s name.”

“I hope Mia wakes you five times tonight,” Les said, and hung up.

An hour later, Audrey bought fish and chips, crumbed calamari and potato scallops and they ate them with salt and lemon, sitting at one of the picnic huts. Mia ate two big potato scallops, chased the seagulls while barking like a dog. She did a couple of frog jumps which Reece explained were cartwheels she’d seen kids doing at kindy gym, and fell asleep with her head on Audrey’s lap.

It was too early to let her sleep long, but the night was so sweet, the time off so unexpected, the chance to talk to Reece without one of them racing off somewhere so tantalising, Audrey was reluctant to wake her. She was willing to risk Les got her wish.

“Is Carrie the reason you broke up with Sky?”

Reece ate the last of the calamari and made her wait. He’d put his cap away and had his sunglasses pushed up on the top of his head. His expression was all mischief. “No.” She thought that was all she was going to get. He ferreted around in the box their meal came in for the remaining chips. “Surprising as it may seem, I have not succumbed to Carrie’s significant charms.”

She took a sip out of her water bottle to mask her amusement. They sat catty-corner to each other, so they could eat out of the same box and Mia could lay out full length on the longest section of bench seat. “Less reason for you not to now then.”

“What, on the rebound?”

“I don’t think she’d care.”

He laughed. “I think you’re right. I’m steering clear of Carrie.”

She picked up a burnt chip and ate it. “Junna?”

“What are you trying to do, get me back on the horse already? I’m broken hearted. I need to be alone to heal.”

If that smile, the lilt in his voice, was his broken heart in action, he was cruising for the mother of all romantic let-downs at some point. She poked his forearm with her plastic fork. “You are such a try-hard.”

“Hah. That’s why I broke up with Sky.” He slugged his water. His smiled dropped away. Now there were shadows.

“Because?” Audrey held her breath. Right now, she wanted this question answered more than she wanted Mia to sleep through the night.

“Because I don’t try hard enough.” He sipped again, taking the last of the water and bagging the bottle with the rest of their rubbish.

It wasn’t what she’d expected. The idea of Reece not trying hard enough was hard to imagine. “Are you heartbroken?” He wasn’t quite himself, but he didn’t seem wrecked, though he may be a better actor than she’d credited.

He avoided her with the business of clearing up. He punted the tied bag of rubbish at a garbage bin and it landed true and turned to face her. “Are you?”

“What do you mean?”