The pair left the apartment in silence, the only sound was that of the heels of both girls, clicking on the hard floor of the hallway as they approached the elevator. Ashleigh appeared to be deep in thought. This, however, never escaped the attention of Pippa, who smiled as she pressed the button to summon the elevator. There was a ping and the elevator quickly arrived with both girls stepping inside and selecting the ground floor.

“So…Ashleigh, I was just telling Elijah, I love what you’ve done with the place,” said Pippa, in an attempt to strike up a conversation as the doors closed and they began to descend.

“Hmm, oh..yeah…erm, thank you,” replied Ashleigh, as if she’d just been interrupted from her deepest of thoughts.

“It looks far better than it did when it was Aaron and Wesley’s place,” Pippa explained, “Was that Elijah’s doing, or…?” she asked.

“No, no, it was all my doing, Elijah was happy either way,” answered Ashleigh as the doors opened on the ground floor.

The two ladies stepped out and made their way outside into the chilly, winter air.

“No James this time?” asked Ashleigh, expecting to see a black limousine sitting in the car park. Instead, there was Pippa’s white, SUV positioned closest to the doors.

“No,” replied Pippa, “Today, Miss Ashleigh, I shall be your chauffeur,” she added, triggering the pair to giggle.

“Oh...” stated Ashleigh as they approached the SUV.

“Is there a problem?” asked Pippa as she unlocked the doors.

“No…no problem,” answered Ashleigh as the pair climbed inside and fastened their seatbelts. “I’m just surprised you remember how to drive,” Ashleigh added with a giggle.

Pippa narrowed her eyes and glared at her friend,

“Of course, I remember how to drive, I don’t get chauffeured everywhere you know,” Pippa laughed as she started up the car. “Now…If I can only remember what these pedals do,” she joked, with the pair now giggling like a couple of school girls.

Pippa pulled out of the car park and out onto the road. Pippa turned up the radio and the two women sang along, laughed and joked for the majority of the journey.

Ashleigh turned down the radio, not recognising where they were heading,

“Where are we going?” asked Ashleigh, “That Italian bistro?”

“No…not this time sweetie,” replied Pippa, “We have a reservation at The Sheridan,” she added.

Ashleigh was stunned. The Sheridan was an exclusive, Michelin-star restaurant, owned and run by a celebrity chef named Nina Harriett.

“Erm…what?” exclaimed Ashleigh, she never dreamed of being able to eat at that restaurant, let alone be able to afford to. “How…what…how…I can’t afford to eat there.”

“Relax sweetie,” replied Pippa, “Lunch is on me…well actually it’s on Edward, he set this up, Chef Harriett is actually a good friend of Edwards,” she explained, “Plus, where else better to discuss…business,” she added with a grin.

“Business? Lunch at The Sheridan? Have I fallen into some alternate universe or something?” thought Ashleigh.

“Business? Pip…what do you mean business?” asked a shellshocked Ashleigh.

“All will be explained over lunch, sweetie,” stated Pippa, before turning up the radio once more so they could continue their private, on-the-road, karaoke session.

Ashleigh tried to continue how they were, but now she was distracted. What business was Pippa referring to? Why was she taking Ashleigh to such a prestigious restaurant?

It wasn’t much longer till the car pulled up at the gates of the car park to The Sheridan restaurant. With it being such an exclusive restaurant, the security for the car park was the tightest Ashleigh had ever known for a car park. A security guard stood by the six-foot-high gate to the indoor car park, Pippa wound down her window and explained they had a reservation under the name Goldman. The guard checked a list and then opened the gate, allowing the SUV to enter.

As they entered the car park, Ashleigh was in awe of the cars parked around in the bays, Ferraris, Porsches, Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. It seemed like every high-end car that Ashleigh could think of was parked within that building.

Eventually, Pippa found an empty bay, tucked into a corner and beside a Bentley. Ashleigh carefully opened her door and climbed out, her eyes still in disbelief at her surroundings.

The two ladies made their way to the entrance to the restaurant that was located within the car park. As they approached, a gentleman in a tuxedo opened the door and gestured for the two to step inside. The girls thanked the gentleman and entered, as they did so, they approached another man, dressed exactly the same, however, he was standing behind a small wooden podium.

“Good afternoon Mrs Goldman, can I take your coats, ladies?” stated the greeter.

“Good afternoon,  Vincent,” replied Pippa as the pair took off their coats and handed them to the gentleman.

