Something from Tiffany’s Read online

  ‘Oh, he’s not my—’ Rachel caught herself before she uttered husband. But the very thought of the word sent fresh flutters through her stomach. ‘I mean, we’re engaged, but no, he got hurt in an accident, actually. His first time in New York and he gets hit by a yellow cab,’ she added, with an ironic half-smile. ‘I’m sorry to hear about your husband, though.’

  ‘Oh no, he’s fine. Couldn’t keep him off that bike if I tried. Honestly, I think if he had to choose between me and that thing . . . I’d probably be a single woman by now!’ The nurse laughed good-naturedly. ‘Well, I won’t hold you up. You have a nice visit.’

  ‘Thank you . . . Kim,’ Rachel said, reading her name tag. ‘I’m Rachel, and I’m sure I’ll see you on my way out.’

  ‘Sure.’

  But, peeking around the corner of Gary’s room, the joy Rachel had felt all morning suddenly gave way to a potent dose of reality. Her boyfriend looked even worse than he had the night before. One side of his face was swollen, scraped and black and blue, and he was hooked up to an IV. He looked so still and pitiful that she felt her stomach lurch, and swallowed hard as she sat down in the chair next to his bed.

  Wracked with guilt, she berated herself for being so carefree and happy when her poor fiancé was lying here in agony. Then, telling herself that he probably looked worse than he felt, and remembering that his injuries weren’t extensive, she leaned over and kissed Gary tenderly on the forehead.

  As he batted his eyes open slowly, her vision blurred a bit through her tears. This was all so strange, she thought. Did this man who spent most weekends riding with his bike club, and who was getting ready for a three-week European tour next spring really want to marry her? And what if his injuries had been from riding – how would she feel then? Or what if—

  She stopped thinking and rebuked herself for being negative, especially when she was usually so good at focusing on the positive. Maybe she just was so caught off guard by Gary’s intentions that it had really thrown her for a loop. The man had bought her a shockingly expensive diamond, for goodness’ sake, and was now ready to show her his sensitive side. Yes, that was it, Rachel told herself.

  ‘Good morning, my love,’ she said, when Gary moaned again. ‘Merry Christmas.’

  It took a good ninety seconds for him to turn his head slightly and begin to respond. ‘Hey . . . was in a bloody accident . . .’ he slurred. ‘Some fool hit me.’

  ‘I know, I know, a taxi. But you’re OK. I mean, it’s nothing serious and . . . God, Gary, I’m so sorry.’ Rachel couldn’t help but feel responsible. ‘This was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. I can’t believe this happened. Should I call your family? I wasn’t sure if—’

  ‘Yeah, stupid gobshite . . .’ he said, barely perceptibly, before his eyes fell shut once again. Hoping he was referring to the taxi driver and not her, it made Rachel smile. He was obviously high on the medication.

  ‘Hey, I’m sorry for being nosy,’ Kim whispered suddenly from the doorway, ‘but what does that mean? He’s been saying it off and on all morning too.’

  Rachel was grinning. ‘It’s sort of an Irish swear word.’

  ‘Ah, I see. Well, pardon me for saying so, but I think that accent is kinda sexy,’ Kim chuckled, going to the top of the bed and doing something with the saline drip bag. ‘Even with that bruised face, I can see why you fell for this guy.’

  Rachel smiled proudly. ‘Yes, I really did fall for him . . . hard and fast,’ she replied. ‘I just wish I could let him know that I . . .’ Her voice trailed off, and when Kim looked at her questioningly, she shook her head. ‘Me and my big mouth,’ she continued, somewhat guiltily.

  She didn’t know if it was a combination of being basically alone in a strange city at Christmas, or just the excitement of bearing a big secret, but for some reason she felt very much at ease with this nurse. Or maybe it was the fact that Kim had experience of life with another motorbike enthusiast?

  ‘Christmas,’ Gary mumbled suddenly. ‘You’re gonna love what I got you . . . wait till you see it.’ He seemed to be talking to himself and Rachel wondered if he was aware that she was even there. ‘And you should see my new cufflinks . . .’ That was the last thing he managed before the drugs got the better of him yet again.

  ‘Well, now I’m intrigued!’ Kim said, smiling at Rachel. ‘Wonder what he got you that’s s’posed to be so great?’

