Chapter One
Leah took a deep breath, let the front door snap shut and checked her watch.
Five minutes.
That was all it had taken Grant to end their six-year relationship.
No explanation. No, It’s not you, it’s me. Just, It’s over.
She brushed a stray tear aside, moved down the narrow hallway of the art deco apartment, and into the kitchen. The candlelit table she’d set earlier was wasted. She plonked down on one of the retro bar stools at the counter and poured herself a glass of Cab Sav, which she’d bought specially to mark their sixth anniversary, and stared across the open plan layout to the couch where Lewis’s purrs and soft snores confirmed he was oblivious to all that was going on.
Oblivion: much more appealing than admitting it was over.
While she’d been thinking of their future – their wedding, their children – he’d been looking for an exit. She gulped her wine. She really was an idiot; she had thought they were happy. They had well-paid jobs, a great circle of friends, loving families, good sex, a future mapped out. What wasn’t working for him?
Her phone beeped and she drew it across the counter.
Sorry. I know this is a shock. Didn’t want to live a lie any longer. Will come over Tuesday night and collect my things. If you aren’t home, I’ll leave my key. G.
Live a lie? What the hell did that mean? That he was never into the relationship? Was he seeing someone else? Was he gay?
She switched the phone off and refilled her glass.
Leah groaned as her mother’s familiar ringtone roused her from a deep sleep. Light seeped in through the curtains.
She’d forgotten to set her alarm. She reached across the still-sleeping, fluffy white body of Lewis to the bedside table and picked up her phone. ‘Hi, Mum.’
She stroked her cat, almost managing a smile at the motor-like sound of his purr as she waited for her mother’s predictable question.
‘Leah, darling. How are you? How was the anniversary dinner? Any news?’
Tears welled. Her parents were expecting news of a ring, not the end of the relationship. Leah took a deep breath and did her best to sound normal. The last thing she needed right now was to listen to her mother’s disappointment. ‘No. Nothing to report.’
Silence greeted her.
Eventually her mother spoke. ‘I hope you still had a nice night, love.’
Leah swallowed the lump in her throat. How could she explain her relationship was over when she didn’t even know why? ‘Mum, I have to feed Lewis and get ready for work. I’ll call you later, okay?’
‘Of course. Dad and I are still away for a couple more days, so if my mobile’s out of range I’ll call you back. Have a good day, and show that boss of yours how valuable you are. Love you.’
Leah smiled and set the phone on the bedside table. It was unlikely her arrogant, chauvinistic boss would ever acknowledge her value, but it was nice to know she had her mother’s support.
She gathered Lewis in her arms and rocked him like a baby. The distinctive sound of trams clunking along St Kilda Road eight floors below her apartment reminded her to hurry. But she always had enough time for her cat. This was their morning ritual, except on the mornings Grant had slept over. Lewis was banned from the bedroom then. Grant had merely tolerated him.
‘That should’ve been a red flag in itself, shouldn’t it, Pud?’ She rubbed her face against the cat’s as he nuzzled into her. ‘How could anyone not love you?’
Leah glanced at the clock; it was nearly seven thirty. She needed to get moving if she was going to make the nine o’clock staff meeting.
She threw back the bedcovers, and with Lewis still cradled in her arms, hauled herself out of bed.
Leah pulled her coat tight as the sharp Melbourne winds drove into her body. She followed the line of commuters off the tram, past the Arts Centre and into the heart of Southbank.
She’d been doing this short commute for eight years now, since landing her dream job at The Melbournian, the city’s leading newspaper. After six years of going from one local paper to the next, the move had been symbolic; she was finally on her way.
Leah’s disappointment had been palpable when, after only two weeks in her role as a reporter for the business section, she was moved into Property to replace a reporter who’d been let go. Her job was to write about residential real estate for the weekly Property Push magazine. It was a step above reporting for the local papers, but no longer fitted the description of her dream job.
To make matters worse, she’d been praised for her work, even awarded a Quill for Excellence in Journalism at the industry awards. It had firmly cemented her position at Property Push and made it virtually impossible to move within the paper. Not that she hadn’t tried.
Barry Fitzgerald, or Fitzy, as her pit bull-resembling boss was called, had rolled his eyes when Leah applied for an internal transfer to Finance only a month ago. He rolled his eyes every time; even months earlier when she’d applied for a position back in Business, and before that in Arts.
‘Leah,’ he’d said. ‘Face facts: you’re good at property so you aren’t moving. You’ll have to leave if you want to try something new.’
She was often tempted.
The morning dragged. The staff meeting had taken up the first two hours as Fitzy had droned on. Once back at her desk, Leah’s thoughts kept shifting back to Grant. Only a week ago, he’d surprised her with flowers at work and whisked her off to No35 for dinner before checking in to Crown Towers for an overnight stay. They’d had to pull themselves away from the bed and each other in order to make the check-out time the following morning. Why would he go to all that trouble then end it? It made no sense.
She sighed. She had two properties to view that afternoon in order to write up features for Saturday’s magazine. Leah checked their listings and reviewed their photos. The reality was, she could write a feature from that information alone, but she was expected to slap on a smile and meet with the realtor to acquire any additional information.
One of the realtors was North to South Realty – the company her sister worked for. There’d be no need to fawn over this property, or even view it. The hour would be much better spent having a coffee with Eve.
Chapter Two
Eve scrolled through her emails, smiling at the familiar name of Ben Styles. She quickly scanned the message then glanced towards her open office door. She could just see her assistant’s head tilted towards her computer. She picked up her desk phone and dialled Penny’s extension. ‘Would you mind getting me a coffee?’ Eve asked.
‘Sure,’ her assistant said. ‘Was there something wrong with the one I got you earlier?’
She noted the half-filled takeaway coffee sitting on her otherwise clear desk. It was still hot. She swallowed. ‘I think it has sugar in it. Get yourself one too. Put them on my account.’
Eve waited until Penny had collected her bag and walked down the corridor towards the elevator before closing her office door. She was being overly cautious making Penny go out – her assistant probably couldn’t hear through the closed door – but she wasn’t willing to risk it.
She slipped out the mobile phone tucked at the back of her desk drawer, and switched it on. It contained just one number. Eve pressed the call button and waited only a moment.