Page 16 of Tabloid Princess

Molly shrugged, but her gaze skittered over my face for a moment too long, making me shift in my seat. “I didn’t get a chance to call last night.”

“It wouldn’t have made any difference. I was asleep with Daisy.”

Molly smiled then, seeming more herself. “You surprise me.”

“Yeah, well yesterday was kind of off the odd spectrum wasn’t it?” The frost she greeted me with seemed to be melting, so as I did most mornings, I scooted my chair over to her desk and placed my coffee cup next to hers. “It was crazy, wasn’t it?”

She dipped her head towards mine, her voice low. “I don’t know. You were the one in there all day and then you hightailed it out of here.”

“It was half six! I needed to get home so Nana could get on.”

“And then today, our air con is miraculously fixed and there are these people here turning us into a charity the prince wants to promote.”

She eyed me speculatively and then I gasped. “What? You think the air con etc. was because of me? Bloody hell, no. I just… well actually, Molly.” My cheeks coloured—judging from the heat stinging my skin they were a glorious dark pink. “I was kind of rude to the guy.” I took a deep sip of my coffee, not that it was going to help my flush.

“So you didn’t ask him to pay for our new air con by giving him a blow job?”

My coffee spurted everywhere. Everywhere.

“Oh my god. You are such a liability. That’s the last time you are allowed coffee in here.”

I wiped at my chin. “That was your fault.” She passed me some paper and between us we wiped at the splatters of brown liquid. “I can’t believe you’d even say that.”

“It was a joke, Leia.”

“Not funny. I mean, come on.”

“He was hot though, wasn’t he?”

A flashing memory of that deep green gaze washed through my recollections. “Yeah, he really was.” I turned and inspected the office. “What’s happening here now?”

“These are his public relations team, I believe.”

“Wow. He has to have a team to be seen out in public? I thought his hair looked too good.”

Molly eye rolled. “I don’t think that’s quite what they do. They aren’t hairdressers. Do you not know anything about the royals?”

I stared her down. “You know I hate anything to do with anything vaguely poncey.”

“Janine will be calling for you soon. Apparently, you have a new marketing idea she’s excited about.”

“I do?”

“That’s what she said.”

“Excellent.”

I paused, holding my coffee cup far away from myself. “Do you think I look ridiculously young now Daisy is getting older?”

Molly put down her own cup, twisting her chair so she could look at me better. “What do you mean?”

I shrugged. “It’s never bothered me before, you know. But I get the impression there are mums out in the playground doing the sums.”

She reached for me and placed her hand over mine. “And you know what I say to that.”

My lips quirked. “No. Surprise me.”

“Fuck ‘em. Don’t give them a flying fuck of a second thought and let them do their simple maths. You know you are an amazing mother. She knows you are an amazing mother. Everyone else can go to hell.”