His face was inscrutable. “I love you, Hannah.”
There was a thickening in her throat and a pressure in her chest.
This wasn’t a path she’d wanted to take. Love, marriage and kids—that life wasn’t for her. Love made you vulnerable, and she’d been determined never to be vulnerable again.
Except that now she might be pregnant.
The first thing she was going to do when she arrived home was buy a test.
9
Beth
Across town Beth was also walking into a meeting. Like her sister, Beth was relying on her acting skills to get her through.
She’d already texted Jason twice to check that the girls were okay. Part of her wanted to leave him to it, but maternal instinct—or was it anxiety?—forced her to interfere.
She’d promised the girls that if they behaved well she’d do crafting with them later. Normally the thought of all that glitter, glue and paint spread around her kitchen was enough to squash all her “good mommy” intentions, but she’d been desperate enough to promise anything.
Trying to focus her mind on the job, she walked into the elevator and smoothed her skirt.
I am a competent professional.
Although I am an expert at cutting up children’s food, that is not my only skill.
The offices of Glow PR were on the thirtieth floor of a high-rise in Midtown and the huge expanse of glass behind the elegant curve of the reception desk offered breath-stealing views over Manhattan.
Beth had forgotten what it was like to see the city from up above.
Sometimes, when you were down there among the crush of people, the beauty was invisible, but up here it was laid out before you like a buffet of opportunity and hope.
“How may I help you?” The receptionist smiled, her lips a perfect curve of shiny red.
Beth resisted the urge to check that she didn’t have sticky fingerprints on her new dress.
“I’m Bethany Butler. I have an appointment with Corinna.”
The receptionist checked her computer screen. “I have a Beth McBride.”
“That’s me.” Even when she’d married Jason, Corinna had continued to introduce her as Beth McBride, refusing to accept that Beth’s circumstances had changed.
The receptionist’s expression suggested it was time Beth figured out her own name. “Take a seat. She’ll be right with you.”
Too nervous to sit, Beth walked to the window and stared at the view.
She hoped Jason had managed to find Ruby’s gloves before he left the apartment. She’d left him a note. Would he read it?
He’d probably be too busy trying to get them out of the door on time. She should have texted him.
She heard the brisk tap of stiletto on marble and turned to see Corinna striding toward her.
“Admiring our view? The whole world is right there at your feet. It’s been a while, Beth.” She leaned in and Beth was engulfed in a cloud of expensive perfume. It brought back so many memories. Laughter, teamwork, stress, late nights, hard work, exhaustion, more stress, elation, glamour, success and more free samples than she’d known what to do with.
Over the last seven years the only outlet for her creativity had been finger painting.
“I’m excited to be here.” She could feel the energy seeping into her, as if someone had plugged her into a power source.
Through an internal wall of glass she could see four immaculately dressed women in a meeting and could almost feel the buzz and energy in that room. Here, people worried about something other than what they were eating for dinner and whether the children had clean clothes.