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‘Well, that might be just as well because so far I’m finding driving on the opposite side of the road quite tricky.’
Juliette touches my arm and gushes, ‘I couldn’t believe it when you told me you’re coming to London for a whole year. You can pop on the train and come to town to hang out whenever we’re free. We’ll be able to see so much of each other. Remember when we were at university, we used to fantasise about living here?’
I smile, relishing her enthusiasm. ‘That’s so cool. I don’t know how packed my schedule will be yet, though. I won’t know until I settle in and see how much the father is away and I need to be available. Honestly, I may not have much free time.’
She rolls her eyes and tears a corner of bread violently from a chunky roll in the basket. ‘Don’t let these people take advantage of you. Everyone is entitled to at least one day off a week, you know. Anyway, tell me all about the new job.’
‘Well, the father is a single dad of an adorable little girl called Daisy, and he’s the CEO of a big company, so his schedule could be quite demanding. Remember the Rochester Hotel in the centre of Paris?’
She nods and her eyes widen when I tell her it belongs to his family and that as far as I can make out, he’s the CEO of the hotel chain.
I chew my lip as I consider whether to tell her how gorgeous Sebastian is and about my nipple faux pas. ‘I only just arrived here this morning, so I don’t know much about him.’ I decide to keep it to myself for now and feel a tingle in my chest at the knowledge we’ll be living in the same house for the next year.
But she knows me too well. ‘Come on. What are you keeping from me? I can tell you’ve got something up your sleeve.’
I shake my head and laugh. ‘No, no. Nothing at all,’ I say. ‘Just that my new boss isn’t quite what I expected, that’s all.’
She leans forward conspiratorially, clutching the menu in both hands. ‘I knew it! Tell me more.’
The server arrives and rescues me from having to explain how blown away I was by my new boss. We order spaghetti and chat about all sorts over dinner. It’s like old times in Paris when we were at university. I carefully steer the conversation away from Sebastian and to what’s going on with Juliette. She tells me she’s loving life in London and her job as a translator is going well.
I’ve been in a whirlwind since arriving in London, and hearing what’s new with her is refreshing and a welcome respite.
‘The mother is not in the picture, then?’ She asks suddenly in between mouthfuls of creamy mushroom spaghetti.
I might have guessed she wouldn’t let it go. She’s like a dog with a bone when she wants to know something.
After eating my last forkful of spaghetti, I dab my mouth with a napkin. ‘That was quite good,’ I say, hoping to divert her again, but she’s not letting me off the hook so easily.
‘Come on, don’t change the subject,’ she says.
I laugh. ‘I’m not sure how much the mother sees their daughter, but I got the impression from the interview that it might not be often. The little girl lives with her father, anyway. That’s why they hired me as a live-in nanny. I’m their first one.’
‘Hmm. And what about this CEO boss? What did you mean he isn’t what you expected?’ She quizzes me and I falter—never one to hide my innermost thoughts and feelings well.
I look downwards and focus on moving our plates to distract her from how flustered she’s making me with her questions.
‘You’re blushing! Oh my God, he is a hottie, isn’t he? I knew it when you were all coy about him earlier.’
I shake my head but can’t help smiling at her teasing. She’s always had a knack for making me laugh when I get too serious. We met in our first year at university and we’ve been besties ever since. When she moved to London for work a few years ago, I missed her terribly and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to find a position in London while she’s here. I won’t feel totally alone with her just a train journey away.
‘He’s a good-looking guy,’ I say. ‘I promise I’ll tell you more when I’ve got to know him better. We only met for a moment. I spent time with the daughter, though, and she’s an absolute sweetheart.’
Once more, I steer the conversation away from how hot my new boss is. It feels like a dangerous secret I should guard closely, and I don’t want to talk about him. Our meeting seems sacred somehow and I don’t want to break the spell by dissecting it.
The rest of the evening flies by in a rowdy discussion of old memories and catching Juliette up on what our friends are doing at home.
Her eyes mist over as she says, ‘I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re here. I have a good life in London and have some nice friends, but I’ve missed you so much.’
I squeeze her hand. ‘It seems like fate is at work, doesn’t it? Bringing us together again, like this…’
We order coffee before settling the bill and strolling outside into the cool evening air.
‘Where are you parked?’ she asks.
‘I squeezed into a spot just up the street. I hadn’t realised the restaurant was so close to the house or I would have walked. Thank you for coming here and making it easy for me.’
‘Have you time for a quick walk before I head back to the station?’
