‘What’s going on?’ This time there was something more than just a slight twinge of apprehension on his face. His eyes had hardened and his mouth tightened into a straight, no-nonsense line. He held Susie’s wide gaze.
‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Jenny murmured, taking a step towards the door.
‘No. Stay,’ Nick commanded. ‘I want to know what’s going on.’
‘Nick, you and your … you and Susie need to talk.’
‘About what?’ he demanded, then eyed Susie sharply. ‘What did you say to her?’
‘It’s not like that,’ Jenny cut in swiftly.
‘She’s upset because I told her the truth,’ Susie snapped, losing that terrified look and returning to the confident businesswoman she’d been before. ‘The age difference matters. I should know, I was married to an older man.’
Jenny gaped at her, but Susie had already turned on her heel and was headed for the door.
‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’
Then she was gone, and Jenny was left trying to figure out how the tables had not only turned but flipped completely over.That bitch!She could almost applaud the absolute cunning of the woman. This was why she was so good in business—the ability to think on her feet and seize an opportunity.
‘Whatever she said to you, don’t listen to her. This is what she does—makes a huge scene and then leaves the building.’ He sighed, shaking his head. ‘She’s always been the same. At least she’s gone now and probably won’t be back for another year or so, if we’re lucky.’
Jenny could only continue to frown, speechless at Susie’s audacity. Was she seriously just going to walk away from this like nothing happened? It was crazy. It was worse than crazy—now Jenny was stuck in the middle, left to pick up the pieces, and it wasn’t evenhermess to pick up after!
Nick’s arms circled her from behind and he rested his chin on the top of her head. ‘I’m guessing that the chat wasn’t particularly friendly?’
He took her silence for acknowledgement. In truth, Jenny was still trying to figure out if she should tell him exactly what the conversation had been about, but she couldn’t bring herself to find the words. This was not her story to tell, and yet, it was Nick’s story to hear. She bit back a frustrated groan.
‘Forget about her. I was coming to tell you about the meeting I just came from. We’ve been selected to feature on that TV show,Take a Break.’
Jenny took one look at the excitement in his eyes and all thoughts of breaking the news about Susie quickly disappeared. Nick was happy. Maybe she was just being a coward, but she didn’t want to watch that excitement be replaced by shock and anger, and shereallydidn’t want to be the one on the end of it, as the messenger. So instead, she kissed him and smiled as he told her all about the new plans, nodding and makingall the appropriate gestures in all the right places and pushed away the little voice that warned her about putting it off.
But that night all her misgivings returned, louder and more persistent and with a prickle of foreboding that this was going to end badly.
