Eight
Nancy surfaced from sleep to the sharp rap of knuckles against the door. She groaned, pressing her face into the pillow for a moment before peeling her eyes open. She checked the time on her phone. Too early for housekeeping.
She pushed herself up onto one elbow, her brain still sluggish. More knocking. Whoever it was, they weren’t going away. She sighed and dragged herself up.
She opened the door to find Ari standing there, bright-eyed and suspiciously awake for this hour. She wore an oversized cashmere sweater in the perfect shade of soft cream, the kind that draped just so. Her wide-leg trousers were impossibly well-tailored—relaxed yet precise, skimming over her frame like they’d been cut specifically for her (because they probably had). On her feet, buttery leather loafers, understated but undeniably designer. The only visible jewellery was a slim gold bangle at her wrist, deceptively simple, the kind of thing that cost more than most people’s rent. Even her hair, pulled into a deliberately loose bun, was effortlessly chic.
Nancy became abruptly aware of the fact that she was wearing nothing but her pyjama top. Eyes on the Fries was emblazoned across the front in bold. She tried not to look overtly embarrassed.
‘You’re up early.’
‘And you’re not dressed,’ Ari said, stepping past her without waiting for an invitation. She barely glanced at the room before perching on the edge of the desk. ‘I expected you to be the kind of person who sleeps in her clothes just to save time in the morning,’ she said dryly.
‘You think I just go back in the box when I’m not driving you like bloody Chauffeur Barbie?’ Nancy muttered, pulling the door shut. She wasn’t ready for this, any of it.
Ari being in this room made her vaguely unsettled in her own space. The room was fine for her, but with Ari in it, it suddenly felt tiny.
‘Fair point,’ Ari said, crossing her legs. ‘OK. Look. I’m here with an offer.’
Nancy, in the middle of covering her PJs with a hotel robe, knew immediately she wasn’t going to like it. ‘I might sit down for this,’ she said, tightening the belt.
‘Not a bad idea.’ Ari grinned, then shifted, leaning forward slightly. ‘So. I need a date for this wedding.’
Nancy stared at her with zero understanding of why she was telling her something she already knew. ‘Yes…’
‘And I realised…’ Ari gave a nervous little laugh. ‘I realised I already had an option under my nose.’
It took Nancy much longer than it should have to click. ‘Oh. Wait. No. Not…’
Ari nodded. ‘Yes. You.’ She put her hands up. ‘I just need someone to stand next to me at this thing. That’s all. And you have to hang around waiting for me in Scotland anyway, so…’
Nancy stood. ‘Why on earth would you…’
‘Because you’re here. Because you’re capable. Because I think you clean up well.’ Ari tilted her head. ‘And because I trust you not to make it weird.’
Nancy exhaled slowly. ‘I feel like I should be flattered, but mostly, I just feel cornered.’
‘It’s a simple arrangement,’ Ari said, spreading her hands. ‘You get a weekend in a very expensive location and the satisfaction of knowing you’ve done a good deed.’
Nancy gave her a look. ‘How is it a good deed?’
‘Because I need you?’ Ari said, with more than a little hope in her voice.
The sincerity threw Nancy for a loop, and she simply stared, open-mouthed, for a second.
Ari laughed suddenly and loudly, clearly uncomfortable with her own honesty. ‘Think of it as… an entertaining way to kill time,’ she said, in a much more Ari way.
Nancy still didn’t know what to say and decided not to say anything, trying to process this mad proposition.
Ari wouldn’t have Nancy’s silence. ‘I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that you feel you have to do what I’m asking because I’m your boss.’
Nancy raised an eyebrow. ‘Your mother is technically—’
‘So I want to assure you that this is totally your call. No repercussions if you say no. But you’re not gonna, right?’ she asked, a tad nervously.
Nancy sighed, crossing her arms. ‘Why do I feel like you’re not telling me everything?’
Ari groaned. ‘Fine. I’ll pay you. Would a couple of grand swing it?’ she asked. ‘Call it five?’
Nancy paused. This was a mistake. It felt like a mistake. But Ari was looking at her like she was already halfway to a yes, and, worst of all, Nancy had the creeping feeling she was right.
She pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘This is a terrible idea.’
‘But?’ Ari prompted.
Nancy sighed. ‘But I’ll think about it.’