Unsuitable

“No you won’t.”

“No, I won’t. But I won’t annoy you any more now.”

From deep inside the house they heard the TV turn on. Then Flip and Gin arguing. Then Flip, “Muuum, Muuum.” There was a pause then, “Reeeeeece.”

They both laughed and Charlie stood up. She ruffled his hair. “I got this.” She went inside and he sat on. He really did need to move out. He needed to sort it with Sky. He needed a shower, a shave and a job where he didn’t wear a tool belt.

Hours later, sitting with Polly in the beer garden waiting for Sky, he wasn’t any closer to answers. Polly brought Sophie and she brought Del and then the group expanded some more and by the time Sky arrived there were twenty or more of them ordering dinner in the bistro.

He tapped Polly’s shoulder. “Are you keeping an eye out for Les?”

“Who?”

Shit. What a disaster.

“Les.”

“Oh yeah.” Polly scanned the room. “Stuffed if I know what she looks like without the sun camo. Shortie. Cute. That’s all I remember. Ah, she’ll find us.”

Reece deadset hoped she didn’t. And by the time Sky arrived, late, so he’d started to worry, especially when she didn’t answer her phone, he was only checking out the edges of the room every other fifteen minutes, and Polly had Sophie on his lap, so there was no way he’d remembered Les.

When the karaoke started he had an extra drink. He didn’t usually sing, but he felt like cutting loose, which meant he had to chase a buzz. He bought a round while Sophie and Del did Beyoncé’s Put A Ring On It. Polly was at him to do Blurred Lines. He wanted to dedicate it to Les. If Reece could get a little blurry that might be on.

Meanwhile he had some catching up to do with Sky. He pulled her to his lap and she settled in. She looked crazy hot tonight. He ran his hand up her leg to the edge of her short skirt and she lay her head on his chest.

“You tired?” She’d played six games of beach volleyball, she had a right to be. She’d worked late three times this week.

“No, baby, I’m good. Did you hear anything after your play date?”

“Nah. Don’t have a good feeling about it.”

She turned to face him, put her hands to his chest. “You’re staying with me tonight, yes?”

He bent to kiss her forehead. “Couldn’t stop me.”

“And tomorrow we’ll hang out.”

He nuzzled the side of her face, “Ah-ha,” wrapped his arms around her and let one hand rest on her tight little arse. When she didn’t protest he left it there.

“And you won’t run away to do something for one of the girls?”

He deserved that doubt. That’s what he’d done last weekend. Answered his phone to a tearful Flip and gone home to sort out the broken window before Charlie got back from a shopping trip with Etta.

“Flip can bust the front door off its hinges and Neeva can set the house on fire and I promise I won’t dump on you.”

Sky was adamant his family used him. The Minh family were so different. Sky’s parents were divorced. Her mother had moved to Paris. Her father ran an import business and spent his time travelling between Vietnam and Sydney. She was close to her brother David, but he was older so she had no family responsibilities. She thought the girls were noisy, selfish and demanding. They were, but he loved them for it. Sky tolerated them well in small doses, while they idolised her, especially Etta.

“You better not. It will be bad enough if you get this job. She’s young and attractive.”

He swept his hand down Sky’s hair, loose, thick and glossy, it fell to her waist. Audrey was attractive. Even with drool stains on her shirt and something orange and sticky in her hair, squinting in the sunlight. Thinking about it, she was, maybe five, ten years older than he was, but she was classically beautiful, he’d noticed it the moment he saw her and dubbed her Ms Bates.

“Audrey isn’t interested in me. The whole being me physically is a turn-off for her. It’s the reason I won’t get the job.”

Sky kissed his throat. “I’m sorry about that, baby. Doesn’t seem fair.”

“No fair you’re so beautiful and no one else gets to have you but me.”

“Sweet talker. There’ll be other jobs come up, but you know I think this is the universe telling you something.”