couldn’t tell.
‘Mrs Fern!’ Aiden greeted her, trying to sound friendly and casual. ‘Sorry if I knocked into you.’
Deena smiled thinly at him. She was wearing skin-tight jeans and a red cashmere sweater which was set off by her red lipstick. Her blonde hair was held up in a tight bun, showing off her high, defined cheekbones.
Jude and Davis were each holding one of her hands and wearing the football team’s jersey. Meegan looked down at them and saw the jerseys and her eyes widened covetously.
‘It’s just very busy here,’ Aiden explained, feeling unnerved by Deena’s steely silence.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ she said, her tone abrupt. Aiden was about to make his excuses and back away when Isla joined him with a fresh batch of popcorn and immediately shot Deena a quizzical glance.
‘Honey, this is Deena Fern.’ Aiden knew it was best to make introductions else face an interrogation from his wife when they returned to their seats.
‘Deena, this is my wife, Isla.’
‘Nice to meet you,’ Isla said politely. Deena gave a thin, unconvincing smile in response.
‘Popcorn!’ Davis cried out suddenly when he noticed Meegan delving into her new pot. She briefly paused to glance down at him and stick her tongue out. He returned the gesture.
‘Yes, we’ll get your popcorn now,’ Deena told her son.
‘Mom, can I get a hotdog?’ Jude asked, glancing warily at Aiden.
‘Yes, we’ll get them now.’ Grasping her sons’ hands, she began to pull them towards the hot dog stand and away from Aiden. Though she turned briefly, as though forgetting something.
‘Enjoy your evening, Mr Connelly,’ she told Aiden, her harsh exterior remaining, her voice cold as though she’d only said it to be polite.
‘Yes, you too, Mrs Fern.’
The glamorous figure of Deena Fern was absorbed by the crowd and quickly gone from sight.
Isla waited until they were seated once more to ask her barrage of questions.
‘Who was that?’ she asked before she’d barely been seated for a second.
‘Deena Fern.’
‘And she is?’
‘A wife of a client.’ Aiden explained.
‘Oh,’ Isla nodded. Then, after a moment, ‘Oh, the paternity case?’ Aiden nodded, not wanting to discuss the case in such a crowded area where anyone could be listening in.
‘Keep your voice down,’ he warned his wife.
‘She’s very glamorous.’ Isla noted.
‘I guess.’ Aiden answered casually.
‘She’s very beautiful. Do you think she’s beautiful?’
‘I think she looks too artificial,’ Aiden told her honestly.
‘She’s definitely had a lot of work done,’ Isla agreed. ‘I thought she was pretty rude to you.’
‘Wouldn’t you be, given the circumstances?’
‘I suppose so.’
The announcer told the fans that the game was about to resume and Meegan, unable to control her excitement, stood up on her father’s lap and accidently scattered her new batch of popcorn on to the floor.
She stared down at the now lost kernels with a look of heart-breaking disappointment. Aiden braced himself for another tantrum but, luckily, the players came running on to the field which distracted her.
‘Football!’ she cooed excitedly.
‘I really need to take her to a ballet class,’ Isla sighed.
The game concluded with a win for the home team and the fans dispersed, returning to their homes to continue with their celebrations.
Win or lose, Meegan always left the game exhausted. She was fast asleep on Aiden’s shoulder as they walked out to the car.
‘If only they had games every day, she’d sleep like a rock each night,’ Isla commented, linking arms with Aiden.
As he settled a sleeping Meegan into her car seat, Aiden spotted an impressive black SUV close by and saw the familiar figure of Deena Fern loading her sons into the car. Jude obediently got in but Davis, now tired, resisted. He kicked and screamed at his mother, ignoring her demands for him to stop.
Isla also looked over, the fracas catching her
‘Mrs Fern!’ Aiden greeted her, trying to sound friendly and casual. ‘Sorry if I knocked into you.’
Deena smiled thinly at him. She was wearing skin-tight jeans and a red cashmere sweater which was set off by her red lipstick. Her blonde hair was held up in a tight bun, showing off her high, defined cheekbones.
Jude and Davis were each holding one of her hands and wearing the football team’s jersey. Meegan looked down at them and saw the jerseys and her eyes widened covetously.
‘It’s just very busy here,’ Aiden explained, feeling unnerved by Deena’s steely silence.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ she said, her tone abrupt. Aiden was about to make his excuses and back away when Isla joined him with a fresh batch of popcorn and immediately shot Deena a quizzical glance.
‘Honey, this is Deena Fern.’ Aiden knew it was best to make introductions else face an interrogation from his wife when they returned to their seats.
‘Deena, this is my wife, Isla.’
‘Nice to meet you,’ Isla said politely. Deena gave a thin, unconvincing smile in response.
‘Popcorn!’ Davis cried out suddenly when he noticed Meegan delving into her new pot. She briefly paused to glance down at him and stick her tongue out. He returned the gesture.
‘Yes, we’ll get your popcorn now,’ Deena told her son.
‘Mom, can I get a hotdog?’ Jude asked, glancing warily at Aiden.
‘Yes, we’ll get them now.’ Grasping her sons’ hands, she began to pull them towards the hot dog stand and away from Aiden. Though she turned briefly, as though forgetting something.
‘Enjoy your evening, Mr Connelly,’ she told Aiden, her harsh exterior remaining, her voice cold as though she’d only said it to be polite.
‘Yes, you too, Mrs Fern.’
The glamorous figure of Deena Fern was absorbed by the crowd and quickly gone from sight.
Isla waited until they were seated once more to ask her barrage of questions.
‘Who was that?’ she asked before she’d barely been seated for a second.
‘Deena Fern.’
‘And she is?’
‘A wife of a client.’ Aiden explained.
‘Oh,’ Isla nodded. Then, after a moment, ‘Oh, the paternity case?’ Aiden nodded, not wanting to discuss the case in such a crowded area where anyone could be listening in.
‘Keep your voice down,’ he warned his wife.
‘She’s very glamorous.’ Isla noted.
‘I guess.’ Aiden answered casually.
‘She’s very beautiful. Do you think she’s beautiful?’
‘I think she looks too artificial,’ Aiden told her honestly.
‘She’s definitely had a lot of work done,’ Isla agreed. ‘I thought she was pretty rude to you.’
‘Wouldn’t you be, given the circumstances?’
‘I suppose so.’
The announcer told the fans that the game was about to resume and Meegan, unable to control her excitement, stood up on her father’s lap and accidently scattered her new batch of popcorn on to the floor.
She stared down at the now lost kernels with a look of heart-breaking disappointment. Aiden braced himself for another tantrum but, luckily, the players came running on to the field which distracted her.
‘Football!’ she cooed excitedly.
‘I really need to take her to a ballet class,’ Isla sighed.
The game concluded with a win for the home team and the fans dispersed, returning to their homes to continue with their celebrations.
Win or lose, Meegan always left the game exhausted. She was fast asleep on Aiden’s shoulder as they walked out to the car.
‘If only they had games every day, she’d sleep like a rock each night,’ Isla commented, linking arms with Aiden.
As he settled a sleeping Meegan into her car seat, Aiden spotted an impressive black SUV close by and saw the familiar figure of Deena Fern loading her sons into the car. Jude obediently got in but Davis, now tired, resisted. He kicked and screamed at his mother, ignoring her demands for him to stop.
Isla also looked over, the fracas catching her
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