She bent over the instructions that supposedly told her how to put together her new desk. Another guilt present. She’d been wanting a new desk for ages, asking Mark for the money, but he’d always resisted. Now here it was. If only she could make head or tail of the confusing pictures that made up the instructions.

After two hours wrangling wood pieces and allen keys and plastic plugs, Nicky won the battle of the desk and stood back to admire her handiwork. For someone who’d never put anything together in her life, she was pretty impressed with herself. The left leg was a little wonky, and she had screws and an oddly shaped piece of wood left over, but she was more than willing to ignore that fact.

Mark’s key turned in the door. He’d come home early so they could get up to the mountains before dark.

‘Hey.’ He hugged her, and handed her a small pink box wrapped in a silver ribbon.

‘What’s this?’

‘Just a little something for my love.’

Inside the box was a delicate diamond bracelet. ‘It’s beautiful.’ Nicky smiled as Mark secured it to her wrist. ‘Thank you.’

‘Is this it?’ Mark indicated the desk.

‘Yep. Proud of me?’

Mark nodded. ‘Is that the same desk you showed me you were going to get?’

Nicky had thought if she saved a little on the desk, then she could afford some special lingerie for the weekend.

Mark frowned. ‘I think I like the other one better, but it’s your desk, I suppose.’

‘I can take it back,’ she said.

He shook his head. ‘As I said, it’s your desk. Let’s get on the road before it gets too late.’

They drove in silence and by the time they got to the winding mountain road an hour later the sun had begun to set.

‘Can’t be far now,’ Nicole said, trying to break the quiet.

Mark reached over and took her hand. ‘Twenty minutes.’

They turned off the road and drove down a long tree-lined driveway. In the clearing ahead was a stone and wood lodge nestled among tall mountain blue gums.

The hotel was even better than the pictures and as soon as they entered their room Nicky could feel the tension release from her body. Standing in front of the large windows, she looked out across the valley covered in eucalypts. The last rays of sunlight bathed the valley in a soft pink glow, and the only noise was the birds in the trees starting their evening song.

From behind her Mark wrapped his arms around her waist, propping his chin on her shoulder. ‘It’s beautiful. Thank you for organising this.’ He kissed her neck. ‘Let’s get changed and head to dinner.’

Nicky slipped into her new black dress, especially bought for the occasion, and smoothed the fabric over her waist.

She twirled around in front of Mark.