  ‘Actually I kind of already know,’ she confessed, unable to hold it in any longer. She winced, hoping that telling someone else might help absolve her of some of the guilt. ‘I already opened the package.’

  Kim was wide-eyed. ‘You’re kiddin’ me! And what did you get?’

  When Rachel didn’t answer, but instead looked guiltily at a sleeping Gary, Kim raised an eyebrow. ‘Somethin’ tells me you could use a cup of coffee and a chat right now, sweetheart,’ she said, grinning. ‘I’m due to take a little break soon. Wanna join me? Trust me, he’ll never know you left.’

  Rachel looked from Kim to Gary. He certainly wasn’t going anywhere. ‘Thanks, I’d love to,’ she said, meaning it.

  ‘I can’t go far, but let me grab us something from the machine and you can join me in the lounge,’ the nurse said, already moving in that direction.

  ‘Thank you. This is so nice of you.’ Rachel was delighted to have someone to unload to. As it was she could never keep anything to herself.

  ‘So I take it you had big plans for this Christmas?’ Kim asked, as they picked up two cups of coffee, with creamers, sugar packets and stir sticks. ‘A flight from Ireland is no short jaunt.’

  ‘Well, someone obviously had big plans –’ Rachel paused as she stirred in her sugar ‘– but I knew nothing about them.’

  Kim nodded in the direction of Gary’s room. ‘You mean that good-lookin’ Irishman back there.’

  ‘Exactly. The problem is that it was supposed to be a surprise. A big surprise. You see . . .’ Rachel started to explain, but Kim cut her off, a question in her eyes.

  ‘Wait a minute. You said before that you guys were engaged, but I’ve just noticed there’s no ring on your finger.’ Suddenly her eyes grew wide. ‘Oh boy, I get it! He had his accident yesterday, on Christmas Eve. He was gonna propose today, and you found the ring in his pocket or something, right?’

  ‘Not quite . . . at least, not in his pocket.’ Rachel looked away but gave a big toothy grin that spoke volumes.

  ‘But you did find it? And now you’re excited, but frustrated that you can’t tell anyone, yet at the same time guilty?’

  ‘In a nutshell, yes.’ Rachel laughed, relieved she didn’t have to spell it out. She told Kim all about the Tiffany’s bag that had been with Gary’s shopping. ‘I’ll bet you’re a good nurse, but I think you’d be an even better detective!’

  ‘Well, don’t be so sure about that. And don’t feel so guilty either. See, he’s a typical man. He didn’t have his shopping done or gifts wrapped by Christmas Eve, then when he’s rushing back to try to make up for lost time he goes and gets himself hit by a cab.’ She shook her head in mock exasperation. ‘If you ask me, it’s his own damn fault you found that ring . . . and probably his own fault he got mowed down in New York traffic too!’

  Rachel laughed out loud. ‘Oh I really shouldn’t be laughing, but thank you. Telling someone is such a load off my mind.’

  Fifteen minutes after the start of Kim’s ‘ten-minute break’, the two of them were still chatting away. ‘It’s funny,’ Rachel was saying, ‘I suppose you just never know who you’ll end up with. I don’t know . . . there’s just something about Gary. This is so like him: hitting me out of the blue like this, catching me completely off guard. It’s exciting. He’s exciting.’

  ‘Exciting is good. Hell, so are big rocks on your finger. Not that I would know, mind you,’ Kim said with some sarcasm, looking at her own hands. ‘But you be sure you’ve got the lasting friendship stuff going on too. That’s one thing Al and I have. I was only kiddin’ before about him choosing the Duc
ati over me – at least I think I was,’ she said, smiling at her own joke. ‘We’re really pretty crazy about each other, you know. Got married young, and have been together a long time.’

  ‘I want to be like that,’ Rachel said dreamily. ‘Gary believes in me and that means a lot. He’s a builder, you know, and last year he helped my best friend and me turn our dreams of opening a restaurant into reality. He gave us the cheapest quote by far, and later admitted it was only because he wanted to ask me out,’ she said, fondly. ‘He worked day and night to get the refurbishments finished on time, and then the day before we opened he pulled up to the bistro.’ She smiled at the memory. ‘We were just having the equipment hauled in, and I was covered in dust and paint. I was exhausted and looked a complete mess, and suddenly I heard someone revving a bike. It was Gary. He insisted on helping us out, as a favour.’ She shook her head. ‘Looks like he’s surprising me for the second time, and again it worked.’

