* * *
The flashing light on her phone made her flinch. A knee-jerk reaction, and one she didn’t know she’d get over anytime soon. Most messages were friendly, but Michelle didn’t know that she’d ever look at email, or texts, or her phone as anything but a potential point of violation again.
Davis raised his eyebrows as if to say, Is everything okay? She was at Speakeasy with him and Jill, who was in town for only a few days before she had to return to London for the opening night of her play. Julia was behind the bar, and Clay was here too, chatting with his wife as she poured a drink for Sutton. Nearly all her friends were here, and she was glad to be surrounded by the familiar. They were all part of why she was completely content with her choice to stay. She had friends, she had family, she had love. She was a lucky woman, indeed.
Her wish in this moment was simple—that this note on her phone be from a friend, not a foe. When she saw Jack’s sister’s name on the email, she felt a sense of relief. She opened the note.
Jack wants you to see this. I think you’ll like it.
Her curiosity took over and she clicked on the link for the video, hitting play. It was all of fifty-three seconds, but by the end tears were streaming down her face, and her hand was on her mouth, and her shoulders were shaking. She didn’t know what to do next. Was she supposed to find him? Was he going to call her? And was this really, truly all for her?
“What is it?” her brother asked as she wiped a streak of tears from her cheek. He stood up and moved closer. “Are you okay?”
“I’m more than okay,” she managed to say, and thrust the phone at him, hitting play on the clip. She watched Jack’s speech again, and she watched her brother’s reaction, thrilling at the way his blue eyes shifted from inquisitive to delighted.
“I told you, you should take the job,” he said playfully, then tapped the screen. “He’s calling.”
He handed her the phone. With shaky hands, she answered it. “Hello?” she squeaked out.
“It’s me. I’m at your apartment, but it doesn’t seem that you’re here.”
“I’m at Speakeasy. It’s nearby,” she said, giving him the address.
As she waited, her phone was passed around, and then Sutton threw her arms around her in a hug, Jill bestowed a kiss on the cheek, Julia toasted happily, and Clay beamed. But they weren’t the ones she was dying to see. She couldn’t take her eyes off the door. Every time she heard it open, she swiveled around, hunting for him. These five minutes were the longest of her life.
Soon enough, the most beautiful sight greeted her. Jack, entering Speakeasy, and walking towards her with the biggest grin she’d ever seen on his beautiful face.
He took long strides to reach her, his eyes on her, only her.
“I didn’t expect to see you so soon. It’s only been an hour,” she said.
“It seems I have a lot of free time now,” he said. He dipped his hand into the pocket of his jacket and took out a small gift, handing it to her.
She unwrapped it to find a sapphire-blue perfume bottle. She gasped when she saw it.
“You said there was one you wanted, but when you went to get it the shop was closed. It was closed too when I went back that day I found you in the Gardens. But I returned again the next day and bought one for you. I hope it’s like the one you had your sights set on.”
“It’s gorgeous,” she said, cradling the small and elegant bottle.
“Beauty for beauty’s sake. Love for love’s sake,” he said. “I was looking for the right time to give it to you. This seemed to be the right time.”
“Did you really resign?”
He nodded. “I want you to go to Paris. I want you to take the job.” He reached for her hand, clasping it tenderly.
“You do?”
“Yes. More than anything. Well, there is something else I want.”
“What is it?” She didn’t want to assume anything. She wanted to hear it all from him.
“What would you think about taking me with you? I’m no longer the CEO of a sex toy company. I’m just a man in love with a woman, and willing to go anywhere for her.”
Her heart flew out of her chest. It soared on new wings, flying with radiant joy and happiness. She’d never expected to feel this way. She’d never expected a love like this. And she’d never imagined that a man would give up his business to be with her.
“You gave up your business?”
He nodded. “My business caused all the trouble. You could barely do your job here, given the job I had. I want you to have a private life, not just a public one. So I gave up my job to be with you, and you’re worth it, because you’ve given me everything. You’ve given me love. I didn’t even know that I could love, and now I know I can. Because of you. I just hope you don’t mind dating an unemployed man.”
She laughed, and shook her head. “What are you going to do in Paris?”
“Love you,” he said, confidently. “Take me with you. You haven’t said yes to me yet. You’re toying with me, right?” he asked, the corner of his lips quirking up in a smile.
“I’m not teasing you. I’m just shocked. I didn’t think you’d make this kind of choice. Isn’t it an impossible choice?”
He shook his head. “It’s not an impossible choice. It’s the only choice.”
She felt as if she were dreaming. As if this moment was going to slip away through her fingers. She wanted to grasp it forever, to hold onto it for the rest of her life so she’d never forget how she felt.
“You still haven’t told me if you want me to go with you,” he said, reminding her. Then, only then, did she look away from him to take in the scene unfolding before her. All her friends, her family, her brother, the man she once loved, they were all here, and they were all watching her and Jack. Everyone was waiting for her answer. They were all witnesses to her incandescent happiness.
She turned to Jack. She gripped his hand tighter, pulled him closer, never wanting to let go. “Come with me to Paris.”
EPILOGUE
Lovely Rain
Life wasn’t entirely perfect in Paris.
Some days, for instance, it rained.
Oh, wait. That wasn’t a bad thing. Even the rain in Paris was lovely. Especially the rain in Paris was lovely.
While Michelle had missed her brother, she’d met him in London a few months ago, when Jill had performed in A Streetcar Named Desire. Jack had joined her. His schedule was much lighter these days.