Chapter 1

May 2010

David sat on a bench under one of the young oak trees that lined the pedestrianised main shopping street in Westmouth. He could see Charlotte’s Secret, less than fifty yards away, and a fierce debate raged inside him. Should he go in and see her or not? Common Sense said not. But Common Sense didn’t have a heart.

Or a soul.

He’d walked past the upmarket lingerie store almost every day since its grand opening nine months ago simply because it was located between his office and his favourite sandwich bar. But he’d never set foot inside despite his history and relationship with the proprietor—or perhaps it was because of his history and relationship with her.

He’d often see her as he passed, ringing up a sale on the till or helping a customer choose items. She still looked lovely. Sometimes he’d stop and stare, until he felt her sense his presence, then he’d hurry back to his office and lock himself away, burying himself in his work. He didn’t know if she’d ever seen him watching. It had never gotten back to him if she had.

He sighed and stared at the display of conservative garments in the window, all of them simple designs in pastel colours. He’d bought his wife something similar for their honeymoon close to a year ago. That was the last time he’d purchased lingerie and what an awkward experience that had been. It was more awkward still to think that she’d only worn the set twice.

He nodded to himself, decision made, then stood and strode the short distance to the shop. He steeled himself with a deep breath before stepping over the threshold. If he did this, there would be no way back. No rewind button. Everything would change. Especially if—no, especially when—his wife found out.

It took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the lower light levels—not that it was dark inside, just that it was a bright, sunny day outside— but when he glanced around the shop, he couldn’t see her anywhere. Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea. It wasn’t as if he could just walk up to the counter and ask if she was in, was it? Who asked to the see shop owner? People with complaints, that’s who. And David didn’t have any complaints. Well, not about the shop, at least.

And he couldn’t just stand around looking awkward until he saw her. He needed to look like he had a reason for being there—in a ladies’ underwear shop. In summer. It wasn’t even as if the place was full of men panic-buying for Christmas or Valentine’s Day. Still, there was always the birthday excuse, wasn’t there?

Mind on auto-pilot, he picked up a pair of lacy white French knickers from the nearest display stand and held them in front of him to view them from all angles. He tried to imagine how they would look on his wife, failed, and put them back on the rack. The garment was part of a costly set by a designer he’d never heard of. Jacques Surmount. He sounded French, which probably explained the cost. The most expensive item was the thong. He picked one up and examined it.

“Can I help you, sir?” said a bubbly voice from behind him.

He jumped and turned to face the assistant. Her handwritten name badge read ‘Jakki’ and she’d drawn a tiny heart above the ‘i’. She was young—she might even have been a schoolgirl with a weekend job. She was also attractive—far too attractive if she was a schoolgirl with a weekend job. The top few buttons of her blouse were undone and her cleavage was so prominent that it had to have been enhanced—perhaps by a bra they sold in the shop. David forced his gaze upwards and discovered that she had pretty, light blue eyes too.

“I was just wondering why the price seems to go up as the amount of material used goes down,” he said with a lopsided grin.

Jakki giggled but answered as if it was a serious question. Perhaps they didn’t teach sarcasm at school anymore. “No, sir. The thong is expensive because of the diamonds.”

“Diamonds?”

Jakki took it from his hands and turned it over. Five tiny diamonds formed a “T” shape in the centre of the waistband. “They’re for wearing with hipsters.”

David’s furrowed his brow. “Sorry, you’ve completely lost me.”

“Low-slung jeans,” she explained. “They sit on your hips and show off your thong. Look...” She turned around and wiggled her hips. He noticed her thong didn’t have any diamonds.

“Oh, I see.”

“Were you looking for something in particular, sir? Or just browsing?” She made it sound as if men regularly came into the shop to browse. He knew the store was supposed to be ‘man-friendly’, but still...

“Yes. Actually, I’m here to see Charlotte.”

She opened her mouth to answer but stopped when a woman placed her hand on her shoulder from behind. “Jakki, there’s a lady in cubicle three who needs help squeezing into a corset. Pop along and help her, there’s a good girl.”

Jakki rolled her eyes and muttered, “Again?” She turned to face the woman. “Can’t Ruth do it?”

“Ruth’s busy with someone else. Off you pop. Chop, chop!” She clapped her hands together and Jakki scurried away.

The newcomer smiled at David. She wasn’t wearing a name badge although her cleavage was just as prominent, if not more so, than Jakki’s. Her long dark brown hair shimmered under the bright spotlights, highlighting the many subtle shades it contained. Her eyes matched her hair and twinkled when she spoke. She looked just as beautiful as the day he met her.

She offered her hand. “Long time no see, David.”

“It’s been a while, Charlie.” He shook her hand. She gently pulled him towards her and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.