  ‘It almost worked,’ Kim clarified. ‘You make sure he gives you a proper proposal too. Don’t you let on for a minute that you know about that ring.’

  ‘No, of course I won’t. I’m just dying to have it on my finger, though. Oh you should see the size of it, Kim,’ she cried excitedly. ‘It’s absolutely breathtaking. It must be worth a fortune.’

  Kim smiled and Rachel noticed her twisting the wedding ring on her own finger. It was a simple gold band. ‘I would say one thing – and don’t get me wrong now, this is just the standard advice I give to all of my friends who have got engaged, mostly ’cos marriage is such a huge leap.’

  ‘What?’ Rachel sat forward, only too happy to get the benefit of this lovely woman’s experience.

  ‘OK, here it is: you just make sure that he thinks you’re worth more than you think that ring is worth. There. And I don’t just mean the way you look with that body and that hair and those huge blue eyes . . . uh, you can stop me any time . . .’ She paused, laughing. ‘But seriously. You know what I mean. Make sure he really, you know, knows you, loves you, cares about what makes you happy.’

  Rachel didn’t answer for several seconds. She took a long sip of her coffee.

  Kim reminded her of Terri, in a way. Her friend was a real rock of sense, naturally cautious, and, unlike Rachel, wasn’t prone to mad bouts of reckless enthusiasm. Just as well she was the business brain in the partnership, although of course Terri was an amazing cook too.

  As Rachel thought of Terri, she remembered how her friend also tried to give her advice. ‘Being impetuous can only get you into trouble,’ her friend routinely teased. But Rachel guessed that her impulsive nature had come from her roots, as her dad was second-generation Sicilian. He’d been dead for over ten years now and Rachel had almost got used to being alone, having also lost her mother when she was much younger. Suddenly, a bubble of happiness developed inside her when she realised that after years of being alone, Gary would now be her family. She smiled.

  ‘I know exactly what you mean, and I couldn’t agree with you more,’ she said, standing up. ‘I suppose I’d better go and see if Gary’s awake.’

  ‘And I –’ Kim said, checking her watch ‘– had better head back to the desk, half an hour too late. Ah, it’s Christmas, so shoot me.’

  ‘Thanks for this, I really enjoyed it. Will I catch you later? Or if not, will you be on duty over the next couple of days? Maybe we can do this again.’

  ‘Of course. I’m not going anywhere and I’d love to. Believe me, I can’t wait to hear how this love story turns out!’

  ‘Me neither,’ Rachel grinned, waving after her new friend.

  Chapter 6

  It was the following day, and Fifth Avenue was once again swarming with shoppers. While Ethan knew there would of course be crowds, this morning the surrounding buzz of activity merely exacerbated his worries and confusion.

  All he could think about was Vanessa. Fortunately she had wanted to take advantage of the post-Christmas sales and had set off on her own for the better part of the day. That gave Ethan the chance to try to do something about the missing ring besides simply ruminating over it.

  Yet he knew that Vanessa wasn’t much of a shopper by nature, didn’t usually care about sales, and hadn’t made any mention of shopping throughout the trip. Not until a particularly awkward moment the night before.

  From start to finish Christmas Day had been a disaster, and it seemed to Ethan that her new-found desire to shop was an opportunity for a break from the unbroken tension that had existed between them for the last twenty-four hours or so.

  Just then a woman twice his size stepped on his foot with no regard, and stifling an expletive he tugged at Daisy’s hand, pulling her out of the crowd and into a nearby café. ‘Time for hot chocolate, I think,’ he muttered darkly.

  ‘Really, Dad,’ she replied, giving him a disapproving look. ‘We’ve been having way too much of that lately. I think you need to lay off.’

  ‘Well, I’m sorry, but just now it’s absolutely necessary,’ Ethan said as they each took a stool at the counter. ‘Hot chocolate and a coffee, please,’ he said to the barista. He winked at Daisy. ‘The coffee’s for me; is that better?’

  She nodded, mollified. ‘Much better.’

  Stirring milk into the mug, he tried to take a moment to gather his wits.

  Last night, after Daisy had gone to bed he’d hoped for a romantic night with Vanessa and had ordered a nice bottle of wine, a Bordeaux, from room service and had it delivered with a red rose on the cart.

