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  "I've always dreamed of living on a canal boat and cruising around the waterways."

  "Really?" He seemed surprised at her revelation. "You never shared that with me before."

  "Would you like to try the wine, sir?" Pippa reappeared suddenly, interrupting their pleasantries.

  Nicole just about managed to repress a sigh of relief when she saw her. The tension between them was palpable and Pippa's presence was a welcome diversion.

  Paul did the honours with the wine and Pippa filled their glasses. Nicole took a long sip of her wine and waited for the alcohol to calm her nerves. "You chose well."

  "Thanks." Paul seemed pleased with her compliment.

  The rest of the meal passed uneventfully. They continued their small talk and the tension between them began to slowly dissipate. The wine was probably helping them to relax too. They'd almost finished their second bottle by the end of the meal.

  "Thank you for lunch," Nicole said, as she and Paul struggled into their coats and made their way back outside to the bracingly cold air.

  The temperature had dropped quite dramatically in the past week.

  "You're welcome. Thank you for meeting me," he responded.

  Nicole couldn't help giggling suddenly. Paul blushed slightly.

  "What is it?"

  "I'm sorry. It must be the combination of the wine and the fresh air," she tried to explain through her giggles. "We're being so formal with each other. It'd odd to me."

  "Tell me about it." Paul ran his hands through his hair.

  "Thanks again." She wasn't too sure if she should shake his hand or kiss him on the cheek or simply walk away.

  "Would you like to go for a walk?" he suggested, “unless of course you have plans."

  "Um, a walk would be lovely."

  "Let's walk by the canal and we can investigate that boat you were drooling over at lunch." "I wasn’t drooling."

  They walked in silence down the few steps from the restaurant to the canal.

  "I miss you," Paul said, suddenly breaking the silence between them.

  "I miss you too," Nicole responded quickly. She meant it. She missed seeing him every day. She missed his hugs and his kisses and just being part of a couple. It was lonely not having anybody with whom she could share her life. Evette had been wonderful and very supportive, but she had her own life and goals. Nicole missed the easy companionship that she and Paul had shared when their relationship was going well.

  "You missed me?" He seemed surprised by her admission.

  "Yes," she replied simply. "Let's grab a coffee. I'm freezing!" They got two coffees to takeaway and continued their walk along the canal.

  "I'm so happy that you're willing to give us another chance," Paul said.

  Nicole turned and looked directly into his eyes for the first time that afternoon. "I want to try to make us work," she admitted, "but I don't know how to go about rebuilding our relationship. Where do we start?"

  "Well, I've been thinking. Actually, I've been doing some research online and I think we should see a relationship counsellor."

  "Maybe," Nicole replied non-committally. "It might be a good idea."

  "Are you sure? I don't want to put any pressure on you."

  "I'm not sure about anything, Paul, but I'm willing to try. Counselling might help. I know we have a lot to talk about but I don't know where to begin. It might be good to have a professional guide us through a structured process."

  Paul's face lit up. "It’s exactly what I was thinking."

  "Anyway, I should go. Thank you again for lunch. Call me." She kissed him on the cheek and walked quickly away. She willed herself not to look behind, even though every impulse in her body was screaming at her to turn around. At the last minute, she glanced over her shoulder, and just as she thought and hoped, Paul was staring after her. She waved at him and he blew her a kiss.

  Chapter 16

  "I think I'm in love," Nicole sighed and stared dreamily at her computer screen.

  "I beg your pardon?" Evette swung around from her desk at the other side of their "office", in other words, the dining room. "I was thinking you seemed a bit distracted recently, but I assumed that your head was full of business plans."

  "It's William," Nicole explained.

  "William?" Evette pulled her chair next to her sister.

  "William Kennedy. Remember, I'm planning his surprise wedding for his girlfriend. He wants to arrange the wedding for New Year's Eve. Then he's taking her on honeymoon to Niagara Falls and afterwards they're going to Norway to see the Aurora Borealis. He's just asked me to book the hotels and flights."

  "Wow," Evette breathed. "It sounds completely magical and very romantic."

