Page 10 of A Little Light

Andi reached a hand across the table, placing it over Rachel’s. “I’m sorry.”

“I made peace with it many years ago. There will come a point when I have to leave escorting, nobody will want an older woman down the line, but do I really have to wait until I quit to be happy and in love? I thought with Juliet, I was on my way to finding that, but she only ever saw me as business. And that’s okay because that’s what it was supposed to be. Still, it doesn’t make it hurt any less when I sit here and look around at all the couples and families.”

“Can I ask how old you are?”

“Thirty-five.”

Andi smiled. “Well, older women are hot. I was the younger woman once upon a time, and let me tell you, older women really know what they want.”

As Andi said that, Rachel had to question whether Andi was throwing a hint about being the older woman. Did that mean she knew what she wanted, too? Was it Andi’s way of easing into the conversation that she was potentially interested…or ready for something more? Don’t be ridiculous.

Rather than allow that train of thought to continue, Rachel laughed and said, “Oh, I know. Juliet was significantly older than me.”

“So what makes you think that nobody would want you as you get older?” Andi frowned, searching Rachel’s eyes. “You’re absolutely gorgeous. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. And you’re really lovely, too. I just know someone is going to come into your life one day when you least expect it.”

Yeah, that was kind of happening here. Rachel hadn’t expected Andi. No way.

“Maybe, I don’t know.” Rachel felt herself blushing. Why? Because Andi had just called her gorgeous. Rachel knew she was attractive to a lot of women—she had to be in this job—but gorgeous? And to Andi? No.

“Have a little belief in yourself, Rachel. If you put your mind to it, you could be snuggled on the couch this Christmas Eve with someone.”

Rachel snorted. “Never going to happen. I don’t seem to attract the ones that want to snuggle.”

Andi winked. “You will. One day.”

Chapter 4

As her fire roared, Rachel pulled a blanket up to her chest and got comfortable for the rest of the afternoon. She’d had a late breakfast with a client this morning, and she had dinner booked tonight with another, so for the time being, she was going to relax in her own space. Something she seemed to do an awful lot since she had stopped seeing Juliet. Was this what Andi meant when she said she knew how loneliness felt? Rachel hadn’t realised it before today, but it was making her miserable.

She had initially assumed it was the house that she wasn’t fond of anymore, but perhaps it was a mash-up of everything recently. She didn’t know; she just knew she wasn’t happy. She hadn’t lied to Andi when she said her job fulfilled her, but she had bent the truth ever so slightly with her enthusiasm. Rachel had no plans to leave the agency, but she wanted something more. Where she started with that, she truly had no idea.

As Rachel shifted further down the couch and got comfortable, her mind drifted to Andi. It had last night, too, when she’d finished work and returned to this huge, cold house. It was too big for Rachel; she didn’t know why she’d rented it to begin with. But in time, she would be out of here, and in that amazing loft Andi was letting go of. Hopefully before Christmas, but if not, the new year would be fine. Only Andi would know when it was time to say goodbye once and for all.

Her phone rang on the coffee table. Andi’s name was displayed on the screen. Rachel’s pulse quickened ever so slightly, and it wasn’t at the thought of the loft being ready. “Hello?”

“Hi, Rachel. I know it’s short notice, but I was wondering if you wanted to come over to the loft later and get started with the paperwork?”

“O-oh. So soon?” Rachel’s heart did leap for other reasons that time, but she didn’t want to show that to Andi. Her experience throughout this…and Rachel’s, well, it couldn’t be any different. “If you’re sure?”

“I am sure. It’s time to get the ball rolling.”

Rachel groaned inwardly when she remembered she had to work tonight. “Did you have a time in mind?”

“I can leave work at four and be at the loft by quarter past if that’s any good to you?”

“That’s actually perfect. I’ll get ready for work early and come over around five if that’s okay?” Rachel suddenly didn’t want to relax anymore. No, she wanted to start packing her life into boxes and get the hell out of this house.

“That’s great. I’ll make sure the kettle is on when you get there.”

God, Andi had to stop being so cute.

Rachel was wondering if she was becoming desperate as she moved towards the back end of her thirties. Her time with Juliet alone had shown her she was craving something deeper. If Rachel dared to think about Andi as anything other than a woman selling her loft, things could get complicated quickly.

“Hey, Andi? Thanks for this.”

“No, thank you. It’s going to someone who will appreciate being there.”

Appreciate, okay. But adore? Absolutely. Rachel was going to savour every moment she spent in her new place once the sale went through. “I really will. Don’t worry about that.”

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