Summer at Tiffany's by Karen Swan

the fact that its dark timbered confines had been overhauled in favour of a Farrow and Ball makeover so that the interior was now all battleship grey panelling with trendy wallpaper and black and white photos. Bas didn’t care. They had placed their orders and his food was coming. He would live to fight another day.
    Cassie wasn’t saying much. Her heart had been banging repeatedly against her ribs all the way for the rest of the walk, wanting to know what was in the bag whilst desperately not wanting to know either. She didn’t want another fight.
    â€˜So come on then,’ Anouk drawled, drumming her manicured nails on the table impatiently. ‘Let’s see what’s in the blue bag. Cassie may be able to stand it but I cannot.’
    Henry winked at Cassie as he finally slid it over the table towards her. ‘Nice to see someone got lucky –
again
,’ Bas said in mock complaint as he rolled his eyes.
    Cassie checked her hands weren’t shaking before she placed them on the bag, but she didn’t notice she was holding her breath. Warily, she peered in – only to be hit by a wave of relief. She pulled out the flat, rectangular box that couldn’t in any way have been used for what she’d feared.
    An enormous smile enlivened her face. ‘Oh!’ she said excitedly, as intrigued now as she had been terrified a moment ago, biting her lip as she gently tugged on the satin ribbon and lifted the lid.
    â€˜Passport cover,’ Henry said triumphantly as she pulled out a soft Tiffany blue leather jacket. ’I’ve been telling you for ages that you need one. It’s never looked right since you put it through the wash in your jeans.’
    â€˜You bought me a passport cover,’ she whispered, clutching it to her chest.
    â€˜I did,’ he grinned, delighted by her response. ‘So you like?’
    â€˜I love it,
love
it,’ she replied, leaning forwards on her elbows to kiss him on the lips. ‘You’re always so amazing to me.’
    â€˜I wanted to treat you,’ he murmured, his eyes on her lips.
    â€˜Although you know we can’t afford –’ She stopped, as she realized suddenly that he didn’t know. Not yet.
    â€˜Listen, there’s going to be no more worrying about the rent or eating jacket potatoes for dinner for at least six months. This expedition’s going to mean we can relax for a little while, at least –’
    He stopped suddenly, growing pale, and Cassie knew he’d finally remembered the missed meeting. The grant had been a promise for so long now, he had stopped thinking about it as a variable at all; all he’d had to do was turn up at the meeting and turn on the charm – he could do that in his sleep. Only . . . ‘Oh
shit
.’
    â€˜What’s up?’ Bas asked, taking in their stilted body language.
    â€˜. . . Uh,’ Henry stalled, his mind whirring as he took in the ramifications of the missed meeting. The expedition was supposed to be leaving in a fortnight. Everything was in place – sponsors, team, the weather even; the grant was just the final instalment needed to actually cross the t’s and get everything kicked off at last. ‘I was on my way to pitch for the grant when Arch collapsed,’ he said slowly, his voice quiet.
    â€˜Oh
merde
!’ Anouk exclaimed sympathetically.
    Henry shook his head, distractedly. ‘Christ, it went right out of my head.’ He winced, raking a hand through his hair and looking more ill by the moment. ‘How could I have . . .’ he looked at Cassie. ‘How could I have
forgotten
?’
    â€˜There’s been so much going on,’ she said quickly, pained by the expression in his face. ‘Of course you haven’t had time to think about it. You’ve been completely focused on Arch.’ And her. He’d been distracted by her last night.
    â€˜I’m sure when you explain to them what