The Business Trip Our Husbands Paid For

Two wives. One hotel suite. Four very expensive mistakes.

Chapter One — The Booking "Mistake"

"Richard, tell me you're joking."

Thirty-five-year-old Natalie Bennett stood in the doorway of her luxurious Paris hotel bathroom, her blonde hair still damp, a white towel wrapped around her body.

Outside the windows, the Eiffel Tower rose above the rooftops.

Inside, Natalie was considering murder.

"What do you mean, there's only one suite?"

"It's a very large suite, darling."

"Richard!"

"Christine will be perfectly comfortable. You two can keep each other company."

"Christine? Christine Marshall?"

"Yes. You know her."

"I've met her three times! And every time she's looked at me as though I've crawled out from under a rock."

"Don't exaggerate."

"At your Christmas party, she barely spoke to me."

"She's a little reserved."

"She's a snob!"

Richard sighed.

"Look, Natalie, I'm trying to do something nice for you. Thomas and I thought you girls deserved a holiday."

"Then why didn't you book two rooms?"

"An administrative oversight."

Natalie stared at the phone.

"Whose oversight?"

Silence.

"Richard?"

"Anyway, darling, I have to go. Important meeting."

"On a Saturday?"

"Business never sleeps."

The call ended.

Natalie stood motionless for several seconds.

Then she looked at her phone.

"Neither does stupidity, apparently."

Someone knocked at the door.

Natalie closed her eyes.

"Oh, wonderful."

Chapter Two — The Woman at the Door

Christine Marshall was thirty-nine, brunette, stunningly attractive, and dressed in an ivory silk blouse, charcoal skirt, and expensive heels.

She looked Natalie up and down.

"Oh."

Natalie tightened her towel.

"Yes. Oh."

"I wasn't expecting you to answer the door dressed like that."

"And I wasn't expecting to spend my holiday sharing a bedroom with you."

Christine's expression hardened.

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual."

"Excellent. At least we agree on something."

Christine wheeled her suitcase inside.

"I specifically told Thomas I wanted a quiet week alone."

"And I told Richard exactly the same thing."

Christine glanced toward the bedroom.

"One bed?"

"One enormous bed."

"Wonderful."

Natalie folded her arms.

"Look, Christine, we don't have to pretend we're delighted. We'll simply stay out of each other's way."

"Perfectly acceptable."

"Good."

"Fine."

They regarded each other in silence.

Then Christine said, "For the record, I didn't ask to be here with you."

"Neither did I."

"Thomas said you insisted we travel together."

Natalie blinked.

"What?"

"He told me you'd complained that I never made an effort to be friendly."

Natalie stared at her.

"Richard told me you thought I was an embarrassment at company functions!"

Christine's mouth fell open.

"I never said that!"

"Well, apparently you did."

Christine shook her head.

"At the Christmas party, Thomas told me you were furious because I had apparently insulted your dress."

"You didn't even speak to me!"

"Because I was trying to avoid another argument!"

The women stared at each other.

Then Natalie slowly smiled.

"Our husbands."

Christine nodded.

"Our wonderful husbands."

"They've been telling us stories about each other."

"For years, apparently."

Natalie shook her head in disbelief.

"Why?"

Christine considered that.

"Perhaps because they don't particularly want us comparing notes."

A thoughtful silence followed.

Then Christine looked toward the bathroom.

"May I freshen up?"

"Please do."

"After that, I think I'll go shopping."

"And I'm going sightseeing."

"Excellent."

"Excellent."

Christine disappeared into the bathroom.

Natalie looked at the closed door.

Well, she thought, at least she's not quite the monster Richard described.

Chapter Three — Two Coffees and Two Idiots

Three hours later, Natalie was sitting outside a little café near the Eiffel Tower, staring angrily at her phone.

Richard had sent a message.

Hope you're having fun, darling. Don't call tonight. Important clients.

She typed a response, deleted it, and ordered another coffee.

"Unbelievable!"

Natalie looked up.

Christine stood beside the neighboring table, clutching her phone.

"Let me guess," Natalie said. "Thomas?"

Christine turned.

"Natalie?"

"Pull up a chair. You look like you need something stronger than coffee."

Christine sat.

"That man is impossible."

"Which one? Mine or yours?"

"Both, probably."

Christine showed her the message Thomas had sent.

Very busy tonight, sweetheart. Richard and I have important business associates coming over. Please don't interrupt.

Natalie burst out laughing.

Christine frowned.

"What's funny?"

Natalie showed her Richard's message.

Christine read it.

Then she began laughing too.

