Free Something From Tiffany’s by Melissa Hill

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