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ScreaminginStella’sear,Gracestraightened her body, making it difficult forStellato hold on to her.Stellacould feel her own blood pressure rising.Asfar as homecomings went, this was pretty shit.
Givingup on trying to holdGrace, she let her daughter slide to the floor and crawl back to the iPad.
Stellaknew where that iPad would be going tomorrow.
‘Itwas fine.Justlike riding a bike,’ she said a little flatly, wondering if he’d notice her tone.Shedidn’t want to have a fight in front ofGrace, but she also wanted him to pick up that something was off.
Hecontinued to type.
Shesnatched an orange out of the fruit bowl and dug a nail into the rigid flesh, tearing at the rind. ‘I’dforgotten how tiring weddings are, butItook some amazing shots.’She’dscrolled through all the memory cards on the drive home, just to check that her images were as good as she thought they were.Theywere absolutelybangin’, to use aWelshphrase—especially her photos of the bride, which confirmed her thoughts about where she wanted to go with her career.Hertime withIshanihad been her favourite.Whilethe wedding exhausted her, it also energised her creatively.Ithad everything a photographer could want: the luxury location, the gorgeous couple, and the high-spec production design.
‘Gladto hear it,’ saidConnor.Heseemed to be reading something on his screen.
‘Allgood here?’Stellaslid a quarter of the orange in her mouth and looked around to see if there happened to be an open bottle of wine anywhere.Shesuddenly needed a drink.
‘Um, yeah.Gracehas been a dream.Haven’tyou,Gracie?’ he said to the floor.
Snort, went the little piggy.
‘Whatdid you get up to?’Stellaeyed the pile of dirty dishes in the sink, next to a take-away box.Somuch for the healthy frozen dinners she’d prepared.
‘Nothingmuch.Justhung around here mostly.’
‘AndClaudia’s,’ she said sharply.
Hedidn’t notice. ‘Ohyeah, she really helped me out.Goodol’Clauds.’
Shechewed on another piece of orange, tired of ignoring the elephant in the room. ‘Whatwas the big work emergency anyway?’
‘Theinterviews.Youknow that,’ he said with a hint of pique in his voice.Atleast it meant he was paying attention.
‘Ithought you’d cancelled your interviews.Tospend time withGrace,’Stellasaid, spitting a couple of seeds into her palm and chucking them in the compost bin.
‘Icancelled the less promising ones and moved the others into one afternoon.Ineed to find a new assistantASAP.’
Shehated how he made it sound like she was being unreasonable.Heatprickled her chest, but then she rememberedGrace’spresence on the floor and took a deep breath. ‘Sodid you find one, then?’
‘Um…yes.’Hesquinted at something on his screen. ‘Actually, no.Sorry, got distracted.No, not yet.ButI’mconsidering one of the candidates.Istill want to see a few more before making a decision.’
‘IguessKrishis a hard act to follow.’
‘You’renot joking.’
Awave of tiredness washed over her, and she decided to pursue this another time.Shedidn’t have the energy for this.Instead, she bent forward and leaned her elbows on the countertop. ‘Whichreminds me.DoIhave a story for you!’
Thistime, he was busy reading something on his phone.Surelyhe’d want to know aboutKrish’snon-proposal and break-up withJess. ‘Connor?’ she repeated, ‘IsaidIhave—’
‘YES!’Hepunched the air and leapt off the stool.
Sheperked up, his exuberance infectious. ‘Goodnews?’
Hismouth turned up into the sexy half smile that she’d loved since day one. ‘I’vegot a meeting with aVoguepicture editor onThursday.’
Clappingher hands together, she said, ‘Amazing!Thatwas quick.Ididn’t even know you were at that stage.Howdid it happen?’
‘Just…connections.’Hepicked up his phone. ‘It’sall who you know.That’swhat my dad always said, and for once, he was right.’
Armstrongalso said that marriage was for the weak, so she wasn’t too keen onConnorquoting him. ‘ShallIopen some champagne?’Stellaasked as she took two flutes down from the cupboard.