"Important clients?"

"Apparently."

"On a Saturday night?"

"Business never sleeps," Natalie quoted dramatically.

Christine nearly spilled her coffee.

"Oh, that's priceless. Thomas says that too!"

The women laughed until the waiter approached to ask whether everything was all right.

"Perfectly," Christine assured him. "We've just discovered we're married to the same idiot."

That started them laughing again.

Eventually, the conversation became more personal.

Natalie confessed that she'd once wanted to open a fashion and event consultancy.

Christine revealed that she'd spent years developing marketing campaigns for her husband's company without ever receiving official credit.

"Thomas tells everyone I'm very good at organizing dinner parties," she said bitterly.

Natalie raised an eyebrow.

"And are you?"

"Magnificent. But I'm considerably better at negotiating advertising contracts."

Natalie grinned.

"Then we really should have met properly years ago."

"Apparently our husbands thought otherwise."

They ordered lunch.

Then dessert.

Then another coffee.

By the time they returned to the hotel, neither could quite remember why they'd disliked the other.

Chapter Four — The Evening That Went Nowhere

By seven thirty, both women were preparing to go out.

Separately, of course.

Natalie emerged from the bedroom wearing a glittering champagne-colored dress that ended well above her knees.

Christine looked up from the sofa.

"Good heavens."

Natalie stopped.

"What?"

"You look absolutely spectacular."

Natalie smiled.

"Thank you."

Then Christine stood.

She wore a short burgundy satin dress with delicate straps and a pair of magnificent high heels.

Natalie stared.

"Well, now I feel underdressed."

Christine laughed.

"Hardly."

"Where are you going?"

"I booked a table at a little restaurant near the Seine."

"Alone?"

"Yes. You?"

"Some jazz club."

"Alone?"

"Apparently."

They looked at each other.

Then Christine glanced at the unopened bottle of wine on the table.

"Would you like a glass before we leave?"

Natalie smiled.

"One couldn't hurt."

Twenty minutes later, both were sitting on the sofa.

An hour later, Natalie had canceled her reservation.

Christine hadn't even bothered calling hers.

"Can I ask you something?" Natalie said.

"Of course."

"Why have we wasted so many years disliking each other?"

"Because our husbands are idiots."

"Besides that."

Christine considered the question.

"Perhaps because we never really looked at each other."

Natalie smiled.

"I'm looking now."

Christine's expression changed.

"Oh?"

"And I rather like what I see."

For several seconds neither spoke.

Then Christine set down her glass.

"Natalie, we're both married."

"I'm aware."

"To men."

"Unfortunately."

Christine laughed.

"You're terrible."

"I've been told."

Their laughter faded.

Christine moved closer.

"Are you flirting with me?"

Natalie met her eyes.

"Would you prefer I stopped?"

Christine shook her head.

"No."

Natalie reached for her hand.

"Good. Because I've wanted to kiss you for the last hour."

Christine smiled.

"Only the last hour?"

Natalie leaned closer.

"All right. Since the café."

"That sounds more convincing."

Their first kiss was tentative.

The second wasn't.

When they finally separated, Natalie smiled.

"Well, that certainly wasn't part of our husbands' itinerary."

Christine laughed.

"But sharing a bed was, apparently. They only booked us one room, remember?"

Natalie grinned.

"Perhaps they're not quite as stupid as we thought."

"Oh, darling, I wouldn't go that far."

They both laughed.

Christine stood and offered her hand.

"Now, I think it's time we made ourselves a little more comfortable."

Natalie looked appreciatively at Christine's spectacular dress and towering heels.

"Are you suggesting we get out of these expensive clothes?"

"Among other things."

Natalie took her hand.

"And what about our marriages?"

Christine smiled.

"Darling, we've spent years worrying about our husbands. I think we deserve one evening thinking about ourselves."

Natalie kissed her again.

"Then lead the way."

And for the first time in years, neither woman was particularly interested in answering her husband's phone calls.

Chapter Five — Four Women and Two Very Stupid Men

"Christine?"

"Mmm?"

"Is that your phone?"

Christine reached toward the bedside table.

"Unfortunately."

Natalie stretched beneath the covers.

"Ignore it."

"I would, but it's Sophie."

"Who's Sophie?"

"Thomas's office manager. She never contacts me on Sundays."

Christine opened the message.

Her eyes widened.

Then she started laughing.

Natalie raised herself on one elbow.

"What?"

"Oh, Natalie. You are not going to believe this."

"Try me."

Christine showed her the photographs.

Their husbands were entertaining four considerably younger women from the office at Richard and Natalie's country house.

