A Proposal to Remember

Zan shook her head. ‘He’s super-rich, Kim. Bodyguards, private planes, homes around the world. Where do I fit into all that?’ She jettisoned the tissues and stood up, padding over to the mirror. ‘You’ve seen the magazines. The guy dates models and actresses. What’s he doing with me?’

She stared gloomily at her blotched reflection and Kim sighed.

‘Well, when you’re not howling you don’t look too bad. He was having a good time. Zan, you’re gorgeous. You just don’t see it yourself and you never have.’

Zan shook her head. ‘The truth is, he was with me because it was a refreshing change to be with someone who didn’t know who he was.’

Kim shrugged. ‘Well what’s wrong with that? It must be pretty tough, being a multimillionaire. How can you trust anyone’s motives? At least he knew you wanted to be with him for himself.’

‘But what about me? Didn’t he think about me? He should have told me.’

‘Yes, well, maybe he should,’ Kim conceded, ‘but look on the bright side. You’ve got a very rich boyfriend. At the very least you should get some decent Christmas presents.’

Zan sniffed. ‘He gave me diamond earrings.’

‘Really?’ Kim’s eyes widened and she gave a slow smile of approval. ‘Good for him.’

‘I gave them back.’

Kim stared at her in disbelief. ‘Are you mad?’

‘No.’ Zan looked at her, trying to make her understand. ‘He let me believe they were fake, just like he let me believe that what we had together meant something. Once I found that the earrings were real I couldn’t keep them. They were part of the deception.’

‘You gave diamond earrings back because they weren’t fake?’ Kim stared at her in obvious confusion. ‘You’re a

disgrace to women. And you’re making no sense whatsoever.’

Zan struggled to explain. ‘I thought I knew what they were but then they turned out to be something different. Like Carlo.’

‘I wish I could say that I understand,’ Kim muttered, lifting a hand and scratching her head. ‘But, frankly, I don’t.’

Zan took a deep breath, her expression bleak. ‘I don’t know who he is.’

Kim stood up and gave her a hug. ‘Of course you do. The money doesn’t change anything.’

‘It changes everything,’ Zan said flatly, pulling away from her and walking across the room. ‘Can’t you see that? He isn’t the man he pretended to be. His lifestyle is totally different. He’s only here for a short time and once they’ve caught the idiots who are threatening him he’ll be back in Italy, running his exclusive clinic and jetting between his different homes. I was just a temporary distraction and I was a fool to have trusted him.’

‘Whoa!’ Kim held up a hand. ‘You’re making lots of assumptions here. Have you tried discussing this with him?’

‘Only long enough for me to make a total fool of myself in front of half the police force.’ Zan turned and walked back again. ‘I told him I didn’t want his babies, that I wouldn’t punch the woman who married him on the nose and to finish it all off I’ve probably blacked his other eye.’

‘Really?’ Kim looked intrigued. ‘Did the police arrest you for bodily harm?’

Zan gave a groan and lifted a hand to her aching head. ‘Don’t even joke about it. I was angry. He lied to me!’

‘Don’t worry about the punch. Men love a feisty woman,’ Kim assured her, frowning as Zan turned and walked again.

‘Can you stop pacing for a moment?’ She glared at her in exasperation. ‘You’re wearing out a perfectly good carpet.’

‘Pacing helps me to think.’

Kim sighed. ‘OK, so what happens next?’

Zan paced again. ‘I redecorate my flat and get on with my life. And next time try not to be so gullible.’

Kim looked doubtful. ‘You think he’ll leave it at that?’

‘Of course he will.’