All You Need Is Love by Janet Nissenson

shoes for her. Tell her I said its payback time.”
    ***
    Julia groaned when her office phone rang for the fifth time that morning. She was sorely tempted to let her voice mail pick up, but since she was waiting for a very important call back from a supplier she answered on the third ring.
    “Julia, good morning. It’s Ian. I hope this isn’t a bad time for you,” greeted the charming Brit.
    She bit her lip before she could reply that the last month had been a bad time for her. “Not at all,” she replied pleasantly, all the while glaring at the pile of work on her desk. “It’s always a pleasure to hear from you.”
    “Well, I won’t take up much of your time. I can only imagine how busy things must be for you right now. But I was hoping that you might be able to spare me just a few minutes later today,” said Ian in a polite but determined tone, one that Julia knew she wouldn’t dream of arguing with.
    “Yes, of course,” she agreed instantly. “Everyone here is always at your beck and call, Ian, you know that. So tell me how I can help you.”
    “Ah, but for once this has nothing to do with the hotel or any other design projects,” he corrected. “I was actually hoping you’d help me select a birthday gift for Tessa. She’ll be twenty five at the end of the month.”
    Julia was completely bewildered at such an unexpected request. “Yes, I know. We’re having lunch next week to celebrate. And as for choosing a gift – Ian, I’ve seen many of the things you’ve bought her – clothes, shoes, jewelry. You’ve got excellent taste, maybe even better than mine, so I can’t imagine why you’d need my help.”
    Ian hesitated for several seconds, and Julia suspected he was improvising. “Yes, well, this particular gift – I just wanted a female opinion about it, that’s all. I promise it won’t take long.”
    She glanced at her day planner and shuddered. “All right. I’ll move a few things around, see what I can do. What time should I arrive at your office?”
    “Oh, I’m not at the office today,” he corrected, as though it was an afterthought. “No, I’m actually in a series of meetings all day up at the hotel. If you could meet me there instead that would be ideal, Julia.”
    She frowned, feeling more than a little suspicious. “So you’re carrying this gift along with you?”
    “No, no.” He was quick – maybe too quick – to reassure her. “It’s – I haven’t actually purchased it yet. It’s – well, just a photo I’ve got saved on my laptop.”
    Julia brightened at this bit of news. “Well, why can’t you just email it to me, then? I’d be happy to look it over and email you my comments back.”
    The impatience in Ian’s voice was more noticeable now. “Ah, no, that really won’t do, I’m afraid. I mean, if you don’t think it’s suitable then I was hoping you’d have some alternative ideas. It would just be – easier all around if you could meet me here. I promise it won’t take very long.”
    She sighed in resignation, too weary to argue any further. “Fine. Tell me what time and where.”
    After she’d agreed to arrive at the hotel at two p.m. and ask the concierge to page Ian, she hung up the phone, now thoroughly annoyed, both with Ian and herself.
    ‘You should have just told him no,’ she reprimanded herself severely. ‘You know you don’t have even five minutes to spare today. This is going to mean working an hour later, which means the place cards will have to wait until tomorrow. I’m so beginning to wish we’d just gotten married while we were still in Paris!’
    She knew she was overextended and at the brink of exhaustion. And, with an unabashed admission of guilt, knew that she’d been taking a lot of her stress out on poor Nathan. He’d been trying, really trying, to be supportive and solicitous, but she’d been snapping at him as though she had 24/7 PMS.
    And it wasn’t just Nathan who’d been on the receiving end of her bad moods.