Page 67 of A Secret Escape

“Because I didn’t know he was staying here until you mentioned that you were going to dinner.” Nicole opened another drawer. “Do you own sexy underwear?”

“No. And it doesn’t matter because he is not going to see my underwear unless a breeze catches that dress you’re making me wear.” It unsettled her that they knew each other. “Which movie? Were you a murder victim or something?”

Nicole riffled through the contents of the drawer. “You know I never take that type of role. I was the hardened New York cop investigating a serial killer. It was the type of movie you would have watched from behind the sofa.”

“It sounds like the type of movie I would never watch at all, even if you were in it.”

“That too.”

A horrible thought occurred to her, and she gulped. “Did you—?”

“Sleep with him? No. Not even a flirtation.” Nicole turned her head and gave Milly a slow smile. “But he’s definitely hot. You go, girl.”

“I’m not going anywhere except the restaurant,” Milly said hastily. “I think I might cancel. I wish I’d never said yes.”

Nicole looked at her curiously. “Why did you?”

She was asking herself the same question. “Because he makes me smile. And because Richard said I didn’t know how to have fun and I wanted to prove him wrong. But this doesn’t feel like fun anymore.” She sat down hard on the edge of the bed and breathed. “It feels stressful.”

“Well, you’ve had sex with the same man for a long time, so the prospect of moving to someone new is bound to be a little unnerving, but it will be great.”

“Sex? Who said anything about sex? Do you think that’s what this is?” Her sense of panic grew. Had she mixed up the signals? She had a feeling she was way over her head with this. “I thought we were just going to eat a plate of food together. Now you’re telling me this is about sex?”

“Calm down.” Nicole grinned at her. “Start with the plate of food and see where it goes from there.”

“It’s not going anywhere from there! I’m not ready to take my clothes off in front of a stranger.” The thought made her grow cold. “I can’t do it. I can’t do any of this.”

“Yes, you can.” Nicole delved into the final drawer and pulled out a set of silk underwear Milly had forgotten she’d owned. “I bought you this, and it still has the tags on it.”

Milly was embarrassed. “I know. But it was too pretty to wear. And it cost a fortune. I was afraid I’d ruin it. Also, it’s handwashonly and I don’t live a handwash kind of life.”

Nicole carefully removed the tags. “You’re wearing it tonight. So now all we have to sort out is the bag issue. You are not taking that abomination you cart everywhere during your working day. You’re going to an expensive restaurant, not the supermarket.”

“Then, that leaves the little black clutch. It’s in the back of the cupboard. Probably buried under a decade of dust.”

Nicole pulled a face. “Black isn’t great. Are you sure you don’t have anything else? What do you usually use when you go to restaurants?”

“I don’t really go to restaurants. I take my normal bag, or sometimes I just put my keys and credit cards in my coat pocket.”

Nicole flopped onto the edge of the bed and pressed her hand to her chest. “I feel faint. Are you serious? You put your keys and credit card in your coat pocket? Why don’t you treat yourself to a bag?”

“Because I’m never going to use it. And I’m not good at spending money on myself. I have Zoe to think about.”

Nicole frowned. “Are you worried about money? Is the business okay?”

“Yes, it’s fine, but you never know what’s coming down the road, do you?” She hadn’t anticipated Richard leaving her. It had reminded her of something she already knew: that the unpredictable happened. “I can’t rest on my laurels and assume the business will continue to do well.”

“With you at the helm I think it will.” Nicole reached across and gave her hand a squeeze. “Okay, I am going to stop thinking of all the bags I have at home that would be perfect with that outfit. I don’t have anything suitable either, so in this emergency situation we are going to make do with what we have, and in the fullness of time I am going to teach you how to spoil yourself. You need to treat yourself to a few nice things.”

“Things don’t really make me happy.” She’d never understood how buying something could fix a low moment.“Not for long, anyway.”

She sat down on the bed next to Nicole, who shifted to give her room.

“What makes you happy?”

That was easy to answer. “My family. Cooking with Zoe. Making popcorn and watching a movie together. Spending time with my mother and Nanna Peg. Having you as a friend. This place.” She glanced out the floor-to-ceiling window that looked over the lake. “The mountains and the forest. Just being here. I think I get more feelings of contentment from breathing in the scent of the forest on our morning runs than I ever would from a pretty bag, even if it does match my dress. You probably think I’m crazy.”

Many people would think it was a small life, she knew that, but it was a life she loved. It was the only life she wanted.

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