She reached for her mail and, as she straightened, a shoe fell from her bag. It was her bridal shoe, the one remaining stiletto. She’d picked it up on a whim when she’d left home that morning, wondering in some crazy moment if having it in the house had been the reason she’d had the dream. She couldn’t quite bring herself to throw it away—she was really pleased with its design—but she didn’t want to live with it either. Georgie would say her thoughts were irrational and that inanimate objects didn’t hold bad luck or bad spirits. But Megan couldn’t help feeling a little superstitious about the shoe that had made her feel like Cinderella—except the prince she’d ran from was no charmer and she definitely didn’t want him to come looking for her.

“Morning, Megan, how are you?”

She retrieved the shoe and turned to the doorway. “Hi, Ted, good thanks.”

Ted smiled and fiddled with his tie. He worked at Crawford Estate Agents which leased the office next to hers and he always smelt of strong aftershave that lingered in the air after he’d left.

“Didn’t get much of a tan, did you?” He laughed. “Spend the whole week in the hotel room?” He winked and gave a knowing nod. “Can’t be bad.”

Shit.

“I, er…” She paused. “I didn’t go on honeymoon.”

“Oh?” He looked confused and his smile fell. “You didn’t?”

“Nope.” She held up her left hand, showing off her bare ring finger. “Didn’t get married at all in fact, so there was no point in having a honeymoon.”

“Well I’ll be buggered.” He shook his head and frowned. “And here was me thinking you were a new bride.”

“Not a bride, just same old me, well, minus the fiancé.”

“But… Why…?” He hesitated. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t ask. That was rude of me.”

“It’s fine.” She might as well say—she spoke to the guys in the estate agents most days as she was coming and going and it would be no secret that she was a jilter. “I guess I got cold feet.” She held up the shoe and huffed. “Very cold. Stone cold.”

“Blimey.”

“I just couldn’t… I suppose I wasn’t ready to settle down.”

“Well, your poor jilted groom’s loss is every other man’s gain.”

“That’s kind of you to say.” Megan smiled. “I really should get on.”

“Yes, yes of course, but you know. If you need anything, even if you just want to join me and the boys for a coffee break, come round, you know you’re always welcome, we love catching up with what’s hot in the shoe world.”

“That’s kind.” Megan rested her hand on his arm. “I might just do that.”