Instead she went in search of Jenna, found her and hauled her off to the chocolate shop in Katoomba.
Sam, Jenna’s boyfriend, opted out, choosing to read in the warmth and comfort of their hotel room rather than witness the choc orgy the women intended on indulging in.
Over creamy, rich, hot chocolate and brownies worth dying for, she and Jenna caught up on each other’s lives. They spoke for hours, like they had when they’d shared a flat in Brisbane.
Rachel told Jenna about the jewellery store. Ash Diamonds had lived up to all of her and her brother’s dreams and expectations, and was now a well-established, renowned business in the heart of Sydney. She told her about Paul and the dismal failure of yet another disastrous relationship. And she told her about life in Sydney in general.
In turn Jenna spoke about Sam and how they’d been together for almost three months. He was fun—but she couldn’t really see any long-term prospects with him. She mentioned how her practice as a dietician was booming, and she caught Jenna up on all the goss from Brisbane, telling her about all their mutual friends. Rachel was more than aware that gossip to Jenna meant sharing only items that were factual and already public knowledge.
Nothing was news to either of them. They’d discussed it many a time on the phone. But going through it all again was an essential part of their friendship. And so much fun, she and Jenna spent most of their time together laughing.
Rachel gave Jenna the birthday gift she’d brought along for her. Diamond earrings, handcrafted specifically for her friend. It was a day early, but Rachel figured with everyone else joining the celebrations this would be the last time they’d have alone. Jenna loved her present on sight, and they were in her ears two minutes later.
There were two subjects Rachel refused to broach.
She would not tell Jenna about Garreth, not just yet anyway. Her own thoughts about him were too scattered to share.
As for Jackson, well, she mentioned she’d seen him briefly and left it at that. Jenna did not seem to notice the way Rachel’s spine straightened when she said his name, or the way her heart thundered so loud it almost deafened her. It was surprisingly easy to not say anything about her shock in Garreth’s room. But then she’d spent so many years avoiding talk about Jackson with Jenna, not bringing him up now was simply second nature.
That didn’t mean it was easy to be with her friend. Just looking at Jenna was reminder enough of the man she loved.
Like Jackson, Jenna had warm blue eyes that lit up with humor and delight as she spoke. Their expressions were so similar, every time Jenna laughed and her eyes crinkled, Rachel could imagine it was Jackson. They’d once had the same colored hair, the honeyed gold that still crowned Jackson’s head, but Jenna was now a platinum blonde, thanks to her very expensive hair dresser.
The main difference, aside from their gender, was their size. Rachel could bury herself in Jackson’s embrace and feel petite as a flower in his arms, which was quite an accomplishment considering she stood at a good five foot seven. Jenna on the other hand, was tiny. No taller than Rachel’s shoulders and thin as a rake.
She knew when they got back to the hotel Jenna would make use of the gym to work off the four gazillion calories they’d consumed. Rachel would hop into a hot bath and read.
It had taken Jenna a long time to come out of her shell after they’d met at school, but sticking with her, persevering at their friendship had been the best decision Rachel could have made. Jenna was a first-class grade-A friend, and today she unwittingly did a fantastic job of helping Rachel escape from the anguish of her thoughts and the unfulfilled desire that still seeped through her body tormenting her with its persistence.
Chapter Five
He shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t do this. He should walk away and talk to Rachel later. At dinner. When
Sam, Jenna’s boyfriend, opted out, choosing to read in the warmth and comfort of their hotel room rather than witness the choc orgy the women intended on indulging in.
Over creamy, rich, hot chocolate and brownies worth dying for, she and Jenna caught up on each other’s lives. They spoke for hours, like they had when they’d shared a flat in Brisbane.
Rachel told Jenna about the jewellery store. Ash Diamonds had lived up to all of her and her brother’s dreams and expectations, and was now a well-established, renowned business in the heart of Sydney. She told her about Paul and the dismal failure of yet another disastrous relationship. And she told her about life in Sydney in general.
In turn Jenna spoke about Sam and how they’d been together for almost three months. He was fun—but she couldn’t really see any long-term prospects with him. She mentioned how her practice as a dietician was booming, and she caught Jenna up on all the goss from Brisbane, telling her about all their mutual friends. Rachel was more than aware that gossip to Jenna meant sharing only items that were factual and already public knowledge.
Nothing was news to either of them. They’d discussed it many a time on the phone. But going through it all again was an essential part of their friendship. And so much fun, she and Jenna spent most of their time together laughing.
Rachel gave Jenna the birthday gift she’d brought along for her. Diamond earrings, handcrafted specifically for her friend. It was a day early, but Rachel figured with everyone else joining the celebrations this would be the last time they’d have alone. Jenna loved her present on sight, and they were in her ears two minutes later.
There were two subjects Rachel refused to broach.
She would not tell Jenna about Garreth, not just yet anyway. Her own thoughts about him were too scattered to share.
As for Jackson, well, she mentioned she’d seen him briefly and left it at that. Jenna did not seem to notice the way Rachel’s spine straightened when she said his name, or the way her heart thundered so loud it almost deafened her. It was surprisingly easy to not say anything about her shock in Garreth’s room. But then she’d spent so many years avoiding talk about Jackson with Jenna, not bringing him up now was simply second nature.
That didn’t mean it was easy to be with her friend. Just looking at Jenna was reminder enough of the man she loved.
Like Jackson, Jenna had warm blue eyes that lit up with humor and delight as she spoke. Their expressions were so similar, every time Jenna laughed and her eyes crinkled, Rachel could imagine it was Jackson. They’d once had the same colored hair, the honeyed gold that still crowned Jackson’s head, but Jenna was now a platinum blonde, thanks to her very expensive hair dresser.
The main difference, aside from their gender, was their size. Rachel could bury herself in Jackson’s embrace and feel petite as a flower in his arms, which was quite an accomplishment considering she stood at a good five foot seven. Jenna on the other hand, was tiny. No taller than Rachel’s shoulders and thin as a rake.
She knew when they got back to the hotel Jenna would make use of the gym to work off the four gazillion calories they’d consumed. Rachel would hop into a hot bath and read.
It had taken Jenna a long time to come out of her shell after they’d met at school, but sticking with her, persevering at their friendship had been the best decision Rachel could have made. Jenna was a first-class grade-A friend, and today she unwittingly did a fantastic job of helping Rachel escape from the anguish of her thoughts and the unfulfilled desire that still seeped through her body tormenting her with its persistence.
Chapter Five
He shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t do this. He should walk away and talk to Rachel later. At dinner. When
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