Page 45 of Untroubled Heart

I tap a finger against my lip in thought just as Mason steps out of his office.

“Hey, do you know what this means?” I ask, pointing to the screen. “Or is this, like, an affirmation Steven has left for himself?”

Mason steps behind me, lowering his head just over my shoulder. I involuntarily close my eyes when his cologne hits me. So spicy. So sexy.

He gasps, shaking me from my lust-fuelled troubles as he runs to the kitchen nook. He pulls out a small bowl of lollies and places it on the benchtop above, then fills the kettle and flicks it on. A black mug is pulled from the overhead cupboard that says Boss Bitch in gold lettering. Mason dumps a teabag inside, then reaches into the mini fridge for a packet of Tim Tam biscuits.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Listen, if my sister is mean, don’t take it to heart. She doesn’t mean it. She still loves you, even if she calls you incompetent.”

“Huh?”

The sound of stiletto heels striking the tiles outside the office makes Mason’s eyes flare before he’s running past me back to his own office.

Beth comes in, clutching her tablet to her chest as a shiny, black leather handbag hangs from the crook of her elbow. “Morning, Cal. Has my brother come in yet?”

My eyes dart to his office, not sure of what to say.

“Oh, good, this is already hot.” Beth stands beside the kitchen bench, pouring hot water into the mug that was left on the counter. “This isn’t yours, is it?”

I shake my head as I watch her put a spoonful of sugar into the mug. And another one. Plus four more. Sweet tea. The disgusting drink Mason says she drinks when she’s on her period. I chuckle as the reminder makes more sense. Mason’s tactic is to load her with sugar and chocolate, then retreat.

Beth pops a Tim Tam in her mouth, grabs another, then cleverly balances the mug, tablet and handbag in her arms as she takes the seat across from me, eyes slowly drifting to Navie.

She gasps. “Oh my god, is this your daughter?” She shoves the rest of her biscuit in her mouth and dusts off her hands before striding over to Navie.

“Yeah, we had a little hiccup with daycare, so Mason told me to bring her in for the week until it’s sorted.”

“My brother is a sucker for a pretty girl,” Beth coos as she picks Navie up. “And you are just the prettiest.” She sits down again, this time with Navie in her lap as she picks up her second biscuit.

“Don’t tell my brother I stole some of his biscuits,” she says, taking another bite from the slab of chocolate in her hand.

“I’m sure he won’t mind. We can always buy more.”

“Oh. Good.” She gets up to bring the whole packet over, bouncing Navie on her hip. “I’ll probably regret this next week when I feel bloated and break out, but I’m too hormonal to care right now.”

“That time of the month?” I ask, and she nods with a grimace.

“If you ever have kids, I’ll warn you now: that first period after birth is rough. I had no clue what to expect, but it was like six weeks straight.”

Beth’s face falls in outrage. She looks at Navie, then back to me. “Are you kidding me?”

I shake my head slowly.

“And you’re meant to wait a while for sex after birth, right?”

“Around six weeks, but I’ve been single for a year, so that was the least of my problems.”

“Cover your ears,” she whispers to my daughter before talking to me directly. “This sounds like a truly undesirable time in life.” She pushes the Tim Tam packet towards me.

“Oh, I’m good, thanks. I’m vegan.” I’ve grown used to telling people of my eating habits, not because I want them to feel bad for what they eat. I just don’t want them to take it personally if I don’t take what they’re offering.

Beth gasps, clutching her biscuit protectively. “Vegans don’t eat chocolate?”

“There’s vegan chocolate.” I laugh.

She leans back in her chair, assessing me. “Look, with you working here, we’re going to get to know each other pretty well, so you may as well know I’m nosy as fuck.” She throws one leg over the other. “What’s the story with your baby daddy?”