“Which part?” Kayla asked.
Once again, Jodie hesitated. “I'm afraid I was born into poor circumstances. I grew up in Brownsville.” She pulled an awkward face as if ashamed of her past.
“Really. I grew up in Brownsville. You shouldn't be ashamed of where you were born. All I can say is good for you for doing something to get yourself out of there,” Aaron said.
“What a coincidence. I went to St. Thomas's School” Jodie said.
“So did I,” Aaron replied. “Well, that's great. Someone from the same place as me.”
Jodie smiled and began to relax.
“Do you want to meet Matthew?” Aaron asked. He'd already decided he liked Jodie. He knew darn well that if she'd survived the trials of a youth in Brownsville, she was tough and up for a challenge.
“Yes. I'd like that.”
Matthew bounced into the room and stopped when he saw Jodie. “Hello,” Jodie said. Matthew didn't reply; he jumped on the sofa and stared into space. “He's a lovely boy,” Jodie commented.
“Yes, but he can be a handful,” Aaron said. “Okay. Let's give it a try. I suggest a three-month trial. When can you begin?”
Kayla felt bypassed and flashed Aaron a scowl.
“I can start immediately. A three-month trial will be fine.”
“Great. Let me show you where you will be living,” Aaron said.
He stood up and took Jodie upstairs to show her an area of the house they'd had converted into an apartment.
“I hope you didn't do that because she's hot,” Kayla said once she and Aaron were alone.
“What? Are you accusing me of being unprofessional? Because if you are...”
Kayla put her hand up in apology. She knew Aaron had a temper, and the last thing she wanted was a confrontation. It was just that she'd sat with him all afternoon, and he'd made his choice without consulting her. “Sorry. That was bitchy,” she admitted.
“Look, she knows about autistic kids, and she's from Brownsville. If she came out of that place in one piece, then she's tough. I think she'll be perfect.”
*****
“Hi. I'm home,” Aaron shouted. He put down his briefcase and loosened his tie. He'd just returned from London, and he was anxious to see Matthew. He walked through the hallway and into Matthew's playroom. He wasn't there. He looked in the sitting room and then wandered to the kitchen.
“Have you seen Matthew and Jodie?” he asked Mrs. Robertson, the cook.
“In the backyard, I think,” she answered.
Aaron went through the conservatory at the back of the house and into the yard. They were in the pool together. Matthew was splashing away to his heart’s content, and Jodie was applauding everything he did.
“Welcome home,” she said when she noticed him watching them.
“How on earth have you managed to do that?” he asked.
“What?”
“Get him into the pool. He hates the pool.”
“Not anymore. Look. He's having a great time.”
Aaron tried not to look, but he couldn't help but notice her body. He loved the shape of her legs and the way her breasts rose above her flat stomach.
“Well, how?”
“Slowly. That's the key. I put no pressure on him at all. I let him watch when I went swimming, and he soon saw that it was fun and wanted to join in.”
“Can he swim?” Aaron asked.
“Not yet, but we're working on it.”
“Jeez, that's amazing. Thank you. I would never have thought.”
Jodie watched Aaron return to the house and smiled when she saw him shake his head in disbelief.
That evening after Matthew had gone to bed, Aaron was sitting on the terrace, looking through some documents. Jodie came out in a robe and dived into the pool. She swam seriously for half an hour and then got out.
“That's your workout, is it?” Aaron asked as she walked past him.
“Yes. I try to do some exercise every day.”
“Sit down. I've finished working,” he said.
“Okay.”
“Do you want a glass of wine? I usually have one around now.”
“No. I don't much care for alcohol. Have you got orange juice?”
“Sure.” Aaron returned with the drinks and sat down. “It's been a long day. It's funny to think I was in London this morning,” he said.
“You live in a high-pressure world. I admire you for the business you have built.”
“Thanks. It's a good company, and I'm proud of it.”
“I asked around about you in Brownsville, and did you know people back there are proud of you? Everyone cites you as an example of someone who got out of there and was successful. You're an inspiration to a lot of people.”
Aaron looked at her. It was the first time he'd noticed the color of her eyes. “Have you got colored contacts in your eyes?” he asked.
She laughed. “Everyone asks me that. No. That's their natural color.”
“Amazing. They're turquoise. I've never seen that before.”
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“You mean after Lindsey?” Jodie nodded. “I'm devastated, and I miss her all the time. Apart from that I'm okay.”
“Where did you meet her?”