Page 63 of One Month's Notice

“It’s OK.” Nat forced a smile.

“But it’s not OK. I need you to know how much I do care, especially now I know what happened with the design contract.”

“What do you mean?” His admission took Nat by surprise.

“After you left last night, Lexi told me everything. About the portfolio and how, after Clara ruined it, you gave up on your dream.” His eyes filled with sadness. “You gave up trying to fix it so you could help save the company.”

His words unfurled a wave of anxiety inside Nat that she tried to settle with a sip of coffee.

“It doesn’t matter,” she mumbled, avoiding his gaze. “I probably wouldn’t have been good enough, anyway.”

“We both know that’s rubbish.” His voice was firm. “So, I want to make it up to you,” he added, before Nat had a chance to disagree with him.

“How do you plan on doing that?” She tried to keep her voice steady. She wasn’t sure there was anything he could do to make it right.

“I’ve got a surprise for you.” Michael smiled, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “Get a bag packed. I’ll wait here.”

“Where are we going?” Nat frowned, confused by his request. She had expected him to give her more explanations, more excuses, or maybe even an enormous pay rise. The suggestion of a trip somewhere was a total surprise.

“You’ll see. Just pack for this kind of weather, and maybe something nice to wear for dinner this evening.”

Nat hesitated, torn between her desire to know what Michael had planned and her reluctance to put herself through another potentially disheartening experience. But something in his eyes told her he meant well, that he wanted to make things right.

“OK.” A mix of trepidation and excitement played in the corner of her mind. “Give me twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes.” He nodded and a satisfied grin settled on his lips.

Nat’s hands shook as she zipped the overnight bag shut, her mind racing all over the place. She’d stuffed everything in without much thought—a couple of shirts, jeans, a smarter pair of trousers, a hoodie, and her toiletries. She had taken the opportunity to change into something a bit more respectable than her joggers and sweatshirt. The lightest layer of make-up was just enough to conceal the dark circles under her eyes. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Nat slung the bag across her shoulder and headed back downstairs.

Michael was waiting for her in the kitchen, a smile on his face. “Ready?”

Nat nodded, following him outside. To her surprise, Simon was there, waiting by his car.

“Are you driving us somewhere?” Nat said.

Simon grinned. “I’m giving you two a lift to the airport.”

“The airport?” Nat’s jaw dropped. “But won’t I need my—”

“Passport?” Simon finished for her, extending the small navy booklet towards her. “It’s a good job Lucy knows where you keep things. I would have been searching your room for hours!”

“Thanks.” She took it with a shaky hand, still unable to fully comprehend the reality that she was leaving the country. With Michael. “Come on, you have to tell me. Where are we going?”

Nat’s eyes darted to Michael, who simply shrugged, an unreadable expression on his face.

“You’ll see.” There was a hint of playfulness in his reply.

“Come on, we should get going. You don’t want to be late.” Simon gestured towards the car, ever the pragmatist.

“Have fun!” Lucy appeared at the front door, carefully balancing Louis on her hip as she gave Nat a hug. “I can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back.”

“Thanks!” Nat kissed Louis on the top of his head. “Be good little one. I’ll see you soon. Whenever that may be!” She shared an excited grin with Lucy and climbed into the back seat of Simon’s car, settling into the leather with a building sense of excitement.

The sliding doors of the airport admitted them into a bustling world of departures and arrivals, the morning light filtering through the expansive windows. Michael navigated through the terminal with an assertive stride that Nat found herself matching. There was something undeniably competent in the way he moved, effortlessly threading through the crowd and leading her to the check-in counter.

“We’d like to check-in for our flight please,” he said to the attendant, his voice business-like.

Nat’s heart skipped a beat as he handed over their passports. Reality set in as she watched the boarding passes being printed. The soft whirring sound of the machine confirmed that this was all actually happening and she would soon be stepping on a plane for a mystery adventure.

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