6. Ava
Chapter 6
Ava
“Go on. I can finish these.”
I take another of Magnus’s freshly ironed shirts from Margaret and slide it onto a hanger.
“I like to help,” I say, ignoring the pointed look she’s giving me.
“You like to procrastinate.” She chuckles as she takes the hanger from me and places the shirt on a rail beside others.
“No.” I try and reach for another shirt, but she moves it before my fingers graze the cotton.
“Your work won’t do itself. Besides, you’ll be running me out of a job,” she says.
I lean against the laundry room counter as she continues ironing. This has become our routine. I follow her around, helping with whatever jobs I can. Today was a huge grocery shop that had us out for the majority of the afternoon. She’s right, maybe I am avoiding the reason I’m really here. But I’m enjoying spending time with her. I knew she’d be softer under that stern exterior. She’s traveled so much with her husband. I love hearing about where they’ve gone and what they’ve seen.
“Go,” Margaret presses. “You’ve got some time before dinner. Get out to that pool house and start typing.”
I glance at my watch. I can probably get some words down before Magnus comes home.
“Go on.” She lifts a brow, and with a sigh, I leave before she forces me out.
I head out the back door and walk along the path that runs around the perimeter of the house. A guy with sandy-colored hair is digging in one of the flower beds.
“Hello.” I raise a hand in greeting.
He stops and his brown eyes connect with mine.
“Hey.” He sticks his shovel into the earth and walks over. He brushes his soiled hands against his cargo pants, then holds one out. “You must be Ava. Margaret said you were visiting.”
“That’s me.” I return his smile as I shake his hand. “And I’m guessing you’re David.”
“That’s me.”
He’s younger than I expected. Late twenties, maybe. And he’s solid. Built like a bear. His sandy hair is long over his collar, and he has a ruggedness about him that seems so natural and easy. I can’t imagine him wearing a suit.
I can’t believe I mistook Jet for him .
“It’s nice to meet you.” My eyes drop to the Def Leppard T-shirt he’s wearing. “‘When Love & Hate Collide’, amazing song.” I grin.
“Yeah? You like them?” His eyes light up as he bends to pick up a drinks bottle. “Ah,” he tuts, seeing it empty.
“They’re amazing.” He wipes his brow with the back of his arm. He must be roasting digging out here like this. “I was just headed to the pool house. You can come get a soda if you like? I have some in there.”
“Yeah?” He hitches his brows. “Sounds great, thanks.”
We fall into an easy chat as we walk around the house. David tells me he’s worked for Magnus since before June passed away. Magnus hired him to plant flowers all around the house so that no matter which window June looked out of, she would see color.
“That’s beautiful… romantic,” I say.
His eyes twinkle as he sees me checking his left hand for a ring.
“No girlfriend,” he says, answering my silent question. “No boyfriend, either.”
“Was it that obvious?” I laugh as we turn the corner of the house. I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and the breeze immediately blows it across my cheek again. I tuck it behind my ear again. “It’s just, you have this Charlie Hunnam thing going on. My best friend, Liv, is kind of obsessed. ”
“Really? Tell me more about Liv. She sounds very interesting.” He grins, and I throw my head back with a laugh.
“She’s going to come visit. You can ask her whatever you want to know.”
The two of us continue chatting about the house and the gardens, and David tells me about his older brother who he runs his landscaping business with. By the time he’s done drinking his soda and gone back to tidy up his tools, it’s almost time for dinner, so I decide to head back into the main house to freshen up.
A loud voice hits me the moment I step inside. It’s coming from Magnus’s office. In order to reach the bottom of the main staircase, I need to walk right past. My feet pause on the stone tiles as the voice scoffs.
“She drinks it straight from the carton like an uncivilized delinquent.”
“Can’t stand the stuff,” another voice I recognize as Magnus’s chuckles.
“It’s poor manners. Someone else might want to drink it. She leaves her berry-flavored lipstick all over the rim.”
Berry flavored.
“Who else would want to drink it?” Magnus asks.
“Me!” Jet’s voice pitches and goosebumps scatter up my spine at how incensed he sounds over a little bit of juice.
“You hate the stuff, said it makes you feel sick,” Magnus replies .
I lean a little closer, straining to hear Jet’s response, but it’s a deep mutter of something I can’t make out.
“She should use a glass,” he grits, his voice gaining power again. “Even if no one else likes it, it’s not the point.”
“Then what is the point, Son? Because as far as I can tell, you’ve come stomping in here like your ass is on fire, and so far, all you’ve talked about is juice. I thought you’d come to fill me in on your talk with Hayden?”
“I just don’t see why you’re so enamored with her. You know nothing about her.”
“I know exactly who she is. She’s William’s granddaughter.”
The breezy tone of Magnus’s response, like it explains everything, seems to rile Jet up further and there’s a thud that sounds like a hand slamming down against a desk.
“Are you screwing her?”
The venom in Jet’s tone makes me flinch.
“What?”
“Is that why she’s here making herself comfortable? Turning the pool house into her home office?”
“Of course not!” Magnus mirrors Jet’s volume for the first time.
I should leave. This isn’t for me to hear. But to get upstairs, I run the risk of them seeing me as I pass the door.