  "I know. I've always wanted to see Niagara Falls and the Aurora Borealis is on my bucket list."

  Evette glanced at her curiously but Nicole didn't notice. "Which hotels have you chosen for them? Let's have an online tour."

  Nicole pulled up the reservations with a few clicks on her computer. "This is the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel," she said. "It's the closest hotel to Niagara Falls." She sounded like an experienced tour guide.

  "The views are breathtaking!" Evette gasped in awe. "I've never seen anything like it. Imagine staying there. I'd never leave my room and I'd be glued to the window the entire time just staring at the falls."

  Nicole laughed at her sister's excitement. "Trust me; you'd definitely want to leave your room. There are helicopter tours over the falls. Apparently, it's the best way to see the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls."

  "This just gets better and better. Oh my goodness, there's a Niagara wine tour! I'd certainly be signing up for that."

  "You are incorrigible," Nicole slapped her sister's arm playfully.

  "What's the Aurora Borealis?" Evette asked.

  Nicole stared at her in pretend shock. "You've never heard of the Northern Lights?"

  "Of course I've heard of the Northern Lights! Why didn't you just call them that to begin with?"

  "Anyway, William and his bride will be staying in the Norwegian town of Tromso, which was once known as the "Paris of the North." They'll be staying at the Radisson Tromso Hotel which is located by the quayside, ideally situated close to all the attractions. The hotel rooms have spectacular views of the Straits of Tromso and the Arctic Cathedral. I've booked them a snow-mobile safari which goes to Lake Tamok. Then they'll spend an afternoon reindeer-sledding and learning about the Sami culture."

  "I want to marry William," Evette sighed. "He's so romantic. It's going to be the holiday of a lifetime. She's a very lucky lady and she gets all the fun of the wedding and none of the stress. Well, you're getting most of the stress."

  "I'm enjoying it, to be perfectly honest with you," Nicole smiled. "It's fun planning someone else's wedding and William is the best client. Whenever I suggest something he rarely disagrees with me. It's like I'm planning my own wedding but with someone else paying for it."

  "When are we meeting the elusive William?" Evette asked.

  "He has work commitments until the day before the wedding, so we're not meeting until then."

  "He must be a very trusting person," Evette mused.

  "Well, lucky for him that I'm so trustworthy."

  Nicole's mobile phone bleeped suddenly but she chose to ignore it.

  "Who's that?" Evette asked inquisitively.

  "I don't know. I'll have a look in a while. It's probably an email or a Twitter alert," Nicole answered nonchalantly.

  "Probably." Evette wandered back to her own computer and started typing again.

  "Would you like a coffee?" Nicole offered.

  "Yes, that would be great, thanks. I could do with a caffeine fix."

  Nicole grabbed her mobile phone and headed into the kitchen. She filled the kettle and poured instant coffee into their mugs. Then she peered around the corner to make sure that her sister was still busy and that she wouldn't be disturbed, before finally reading her message. It was from Paul. He was confirming that
he'd booked the relationship counsellor for the following Friday at four o' clock. He asked that she contact him if he couldn't make it so that he could rearrange their appointment. She quickly checked her diary and texted Paul to confirm her attendance. Then she took a few deep breaths and got back to planning William's dream wedding.

  Chapter 17

  "Where are you going looking so glamorous?" Evette eyed her sister up and down suspiciously.

  "I'm meeting Ben and Sarah for a few drinks this evening. Is it too much?" Nicole stared at herself in the mirror for the millionth time that evening.

  She'd painstakingly applied fake tan to her face and body the previous night before bed and now her bare legs and arms had a lovely, golden glow. She wore a black, sparkly mini dress and black stiletto shoes. A few silver bangles glittered on her wrists and she was wearing the chandelier earrings that her parents had given her for her birthday. It felt good to make an effort, more for herself than for anyone else. She hadn't had an opportunity to get dressed up for ages and she was looking forward to going out on the town with her new friends.

