Chapter 2
“Ithoughtwe were going to your house?” Penny commented, when it became clear that they weren’t headed for the usual turnpike.
Toby was snuggled in his car seat between them, fast asleep. His head rose and fell peacefully against his chest.
“Oh no, we’re staying in Manhattan at the moment. Didn’t I mention that? The house is being renovated and Ian didn’t want Toby in all that dust,” Kate replied as she sipped from her bottle of Evian.
She wordlessly offered Penny a bottle, which was politely refused. She’d had enough warm liquids on the plane and couldn’t hold another.
Penny responded with disappointment. She was looking forward to getting out of the city setting and enjoying some fresh air. London was a concrete jungle she’d been in her entire life.
“Where are we staying then?”
“At the Easton - on the Upper West Side. Ian’s company owns a few apartments there and they offered us one.”
“Nice. The perks of being a top performer I take it.”
“What can I say, he works hard. He’s always at the office. I swear if I didn’t know I could trust my husband, I’d believe he was cheating, but affairs aren’t something I have to worry about.”
The confidence in Kate’s voice was awe-inspiring. Penny wasn’t sure she’d be as confident if the shoe was on the other foot.
Tim hadn’t had late nights, but he did have a lot of female clients. She would have been lying if she said that she’d never had a niggling of fear and insecurity when it came to his fidelity – but she was told that insecurity was common for children who’d been raised in the social services.
Insecurity, doubt and fear – the three deadly plagues. Penny had suffered from all of them at some point in her life, insecurity being the worst of the bunch.
When she met Tim she was convinced she didn’t deserve to be happy. That people like her didn’t get the happy ending.
She’d pushed him away but he wouldn’t give up. He pursued her until she relented, earning her trust every step of the way.
He proved to be the best of men – the best man she’d ever known. It was unfair that such a wonderful life should be snuffed out by the callousness of one armed man, who wanted the contents of a supermarket’s register.
Tim had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, getting a bottle of wine to celebrate their fourth anniversary. In the blink of an eye, his life came to an end and Penny’s beliefs about happy endings were proven true.
“It must be really nice having the life you always wanted. Remember growing up you always said you’d move to New York one day and become a famous designer?” She offered a warm smile of admiration. “You really did it, Kate.”
“I’m not famous,” her friend countered as they pulled up outside the salubrious apartment building. “But I am happy,” she continued, smiling at her sleeping son.
When her eyes returned to Penny they glistened slightly as her voice quivered. “I want you to be as happy, Pen.”
“I am –”
“No you’re not –”
Their conversation was interrupted as the passenger door was pulled open and their driver stood waiting.
He already had Toby’s stroller out and unfolded.
Penny gave Kate a placating look before stepping out of the car. A light snowfall was just beginning and passersby huddling down in their coats and jackets.
She pulled her coat closer around her neck as Kate bundled up Toby.
“We better get inside. I don’t want him getting a cold,” her friend stated as she held her son to her chest, shielding him from the nipping wind.
The doorman had the door ready upon their approach and Penny followed her friend into the exquisite lobby. The driver followed behind them like a lost puppy, with Penny’s luggage in-hand.
The Easton was a testament to Upper East Side design and elegance. The building had every amenity imaginable and a view to kill for.
Penny was dumbstruck as she was given the tour of Kate’s three-bedroom, two-bath apartment. The kitchen looked like something off of the cover ofBetter Homes and Gardens. Her small one-bedroom with pokey fireplace was the ugly stepchild in comparison.