I hover, scanning the hallway for another route but come up empty .
“How dare you even suggest that… There’s not been anyone since…” Magnus chokes on a sob before clearing his throat. The sound is weighted with something that makes my heart clench.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean…” The remorse in Jet’s voice is just as tough to listen to. It sinks into my skin and scrapes over my bones. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”
“Jesus Christ,” Magnus mutters. “Listen, Son. We’re all feeling this. We’re all fucking stressed. We can’t go firing off at each other at the first sign of trouble. We’re in this together. You might be across the pond, but Atlantic Airways is one family, always has been.”
Heavy silence stretches out before Jet says, “This is all my fault. I need to be the one who fixes it.”
“You couldn’t have seen it coming. We’ll deal with it together. Now… what do you need?”
“Time with Callaghan,” Jet says. “Time to work on him.”
Magnus huffs. “He’s an ass, it won’t be easy convincing him.”
“That’s why I need a big carrot,” Jet grits.
“Hayden’s handling things in LA. I’ve got Callaghan’s schedule for the next couple of weeks.”
“I don’t trust him,” Magnus clips.
“Neither do I. But our legal team is the best in the industry. We get an agreement with him, and they’ll make it airtight.”
“Regardless, you should take one of the team with you. Have someone else watching him, too. ”
“That’s not necessary.”
“I disagree, Son. Callaghan can be a snake.”
Their voices lower to a hush. I take a step closer to the open door. If I make a bolt for it, maybe they won’t see me. So I take a deep breath and go for it.
Bad idea.
I collide with Jet’s solid chest so hard the air is knocked from my lungs.
“Shit, sorry.”
He stares at me, his fingers curled around my upper arms where he’s steadied me.
“What are you doing here?” he snaps.
“Ah, Ava.” Magnus smiles behind him as he exits his office.
The genuine warmth in his voice makes me want to run into his arms. How Jet came from his genes, I’ll never understand.
“How long have you been here?” Jet’s eyes return to mine, burning with accusation.
“I just came in,” I lie.
His jaw clenches as though he sees right through me. He lets go, leaving my skin tingling.
“Good day? Get much done.” Magnus asks, ignoring the icy glare aimed at me from his son. He’s probably used to Jet’s social setting being one degree below Arctic.
“I did, thank you.”
“Lie number two,” Jet murmurs, loud enough for only me to hear.
I slide my eyes to his, and he arches a brow .
“You haven’t been here all afternoon. And when you did get back, you spent your time flirting with David instead of working on whatever little project you have going on,” he says.
The way he says ‘little project’ with such disregard, as though I’m a silly girl working on something meaningless enrages me more than anything else that’s come out of his arrogant mouth since we’ve met.
“I went grocery shopping with Margaret.”
“Why? She’s paid to do that. You aren’t.”
I rake my gaze over his face in disgust. “Sometimes, it’s nice to spend time with people without expecting anything in return. And David and I were just talking.”
He grunts.
I tear my eyes away from his and look at Magnus. His attention bounces between the two of us and he narrows his eyes like he’s contemplating something.
“Ava. Do you find working in different places and getting out of the pool house helps the words flow?”
My mind flicks to the waterlily lake and all the notes I managed to get down while I was there. “Absolutely.”
“Your master’s degree is in business, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“Well then. Maybe you can go with Jet to a meeting he’s got coming up. Lend an extra set of ears to it.”
Jet stiffens immediately, a muscle ticking in his cheek. “Absolutely not.”
The excuse on my tongue slides away as the hairs on my arms prickle up in annoyance. Does he think I can’t manage to take notes for his stupid meeting ?
“I graduated with a first in my degree.” I fold my arms as I hold his stare.
“And?”
“And I’m more than capable of whatever it is you’ll require me to do.”
His eyes flick up and down my body, and I feel like a science project being scrutinized. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
The urge to prove him wrong has my palms itching. I’d also like to slap the disdainful look off his face. But this will have to do.
“I can go with you to this meeting. In fact, I’ll give you my expertise for the entire day, be your personal ass istant.” I smile sweetly, making sure I emphasize the ass.
“There’s no need. I’m sure you’re far too busy working on your—”
“My little project will be okay without me for a day.”
He stares at me, unblinking, and the way his jaw works as he grinds his teeth has a pop of perverse victory firing in my stomach. He thinks he’s so much better than me. He’ll not expect me to be able to keep up with him.
It’ll be fun showing him what I can do.
“Great.” Magnus pats Jet’s shoulder with a wide grin. “Take Ava with you to meet Callaghan tomorrow. He’s a slimy bastard, though. Watch him,” Magnus directs to me.
“I will,” I answer before he walks down the hall, leaving us alone .
“What time are we leaving in the morning?”
Jet narrows his eyes like he expected me to retract my offer the moment Magnus was out of earshot.
“Seven-thirty.”
“Great.” I flash him an obnoxious smile. “I’m so excited I might pee myself.”
His lip curls in disgust like I’ve actually done it.
I turn and walk off with a spring in my step.
Pissing Jet Grant off is fun.
And the idea of seeing his arrogant face eat his own words when I show him what I’m capable of is positively exhilarating.