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kIpThe next couple of weeks pass quickly. I visit Genica on a daily basis, working closely with Jack Evans and his team in the beginning stages of the integration of MOTHER with the new voice synthesizer. There are always going to be hiccups in the evolution of new software, and although I made sure the project was in good shape when I delivered it, there are still flaws to iron out that have only just come to light.Running alongside this is the Craig situation, which continues to be like a nagging toothache. I’ve tried several times to see him alone so we can talk without Renée constantly interrupting, but he still refuses to answer his mobile when I call him, and I’m determined not to go to the house again as if I’m begging him to forgive me. Instead, we’re conducting all our communication through lawyers. He’s suing for wrongful dismissal, as well as a host of other complaints. Helen is convinced he doesn’t have a leg to stand on, but lawyers are smart, and although I wouldn’t ad

Dernière mise à jour : 2024-04-20

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“It’s my pleasure. I’ve been looking forward to it. Haven’t been to a wedding for ages.”Alice comes back out and stands before us. I can tell she’s nervous. “You two getting acquainted?”“You should relax before you strain something,” I tell her.She gives me a wry look. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”Chuckling, I get to my feet, take the hand she offers me, and follow her through the dining room. “That’s where I sit when I call you,” she says, showing me the outdoor table and chairs. The deck overlooks the garden, which consists of a paved pathway that winds around pretty flower beds and trees, and a patch of lawn at the bottom on which I can see a couple of rabbits. I can picture Alice pushing her mother along the pathway, and this is also where the picture of her was taken that she used on Tinder.She takes me through the kitchen, which is small but neat, past the laundry room, and then through to the bedrooms. “Mum’s room,” she says, “my room, Charlie’s room, and this is my stu

Dernière mise à jour : 2024-04-20

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If only Saxon could see me now. I give a wry laugh. I know he’d be amused, but pleased. He likes Alice, and he’s frustrated that I’m taking my time with her. It’s difficult to explain how I feel I need to move slowly.“Now that’s what I like to see.” Alice comes up behind me and slides her arms around my waist. “A man being all domestic. What a beautiful scene.”I grin, put the dish on the draining board, then turn and cup her face with my wet hands.“Argh,” she complains, but she stops when I kiss her, and lifts her arms around my neck. Tilting my head a little, changing the angle, I turn her so her butt is resting against the sink and delve my tongue into her mouth.She sighs, and we kiss for a long while, taking our time, just enjoying being together, being close.“Is your mum okay?” I ask when I eventually lift my head.“Tired, but fine. She thinks you’re wonderful.”“She doesn’t think I’m leading her daughter astray?”“She knows you are—that’s why she likes you.”Laughing, I take

Dernière mise à jour : 2024-04-20

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AliceThe next day passes in a kind of dream. It feels surreal having Kip here in Gisborne, in my house. Whenever he walks into the room, my eye is drawn to him, as if he’s too big for the room, like he’s taken a bite from the ‘Eat Me’ cake and grown to twice his normal size.At first I was anxious about what he was going to think of the house in particular, and my life in general. I was nervous he was going to be bored and restless. Although we spent three days together at his place, when we weren’t in bed, we were busy. Here, of course, much of my day is devoted to looking after Mum. On the first morning, we all have breakfast together out on the deck, but then it’s time to help Mum get washed and dressed, and I come back into the living room expecting to find him on his phone or laptop. Instead, I discover him lying on the sofa, listening to one of our Pink Floyd albums on the record player, reading.“Having a nice rest?” I ask, dropping to my knees by his side.“Mm. This is good.”

Dernière mise à jour : 2024-04-20

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He kisses my bottom lip and nibbles it. “And did you touch yourself while you were in here? Make yourself come?”“Might have.”He finds the bottom of my tee and slides his hands up it onto my back. “My sexy Alice,” he whispers, “there’s no stopping you now we’ve set you free, is there?”“Not while you’re around.”I meant that I feel sexy whenever I think about him, but he says, “I’m not going anywhere,” and I realize that he thought I was saying our time together is finite. “I’m not letting you go now I’ve found you,” he tells me fiercely, and then he pulls my head down to his, turning the dial up to eleven for a searing kiss.He kisses me until I’m breathless with longing, and strokes me until my body’s throbbing with need. And then I remove my jeans, climb back astride him, and make love with him, our bodies moving together in perfect unison. I know we could come together, but I also know that he enjoys watching me as much as I enjoy watching him, and so I let him take me all the wa

