Chapter Seventeen

LILY

 

“Middle of the week! We’ve got so much to get done today, Lily.”

“Ugh, at least let me get a coffee,” Lily said, laughing.

“I already got you one.” Jacqui handed her sister a takeaway coffee purchased from the café down on the corner.

“Thank you.” Lily grinned in appreciation. “You’re a gem.”

Jacqui smiled. “Our first interview is ten thirty.” They were interviewing for a part-time assistant to really help out with the education program, but they could also assist on the magazine.

“Is that the student? I like the sound of her.”

“Erin. And then we’ve got Barbara, the semi-retiree. And Alex, the token male.”

Lily chuckled. “It does feel like that when you advertise for an assistant role, doesn’t it?”

“He seemed good though. Setting up his own business on the side.”

Lily nodded. “We were just a bit anxious about that—like whether he’d really be devoted to our work.”

“We could be mentors to him, in a way,” Jacqui pondered out loud. “We could help him with some of his business ideas.”

Lily agreed. “Let’s just go into it with an open mind. All three have something to offer us.”

The interviews themselves were really enjoyable, so even though it was a long day, Lily was very content.

“I can’t actually decide. I loved Alex, and I think you’d really enjoy mentoring him.” Lily knew Jacqui loved taking younger people under her wing and supporting them. “But Erin seemed like a good fit for us, studying marketing and all of that. You decide.”

“What about two days a week for each of them?” It seemed they both agreed not to hire Barbara, which Lily felt a little bad about. She was a lovely lady, but the other two aligned with their objectives more. Lily frowned. “Could we actually do that?”

“Well, like Erin said, one day a week could be her internship for the university this semester. Then after that, hopefully. If not, we’d possibly have to reconsider, but we’re working on some big projects, so we should be able to afford it then. But we could definitely make three days’ work between them.” Jacqui looked upwards, clearly doing calculations in her head, so Lily stayed silent. “Yes, I think it’s doable, if you’re happy. It’d mean we wouldn’t take a pay rise in June, but we just had one in December,” Jacqui said.

“To be honest, the help across four days a week would be better for me than a pay rise,” Lily stated.

Jacqui nodded in agreement.

“Okay, let’s do it.”

After Alex and Erin got the good news, Jacqui and Lily sat and chatted for a while. “I should head home soon,” Lily said, looking at her watch. “I’ve barely been home lately.” Between dinner out with Maree Saturday night, then bowling with Parker on Sunday, and getting home late on Tuesday night, Scott had been carrying the heavier load.

Jacqui frowned. “You went home early yesterday. After school?”

Lily always forgot the lie she told her sister about Tuesdays.

“Ah, yes, Tuesdays,” was all she said in response. Tuesdays were quickly becoming her favourite day of the week. Lily continued, “Speaking of Tuesday…next week want to take a day off and head to the beach.” Parker had suggested Tuesday, and Lily was happy with that, too, providing it worked with Scott and Jacqui.

“Take a day off and go to the beach?” Jacqui was surprised, and Lily couldn’t blame her—she was rarely one to suggest a fun activity like that. Lily just shrugged in response.

“Why do you want to go to the beach? And with whom? With the kids? I doubt Rebecca would come.” Jacqui mentioned her eldest but clearly assumed Penny and Isabelle, the middle and youngest daughters, would come.

“I’ll ask Scott, and Bodhi, of course. He’ll enjoy some time-off vacation care. Parker is keen.”

“Parker, as in Bodhi’s teacher, Parker?” Jacqui’s mouth twitched upwards, but she tried to hide her budding smile. Lily nodded, and tried to hide her smile too.

Jacqui shook her head. “I’m sorry. I need to know more.”

“There’s nothing to know. I just caught up with her, and…” Lily looked away, then added, “she suggested some fun at the beach.”

“Fun at the beach. Sounds lovely, darling.” Jacqui put on a posh accent as she spoke, and then her tone turned serious. “How often do you spend school holidays with your kid’s teacher?” The twitching mouth was back.

“Shut up,” Lily pouted.

“You have a thing?” Jacqui wasn’t getting the details she clearly wanted.

“We don’t have a thing.” Jacqui looked like she didn’t believe her. Lily could never hide what was going on from her sister. “Fine, we might have a teeny thing. Like this big.” She used her thumb and finger to show a small gap. “It’s not even a thing though.”

Jacqui nodded. “Where were you when she asked about going to the beach?”

“In bed,” Lily muttered and then cursed herself for answering honestly.

“I’m sorry. You mumbled. Where were you? What did you say?”

Lily playfully whacked Jacqui. “I’m not repeating it.”

“You really did mumble, but did I hear you say in bed? In bed with Bodhi’s teacher? Was that what you said?”

Lily glared at Jacqui but remained silent.

Jacqui grinned. “Oh, Lily, this is great news.”

“This is not great news, Jacqui. I feel like the worst woman on earth.”

Jacqui shook her head. “Megan wanted you to have fun. Gosh, it has been six years. This is great. Is it good? The…y’know?” She gyrated to indicate what she thought went on in the bedroom. Lily raised her eyebrows in disgust.

“Thank God lesbians don’t do anything like what you were just miming. That looked repulsive.”

Jacqui roared with laughter. “Who cares what you do? Is it good? Actually, tell me what you do too.”

“She’s amazing, and I hate that she is. I’m addicted.”

“So, it’s happened a few times?”

Lily bit down a grin. “Every Tuesday afternoon.”

“No way!” Jacqui said, looking both horrified and delighted that her sister hadn’t been truthful with her about her Tuesday afternoons. “Here I was thinking you were going to some boring parenting seminar or hanging out with Bodhi or something dull. You were always vague about what you got up to.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t want questions. I’m trying to hide it from Scott and Bodhi, so we catch up Tuesdays and then on weekends.”

Jacqui blew out in surprise. “Wow, so that’s why you’ve barely been home! You dirty little minx!”

“That’s what Parker called me.” Lily gave a cheeky look, blushing as she said it.

“A dirty minx? Oh my God! It sounds like you’re having fun!”

“Well she didn’t say dirty. That’s clearly just how my delightful big sister feels about me.”

Jacqui smiled. “I’m really happy for you. I was worried you weren’t having enough fun.”

“Well, I’m having fun in the bedroom now, but I think Parker’s worried I’m not having enough fun out of the bedroom, so she has made it her mission to change that. She suggested we have fun at the beach.”

“I like her already,” Jacqui said. “So, is she your girlfriend?”

“Oh, God, no. She’s a friend with benefits. That’s it. We aren’t telling anyone. Clearly, I failed at that. But I can’t tell anyone else—there’s too much to lose.”

Jacqui nodded again. “I won’t say anything. Let me know if the beach is on. Chat to Scott and let me know. I’ll go along, make up the numbers. I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

“Just remember it’s top secret.”

Jacqui rolled her eyes. “You do know you’re free to date, don’t you?”

“Thanks for the constant reminder. As I keep telling you, I’m not quite ready to replace Megan.”

“It’s not replacing her though.” Lily could tell Jacqui was exasperated, but no one who hadn’t been through this themselves could understand. “Besides, you’ve been having your Tuesday catch-ups…”

“Yes, and I felt guilty for that as it was, but I’ve worked through it. I can’t quite stop myself when it comes to that with her. But that doesn’t mean I need people to know about it, especially Bodhi and Scott. I feel awful, but there’s no way I need anyone thinking she’s my girlfriend, and there’s no way I want Bodhi wondering anything. You need to be discrete.”

Jacqui nodded. “Okay, I get it.”

Lily very much hoped she did.