Page 8 of The First Taste

Kaia’s smile hardens. “Believe it or not, I probably sign your paychecks.” She makes a show of extending her right hand, with its truly huge diamond ring glinting in the low light. “I’m Kaia Fordham, Calum Fordham’s spouse. And you are going to back the hell off and leave Ella the fuck alone, or I’ll have your ass fired at the next Board of Directors meeting.”

Clarissa turns a truly ghastly shade of white and flees, taking the clueless man whose arm she holds along with her.

I raise my eyebrows at Kaia, tipping an imaginary hat at her. “Wow, great job scaring the shit out of her.”

“Well, you know. I learned it from you,” Kaia says, squeezing me once more. “You stuck up for me time and time again. This is just repaying the favor now that I have the ring.” She waves her hand and rolls her eyes. “God, this whole world is so full of shallow people.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” I sigh, then take a step back, admiring Kaia’s baby bump. “You’re like… seriously looking fierce.”

“I’m seven and a half months pregnant and already ready to call it all off. Anybody that tells you that pregnancy is a beautiful miracle is really not telling you the truth.” She rests her hands on her stomach, jerking her head towards the wall. “Do you mind? There are a cluster of sofas over there and they have been calling my name since I got here.”

“I’ve never met a couch I didn’t like. Lead the way,” I chuckle.

A few minutes later, we’re installed on a monstrously sized sofa made of dark blue silk. Kaia flags down several waiters, meaning they bring us plates of food and offer to freshen our drinks nearly constantly.

“This is the life,” Kaia says, toeing off her high heels. “People bringing me food, no stuffy old geezers trying to feel me up. It’s funny that I only had to become pregnant, and thus unattractive, in order to enjoy one of these gala events.”

Giving her a little side eye, I smirk. “It won’t last forever. Your figure is going to bounce back and then you will be stuck with the rest of us women again.”

“I still have time to work on a plan.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “So? It’s been like two freaking weeks since I’ve seen you! What have you been doing?”

Rolling a shoulder, I shrug.

“Trying to figure out a plan B, I guess. All my life, all I have worked toward and all I have focused on is ballet. Being the best, being the thinnest, being beautiful but in peak physical condition. And then…” I smack my hand against my open palm, producing a crack. “I ended my career before it even really got started.”

“Have you had any luck figuring out what your next step should be?”

“No. I’ve spent a lifetime trying to ignore every single other possibility. Boyfriends, parties, traveling… I’ve never done anything. I’ve never gone anywhere! And now I’m trying to widen my scope and I’m just… I’m having a really hard time with it.”

My last sentence leaves me in an exhalation of air. Kaia wrinkles her nose and pats my forearm.

“You’ll figure something out. You’re smart and you’re great at a lot more than just ballet. You just need time and space to make a plan.”

“What I need is money.” Wrinkling my nose up, I make a disgusted sound. “I’m going to run out of it very soon. The ballet is paying me a little right now, but nowhere near full pay. And I’m not likely to garner a rich patron now that I’m about to fail out of the whole ballet company. So whatever I do next, I have to earn actual money.”

Kaia gives me a thoughtful look.

“You know, Calum’s friend is still looking for a nanny. His daughter is a little on the wild side, but I’m sure the pay would be… well, whatever you ask. Keir has money that puts Calum’s fortune to shame.”

She sips her soda, looking speculative. I wrinkle my nose.

“What makes you think that I’m any good with little kids?”

“His daughter is six. So you wouldn’t have to change her diapers or anything. I think you’d be great at taking care of a child. And the most important thing is that being an au pair would give you time to figure out what your passions are.”

Scrunching up my face, I release a dramatic sigh. “I don’t know, Kaia.”

“Come meet Keir and then you can decide.” She pushes herself up, plucking at her dress. She looks at me, expectant.

“What, you mean now?”

“Yes! He’s in town for the weekend.”

She grabs my arm, tugging me to my feet. As she drags me through the crowd, I try to adjust my dress, making sure it covers everything. Kaia marches onward, heading straight toward a dark-suited clutch of men. Both are tall, but one is built like a tree while the other isn’t nearly so broad. One has dark hair, a slightly trimmer figure, and the sort of furrowed expression that I have come to associate with him. It’s Calum, Kaia’s husband and the owner of our ballet company. The other one is an imposing figure with dark hair and a trace of dark stubble clinging to his cheeks. He seems to be made of solid muscle and when he shifts, his hair hints at a deep auburn undertone.

Is that the mysterious Keir that Kaia’s been going on and on about?

My dad appears at the corner of my eye, seemingly headed toward me. He gestures to me to wait a minute so I tug at my hand, feeling a frown gathering on my face.