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He turns to look at her and he’s smiling for the first time in ages, and it’s such a wide smile it’s almost splitting his face in two and she doesn’t think she could feel happier.
He says, ‘It’s definitely not encouraged, and it could cause us all sorts of problems, but it would make me very happy, and Ithink we can work it out so, yes, Jen, I would like to go on a date with you.’
‘So long as we don’t talk about work. You have to promise.’
‘That might be a deal breaker.’ He smiles.
‘Half work talk, half nice talk?’ she offers.
‘I think I can agree to that.’
87
TEN MONTHS LATER
Sasha
Sasha looks out of the aeroplane window as they descend. London sprawls below, looking grey and rainy, but she doesn’t care. She feels refreshed after an overnight flight. Business class is a revelation. She had a glass of champagne and ate in the lounge before boarding then slept through her journey back from the Caribbean. Now she feels amazing.
On landing, she texts Nicole and Anna:Just down.
Nicole replies:Super!
Anna, who took immediately to the new smartphone she got at Nicole’s insistence, replies too:See you soon x
It’s been a strange ten months. Immediately after Olly left, Sasha thought she’d have no choice but to move on from the Manor and set up her business elsewhere, somewhere Olly couldn’t find her if he came looking. It wasn’t going to be easy because leaving meant losing her home and her business venueand she had no savings. She would have to start from scratch. But Anna made her a surprising and generous offer and Sasha stayed on.
She struggled to make it work, though. Living in the Coach House was lonely; she felt vulnerable there, always looking over her shoulder for Olly. She lost her enthusiasm for yoga and clients noticed and stopped coming. It was impossible to save a meaningful amount of money, even without rent. After a couple of months, she gave up trying, cut her classes down to just two a week and diagnosed herself with depression.
Anna noticed. ‘You can’t carry on like this. I’ll pay you to help me around the house.’ She was insistent and Sasha agreed because nothing better felt achievable. The cleaning was horrible at first and the irony of the situation wasn’t lost on her as she swabbed floors while Anna spent time in the study, which she’d converted to a craft room.
Nicole called around a lot. She and Anna sat in the kitchen, chatting and laughing, sharing memories of their husbands. Sasha thought of them as the Widows. They invited her to join them, one day, and they asked her about Olly. They said they understood that whatever he’d done she must miss him, because clearly, she hadn’t known what he was capable of. Nicole said Sasha had been brave to tell the police about Olly leaving the Manor on the morning of Tom’s murder. Sasha said she wished she’d said something sooner but she was afraid of him.
She watched Nicole’s belly grow with interest. By Christmas, Nicole was showing. She spent Christmas Day at the Manor, eating lunch with Anna. They invited Sasha to eat with them. After lunch they played card games together. Sasha felt sleepyand full. She even felt a small sense of belonging for which she was grateful. She didn’t want the day to end.
Nicole brought her a gift, which embarrassed Sasha. ‘I didn’t get you anything,’ she said.
‘It doesn’t matter. Open it.’
The package was so beautifully wrapped it almost brought a tear to Sasha’s eye. She tore off the paper and found a credit card inside it, with her name on it.
‘What’s this?’ she asked.
‘It’s for the new outfits you’re going to need,’ Nicole said. ‘For your new job.’
‘What do you mean?’ Sasha asked.
‘This baby’s due in a few months,’ Nicole said, patting her belly. ‘And I’m going to need help. I don’t want you to do childcare, that’s my job, but I could use an assistant. And if you’re going to represent me you need to wear something other than tatty yoga clothes. So go shopping, kit yourself out with whatever you need and treat yourself, too.’
‘Is this real?’ Sasha asked.
‘Absolutely, it’s real. Do you want the job? Or shall I cancel the card?’
Sasha accepted the offer and loved her new role. Nicole was an amazing boss. The work was easy, mostly paperwork, running errands and the house, helping to get ready for the baby. After a successful trial period, Nicole encouraged her to get her hair and nails done as a reward. She continued to be generous with bonuses whenever Sasha did well, treating her to something, or telling her to take cash out on the card. After baby Tom was born, she declared Sasha to be indispensable.
Sasha began to go the extra mile for both women, working longer hours, showing them how helpful she could be. In return she got jewellery, and more clothes. She began to feel as if she herself was rich. And then, the crème de la crème, as a reward for doing so well at her job, Nicole gave her a holiday.
It’s been a lovely fortnight away in the luxurious resort Nicole suggested. Sasha’s enjoyed more than a few cocktails and spent a few satisfying nights with a hot waiter, exorcising the memory of Olly completely. She’s been allowed to pay for everything on the card.
