an honor to meet you. Blah, blah, blah.’” She makes her hands like a yapping mouth by her ear. “She hugged me so hard I thought my ribs might crack. So I smiled and then I held up my phone and put it on speaker.” She leans closer. “Her boss fired her, right there, in front of me and the security guard walked her out.”
My hand covers my mouth again and I know I should feel sorry for the girl, but another mad little giggle trickles out.
“So, are we going to go dress shopping or what?” She swallows the last of her coffee just as I do the same and we set out to find me a dress.
We spend the rest of the afternoon shopping and catching up.
I can’t remember the last time I felt so alive or smiled and laughed so much. With her help, I shop with confidence and find the perfect dress: a million times nicer than the one in the skeleton boutique.
It’s a gorgeous retro fifties-style with a wide skirt that drops to my knees and sleeveless bodice, cut square and showing just enough cleavage to remind everyone that I’m a woman. The dress is white and covered in shell-pink rose blooms, and the whole ensemble is finished with a wide, sheer sash of lush grass green.
Perfect.
And a size smaller than I thought I was.
We decide to keep the ball rolling and grab an early dinner before Nicole has to go. As we stroll, bags in hand, she throws me a concerned look.
“You’re thinner than you used to be.”
“I noticed,” I say, holding up my bag holding the dress.
“You know you’re not fat, right?” she says. “And you never were before either.”
“I know,” I reply and frown at the look of concern on her face. “I swear I haven’t stopped eating in the last few months. It’s the housekeeper.”
Nicole grimaces. “Is she a bad cook?”
“No! An awesome cook but mainly healthy stuff, lots of veggies and salads.”
We walk in silence for a bit before Nicole stops me and asks, “Jen, are you happy?”
“What?” I question in surprise.
“Are you happy?” she repeats. “I know you well, Jen. I know that look on your face. I mean, I know we can’t all be happy all the time, but are you happy generally, overall?”
I frown and it shocks me to realize that I don’t know how to answer.
Am I happy?
I think about the way I feel in Joshua’s arms, his mouth so urgent and passionate on mine, the pleasure he extends to every inch of my body when we’re making love.
I realize that those moments have been the only moments over the last few months when I’ve felt even close to happy.
Surely there must be more, I must be forgetting… something.
“Of course I’m happy,” I say in defense of my life, without really believing it.
Nicole nods to me. She doesn’t believe me.
“I’m an incredibly wealthy woman with more money than I would have even been able to imagine less than four years ago. I have a big house, a fast car, horses, endless clothes, and countless shoes. I can spend money all day and not have to worry about it. I have everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“Is that enough?” Nicole presses.
“It should be.”
“But is it?”
Damn it, Nicole.
What is with the questions?
“With all that I have, how could I not be happy?”
Chapter 6
“I’m sorry I was so grouchy this morning.” His deep voice sounds gruff and tired but also familiar. There is the warmth that was missing when he’d called to tell me he wouldn’t be home.
“It’s okay,” I reply.
I was lying in bed, just contemplating either going to sleep or putting a movie on, when my phone buzzed and Joshua’s image appeared on the little screen.
“No it isn’t,” he says. “You had every right to be upset. You’re just as important to me as these stupid business meetings.”
“Is that a compliment?”
He chuckles and I swear I feel it vibrate through me. “It was meant to be. I get grouchy because I feel guilty about leaving you so
My hand covers my mouth again and I know I should feel sorry for the girl, but another mad little giggle trickles out.
“So, are we going to go dress shopping or what?” She swallows the last of her coffee just as I do the same and we set out to find me a dress.
We spend the rest of the afternoon shopping and catching up.
I can’t remember the last time I felt so alive or smiled and laughed so much. With her help, I shop with confidence and find the perfect dress: a million times nicer than the one in the skeleton boutique.
It’s a gorgeous retro fifties-style with a wide skirt that drops to my knees and sleeveless bodice, cut square and showing just enough cleavage to remind everyone that I’m a woman. The dress is white and covered in shell-pink rose blooms, and the whole ensemble is finished with a wide, sheer sash of lush grass green.
Perfect.
And a size smaller than I thought I was.
We decide to keep the ball rolling and grab an early dinner before Nicole has to go. As we stroll, bags in hand, she throws me a concerned look.
“You’re thinner than you used to be.”
“I noticed,” I say, holding up my bag holding the dress.
“You know you’re not fat, right?” she says. “And you never were before either.”
“I know,” I reply and frown at the look of concern on her face. “I swear I haven’t stopped eating in the last few months. It’s the housekeeper.”
Nicole grimaces. “Is she a bad cook?”
“No! An awesome cook but mainly healthy stuff, lots of veggies and salads.”
We walk in silence for a bit before Nicole stops me and asks, “Jen, are you happy?”
“What?” I question in surprise.
“Are you happy?” she repeats. “I know you well, Jen. I know that look on your face. I mean, I know we can’t all be happy all the time, but are you happy generally, overall?”
I frown and it shocks me to realize that I don’t know how to answer.
Am I happy?
I think about the way I feel in Joshua’s arms, his mouth so urgent and passionate on mine, the pleasure he extends to every inch of my body when we’re making love.
I realize that those moments have been the only moments over the last few months when I’ve felt even close to happy.
Surely there must be more, I must be forgetting… something.
“Of course I’m happy,” I say in defense of my life, without really believing it.
Nicole nods to me. She doesn’t believe me.
“I’m an incredibly wealthy woman with more money than I would have even been able to imagine less than four years ago. I have a big house, a fast car, horses, endless clothes, and countless shoes. I can spend money all day and not have to worry about it. I have everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“Is that enough?” Nicole presses.
“It should be.”
“But is it?”
Damn it, Nicole.
What is with the questions?
“With all that I have, how could I not be happy?”
Chapter 6
“I’m sorry I was so grouchy this morning.” His deep voice sounds gruff and tired but also familiar. There is the warmth that was missing when he’d called to tell me he wouldn’t be home.
“It’s okay,” I reply.
I was lying in bed, just contemplating either going to sleep or putting a movie on, when my phone buzzed and Joshua’s image appeared on the little screen.
“No it isn’t,” he says. “You had every right to be upset. You’re just as important to me as these stupid business meetings.”
“Is that a compliment?”
He chuckles and I swear I feel it vibrate through me. “It was meant to be. I get grouchy because I feel guilty about leaving you so
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