  When he wheeled it into the bedroom where Vanessa was already cosy in bed, she looked up and gave him a wan smile that made him feel kind of foolish, as if she knew somehow that he was trying too hard.

  He’d poured them each a glass and then sat facing her on the bed.

  ‘To us,’ he toasted, looking into her eyes. She nodded and looked back at him somewhat quizzically, then raised hers to toast him too. He thought she looked particularly beautiful that night, and always loved it when she wore no make-up and was just fresh and natural. Still, despite the cushion of red wine and the relaxation it brought, the conversation between them remained stilted at best. It was then that she mentioned something about spending the following day shopping.

  ‘Well, of course, whatever you like,’ he said, surprised but wanting to be nothing but supportive. ‘It is New York after all and you deserve to treat yourself.’ This seemed like as good an opener as any to set aside the wine glass and then turn back to slowly kiss her neck. When she responded, he paused to turn on his iPod, which was docked in the Bose system on the nightstand. Roberta Flack’s ‘The First Time’, a favourite of Vanessa’s, filled the room.

  Naturally, he expected the mood between them that night to be transformed, and had hoped his efforts would make up for the events (or non-events) of the day. Even with the wine and the music, though, the whole thing felt tense and mechanical, as if they were both just going through the motions.

  Today, the scene played out over and over again in his head, leaving him feeling a little guilty for being so preoccupied while he was with Daisy. ‘OK,’ he said, trying to shake off these peripheral thoughts and once again turn his attention to tracking down the ring, ‘let’s get going on our treasure hunt.’

  ‘What? But, Dad, you haven’t taken even a sip of your coffee, and I’ve already finished my hot chocolate.’ Daisy was perceptive, as always.

  ‘Yes, but I’m thinking we really shouldn’t delay too long – just in case.’ Ethan plopped a couple of coins on the counter by way of a tip, and the two of them headed back out onto the street in the direction of 727 Fifth Avenue.

  ‘Ah, Mr Greene, hello.’ The same elderly Tiffany’s assistant who’d sold them the ring greeted Ethan and Daisy effusively upon arrival. He smiled benevolently. ‘So how did the lucky lady like her Christmas surprise?’

  ‘Well, perhaps there is a lucky lady somewhere who is enjoying it very much,’ Ethan replied, his tone sounding much edgier than he’d intended, and the man raise
d an eyebrow. Then he sighed. ‘Look, I’m sorry, but it seems there’s been some kind of mistake.’

  ‘A mistake? Please – have a seat,’ the assistant urged, looking genuinely concerned as he led them aside.

  Ethan and Daisy both sat down in front of one of the octagonal display areas. He tried his best to explain. ‘I just don’t know how it could have happened. I absolutely remember seeing the ring I picked out in the box before you had it wrapped on my behalf. But when my fiancée – or should I say my intended fiancée – opened the package yesterday morning there was just a . . . a charm bracelet inside.’ His palms became sweaty just thinking about it; he rubbed them on his jeans. ‘No ring, no diamond solitaire – just a silver charm bracelet.’

  ‘A charm bracelet?’ the assistant repeated in bewilderment.

  ‘Yes. I was thinking that maybe there was some kind of mix-up with the wrapping, or that I’d been given the wrong bag.’ This was the most likely scenario, yet the one Ethan half-hoped wasn’t the case, because it meant that his purchase was in the possession of one very happy stranger.

  ‘But I can’t think what . . . This is unheard of,’ the man blustered. ‘As it is, we sell only diamonds on this floor. Gift items are available on the ground floor or up on the third, the Silver Floor.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘Just a moment. Let me call my supervisor.’

  Ethan’s jaw began to work. Damn, this didn’t look good. ‘Of course. Thank you.’

  While the assistant made the call, Daisy rested a hand on her father’s knee. ‘Dad, it’s OK. I’m sure everything will be fine,’ she said, sounding anxious. Ethan looked at her, and immediately felt bad for having to drag her through all of this rigmarole.

  ‘I know, and I’m sorry for getting so flustered. Just . . . thanks for helping me out with this.’

  The next thing Ethan knew, he and Daisy were being greeted very graciously by the Tiffany’s General Manager and whisked away by him and a couple of other suits to take a look at the Christmas Eve security-tape footage.