  "Oh, that's ok. Sarah likes to get dressed up when she goes out too. I thought you had a hot date that you weren't telling me about."

  "What makes you say that?" Nicole asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

  "You've been acting differently lately, almost like you have a secret or something. You keep staring off into the distance and you just seem distracted, like there's something playing on your mind."

  "I'm thinking about work, that's all really. I desperately want our wedding planning business to work. I'm having so much fun working with you, sis."

  "Me too," Evette grinned.

  "It's a shame you're not coming out with us tonight," Nicole said.

  "I know, but I can feel a massive migraine starting and I'm better off staying at home, relaxing. Alcohol and loud music will definitely aggravate my head. Hopefully if I take it easy tonight I'll be able to ward off a full-blown migraine."

  "I hope so," Nicole sympathised. "Have you got enough painkillers?"

  "I've bought up half the chemist," Evette laughed.

  "Call me if you need anything, ok?"

  "Ok, ok. Stop fussing. Your taxi just buzzed outside. I'll be fine. Go and enjoy yourself." Evette shooed her sister out the door.

  Nicole felt nervous. She had excited butterflies in her stomach, but she didn't understand why. Sarah had called her the previous evening to see if she'd like to go out on the town and Nicole had been looking forward to it all day. She'd spent hours trying on different outfits and deciding what to wear. It was the first time in a very long time that she'd really wanted to make an effort with her appearance, more for herself than for anyone else.

  None of her clothes really fit her properly anymore as she'd lost a stone in weight since the fiasco that was supposed to be her wedding day. One of the positives of being jilted at the altar, she thought ruefully to herself. She'd been thrilled to discover the black sparkly mini-dress in Top Shop which she'd immediately pounced on.

  Sarah waved when she saw Nicole approaching the taxi. Ben jumped out of the passenger seat and gallantly opened the car door for her.

  "You look beautiful," he smiled.

  Nicole blushed under his appreciative gaze. "Thanks."

  "Where's Ev?" Sarah asked.

  "Oh, she has a migraine coming on, so she thought it wise to have an early night."

  "Lightweight," Sarah grinned.

  "So where are we off to tonight?" Nicole asked.

  "I'd like to start with a few drinks at O' Carolan's and then head on to Cupid's nightclub later."

  "Sounds like a plan to me."

  "It's ladies’ night at Cupid's so you two lovelies will get in for free," Ben said over his shoulder.

  "High five!" Sarah raised her hand to Nicole's and they both laughed. Nicole could feel that it was going to be a good night.

  "How long have you two been friends?" Nicole asked as she took a sip of her wine.

  Sarah's expression changed for just a moment, but not without Nicole noticing.

  "Too long," she laughed.

  "Not long enough," Ben chimed in.

  "Creep."

  "Have you ever been more than just friends?" Nicole continued her line of questioning.

  Her curiosity was getting the better of her.

  "Well, we had a moment a few years ago," Ben answered easily.

  "A very brief moment," Sarah agreed, a little too forcefully.

  "Do you think that men and women can ever just be friends?" Nicole asked.

  "Ben and I are just friends now," Sarah replied. "I guess we are proof that it is possible."

  "It's possible once you get the sex issue out of the way," Ben said.

  Nicole almost choked on her wine.

  "That's a bit blunt, even by my standards, Ben," Sarah chuckled.

  "You know what I mean," Ben replied, rolling his eyes. "It's natural that men and women will check each other out when they first meet, especially if there's an attraction or chemistry between them. Sometimes there is an attraction but there are times when a man and woman simply want a platonic relationship with each other. Some of my closest friends are women and I haven't slept with them. It's interesting when you consider the fact that I'm not in contact with any of my ex-girlfriends. I love my female friends. I have more girl- friends than male friends actually. It can be a little tricky at first but once you've reached an understanding about your relationship then there can be great benefits from cross-sex friendships."

  "Do you mean friends with benefits?" Nicole teased.The wine had gone to her head quite quickly and she was beginning to feel giddy. Sarah gave her a stern look.

