‘What?’ She glanced at him irritably. She hated his habit of bursting into the bathroom without even knocking.
‘We’re married. So what?’ he’d retort when she would chastise him for his lack of finesse.
‘We’re going to New York, baby! I got the job! Graydon Taylor himself just phoned me. Jeez, he works 24/7, even on weekends! I’ve to fly over on Tuesday for a briefing – that’s why I got the call. Jerry Olsen, eat your heart out!’ Her husband was fizzing with excitement, striding up and down, eyes glittering in anticipation at what was to come. ‘This brings us way up! Way up! This is the big time! Mega bucks, baby, mega bucks! Let’s go celebrate.’ He leaned down and kissed her hard on the mouth.
Colette’s stomach gave a strange little lurch. When Des said this was big time stuff, she felt a flutter of apprehension. He would expect a lot of her. She would have to compete with all the other corporate wives in the multinational company that was now dictating where they lived. New York society was a whole new ball game. She’d be up against wives who knew each other. Women who had contacts and a whole social network behind them. She would be starting from scratch again as the outsider and it was daunting. Not that she’d ever let on to anyone that she was intimidated, Colette thought, returning her husband’s kiss.
‘Congratulations, darling, I knew you’d get it,’ she said loyally. ‘You’re head and shoulders above Jerry Olsen. You played a blinder.’
‘So did you, my sweet. They were mightily impressed at that dinner we gave. Ginny Olsen doesn’t have any of your sophistication or savoir-faire and they could see that. You could carry anything off. Image matters. Never forget that, baby. We’re a team, a great team. The Yanks won’t know what’s hit them,’ he grinned, taking a slug of her drink.
Colette was warmed by his praise. Des was right, they were a team, and a premier division one at that, and it was something he always acknowledged. ‘Come on, I’m taking my gal for a champagne dinner. We’ll be able to announce it to your folks tomorrow.’
‘I’ll enjoy that!’ Colette stretched languorously, the water rippling like warm silk over her smooth body.
‘Me too.’ Des grinned at her. ‘Papa will have to admit, his daughter married a go-getter of the highest order.’
‘He does think I married well.’ Colette soaped her limbs with Miss Dior bath lotion.
‘He looks down his aquiline legal-eagle nose at me, don’t kid yourself,’ Des scoffed. ‘When he’s visiting our pad on the Upper East Side and our summer rental in the Hamptons he’ll change his tune!’
‘Imagine what the Palmer-Hicksons will say! They’ll be sick as parrots.’ Colette perked up, thinking of how a couple they socialized with but didn’t particularly like would react to the news of Des’s promotion.
‘We’ll invite them to New York for our house warming! And Barty and Cecily Herne, and the Goffs!’ Des sat on the side of the bath and flicked suds at his wife.
‘Oh yeess! Tamara Goff is such a snooty cow sometimes, showing off with that place in the South of France. The Hamptons will trump that any time. She’ll be pea green! Oh bliss, I can’t wait to tell her. This is going to be fun.’ Her exhilaration and the thought of outdoing the more competitive members of their social set ignited and she felt a burst of adrenalin. ‘I might take a trip to Paris and buy a few pieces. We’ll probably have to do a lot of entertaining.’
‘Good thinking. Those American wives will recognize class when they see it. I’m going to order us up a bottle of bubbly! To get us in the mood! Back in a sec.’
I’m going to live in New York! Colette thought dreamily, her earlier misgivings evaporating as she finished her G&T and waited for Des to come back with the champers. There was no stopping her now. The notion of her friends’ envy made the G&T taste even better.
‘So Des got the promotion, that’s great news, Colette. What an adventure. Jazzy will find New York a big change,’ Hilary commented when Colette revealed her momentous news the next morning. Colette was all ready for a long chat despite the fact that her friend was in the midst of preparing Sunday lunch for her in-laws.
‘She’s very adaptable,’ Colette said touchily. Trust Hilary to be negative.
‘I know she is, I was just saying,’ Hilary said mildly. ‘It’s different when you have children. I could have gone to Moscow for a while when they opened the duty free and Niall was there for weeks. Bahrain is next on the list so I might get over for a week.’
‘Well we’ll be going to live!’ Colette said edgily. Hilary’s jet-setting opportunities were only minor compared to hers, and Niall Hammond was a minnow in comparison to Des.
‘It’s a big step. How do you feel about it?’
‘Thrilled. Absolutely thrilled. What an opportunity. Des is going to make pots of money. And the investment opportunities . . . the sky’s the limit. You can really climb the ladder there. What’s not to love going to live in New York?’
‘Well good for you, Colette. You know I wish you all the best,’ Hilary said warmly.
‘Thanks, Hil.’ Colette softened a little. Her friend had such a good nature that Colette knew that Hilary truly meant her good wishes, unlike some of her two-faced friends. ‘Actually I’m a bit apprehensive as well, to be honest,’ she confessed now that the initial buzz of breaking the news had worn off.
‘I can understand that. It’s a huge, life-changing event,’ Hilary empathized.
‘I know. And Des expects so much of me. All that