Dernière mise à jour : 2024-04-20

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Charlie wanted to come up for the wedding, and Kip kindly offered to fly her up on his plane, so we all go and pick her up mid-morning. She’s super excited to be here, and she loved the plane flight, and took full advantage of Immi’s offer of a glass of champagne and chocolate cake on the way. She’s thrilled to see Kip, and when I show her my bracelet, she gives me a big hug and whispers, “I love it. You’re so lucky.”The weather does indeed clear up by midday, and we all arrive for the wedding just before one-thirty. Gina has chosen to get married at a church in the small village where her Maori fiancé is from, about ten minutes north of Gisborne. Kip parks the car and retrieves the wheelchair, and I help Mum into it. He locks the car, and I push Mum up the slope toward the church.She was too excited to nap at lunchtime, and as a result I can see she’s a little tired, but she pins a bright smile on her face that lasts until we get to the church entrance. My uncle, Don, is there to g

Dernière mise à jour : 2024-04-20

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AliceI drive Kip to the airport the next morning while Charlie stays with Mum. While we wait for the plane, he pulls me into his arms, and we stand like that for a long time, enjoying the warmth of each other, and just being close.“You take care of yourself,” he says, his voice husky. “I should be able to come back up in a couple of weeks.”I nod, trying not to look disappointed. I know he’s flat out at work with MOTHER right now. I just have to be grateful that he has his own plane and can fly so frequently.He gives me a last kiss and walks away, and I watch him until he disappears around the corner, feeling tears prick my eyes. It’s not forever, but it feels like it. It was lovely having him here, waking up next to him, being with him all day, every day. But nothing like that lasts forever.Charlie stays another couple of nights, and then she packs up her bags ready for university. June is working so I can’t drive her down. Kip offers to send the plane for her, but she announces

Dernière mise à jour : 2024-04-20

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“Oh my God,” she whispers. “Seriously?”I feel such a surge of love for him that it makes my throat tighten. “Are you going to try it?”She takes one look at my face and bursts into tears.After we’ve both wiped our faces, I help her up and into it, and we spend the next hour going around the house and garden, reorganizing the furniture so she has space to reverse and turn. Eventually she returns to her armchair, worn out from the excitement, and settles down for a doze, and I go out into the garden and message Kip, asking him to call me when he’s free. He comes back within five minutes.“Hey you,” I say, still feeling emotional. “Mum’s spent the previous hour zooming about the house in her chair.”He chuckles. “Oh, it came? Is it okay? It’s not too big? I went for one of the slimmer ones.”“It’s amazing, Kip. I don’t know what to say.”“Next time I’m up, we’ll take a look at your car,” he says. “Luckily you’ve got an SUV. They told me you can get a bumper-mounted rack on the back and

Dernière mise à jour : 2024-04-20

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“It was a-mazing,” she says. “I had a glass of champagne and a piece of a fantastic chocolate torte. So good.”I grin as we cross to the car. “There’s something to be said for having a rich boyfriend.” I open the car and start helping Mum into the passenger seat.“Absolutely.” Charlie concentrates on getting her suitcase into the boot, helps me attach the wheelchair to the rack at the back that Kip had fitted for me, then gets into the back seat.I glance at her in the rear-view mirror before starting the engine and pulling away. “Everything okay, sweetie? You’ve lost weight, and you’re very pale.”“Oh, just been working super-hard. I’ve got a dissertation this year, and the assessments are coming thick and fast, too.”“Are you eating well?” Mum asks. Charlie has a student allowance and a loan, and she works in a bar in the evenings and at the weekends, but Mum and I both know money is tight for her. We suspect that, like with a lot of students, her diet suffers occasionally so she ca

Dernière mise à jour : 2024-04-20

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To my surprise, she shakes her head.“Come on,” I prod, “tell us what happened.”Still, she refuses to speak. Baffled, I continue to talk to her, trying to get her to tell us why she’s crying, but she refuses to tell me.Now I’m frustrated and getting upset too, and so’s Mum. I’ve been as gentle as I can up to this point, but that approach isn’t working, and eventually I sit back, my tone turning sharper. “This isn’t going to work,” I tell her firmly. “You can’t just sit there, bawling your eyes out. What are we supposed to think? I can’t leave you like this. I’m going to call Kip and tell him I’m not going tomorrow.”“No!” She drops her hands then, clearly distraught. “You can’t. Youhaveto go.”“Why?” Her insistence has sent fear fluttering in my stomach. “Charlie, what’s going on? Just tell me, and we’ll deal with it together.”“I can’t,” she whispers. “I don’t want to ruin everything.”“Jesus, Charlie! You’re upsetting Mum, and me. Please, just tell me. I know this about Jake. If h

Dernière mise à jour : 2024-04-20

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