Chapter 30 Flo
“You received the trip plan, I assume? And you’ve read it over and are happy with it?” Jack, my trip coordinator, says to me in a chirpy tone. The phone feels heavy in my hands.
“It looks good.”
A laugh. “Good? Is that all it gets?”
“No, sorry, I’m excited.”
There was a weekend mixer in Texas that we were all invited to to get to know each other before we have to spend the next six months stuffed into a campervan with our people of choice, but of course, I didn’t go.
One: because I would have had to pay for flights and ask for the weekend off from taking care of Leo, which I didn’t want to do.
And two: because frankly, there were a million other things I’d rather do than go to the mixer.
Leo and I had planned to design some more outfits for Donkey, and he was going to come with me to help choose the fabric, before we stopped by the animal shelter to visit Cheese on the way home.
The day was a whole thing, and he loved every second of it, especially when I agreed to buy him an ice cream with two scoops instead of one, which he then dropped in my car, so we spent the next hour deep cleaning my seats.
“Since you didn’t attend the mixer, I’ve allocated you a camper van. I hope that’s okay?”
“I’m fine with that.”
“You’ll be with Jenna, who’s a bit of a party animal, so I’m sure she’ll make your trip eventful, as well as Tyler and Abi. They’re both pretty early risers, so I hope you don’t mind getting little sleep for the next six months.” Jack chuckles, and I force myself to join in.
Early risers… great. I like sleep.
“Do you have any questions for me?”
“I don’t think so. Thanks, Jack. It’ll be nice to finally meet you.”
“See you soon, Flo, starting in Florida!”
There’s a knock at my bedroom door, and after I hang up the phone, I open it to reveal a smiling Evan with Leo perched on his shoulders, holding a plush mini football.
Their smiles—it’s like they know something I don’t.
“What’s going on?”
“You didn’t think I was going to let you leave without teaching you how to play football, did you? You’ve taught me a lot, so the least I can do is return the favour, even if the skill is as useless as how to throw a ball.”
“I’m gonna be a football player!” Leo squeals.
“No, you’re not,” Evan says grumpily, setting him down. Leo squeezes the ball between his chubby fingers and sprints away, looking back and giggling, hoping that we’ll be following him.
“Careful of your arm, Leo!” Evan turns to me now. “You coming?”
I look down at the phone in my hand before throwing it on my bed. “Yep, but first.” Snatching something off the small armchair, I hand it to him. “Happy late late birthday. I would have added more to it, but I didn’t have time.”
“What’s this?”
I shrug, feeling sheepish. Evan turns the white sweatshirt around in his hands to reveal the front, which I’ve embroidered with the words ‘You’re No. 1’.
I haven’t put anything after it. Not player. Not father. Because Evan West would be number one without being those things, too.
“Wow, thank you, Flo, this is—”
“There’s also a little secret in there for you.” Rolling up the left sleeve of the sweatshirt slightly, so the inside is showing, I point to the delicate words that say ‘I fucked my nanny.’
Evan splutters.
“Okay, race you!” I’m pushing off my heels before I can finish, but Evan’s by my side with a few heavy strides, already wearing the sweatshirt.
I’m no stranger to a celebrity party, but usually, I’d be the one rushing around trying to make sure that all my clients’ requests were being adhered to. Instead, I sit at the lavish white-clothed table with Evan and Leo, being served plates of duck, roast beef, and chocolate fondue.
We’re at a table with Bennett, Sam and his date for the evening—a woman I’ve never met, but who I’m certain he probably picked up at a bar on the way here—as well as a female tennis player and her husband.
An NFL player named Riley Donovan joins us too, who Bennett and Sam try not to talk to.
Apparently, there’s bad blood between the teams because of some interviews Riley did, and all Evan has to do is mouth He’s an ass to fill me in, while he finishes wiping Leo’s chocolate-covered mouth with a wet wipe.
Soft jazz music plays, and once people are finished with their food, they get up to mingle. I was hesitant to attend the annual sports party with Evan, but after being promised that nobody would bat an eye, I agreed, especially since Leo would be coming.
I’m leaving soon, so why not end this nanny job with a bang?
Everyone’s been really respectful, and by that, I mean they haven’t even looked in my direction.
Who I am doesn’t matter to most of these people.
They’re just here for a good time; to celebrate what they’re good at all together, with people who appreciate the sacrifices they have to make.
