‘Would it help if I told you that my only goal for this evening is to keep kissing you?’ Oliver rolls off me and props himself up.
He catches me staring at his muscles.My oh my, but I feel like licking them.
‘A hundred press-ups every morning.’
And it is totally paying off.
We both stand up, arranging ourselves.
‘How about I come by tomorrow afternoon? As your lawyer, we will need to see each other regularly.’
‘Will you be charging by the hour?’ I ask, trying not to make it sound so sexy. Although, I would like some clarity around whether his services will be free, in exchange for my own.
‘Pro bono,’ he says, making it sound like a sexual position. He then kisses me very slowly. It is full of promise.
He likes me for who I am. EvenIlike me for who I am.
Wow. I have finally got my shit together.
Breaking free, Oliver stifles a yawn. ‘What a few days. I’ve hardly slept since Benidorm.’
No need to go into detail and drag up unpleasant memories. I’m hoping he can’t remember a lot of it.
‘I’m so very sorry. It was such a messy night. I’ll pay for the car to be cleaned.’
‘Absolutely not,’ he says, pulling me back towards him. ‘I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next. You’re like the gift that keeps on giving.’
‘Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you but I don’t plan to be involved in any more dramas, breakdowns or catastrophes from now on.’
‘Shame,’ he says. ‘I was beginning to quite like it.’
Chapter 35
Iawakethefollowingmorning with what I can only describe as two hundred vodka red bulls surging through my veins. By nine o’clock, I’m showered and dressed for a day of business-rescue. I can’t deny that the prospect of seeing Oliver today and showing him that I do have a ‘highly functioning’ side, is very exciting. Thus far, he has been treated to the side of me that’s as mad as a game of meat ball tennis.
I have even made time to apply some ‘no make-up’ make-up, a liberal spray of perfume and have dressed in a pretty, floaty floral dress that is flattering and chic when teamed with shoe-boots and not mismatching flip flops, which I’m ashamed to admit has happened more than once. My hair is piled on my head in a loose type of bun thing and my lips are stained red.
More importantly, I am oozing positivity. I am a grown-up, mature professional businesswoman.
And just because my sister and I seem to ALWAYS rub each other up the wrong way, I will rise above it. It will be a challenge. And I am going to have my hands full today, training up both Ava and Maria-José-Inmaculada-Carmen, but I’ve never felt more ready in my life.
Ava is in the kitchen making the good stuff coffee and does a double-take when I fly in, grab the cup she has just poured out for me, down it in two gulps and bellow, ‘LATE! COME ON! MOVE! LATE! LATE! NOW MUST GO!
That’s petty. I can see that, but I honestly could not help myself. I am delighted to see she almost shat herself with fright, and nearly spills coffee down her white top and skimpy denim shorts. She swings her highly inappropriate sky-scraping wedges, designed to elongate her coltish, stick thin legs, off the stool and races after me.
Because of her genetic disposition, Ava says, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll help you and MJ get the business sorted. I have such a creative brain.’
I take a deep breath to centre my inner calm. ‘That’s great. I’m really looking forward to your input. Thank you.’
I’m pleased to see her caught unawares. And I’m equally pleased to see Maria-José-Inmaculada-Carmen is waiting for us when we arrive. She is without cigarette breath and without, as far as I can tell, anHola!magazine. It’s time for me to put my plan in place.
We all make our way up to the office. The sunlight is pouring in through the windows. I instruct them both to grab a coffee and bring it through to Nidi’s office which is just down the hallway. It is a beautiful room, tastefully decorated in soothing pale colours. Large sash picture windows overlook the bright blue sky, the not-too-distant mountains with sunlight dancing on their peaks and sharp, gradients that slope gently down to a twinkling sea. It is breath-taking. The room oozes calm and serenity.
I have already set up what I need for our planning session this morning, on the large conferencing table. When Maria-José-Inmaculada-Carmen and Ava sit down, I outline the main principals of life coaching and what the benefits are to the customer.
Ava immediately wants to tell us that she has most of a business degree. ‘And I used to…’
‘You used to manage over two-hundred people in over ten offices, we know.’
