“Tommy?” Her voice is a little croaky.
“Yeah?” I answer, kissing the top of her head.
“Could we keep this between us, just for a little while?”
At this point, I’m prepared to give her anything she wants. “We won’t say anything to anyone until we’re both ready, except?—”
“Except?” There’s worry in her tone.
“We should at least tell Connie. She’s been amazing looking after both the kids, and we shouldn’t sneak around and lie to her about where we are.”
“I agree,” she says, glancing upwards. “But I don’t expect Connie to take Josh every time we’re together. That’s not fair to Ozzie or you. I’ll arrange alternative childcare.”
“Okay, go ahead, but you’re the one who can explain to the boys why they’re not spending every day together, which they practically do now.”
“That’s emotional blackmail.” She giggles. “Now who’s not playing fair?”
I hold my hand up. “Not me.” I smirk.
“All right, how about this? We could ask Connie if she’d be willing to work for both of us, but if she agrees, you let me pay half her wages.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
She raises an eyebrow. “And why not?”
“Male pride.” I grin.
“I hope that’s a joke, you neanderthal.” She shakes her head. “Look at it this way. We could give Connie a pay rise. She more than deserves it.”
“If you’re worried about it, I’ll give her a raise,” I say while I rub her back.
Angie crosses her arms. “Ugh, please. Will you listen to yourself? I have my pride too, you know.”
I shrug. “Have it your way, but for the record, it’s not necessary.”
She smiles triumphantly, then her mouth drops open a little. “Oh, but what about Chelsea?”
“What has she got to do with anything?”
“You’re getting a divorce. What if she discovers we’re together before we have a chance to tell her? She could make life so difficult for you. Just to be on the safe side, probably no romantic dinners out or that kind of thing.”
“That makes sense, but we don’t need a restaurant to be on a date. That’s if you want the whole experience.”
“I’ve come this far. I don’t want to miss out on the good stuff.” As she leans forward, the atmosphere electrifies around us and I take in just how beautiful she is. Moments of heated kisses follow, and when Angie’s hand lands on my thigh, sparking more than just the desire to kiss the shit out of her, I know I’m in trouble. She has me already, and I’m pretty sure she knows it.
Keeping our hands off each other has been the hardest fucking thing. Every spare moment is used to rediscover our connection. We decide to talk to Connie before she finds outwhat’s going on for herself and, the way we’ve been acting over the last week hasn’t been too discrete.
“Is everything okay? Have I done something wrong?” Connie asks as we sit down to talk, but I put her at ease straight away.
“It’s all good, Connie, but we’ve got something to tell you.” Angie is sitting next to me when we look at each other, beaming like idiots, and I put my arm around her. “We’re together and we want you to be the first to know.”
Connie isn’t exactly surprised by the news. “I thought as much.” She beams. “I couldn’t be happier for you both. Can I give you a hug?” She stands from her seat with outstretched arms as we huddle together. Connie is very much part of the family and it’s good to know she’s on board.
We explain, in detail, our situation and how we’d like her to take on Josh full-time with Ozzie. Thank God she’s more than prepared to help us out, although at first, she refuses the pay increase. This is non-negotiable for us. There's extra work involved and it wouldn’t be fair to take advantage.
“If you’re absolutely sure,” Connie says for the third time.
“We wouldn’t have it any other way,” Angie reassures her as my phone buzzes in my pocket.