Of course, Evan tried to duck out at the last minute, but Peter wasn’t having it.
"You look beautiful," Evan whispers into my ear, and I straighten his tie when no one is looking.
“So do you." I smile. "Does anybody want a drink?”
Bennett and Sam nod eagerly, and after promising Leo I’d get him a juice, I head to the bar. Evan’s watching me intently, eyes smouldering.
“Oh, shit, I’m sorry,” I say once my elbow nudges someone else’s, and I pivot to see a tall blonde woman standing at the bar, her belly round and swollen, her hand lying over the top of it.
“Oh, you’re all good.” She beams at me with her pearly whites.
My eyes flit down. “Congratulations. Can I ask how far along you are?”
The woman grins, clearly excited to talk about the baby she’s carrying. “Eight months. I feel like I’m ready to burst.”
“Oh, I bet. Is it your first?”
“Yep. It’s definitely an adjustment, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of pregnancy.
Love your dress by the way. Who is it?” That’s fancy person for, who’s the designer, which means nothing to me since it’s an old dress I found at a thrift store that I spruced up.
She flicks her wrist down to my almost floor-length black velvet frock, the neckline high but the back extremely low.
“Oh, honestly, I don’t know. It’s second-hand.”
“Oh, vintage! Wow.”
Sure, let’s go with vintage, apart from this dress cost me the same as a cup of coffee.
“I don’t recognise you. Are you a plus-one?”
“Yeah, I wish I could say I was talented enough to play sports, but I have the coordination of a freshly born deer on ice.”
That makes her laugh. “You’re funny. I’m here with my husband, he’s—”
A tall and heavily tattooed man soon appears beside her, and he wraps his arms around her stomach from behind.
“Oh, here he is, this is the hockey captain for the Regina Snowhawks, Adam Parker. Honey, this is… sorry, I didn’t get your name?”
I recognise him immediately. The bear tattoos crawling up his arms. His eyebrow piercing. Cropped hair. He’s a dirty player out on the ice.
“I’m Flo.”
Her hand finds mine, shaking it. “Zara. Do you live around here? Adam and I are always looking for more couples to hang out with… if you have someone, of course.” Her irises are questionable, and they flit over to where Evan’s staring intensely at me from our table.
He looks deathly uncomfortable, his fingers gripping Leo’s wet wipe so tightly that water is seeping out of it and dripping onto the white tablecloth.
It isn’t anger, but more like he’s conflicted—feeling out of his control.
“Oh, I mean, I’m just…”
A shadow passes behind Zara’s eyes, her red-stained lips pursing at the same time her vision lands on Evan.
Then Leo. They’re blank, but she takes the entirety of the child in and mutters, “Oh, right.” She blinks, and it’s slow and controlled.
Polished. Like every brush of her eyelashes against her cheeks removes the small sliver of recognition her greens hold.
The tension is so thick I can feel it pressing up against my skin, and I shift my weight from one foot to the other, wanting to desperately leave this conversation.
Zara’s pupils empty out while she surveys Leo. Not a trace of loving, wishing or wanting in them. Not even resentment, as if she’s trained herself for this moment, which is a bizarre reaction.
Then it clicks, and suddenly I feel a wave of nausea. It can’t be, but the facts all point to the same thing.
Evan told me about Leo’s mother. That she just got married to someone rich and famous. Is happy. Living the lavish life she so desperately wanted.
The way she’s looking at Evan and Leo—it’s like she’s seeing her past flash before her eyes, and within a second, she snaps her neck in the opposite direction.
Now that I’m looking at her more closely, Leo has the same button nose as her, delicate and freckled. And the jealousy I feel is like a sharp stab in my ribs.
“My feet hurt. I’m going to sit down.” She whisks herself away, followed by a strange look from her husband. He offers me a small, sorry smile before chasing after his wife, who is marching towards the other side of the room, where they were seated for the meal.
My stomach lurches. All it takes is one look from Evan to confirm my suspicion, and with compressed lungs, I head towards the back door of the hotel.
The garden is empty, with picnic benches and multicoloured lanterns dotted around.
The cool summer air dances along the bare skin of my arms, causing goosebumps to pebble up, but I need it with how hot my body feels right now.
I hear Evan’s footsteps behind me. “Flo.”
Spinning, I say, “Did you know she was going to be here tonight, Evan?”
“Yes, I had a feeling.”
“And is that why you wanted to bring me along? To show Zara that you’ve moved on?”