It Started With... Collection. Miranda Lee

I’ll be in heaven.’

      ‘That’s what I was thinking about you all yesterday,’ he said drily, and she laughed.

      ‘I aim to buy a really big bottle of that perfume this very day.’

      He groaned. ‘Sadist.’

      ‘Takes one to know one. Now you know how I’ve been feeling every day in that office, waiting for five to come round. Only a sadist would make a rule like that.’

      ‘Trust me, it was much harder for me, with the emphasis on “harder”. Hopefully, we might both have a bit more control at work if we spend every night together.’

      Rachel blinked her surprise. ‘Every night?’

      ‘Too much for you?’

      She wanted to say no, of course not. But she didn’t want to be that easy. She’d been far too easy with Justin so far. Men never appreciated women who were easy.

      ‘Yes, I’m afraid so,’ she said. ‘We women do have personal things we have to do sometimes, you know. Also, once Isabel gets back I will want to spend some time with her. She’s my best friend, after all. Actually, I’m having dinner with her and her husband tonight. Her husband, Rafe, has a terraced house in Paddington. He’s a photographer.’

      ‘I see,’ Justin muttered, his face falling.

      Rachel decided that faint heart never won fat turkey. ‘You can come too, if you like,’ she said, and was rewarded with a startled smile.

      ‘Seriously?’ he asked.

      ‘Of course. There’s no way I’m going to be able to keep you a secret from Isabel. I wouldn’t even try.’

      ‘But won’t she mind having someone extra thrust upon her on such short notice?’

      ‘No, and she’s ordering food in anyway.’

      ‘I would have thought she’d be too tired to entertain on the first night back from an overseas honeymoon.’

      ‘I said much the same thing to her on the phone but she insisted. I guess it’s not all that long a flight from Hong Kong and I dare say they’ll have flown first class. Probably slept all the way. But I’ll check with her when she calls me. Which reminds me, I will have to go home this morning to await her call and get fresh clothes.’

      ‘I’ll drive you,’ he offered.

      ‘Gosh, you mean you have a car?’ she teased. ‘I thought you lived in trains and taxis.’

      He certainly did have a car, a nice new navy number. Not overly flash; more of a family car, with easily enough room for two adults and two children.

      Rachel wished she’d stop having such thoughts about Justin, but it was impossible not to dream.

      They pulled up at the town house in Turramurra shortly after one, Justin accompanying Rachel inside as she knew he would. And they ended up back in bed, as she knew they would. So much for her resolve not to be easy! But it was so hard to resist him once he started kissing her. They were still in bed together when Isabel’s call came shortly after three p.m.

      ‘Yes?’ Rachel answered in a slightly croaky voice.

      ‘Rach, is that you?’ Isabel asked, sounding doubtful.

      ‘Yes, yes, it’s me. Justin, stop that,’ she hissed under her breath. ‘I have to talk to Isabel.’

      ‘Is that the TV on in the background, or are you talking to someone?’ Isabel asked.

      ‘I…um…I’m talking to someone.’

      ‘Oh? Who?’ Now she sounded surprised.

      Rachel gave Justin a playful kick and he laughed before climbing out of bed and heading for the bathroom, Rachel wincing at the sight of the red nail marks she’d dug into his buttocks. Truly, she’d turned into a wild woman in bed!

      ‘Sounds like a man,’ Isabel said.

      ‘It is.’

      ‘Oh, my God, you’ve gone and got yourself a boyfriend!’

      ‘You could be right.’

      ‘Who? Rafe, Rafe, Rachel’s got herself a man!’ she called out before returning her attention to her friend. ‘Where did you meet him? What’s he like? Have you been to bed with him yet?’

      Rachel had to smile. Trust Isabel to get down to the nitty-gritty straight away. ‘I met him at work. He’s gorgeous. And yes, I’ve been to bed with him.’

      ‘Oh, wow, this is such great news. How old is he?’

      ‘Early thirties.’

      ‘Presumably, he works for AWI.’

      ‘Yes.’

      ‘What’s he look like?’

      ‘Tall, dark and handsome.’

      ‘What’s he like in bed?’

      ‘Makes Eric look like a moron.’

      ‘Single or divorced?’

      ‘Divorced.’

      ‘Oh. Pity. But you can’t have everything, I suppose. So, does Casanova have a name?’ she added.

      Rachel’s stomach swirled. This was going to be the sticky part. ‘Um…Justin McCarthy.’

      Dead silence at the other end for at least ten seconds. Hearing Justin switch on the shower was a blessing. He wouldn’t be returning for a while. Time enough, hopefully, to smooth things over with Isabel.

      ‘Justin McCarthy,’ Isabel finally repeated in her best I-don’t-believe-you-could-be-such-an-idiot voice. ‘Your boss. You’re sleeping with your boss. Your obviously not gay but pathetically paranoid boss.’

      ‘Um… Yes.’

      ‘But why? How? When, for pity’s sake?’

      Rachel did her best to explain the circumstances leading up to their first going to bed together, as well as where their affair had gone since then, without it all sounding as though she was desperate and Justin was simply using her for sex.

      Her friend’s sigh told it all. ‘You are just setting yourself up for more hurt, love,’ Isabel said.

      ‘Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, it’s my choice.’

      Isabel sighed. ‘True.’

      ‘He’s really a very nice man.’

      ‘I suppose I’ll have to take your word for that.’

      ‘No, you don’t. If you’ll let me bring him over to dinner tonight then you can judge for yourself.’

      ‘What a good idea,’ she said in a tone that worried the life out of Rachel.

      ‘Promise me you won’t say anything sarcastic.’

      ‘Who? Me?’

      ‘Yes, you, Miss Butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-your-mouth. You’ve got a cutting tongue on you sometimes.’

      ‘I’ll do my best to keep it sheathed.’

      ‘You’d better.’

      ‘Where is lover-boy at the moment?’

      ‘In the shower.’

      ‘Good, because I have something I want to say to you.’

      Rachel rolled her eyes. Here it comes. ‘What?’

      ‘Now, don’t take that tone with me, Missy. Someone has to look after your best interests and that someone is me. I know you, Rach. You probably think you love this man. But I seriously doubt it. It’s just a rebound thing after running into Eric like that. You’ve also been very lonely. And loneliness can make a girl