LISA

"Mommy, can we go to the pool again?"

"We're going to the beach later, honey. Cameron will be there too." I take a tighter hold of Lily's hand as we cross the road to the Harborside Café. "I just need a coffee and a moment with my Sunday newspaper. You can play on the iPad if you want, and I brought a coloring book too." Glancing over my shoulder, I can't shake the uncomfortable feeling that someone is watching us, but I don't see anyone I know.

Grateful there's a shaded table free at the end of the terrace by the water, I let the breeze cool my skin and order a cappuccino for myself and a lemonade for Lily. Boats and modest yachts are sailing into the marina, the day trippers still early enough to secure a mooring spot. I like watching people and seeing the excitement on their faces when they arrive here for the first time as it really is a pretty town and I'm proud of where I live. Lily is taking her crayons out of my bag and seems quite happy to keep herself busy for a while, so I settle into my newspaper and enjoy some downtime.

"Fancy seeing you two here," someone says when I'm engrossed in an article. Immediately recognizing the voice, I freeze and look up to find Mrs. Ashworth standing next to our table.

"Hi, Mrs. Ashworth," I say hesitantly, glancing at Lily who is concentrating on a jungle illustration in her book. And just out of politeness, I add: "How are you?"

"I'm great, thank you." Mrs. Ashworth runs a hand through her bleach-blonde hair and bats her lashes at me. "But please call me Cindy, we've become acquainted well enough to drop the formalities," she adds with a wink. To my utter shock, she takes a seat at our table. "I got a call to say you were unavailable and I must say, I was very disappointed."

Again, I nervously check on Lily, who is now smiling up at Mrs. Ashworth, recognizing her. "Hi," she says.

"Hey there, sweetie. What are you coloring there?"

"An elephant." Lily lifts the coloring book to show her. "I made him blue," she adds with a cheeky chuckle.

"That's very creative. What are you and your mommy up to tod—"

"Okay, Cindy," I try carefully, cutting her off. "It's nice to see you but I'm just here relaxing with my daughter. If I upset you in any way, I'd appreciated if we could talk in private at a mutually convenient time."

Cindy actually looks pleased with this and leans in closer to me. "That's not a problem. How about we have dinner tonight?"

"No, I didn't mean dinner," I say, doing my best to stay polite. I'm pretty sure she's followed us here and if she's delusional in any way, I don't want to push her over the edge. Glancing around, I note that there's a quiet spot in the corner of the terrace and gesture there, figuring it's probably best to get it over with so she won't get any ideas of us going out on a date. "Lily, stay here where I can see you for five minutes, okay? I'm just going to talk to Cindy for a moment, I'll be right back."

Lily frowns but doesn't protest and turns back to her crayons. Ms. Ashworth sighs as she gets up, then follows me to the empty table.

"Why are you being so distant with me?" she whispers. "What have I done?"

"You haven't done anything, Cindy. But I keep my job and private life strictly separate, and I don't want to socialize with clients outside the visits. That's my daughter over there. Don't you understand it's highly uncomfortable for me if you start asking her personal questions and follow us around?"

"I didn't follow you," she says, raising her voice in defense.

"Come on, I know you did. You don't even live around here."

Mrs. Ashworth looks hurt, but I make no effort to console her. If I do, it might only make it worse. "I'm filing for divorce," she says, swallowing hard. "So I'll be a single woman soon. We can see each other as much as we want, and you can move in with me if that's something you might like to consider."

Staring at her in utter shock, I shake my head. "Please don't do that. Don't leave your husband unless you're in an unhappy marriage. We're not in a relationship. You hired me as an escort. That's something else entirely." I try to keep my sentences short in the hope my words will get through to her.

"But…" She attempts to grab my hand, but I slide them both into my pockets. "But I can take care of you. Both of you."

At a loss for what to say now as she's clearly not taking no for an answer, I resort to the only thing I can think of. Lying. "I'm in a relationship, Cindy. With the woman you saw me with in Montauk. I asked the team to cancel your booking because you were getting too personal with me. I'm in love with her and we're serious."

"So it was true…" Her lip trembles ever so slightly and she leans in. "What's her name?"

"That's private," I say, somewhat relieved to see her delusion shatter and at the same time worried of what she might do now.

"Tell me her name," she hisses. "You betrayed me."

"Cindy," I say in a calm voice. "I did not betray you. You and I are not in a relationship." It's hard to believe the calm and collected woman I've visited in her beautiful home is a total nutcase but she's clearly highly unstable and possibly dangerous. "I'd like you to stay away from me and my daughter, okay?" When she doesn't answer, I add: "Is that clear?"

Cindy remains silent, her fists balled in front of her. For a beat I'm worried she might punch me, but she finally gets up and walks away. My heart is racing and I feel sick at the thought of her getting divorced because of me. As I head back to the table, I plaster on a smile, making sure Lily doesn't notice how upset I am.