‘No, darling! I get an allowance to spend on whatever I want.’
‘Are you sure?’ I asked, thinking this was way too generous and I didn’t want a real policeman to come knocking on my door for stealing someone else’s money.
‘I would not offer if I was not. When you find yourself a rich Frenchman, you can pay for a ladies’ weekend away. Here.’ She reached in her purse and handed me another card, this time with her name on it. ‘You worry too much about always doing the right thing so put it on my card and I will just ask Archibold to give me the cash back when I see him tomorrow. You will have to enter the details though.’
My jaw hung wide open.
Imagine having access to so much money that you could just pay for a friend’s hotel stay that was worth thousands without even batting an eyelid.
Juliette had always been generous, which of course I appreciated, but at the same time, it also reminded me how we lived such different lives.
The fact was, if Ricky’s dad hadn’t inherited the house and given it to us to live in as part of his ‘contribution’ to Ricky’s upbringing, there was no way I could afford to live in a neighbourhood like this.
Everyone here had money. My Vauxhall Corsa stood out like a sore thumb on the driveway on a road that was filled with Range Rovers, BMWs and Mercedes.
I knew Juliette, Marjorie and Cordelia all took pity on me and saw me as their ‘poor friend’ and I’d made my peace with it, but paying for this was too much.
‘But I can’t…’
Juliette snatched my laptop and the credit card from me, put on her glasses and squinted as she entered in the details. Knowing how much she hated doing anything remotely technical, this was a big deal.
‘Done!’ Juliette said triumphantly.
‘Thank you so much. But this is just a loan. I’ll pay you back every penny. Promise.’
‘Nonsense. You are my friend, darling.’
‘Honestly, ever since you moved here, you’ve been so good to me. Buying me lovely gifts and now this. I’m so grateful for your friendship.’
‘If you want to thank me, go and have a good time and send pictures of your match the moment you lay eyes on him. I hope they put you with someone who’s young, rich and a stallion in the sheets, not anyone too old and wrinkly!’
‘You can’t say that!’ I gasped.
‘Why not? No one says anything when a man in his sixties dates a woman half his age, so why shouldn’t we be allowed to have a toy boy too?’
‘I’m going with no expectations. Finding a companion whose company I enjoy is the most important thing.’
‘Please.’ Juliette rolled her eyes. ‘Companionship is what your female friends are for. Promise me you’ll go there and have real fun. And byfun, I mean doing totally debaucherous things that you would not even dream of doing here in London. Be free. In every sense of the word!’
‘I’ll try,’ I said.
‘Excellent!’ She clapped her hands together excitedly. ‘Now let me take you shopping this weekend. If you are going to Paris, you will need to look the part. And you will need some underwear for your match to remove. Preferably with his teeth!’
A raucous laugh flew from Juliette’s mouth and a mixture of fear and excitement rushed through my veins.
Excitement at the prospect of going on a luxury all-expenses holiday where apparently, I’d find the man of my dreams. But also fear, because I hadn’t been intimate with anyone for years, so the thought of a man removing my underwear filled me with dread.
But there was no going back now.
My place was secured.
Ricky had said I needed to get a life and maybe he was right.
Except I wouldn’t be birdwatching.
I was going to Paris to meet a man.
And not just any man.