There was champagne.

There was a swimming pool.

There were several photographs that neither man would enjoy explaining to a divorce lawyer.

Natalie examined one.

"Is that my husband's favorite dressing gown?"

Christine nodded.

"On a twenty-three-year-old receptionist, apparently."

Natalie stared at the image.

Then she began laughing.

"Oh, Richard, you magnificent idiot."

Christine scrolled.

"Apparently the gentlemen invited the girls for what they're calling a private executive retreat."

"Four women?"

"Four."

"Two each?"

"Seems fair."

They both dissolved into laughter.

Then Natalie grew quiet.

"Christine?"

"Yes?"

"I think my marriage is over."

Christine lowered the phone.

"Mine too."

They regarded each other.

"Are you upset?" Christine asked.

Natalie considered the question.

"About the years I've wasted? A little."

"And about last night?"

Natalie smiled.

"Not for a second."

Christine leaned closer and kissed her.

"Good. Because neither am I."

A moment later, Natalie's phone rang.

Richard.

She answered.

"Good morning, darling."

"Natalie! Everything all right?"

"Marvelous."

"Enjoying Paris?"

"Immensely."

"Getting along with Christine?"

Natalie looked at the beautiful brunette beside her.

"Better than you could possibly imagine."

Richard sounded relieved.

"Excellent! Well, Thomas and I have a busy day—"

"Of course you do, sweetheart."

"Anything you need?"

Natalie considered the question.

"Actually, yes."

"What?"

"Tell your four important clients that Sophie says hello."

Silence.

Then Natalie ended the call.

Christine stared at her.

"That was wicked."

Natalie grinned.

"I've only just started."

Christine placed her phone on the bedside table and stood up.

"Well, in that case, I believe we have some serious decisions to make."

Natalie raised an eyebrow.

"About our marriages?"

"Eventually."

"Our future?"

"That too."

Christine slipped off her robe and climbed back beneath the covers.

"But first, darling, I believe we have some unfinished business."

Natalie laughed and welcomed her with open arms.

"Business or pleasure?"

Christine kissed her.

"Do we really have to choose?"

Chapter Six — A Much Better Arrangement

Two days later, Natalie and Christine were sitting together with a laptop, a stack of notes, and an increasingly ambitious business plan.

Their husbands had called repeatedly.

Neither woman had answered.

Instead, they'd spoken with their respective lawyers.

And with a potential investor Christine knew in Paris.

Natalie had spent years planning events and developing fashion concepts.

Christine knew marketing, corporate strategy, and international clients.

Together, they were a surprisingly formidable team.

"Look at this," Natalie said, turning the laptop toward Christine.

"If we combine your contacts with my event concepts, we could start with three major clients."

Christine studied the figures.

"Four. I know someone in Geneva who'd be interested."

Natalie smiled.

"You're rather good at this."

"So are you."

Christine slipped an arm around her shoulders.

"Imagine what we might accomplish without our husbands constantly explaining what we can't do."

Natalie laughed.

"Apparently quite a lot."

"And the business?"

"Partnership. Fifty-fifty."

Christine kissed her cheek.

"And the pleasure?"

Natalie turned toward her.

"That, darling, is something I intend to negotiate privately."

Epilogue — The Return Ticket

On the final evening of their supposedly relaxing holiday, Richard called again.

Natalie answered while Christine poured two glasses of champagne.

"When are you coming home?" he demanded.

Natalie glanced at Christine.

"That's an interesting question."

"What does that mean?"

"It means Christine and I have decided to extend our stay."

"For how long?"

"Indefinitely."

"What?"

"We've started a company together."

Richard laughed.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous."

Natalie smiled.

"There's more."

"What now?"

"We're both filing for divorce."

Silence.

Then an outraged voice.

"Does Thomas know?"

"He will shortly."

"But Natalie! What on earth has happened to you two?"

Natalie looked at Christine, who had settled beside her, smiling.

"Oh, Richard. It's been the most wonderful holiday."

"You're not making any sense!"

"One final thing, darling."

"What?"

"Thank you for booking only one room."

She ended the call.

Christine lifted her glass.

"To our husbands?"

Natalie considered that.

"To their generosity."

"And their stupidity."

The women clinked glasses.

Outside, Paris glittered beneath the evening sky.

Their husbands had arranged the trip to keep them conveniently occupied while the men enjoyed themselves at home.

Instead, they'd accidentally financed the beginning of something extraordinary.

A new business.

A new romance.

And two women who had finally discovered that the best things in life were worth sharing.

THE END