Chapter 64
Rosie
“Hey, Tabi,” Gregory shouts.
Tabi’s face scrunches, and she plays with her bracelet as she greets her best friend. “Hey.”
Gregory’s mum hugs me as Tabi and I join the parents and their children outside the screen. “Is she okay? She looks peaky.”
“She’s scared of the dark cinema, but she can grab me, and we’ll sit outside if it gets too much.”
“Of course she’s late again,” one parent grumbles to another.
I bite my tongue. I shouldn’t let them treat me like this. My confidence wanes. If I can’t defend myself, how can I protect my daughter? I’m a crap mum.
“I’ve had lots of presents,” Gregory says to Tabi. “I got a climbing frame and a new bike.”
Tabi nods and looks warily at the screen door.
“The present—I left it in the car,” I say to Gregory’s mum. “I’ll give it to you after.”
“It must be exhausting to be so disorganised,” the mum who commented on my lateness mumbles out of the corner of her mouth.
The other mum cackles as they stare at me.
“Here you go, baby. Sorry for making us late.” Niki presses a kiss to my cheek. He gives me the present for Gregory I’d left in the car.
“Oh my god. You’re that racing driver,” the snarky mum says, staring at Niki like he’s made of melted chocolate.
“I prefer to go by Rosie’s boyfriend.” He grabs my hand and holds my knuckles against his lips, brushing a kiss against them. Shivers dance across my neck, and my smile grows as he winks at me.
“You’re dating a racing driver? How did you two meet?” the mum of a child that’s bullied Tabi asks me. “You’re not the kind of guy who slums it at the carpet factory.”
“I work for Coulter Racing, although we met last year,” I explain.
“It was the best day of my life. I fell for Rosie quickly, but I wasn’t good enough for her. She’s the most beautiful person inside and out.”
One of the mums guffaws.
“Something funny?” he asks. “By the way, where are all the dads?” The only dad in the group is Gregory’s.
“They don’t come to things like this. They spend Saturday mornings on the golf course.”
Niki laughs loudly. “Seriously? Wow, I hope I never get to the point where I don’t want to spend time with the woman I love and the most incredible child in the world.”
That causes grumbles, although Gregory’s parents chuckle behind their hands.
“By the way, baby, which children bullied Tabi? I’d like to chat with their parents,” he says with a loud whisper.
The parents in question raise their eyebrows.
“I wanted to tell them I’ve seen how hard parenting is.
Not everyone can be like you.” He presses another kiss to my knuckles.
“But if they need pointers on making their children more respectful, I’m sure you’d be willing to help.
Tabi’s the sweetest, funniest bundle of joy I’ve ever met, but not everyone is as good a parent as you.
You’d be willing to advise them, wouldn’t you? ”
Their jaws practically smack against the floor. I didn’t know anyone could shut up the mean mums who’ve treated me like crap for the last year. For the first time, I have someone on my side at these gatherings.
“I’m always happy to help them,” I reply, “if I can fit them around my busy schedule—unless they think I’m too disorganised.”
The worst ones glare at me, but their stares are quickly drawn to Niki as he kneels on the floor and beckons Tabi close.
“Have you got the thing to help me?” she asks as she joins him.
Niki pulls a stubby glow stick from his back pocket. He cracks it and threads a string through it. “You know how your mum wears my chain when she’s nervous?”
Tabi nods.
Niki places the threaded glow stick around Tabi’s neck.
“Now you’re like your mum. Keep this tucked under your top, but look down when you need a little light.
And you’ve got your bracelet that’s like mine.
” Niki grabs his Belle bracelet from his pocket.
His thick hand strains the elastic until it’s on his wrist. He waggles it, and Tabi shakes hers until it clatters.
“It’s okay to get scared. Me and your mummy are here for you. ”
“Thank you, Niki,” Tabi says. “Is it okay to hug you? I put hand stuff on before we came out.”
Niki nods, and Tabi wraps her tiny arms around his neck. He hugs her back. It’s not a full-on squeeze, but there’s progress compared to months ago.
Tears brim my eyes, and the parents stare at this Hallmark moment.
“We’d best go in. And if it’s okay with Gregory’s mum, we’ll invite Gregory and his parents to my house one day to meet Graham and play in my pool,” Niki says loud enough for the parents to hear.
“If you enjoy yourself today, I’ll add a cinema to the basement so you can go to one whenever you want. How about that?”
I glance at the mean mums whispering amongst themselves.
“Maybe all the kids could come and play one day,” one of them says.
“You’ll have to check with Rosie. She manages my life for me.
I wouldn’t cope otherwise. We wouldn’t have made that flight together from Monaco in my jet last month if not for you.
It was quite a flight. Thank goodness there’s space for everything we enjoyed.
” He gives me double raised eyebrows and smirks at me.
The parents gawk as my cheeks heat and my grin grows. I can’t help but remember our moment in front of the mirror. The mean mums nudge each other as they stare at me. All the mums gather around me as the children walk into the cinema with Gregory’s dad.
“Is he really your boyfriend?”
“He’s so sweet with Tabi.”
“What was the private jet like?”
As soon as the children are out of earshot, Gregory’s mum asks, “Did you do what I think you did on his private jet? No, don’t answer, it’s rude of me, but…”
I nod and we laugh together as she nudges me.
“Is he as big as the gossip websites say?” another mum asks. The audacity!
Niki turns around and winks. “Bigger. Ain’t that right, Rosie?”
I shake my head as I concede. “And he knows exactly what to do with it.”
Gregory’s mum cackles as Niki grabs my hand.
The mums invite me to their houses as we try to leave. Tabi was brilliant in the cinema, and although she was scared of the dark a couple of times, Niki and I took turns standing with her outside the screen until she calmed down. When she returned with him the second time, she was still giggling.
“You did it, nugget. I’m so proud of you,” I say as I strap Tabi into Niki’s car.
“We did it, Mummy.” She giggles. “Can we see Graham now? He can swim with me in Niki’s pool.”
Niki’s phone rings as he starts the car.
“Senna, you’re on speaker, and Tabi and Rosie are with me.”
It’s his please-don’t-swear warning.
“Okay.” Her voice wobbles. “You need to drive in Austria.”
“In the grand prix? Is Connor okay? Did he hurt himself at the trampoline park?” Niki asks. He trembles, and I squeeze his thigh.
“Technically yes, but not on a trampoline. As we left, he fell down some stairs because he hadn’t tied his laces. I told him I’d treat him to a slushy, and he got so excited he tripped.”
“Oh Connor.”
“I love that man, but he’s a liability sometimes. My liability. He’s broken his ankle. He’ll be out the next three races but should be okay by the end of summer break. You know what that means as our reserve driver?”
“You need me for Austria, Silverstone, and Hungary,” Niki replies. He’s shaking but grinning, too.
“Yep. Is that good for you? Think about what we can do to support you. Rosie, it might be helpful to fly you out as well.”
I suck my lips into my mouth. I can’t do this with Tabi.
“That would be great. I’ll need her there,” Niki replies without consulting me.
“Good. You’ve got to be in Austria in three days. I’ll meet you in the office tomorrow to discuss strategy and preparation. What a day.”
Niki hangs up. He beams at me, and I offer him a fake one in return. I can’t upend my life. I must be here for Tabi. This might be a one-off, but it could be his future.
It can’t be mine.