“You look fantastic, Kate,” Paige said. “I love your outfit.”
“Thanks.” Kate was wearing a pair of black leggings tucked into high-heeled black boots that came up over the knee and laced up the sides with black ribbons. She’d paired them with one of the sweaters Ian had bought her. Made of the softest cashmere, it was tunic length and a beautiful dark plum color. The back had a low scoop neck, so Kate had worn her hair in a messy French twist she’d learned how to do when she’d watched the hair tutorials on YouTube.
When she’d opened the Victoria’s Secret package right there on the floor just inside her door, she’d been delighted. Ian didn’t know how much Kate had wanted those sweaters and that the reason there were items left in her shopping cart was because she’d given all her disposable income to the food pantry and could no longer afford them, at least not that month. In addition to the cashmere sweater and the two others that were already in the cart, Ian had added another sweater, a gorgeous white cable pullover. He’d also bought her a pair of pink flannel pajamas with white snowflakes. They were soft and warm, and she loved them. Of course, Ian being Ian, he’d also bought her a black satin and Chantilly lace babydoll nightie that tied in front and came with a matching thong. It was actually very pretty, and when Kate tried it on, she felt incredibly sexy.
Kate turned her attention to her friends’ outfits and offered her own compliments. Paige had dressed in a manner similar to Kate, but Audrey had gone one better and was wearing a ribbed sweater dress that left nothing to the imagination. Dressing for brunch was almost a competitive sport, and one they engaged in willingly. For Paige and Audrey—both attorneys at large, downtown firms—it was an opportunity to dress less formally, a bit funkier than they could during the week. For Kate, who wore jeans on a daily basis, it was the chance to dress up and add some glamour to her otherwise very casual wardrobe.
In an effort not to make Kate feel left out, her friends overcompensated, asking a multitude of questions about the food pantry. Thanks to Ian, she was able to report that things were going very well.
“And how are you getting along without Stuart?” Paige asked gently.
Paige had gotten married last year, and Audrey was engaged. Kate was genuinely happy for both of them. She’d long since worked her way through the various stages of her and Stuart’s breakup. At first she’d gone through the crying, self-doubt stage, wondering if she’d made a huge mistake. That was followed by quiet resignation and contemplation, accompanied by a considerable amount of wine. Then she’d completed the healing stage, which allowed her to arrive where she was now, which was the cautiously optimistic about the future stage.
“I’m doing fine, really. I’ve actually met someone new.”
Audrey leaned in. “Do tell.”
“He works with computers. Really, really handsome. It’s fairly new, but it’s going well.”
“What’s his name?” Paige asked.
“Ian.”
“Ian what?”
“Ian…”
Shit.
She was making it seem like Ian was make-believe. Stalling, she put her spoon in her mouth, and after she swallowed, she said, “Smith.”
Smith?
Jesus.
“I don’t know anyone by that name,” Paige said.
“He’s new in town.” Kate hadn’t heard from Ian since they’d gone to lunch on Monday. On Thursday she’d admitted to herself that she was looking forward to seeing him again. By Saturday morning, she’d started listening—and hoping—for a knock on her apartment door.
The rest of the time passed in a blur of catching up on everything that had transpired since they’d last met for brunch. They lingered a while after paying the bill. Kate had the rest of the day to fill and was in no particular hurry to leave the restaurant. But all too soon her friends looked at their phones and groaned when they noticed the time.
“I have to go to work if I hope to get out of there before midnight,” Audrey said.