“Hayden, can you take Marisa for a bit? I have a million wedding calls to make and I’m like…near tears right now.”
I close my laptop and frown at Leslie as she comes barreling down the stairs with a fussy Marisa in tow. I’m in the middle of reconciling the previous month’s bank statements for C. Designs, but it’s nothing that can’t keep. And a Marisa distraction sounds perfect. I am desperate to escape my roaring internal thoughts about what happened between Vi and me last night.
“Of course I’ll take her. Don’t cry, Leslie.” I take in Leslie’s haphazard auburn ponytail, sweat pants, and tank top. She looks frazzled and completely exhausted. “Is there anything else I can do?”
“No…thanks,” she says, passing Marisa over. I tuck her up by my face and shush her in soft puffs while doing my quick swinging bit. “Honestly, if you could just keep her so I can go down and talk to Theo, it would be ridiculously amazing.”
“Say no more.” I pull Marisa back to get a good look at her, which only causes her to start wailing more. After a pleading look back at Marisa, I wave Leslie off for her to go downstairs to Theo’s shop.
“Hey now, pretty girl…Sounds like someone is ready for a nap,” I coo as I find a swaddle blanket and make quick work of turning fussy Marisa into baby burrito Marisa. “Why are you so hard on your mummy some days? Did you just miss your Uncle Hayden?” I drop a kiss on her soft head. Then I lay her across my thighs on her side. I stick a dummy in her mouth and shush her while swinging her back and forth with my legs. After a few minutes of fighting it, she passes out. Happiest baby on the block indeed.
Just as I reposition her sleeping body in the crook of my arm, my phone rings. An unfamiliar number illuminates the screen and, thinking it could be an appointment rescheduling, I answer.
“C. Designs, Hayden speaking.”
“Hey, Hayden, it’s Liam Darby,” he says with a certain level of edge to his tone.
“Liam?” My brows lift in surprise. My last meaningful memory of Liam and I replays in my head. I’m certain I was pissed, it involved a lot of puffed-up chests, and me making a crass remark about being inside of Reyna. The bastard actually had the gall to hit me.
Okay, I probably deserved it.
But still, we are far from matey blokes who call each other.
“Listen, sorry to bother you, but Finley called me. She is putting together a last minute hen night for Leslie tomorrow night and I’d like to throw Theo’s stag party on the same night. I’m calling to see if you have any objection to that, or if you want to be a part of the coordinating and such.”
I pause, trying to determine how to tactfully answer this. “Look, I’m not really into the party scene anymore. I mean, I can attend. But as far as planning, I’d rather you handle things if that’s all right.”
“Sure, sure. But…you will still be there?” his voice is hopeful.
“‘Course I’ll be there.” As long as I can manage it.
“Good. It would be really important to Theo to have you there. And look, Hayden,” he sighs heavily. “I know we don’t have the best history, but Theo’s my best mate and I’d like to think eventually you and I could be mates too.”
I stifle a disbelieving chuckle. I can’t help but think that Liam’s olive branch has more to do with keeping his enemies closer. Shortly after rehab, Reyna essentially ripped my heart out and threw it in the River Thames after I told her I was in love with her. I knew deep down she was with Liam, but it was still fucking painful. If I would have had that conversation with her prior to my attempt, I’m not sure how I would have reacted. But seeing the two of them together, engaged and happy at The White Swan Pub a couple of weeks ago, wasn’t as bad as I had feared it would be in my head.
Although, truthfully, it probably had a hell of a lot more to do with the fact that Vi literally swept me off my feet just before I walked in. Or Bruce did, I should say.
“Sure, Liam,” I reply stiffly, not able to bring myself to be overly kind to him. He did wallop me in the face, after all. “Regardless, I appreciate you taking the lead on all this for my brother.”
“No worries. All right, I’ll text you the details for tomorrow. Cheers, Hayden.”
“Cheers.” I hang up and hope that a night out with a bunch of blokes will be just what the doctor ordered to get me over my Vi fixation.
SENDING OUT AN SOS
“Hey, Vi, it’s Finley!” An excited American voice trills through the phone line as I sit at my desk at Nikon.
At the same time, Benji stumbles over with a tray of Starbucks and hands me my latte. He’s been a bit quiet and sheepish around me since his drunken evening. I wonder if he remembers kissing Hayden, but I can’t bring myself to ask him. I lift my eyebrows and nod a silent thank you before he shuffles over to Hector next.