Page 34 of The Awakening of Nina Fontaine

“Actually, no. It’sLiam.”

Karen gave her a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin. “Isee.”

Nina laughed and reached for her water. “Don’tstart.”

“Start what?” Karen asked. “I wholeheartedlyapprove.”

“Ofwhat?”

“Everything,” Karen said. “Jack, Liam, all that lingerie you just bought atBergdorf’s.”

“Don’t remind me.” Nina groaned and covered her face. She’d almost forgotten the humiliation of standing braless and in her underwear while the young, taut Julia had crowded into the fitting room with an older woman named Maureen wielding a tapemeasure.

After determining Nina’s “correct” size (a not so subtle dig at the fact that she was apparently wearing a bra two sizes too big), Julia proceeded to bring a plethora of silky, lacy bits that Nina would never in a million years have considered in her oldlife.

“Trust me, Maureen and Julia have already forgotten all about yourtits.”

Nina almost spit out her water. “Stop!”

“I’m just saying. It’s not like they haven’t seen itbefore.”

“Maybe,” Nina said. “But I haven’t exactly been showing itlately.”

“Exactly, and it’s past time. Hence, thelingerie.”

“That’s for me,” Nina said. “I have no intention of allowing anyone else to see me in it anytimesoon.”

The thought of exposing herself to Liam or Jack was horrifying. She was still getting used to the image of her body in the fitting room mirror, trussed up like a Christmas turkey, bound in scraps of lace andsatin.

No way was she ready for anyone else to see her thatway.

“That’s up to you,” Karen said. “But wearing sexy underthings will change the way you feel in your clothes, you’llsee.”

Nina made a face and took a sip of her water. “I don’t think sexy is really mything.”

“What are you talking about?” Karenasked.

“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not exactly younganymore.”

Karen barked out a laugh. “Speak for yourself.” She sighed. “Sexy is a state of mind. Do you know what Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, and Madonna all have incommon?”

“They’re all beautiful? Andrich?”

“Yes, and they’re all over forty. In fact, they’re all over fifty, except for Blanchett, who’ll be fifty soon,” Karensaid.

“Yourpoint?”

Karen started to say something but stopped when the waiter returned with the oysters and crab cakes. He asked if they wanted anything else while they waited for their soup, then stepped away from thetable.

Karen reached for one of the oysters. “My point is that we’re only as old as we think we are. Do you think there’s a red-blooded man in the world who wouldn’t be more than happy to take any of those women tobed?”

Nina laughed. “I think the rich and beautiful thing might have something to do withthat.”

“I’m sure that helps,” Karen said, “but my pointremains.”

“What’s your point again?” Ninaasked.

“My point is that the rules are different now. We can either be frumpy, boring middle-aged women or we can be sexy, exciting,experiencedmiddle-aged women. We get tochoose.”

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