FOR BEN
PROLOGUE
The question is posed toward the end of the night, as a large box of chocolates is passed around the table and Mimi, the host, fills up wine glasses so her fridge isn’t left with bottles that are two-thirds drunk. It’s been a long, tiring week, so Mimi invited a few of us from the office for a much-needed Friday night boozy dinner party.
“Here’s a fun conundrum for you all to consider,” announces Dominic. “One that will give us an interesting insight into each other’s characters, I reckon.”
Mimi smiles, sitting back down at the head of the table. “Sounds intriguing.”
“My thirty-one-year-old cousin works at a fashion magazine and shelovesher job, but her boyfriend has been offered his dream job in New York. So my question to you is: Does she stay here in London, in the job she’s worked hard to achieve, but potentially risk losing the man of her dreams to long distance,ordoes she hand in her notice and risk unemployment across the pond, but take the leap for love?” Dominic asks with a raised eyebrow, swilling the wine round his glass. “What do you think—should she stick or twist?”
“Hmm.” Rakhee folds her arms. “Does she believe that this guy is The One?”
“She’s sure of it.” Dominic nods.
“Well then, it’s an easy answer,” Mimi says with a shrug. “She moves to New York.”
“I could have guessed you’d say that.” Dominic grins at her. “You’ve always had a romantic streak.”
“I agree with Mimi,” chips in Amy. “Take the leap for love. Plus, she gets to move to New York! It’s a no-brainer.”
“I’m not so sure; jury’s out on this one,” Rakhee declares, holding up her hands. “I need more time to think about it. There are advantages and disadvantages both ways you look at it.”
Dominic laughs. “All right, we’ll let you think on it.” His eyes flash at me. “Harper?”
I take a sip of wine, as though I need more time to consider. But the truth is, before Dominic had even finished asking the question, I knew my answer.
“I’d stick,” I confirm. “She’s worked hard for her career. Why risk giving all of that up for…”
I trail off with a shrug.
“Love?” Mimi finishes for me.
“Right.” I nod.
“Another answer I think we could all safely guess,” Dominic sighs, giving me a knowing smile before putting on a melodramatic voice. “You’re too good at your job for something as frivolous asloveto come first.”
I hold up my glass to him. “Exactly.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure,” Mimi says. “I think if the right person came along, you might reconsider. Should she fall head over heels in love, Harper might prove to have been a secret romantic all along. If you ask me, he’s out there somewhere. She just needs to give him a chance.”
I laugh, shaking my head at her.
I know for a fact she’s wrong, but I don’t say anything.
Because then I’d have to explain why.
I’d have to tell her about how, a long time ago, Ididgive someone a chance. Someone who swept me off my feet with the kind of whirlwind, dizzying romance you read about inbooks and watch in movies and listen to in song lyrics. Someone who really knew me, who understood me, who made me feel as though I was all he needed to behappy.
It was everything I’d been told to hope for: I got lost in his eyes when he looked at me; I couldn’t stop thinking about him when I was supposed to be concentrating on something else. As soon as I gave in to him, I was utterly intoxicated. I got caught up in fanciful daydreams of what we might end up being to one another, of a future together.
When I was with him, the rest of the world simply faded away.
Mimi doesn’t know it, but I already met that person, the one who opened my eyes to what it was like to fall head over heels.
But I learned my lesson.
So I may not be able to say it out loud, but Mimi is wrong that someday my priorities will shift. Since him, work has always come first and will continue to do so. No one will change my mind, of that I’m quite sure.
