This is what she wanted. With all her heart. Every day she considered it, she became more sure of its rightness. Although...
“Please,” she looked up. “Don’t tell anyone I’ve been here.”
Olivia might not want to get married. And if she did, Kate wanted her to know the plans first.
The woman gave her an indulgent smile. “We’re used to discretion with our clients.”
Of course. “Sorry,” Kate said. “Many aren’t.”
“Understandable,” the woman replied.
Perhaps she’d seen enough of Kate in the media to comprehend.
Kate stood up straight. “I want this one, please.”
And the woman nodded, taking the ring away to polish and box.
Kate breathed out and stared idly at the mirrored back wall, jewels and watches and necklaces threaded in a blur across her view.
She was nervous. There’d been barriers against getting married, but her biggest concern now was that Olivia might say no. She had to be prepared for that. It might throw them off for a while and bring in a bit of weirdness. She nodded, steeling herself. That was understandable and had to be OK too.
She nodded to herself some more, until her eyes focussed on a face reflected in the back wall. A familiar face. One with large, surprised brown eyes and curtains of black hair.
“Oh my god, Geeta.”
Kate spun round and slapped a hand over her heart that wanted to leap from her chest and leg it out the arcade. The familiar face tilted with a generous smile. Although Olivia strongly resembled her father, there was enough similarity here to give Kate a minor cardio incident.
Kate took in the shorter woman, curvier than Olivia, silver threading through her black hair with more wave than Olivia’s.
Another thing Geeta had in contrast to Olivia was a load of subtle, teasing sass.
The older woman casually leant on the counter.
“Shopping?” Geeta asked lightly.
Shit. There was so much knowing in that one-word question. Karma was biting her arse again. She considered her answer carefully. There was almost nothing that experienced eyes like Geeta’s missed. So, Kate offered the safest answer she could imagine.
“Yes.”
Then hazarded.
“And you?”
Geeta’s face beamed, her already generous smile widening.
“I am,” she replied. “Thank you so much for asking.”
Was there any chance, at all, that Geeta hadn’t guessed the purchase?
Olivia’s mother dropped her weight to one side.
“I was looking for a present for Nicola. I didn’t realise it was you until I saw your face in the reflection.”
“Right.” Kate nodded.
“Otherwise, I would have quietly left the shop,” Geeta said gently.
She so knew.
