“He kissed it. Only the cheek! That’s where the bee stung me. He was trying to make it feel better.”
Iris gave a dry chuckle. “I’ll bet he was.”
“It’s true! But then Valerie walked around the corner and saw. That was literally our introduction—Maxime on his knees in the grass…”
“Kissing your butt?”
“Yes.” I exhaled. “It sounds terrible when you say it like that.”
Iris giggled. “Chlo, I’d expect nothing less. One day, someone’s going to make a movie about your life.”
I paused, dragging my hand through the sand. “You think? Who’d play me?”
“Back to the story!”
“Oh, right. Yes. So, Valerie saw him and assumed the worst—even though she was right.Then she whips out a picture of me in a bikini making coffee, and shows it to him, and says I’m not responsible enough to be in charge of a child.”
“Wait,what?”
“Those weren’t exactly her words. But that’s what she meant. It was a low blow.”
“But what photo?”
I pressed my lips together. “Did I mention I’ve been making coffee art at Maxime’s club?”
“In a bikini? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Only sometimes. I mostly wear regular clothes.”
Iris cackled. “Oh, holy hell. I leave you alone for three weeks and you go rogue. No—correction. You go full Chloe.”
“What? My coffee’s popular, okay? I’ve blown up on Instagram.”
“In a bikini? I bet you have.”
I sighed, drawing slow circles in the sand. “Maxime didn’tknow. He knew about the coffee, just not the bikini. He didn’t say he hated it, but Valerie called me tacky.”
Iris huffed. “We need to discussallof this. But wait. Why was she even there?”
“Oh. Another thing I may not have mentioned. Part of my gig looking after Sophie was helping her with a writing competition. It’s quite important to Valerie. Honestly? I think she was checking up on me.”
“Chloe.”
A stiff breeze swept across the cove, and I turned into it, my now loose hair whipping behind me. “I know, I know. Worst idea in the world.”
“No, don’t say that. You weren’t actually writing the essay, were you?”
“Oh, hell no, I was making research notes. Only Valerie saw them before I could spell check. It was a disaster.”
“But Maxime wouldn’t have a problem, would he?”
“Probably not, but I didn’t tell him about my dyslexia. Now he’ll probably never trust me again.” I picked up a fist of sand, running it through my fingers. “I think he might fire me.”
Iris’s silence deafened me. Finally, she spoke. “Maxime wouldn’t fire you.”
“Maybe not, but his ex could insist on it. They don’t have the sweetest relationship. She just wants the best for her daughter.”
“That can’t be true. If I wanted the best, I’d definitely want you as my nanny. You’re lovely.”
