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Walking to the bedroom door, he’s about to leave when, on sudden impulse, he turns one final time to look at me. Smiling warmly, he blows me a kiss and I pretend to catch it.
We both laugh.
CHAPTER NINE
The Gallery
“Carly, you’re back!” Jill squeals when I return to work on Wednesday morning. “How are you feeling? Mark told me you had a cold.”
“Yes, I was in bed for most of the weekend, but I’m feeling much better now.”
“Thank goodness for that. Everyone’s missed you. It’s not the same without your happy, smiling face here to greet us in the mornings.”
I beam at the compliment. “What a lovely thing to say. I missed you, too.”
Jill’s gaze drops to my pendant. “What a gorgeous piece of jewellery. Can I touch it?”
“Sure.”
Softly, she runs her fingers down the chain and holds the chunky diamond in her hand, covertly assessing its weight and quality. “Absolutely beautiful,” she murmurs. “Where did you get it from?”
“My boyfriend gave it to me,” I answer, a tad shyly. It still feels strange saying the word ‘boyfriend,’ but that’s what Nick is,my boyfriend. Now that we’re official, I want to declare it to the world.
Jill takes a step back and pulls a shocked expression. “Boyfriend? You certainly kept that one under your hat, Missy. I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”
I shuffle nervously. “Uh, well, we’ve only been seeing each other for a short time. I’m not that big on … well, you know, broadcasting my business and stuff.” I pause. “But so far, everything’s going well. I’m really happy.”
She claps her hands and shrieks with delight. “Oh how lovely for you. I’m so pleased, honey. It’s about time you found someone nice. What’s his name?”
“Nick.”
“Well, Carly, do you fancy bringing Nick to the art exhibition this evening?”
“What art exhibition?”
“The one I texted you about.”
I slap my hand across my forehead.Sweet Jesus.Yes, I do remember getting a generic text on Saturday about her brother James’s exhibition in Whitechapel. At the time, I’d barely given it a second thought, assuming I’d probably find a way out of it.
“Sorry,” I mumble. “It completely slipped my mind.”
“But youaregoing to come, aren’t you? So many people have cancelled already, and I don’t think poor James is going to have a very good turnout.”
I scratch the side of my mouth. “Of course I’m coming. I’ll phone Nick at lunch to see if he can make it, too.”
“Fantastic! And then I’ll get to meet this mystery man of yours.”
“What time does the exhibition start?”
“Seven pm. But don’t worry; we can grab a quick coffee after work and then travel up together. Nick can meet us there.”
“Great,” I smile, but inside I’m kicking myself. Why the hell couldn’t I just make something up? It’s been five days since I last saw Nick, and I’ve been missing him like crazy. We’d planned to go for a quiet meal tonight, but Jill’s invitation has put a major spanner in the works. Still, if I play my cards right, perhaps we can show our faces and then find a way to slip off early …
“Right,” Jillgrins, snapping me from my reverie, “what in the name of sanity are you wearing today?”
Rolling my eyes, I unbutton my cardigan and show her my latest novelty T-shirt.
“Princess Aurora!” she laughs. “That’s fromSleeping Beauty, right?”
