"So where are you going"

"New York"

"New York?" John considered this "Why?"

"I told you, It's just a little shopping trip. Celebrate the end of finals"

"Do you really have to go all the way to New York? Chicago has shops you know"

"Yeah, but New York has the biggest ones"

John rolled his eyes at Claire and kissed the top of her forehead lightly. She was sure he could tell that she was lying. She had rung the publishing house and had set an interview date for six weeks later. She had thought that plenty of time to call and cancel if she changed her mind, yet here she was bags packed the night before, in bed with John. Telling him lie after lie and praying that he wouldn't realise. She hadn't meant to get herself in this deep, but when she had explained that she was going away he had pestered her for a reason, and shopping was the first thing that came to mind. Nobody would put it past her to travel all the way to New York just to go shopping. Tell him the truth? Not an option. Why stir things up, she thought, when there was no need. John would get wound up, accuse her of wanting to run away from him. She wanted this night to hold onto.

"Are you even listening to me?" John interrupted Claire's thoughts

"Yeah sorry, I'm just tired"

"Oh right," John smirked "I guess that's my fault"Claire pretended to be offended and hit him with a pillow.

"Are you hungry?" She asked him, sitting up and pulling the sheets away.

"Do you even need to ask?" John looked at her bare back, her red hair tumbling down, all dishevelled. God, she was beautiful.

"I'm just going to the kitchen, be right back" She told him

"You better" repiled John, his eyes roaming her body.

Claire stood up and reached for Johns discarded shirt. Slipping it over her head, she tiptoed to the kitchen. She stood there for a couple of minutes in the darkness trying to get her thoughts together. People who said guilt was just an emotion were lying, it was an actual physical pain, weighing heavily upon her shoulders. She could reason all she wanted, tell herself that nothing was set in concrete yet, but she felt bad lying to him at all. She heard John call her name, and grabbing some chips, she headed back towards the bedroom. She stood at the doorframe for a few moments watching him, searching his eyes for a reason to stay.

"You gonna stand there forever cherry? Or come back to bed?"

John smiled at her, and pulled the sheets back for Claire for climb back in.
Crossing the room, Claire set down the chips on her dresser, padded softly across to the bed and laid down beside John. He turned over so that his body was facing hers and leant down to kiss her softly.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

Claire pulled his face down to meet hers and kissed him hungrily in response. She intertwined her fingers with his hair, felt his body responding to her kisses. She stopped pulled back slightly and pulled his head a little away from hers to look into his eyes.

"I love you so much" she said sadly.

John kissed her lips and started to unbutton his shirt that she was wearing. Moving down and kissing each bit of flesh that was exposed as he undone each button.
Claire felt a warm tear escape and run down the side of her face, How could she leave him?

……………………………

Claire was sat in the reception of Highman and Hughes publishing, in total shock. She had just finished the interview. The guy who had told her, ironically enough, 'to call him John,' had just informally told her that the job was hers. She would get the official letter within a week, and then they could discuss hours and a starting salary. Claire couldn't believe it, the whole thing had just snowballed. She never really thought that she would get the job, but John had been gushing about how they 'loved her CV' were always looking to 'recruit new talent' into the house. A voice broke into Claire's thoughts.
"Hey, uh, are you alright"
She looked over the receptionist, a trendy young girl, around Claire's age, trying to look concerned. Claire suspected she was just being nosey.
"Yeah, I'm fine thank you"
Claire stood up, gathered her bag and made her way towards the elevator. The offices were modern, bright and wonderful. Claire couldn't believe that soon she would be working here. A little part of her was still feeling that it wasn't to late, she hadn't signed anything. She could turn down the offer and live happily ever after with John. Another little voice, tried to reason that maybe John would like to live In New York, a change would be good for him. It was complete crap, she knew that, he would never move. The question was, could she leave him?
She stepped into the elevator and watched the doors close, watched the little lights as she descended towards the ground floor. Beating her way through the crowd, she left the offices and walked a couple of steps. She turned around gazed up at building, the possibilities and opportunities this move couldcreate buzzed through her mind.
So then, this was it, decision time.