“Of course Pippa knows him,” thought Ashleigh as the gentleman waved to another man to approach.

“The usual table Mrs Goldman?” asked the greeter,

“Yes please,” replied Pippa.

As the second gentleman approached, Vincent turned to him,

“Table 27,” stated Vincent, as he gestured for the ladies to follow the young gentleman.

As they followed the young man to their seat, Ashleigh couldn’t help but look around at other patrons sitting eating at their tables. Some she didn’t recognise, others she did; pop stars, actors, actresses, sitting with their families and having lunch. And here she was, about to sit amongst them, to have lunch with one of her best friends.

They soon arrived at a table by a large window, looking out onto the street.

The young gentleman pulled out the chairs for the ladies to sit, before tucking them in at the table.

“My name is Charles and I will be your waiter today,” stated the young man, “Can I get you ladies any drinks before you order your food?”

“I will have sparkling water, please, as I’m driving,” stated Pippa “and a Martini for my friend, thank you,” she added.

“Certainly, Mrs Goldman,” said Charles before he quickly scampered away.

Ashleigh leaned across the table,

“Pip…how is it that you literally know everyone,” she joked in a hushed tone.

Pippa giggled, perks of having a daddy who is one of the richest men in the country,” she replied.

“Now…are we talking Edward…or Alistair,” joked Ashleigh.

“Oh my god, Ashleigh…you can’t…” laughed Pippa, “I mean Alistair of course.”

“So…when is it you move into the Ashton-Burns estate, anyway?” asked Ashleigh.

Pippa smiled, but before she could answer, Charles returned with their drinks,

“One, sparkling water…and one Martini,” stated Charles, placing the drinks on the table. “Just signal to me when you are ready to order your meal,” he added with a smile.

“Thank you, Charles,” replied Pippa, before turning back to Ashleigh. “Anyway…we are actually moving in as we speak. Edward is over there now with Daddy, getting everything sorted, moving their belongings to their new home and ours into our new home. Naturally…just as I’m out for you with lunch, Mum has been sent out shopping,” she explained.

“Exciting times,” stated Ashleigh with a smile, taking a sip of her drink.

“Indeed,” replied Pippa with a huge smile on her face. “So…Ashleigh, how are things? I must say I’m rather pleasantly surprised to come back from my honeymoon and you still be here,” she added.

Ashleigh paused for a moment, taking another sip of her drink,

“Things are going…well, I’d say,” she said with a smile.

“Elijah told me he asked you to date him for a few weeks, how is that going?” asked Pippa, a slight smirk now appearing on her face.

Ashleigh paused once again, pondering her response,

“Yeah…things are going okay…hence…still being here like this,” replied Ashleigh with a smile, diverting her eyes away from Pippa.

Pippa took a sip of her drink before leaning in towards her friend,

“Going well? Oh come on Ash, I’m not stupid,” she giggled.

“And what do you mean by that?” asked Ashleigh, her eyes continuing to dart everywhere, apart from making solid contact with Pippa’s eyes.

“Oh Ashleigh…my dear…naïve…sweet friend,” replied Pippa. “I have seen the apartment, as I said it looks fantastic. Definitely a…a female touch shall we say,” explained Pippa with a giggle.

Ashleigh looked quizzically at her friend.

“The apartment…that…erm…you saw it before…it was like a bachelor pad,” giggled Ashleigh.

“What I mean, Ash…you’re…changing…adjusting…I don’t know,” stated Pippa, “Besides…I’ve seen the way the two of you look at each other…you’re both smitten and you know it,” she giggled.

“No…no… no it’s not like that…not at all, we’re just friends,” said Ashleigh in a defensive manner.

“Just my opinion,” said Pippa, holding up her hands, “From what I’ve witnessed so far...you have it bad…the way you look at each other, the way you’ve blitzed the apartment…if I didn’t know better…I’d say you were nesting,” she giggled.

“Nesting?” Ashleigh said, sounding confused, yet deep down, she knew what Pippa meant.

“Oh come on, Ashleigh, there’s a spare room…maybe room for one more?” said Pippa, placing her hand on her tummy.

“Woah…no, no, no, no, no…not a chance…I promised Elijah I would stay like this for a few weeks, no more,” exclaimed Ashleigh, loud enough to attract looks from other tables.

“Okay, okay, just my humble observations, that’s all,” said Pippa with a smile. “However…I do have a few…proposals for you to think over…we shall discuss it over food,” she added, waving over to Charles.