Page 25 of Watching Henry
There was a small hesitation and then Hadley was moving to one side and Florence was brushing past her and Hadley could feel her breath, could smell her all clean soap and shampoo, was suddenly aching to reach out and touch her.
She clenched her hands into fists to stop herself doing anything she might regret.
Jesus, if she touched Florence the woman might just push her down the stairs.
“I'm heading out,” she said.
Florence looked back and shrugged. “Your business, it's your afternoon off.”
It took a second before Hadley's heart-rate returned to normal and she could go down to the kitchen to bid the kids goodbye.
IT WAS A sweet little town. A main street that looked like it was from the nineteen-fifties and a slow pace that Hadley thought was probably a product of the first real heat of the summer.
She was glad for the cool air-con as she pushed into the first coffee shop that she found, craving caffeine. A woman looked up from the counter, smiling and pushing back a lock of dark hair.
“What can I get you?”
“Anything that has enough caffeine to wake a sloth,” Hadley said, grinning right back.
“Ah, tough day, I see.”
“Three kids and a six a.m. wake up call.”
The woman frowned and grabbed a mug from the shelf behind her. “You really don't look old enough to have three kids.”
Hadley laughed. “They're not mine. I'm a nanny for the summer.”
The woman started the coffee machine and glanced around the empty store. “In that case, I think you might be missing something,” she said.
Hadley laughed again. “Yeah, it's a job share. This is my afternoon off, the other nanny has the kids.”
“Jeez, it's alright for some,” said the woman, frothing milk.
“Tell me about it. I'm not entirely sure why people have kids if they don't like spending time with them, but what do I know.” Hadley glanced around, noting the rainbow sticker on the cash register and then looking more closely at the woman.
Her hair was shoulder length and dark, there was a smattering of freckles over her nose and her lips were uneven in a cute kind of way. Automatically, Hadley moved into smooth mode, leaning up on the counter.
“And here I am boring you about my life and I don't even know your name.”
The woman laughed this time. “Eleanor, and I'm the boss around these parts, and I've gotta say, I'm not sure my wife would approve of how smooth you're being right now.”
Hadley straightened up and pulled a face. It really had been force of habit. “Sorry,” she cringed. “My bad.”
“Not at all,” said Eleanor, pushing over a fresh mug of coffee. “You didn't know I was married, I don't wear a ring, and it was quite flattering. Besides, you've had a tough enough day already.”
Hadley thought back to her phone call.
If Florence hadn't walked up the stairs when she did, she was pretty sure that she'd have quit and gone with Brent. Followed her dream, just like she'd always done.
But there was something about Florence. Something irritating and annoying and prissy. Something that made Hadley want to scream, but also something that made her not want to disappoint her, not want to look bad in her eyes.
“Yeah, it's been a weird day,” she said.
“Well, if you fancy a change of pace, you can always quit and come work here,” said Eleanor. “I'm looking for someone for the summer.”
“Depends,” grinned Hadley. “Would you be able to resist my incredible smoothness for an entire summer?”
“Hmm.” Eleanor twisted her mouth in thought. “Yeah, maybe not. Besides, I'm pretty sure those kids need you.”