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“Call me, Juliet. Whenever you need anything.”

And then the line went dead.

Juliet exhaled a breath, leaving her bedroom. It would be the easiest thing in the world to call Rachel to come over, and maybe she’d cave in and do that before the weekend, but Juliet was at least going to try not to.

She had been content with her own company for a long time. Why the change of heart now?

Her phone buzzed in her hand. She was certainly in demand this morning.

Hello, stranger. How’s retirement going? Hannah x

Juliet instantly smiled when she read Hannah’s message. She didn’t plan to keep in touch with her old assistant too heavily—Hannah was thriving in her personal and professional life now—but she would admit that it was lovely to hear from her.

Very well. Busy, as always! Hope you, Caz and Edie are keeping well. J x

We are! Maybe we could catch up soon and I’ll tell you all about it. Hannah x

Yes, they should do that. Once Juliet was on top of everything at the bar, she would make plans to see Hannah. Maybe Caz too if she was available. Juliet still got the impression that Caz was a little wary around her, but that was okay. Hannah had been Juliet’s escort before she gave her a job.

Yes. I’d love that. Let me get my life in order and I’ll be in touch. J x

I’ll be waiting. It would be lovely to see you. Hannah x

“Enough of that,” Juliet said as she pondered the rest of her day. “Time to get ready for lunch with a beautiful woman.” Oh, no. Juliet had to remember that Paige was her employee. That was where it should start and end. But her voice… Juliet allowed herself a moment to daydream about last night. Once she’d gotten it out of her system, she could carry on with her day. With Paige. Fuck!

* * *

Paige checked her hair in the window of a parked car, fixing her sleeves where they were rolled up her forearms. Last night had happened, and now she was moving forward. She was also meeting Juliet for lunch, so she’d made an effort to look good. It wasn’t often she had the opportunity to eat out with friends or people she was fond of, so Paige had spent the entire morning looking through the few outfits she had.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t in a position to have a wardrobe full of clothes. Depending on the mood of the city she was in, she would settle, or she would move on. But not before she’d revamped some drinks menus. That was her sole purpose when she walked into a job at a new bar.

She checked her phone, praying Juliet hadn’t cancelled on her. While she hadn’t received a message from her new boss, she had received one from her husband.

Harriet says you’re in Liverpool. What the fuck are you doing there? It’s like you’re putting more and more distance between us!

Yeah, that was exactly what Paige was trying to do. Maybe if James realised that, he’d let her go. Paige was hoping for it, but she’d wanted out for a long time, and he continuously told her he would try, only to fail harder the next time. Paige would love her marriage to work. Just not her marriage to James. Because whether he became a ‘changed man’ or not was irrelevant. Paige didn’t love him. She didn’t enjoy their life together. She wanted to move on.

This was all a façade. A show for friends and family. The love and marriage Paige craved wasn’t with an abusive man. No, it was with a loving and considerate woman. The fact that James threw his weight—and his fists—around wasn’t the only reason for her hiding from him. The fact that she was gay played a monumental role, too. If he got wind of that information, Paige likely wouldn’t see the light of day again.

It’s a great job opportunity with brilliant pay. I’d be a fool to turn it down.

Paige held her phone and looked up at the bistro. It appeared to be a lovely place, she just hoped it didn’t cost a fortune to eat here. After last night, she owed Juliet lunch.

As she stepped inside, catching Juliet’s attention where she sat away from the bustle of the bar, she smiled.

And once again, her phone pinged.

What do you want from me, Paige? Am I supposed to chase you there and stay with you? Are you in love with someone else? Are you even in love with me anymore?

Was this her opportunity to be honest?

Yes. Yes, it was.

I mostly fell out of love with you when you ‘accidentally’ opened the cupboard door and hit me in the face with it three days after we got married. Then what tiny bit of respect I had left for you…that faded when you locked me in the house for a week. I won’t go into detail about the other times. You know all about them. I think you can see where this is going, though. I don’t want to live my life that way anymore. It’s not healthy. We clearly don’t love one another.

No longer willing to entertain James, Paige locked her phone and strode towards Juliet. Juliet stood and leaned in to hug her, a hug which Paige readily accepted.

“Hi. Glad you could make it.”