  "It can be irritating at times. Some people simply will not accept the fact that a male-female friendship is possible. Ben came to my Christmas party one year and my colleagues refused to believe that we were just friends. They teased me all night about him. Ben and I were the main topic of conversation at the party. People were nudging each other and winking at us all night. My boss even asked me if I was lesbian!"

  Ben exploded into loud laughter. "I never knew! Why do people have to be so sceptical?"

  "Oh, you know what most people are like; anything or anyone out of the so-called norm is just socially unacceptable and completely beyond their comprehension," Sarah said disparagingly.

  "Are you a lesbian?" Ben teased.

  Nicole collapsed into helpless giggles and Sarah punched him playfully on the arm.

  "Yes, I'm a lesbian," she said.

  Ben's face lit up.

  "I hope you enjoy lots of fantasies about that one. I'm going outside for a cigarette."

  "You can't handle the conversation, eh Sarah?"

  "Whatever!" she brushed past him and headed towards the smoking area.

  "What do you think, Nicole, can men and women be friends?"

  A tingle ran up Nicole's spine as he glanced thoughtfully at her. She recalled the passionate kiss they'd shared and wondered what it would be like to kiss him again and feel his hands on her body. What would it be like to sleep with him? She'd only ever slept with one man and that was Paul. She suddenly remembered Paul and blinked to get the image of Ben kissing her out of her head. She took a long, slow sip of her wine before finally answering Ben's question.

  "We're friends, aren't we?" she retorted.

  "Maybe," he shrugged.

  "What if I'd like to be more than just friends with you?"

  "I don't know. I don't think so. Paul and I are going to try to work it out."

  "He's a lucky man."

  Ben looked momentarily disappointed at her announcement.

  "Have you ever had a male friend before?" he asked, quickly regaining his composure.

  Nicole squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

  "Before?"

  "Before me, of course."

  "Are you and I friends?" she asked flirtatiously, suddenly deciding to change her attitude towards
him.

  "I'd like to think so."

  "Well, no, I haven't, you would be my first, actually." She eyes him over the rim of her glass.

  "Why do you think you've never had a male friend before me?"

  "I don't know. Paul was my best friend and I had a few close female friends. I never consciously decided not to have male friends, it just never really happened."

  "What about your male colleagues at work and when you socialised? Did you honestly never have an opportunity to become friends with any of them?"

  "Like I said, it just didn't happen." She was getting tired of his game.

  "Did you have any male friends at school?" Ben continued his line of questioning.

  Nicole was beginning to feel as if she was being interrogated. "I went to an all- girls Catholic school until I was eighteen years old, so I didn't have many opportunities to meet boys for friendship or otherwise."

  "Wow," Ben gasped, in mock horror.

  "I didn't know any boys until I went to university. I suppose Paul was my first male friend and eventually we became more than friends."

  "I wonder why you couldn't have stayed friends?" Ben mused.

  "There was a strong physical attraction between us," Nicole explained. "I guess our relationship developed from there."

  "It's funny how society has become so ingrained in the philosophy that a romantic relationship is the prototypical male-female relationship."

  "It's inevitable," Nicole said. "After all, romantic relationships are what keep the life cycle going. We can't fight Mother Nature."

  "I dunno, it irritates me that male-female friendships have been trivialised or ignored. I think we have so much to learn from each other."

  "Like what?"

  "I have male and female friends and I have to admit that I'd rate my female friendships much higher in overall quality and enjoyment. I like the way I can talk and relate to a woman, something which is difficult to do with another guy."

  "I love my male friends," Sarah interrupted. She'd suddenly reappeared with a fresh round of drinks for them and had just caught Ben's last sentence. "All the sharing and discussing that I do with my female friends can be exhausting at times. It's much easier to joke and banter with my male friends without all the emotional baggage. My friendships with the men in my life are lighter and generally more fun. I suppose because men aren't so sensitive about everything. Men tend to take my natural bluntness in their stride whereas women get offended quite easily by me.Ben is like a big brother to me now. It's cute how protective he is of me but one of the best things is that I have an insight into how men truly think."