“This next dish is a specialty of mine,” Chef Cantrelle said as he brought out the covered platter, raising the lid dramatically. “Coq au vin, just as my mother used to make.”
“It smells wonderful,” Shannon said.
“Please enjoy. I will be back afterwards to offer you choices for dessert.”
They tucked into the dish, neither of them speaking a word as they savored the first few bites.
“Thank you,” Shannon said. She took another sip of wine. “I can’t thank you enough, Julian. This is beyond wonderful.”
“No more than you deserve,” Julian said. “But I’m going to have to order dessert for you.” Julian’s face was serious, but his voice was teasing.
“Oh really?” Shannon raised one eyebrow and teasing back. “You just have to be in charge?”
“I’m always in charge, even if you don’t know it yet.”
“No you’re not.” Julian echoed her words along with her, and Shannon burst into giggles.
“That doesn’t mean you’re in charge,” she said. “That just means you know what I’m thinking.” She swirled her wine in her glass, watching the red rivulets break across the surface tension.
“It’s the same thing. I know what you want before you do.”
Shannon’s face twisted into a triumphant grin.
“So you can’t do anything you want. You can only do what I want.”
Julian smiled softly.
“Same thing.”
Shannon was not about to let him go this easily. She took another sip of her wine and leaned back in her chair.
“And if I don’t want what you want?” she said archly.
“I think I can convince you.”
“Julian, are we talking about dessert or kinky sex here?”
Julian laughed, spreading his hands in the air.
“Hey! Why not both?”
Their laughter subsided, and Julian’s expression became serious. Shannon prepared herself for another round of teasing, but this time he was serious.
“The band still has one more stop on this tour,” he said. “A couple of shows in San Diego.”
Shannon swallowed hard. The tender coq au vin seemed to stick in her throat, and she reached for her wine to wash it down. Her hand bumped the glass, and it tilted precariously. Julian caught it from falling, his hand wrapping around hers. Suddenly her eyes were wet with tears.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know why…” Her voice trailed off into nothing.
“I don’t want to leave you, Shannon,” Julian said. “I’m not going to repeat my last mistake.”
“How?” Shannon said. Her voice was quavering, and she bit her lip hard to give herself strength to talk. “You’re on tour, and I’m here, and that’s that.”
As soon as she said it, she felt a sob rising in her throat. She had fantasized about the two of them, but that’s all it was - a fantasy. This beautiful dinner, the car ride up - all of it was just a part of a dream that she had to wake up from eventually. Shannon blotted the corner of her eyes with her napkin, willing her tears to stop.
“That’s what I wanted to ask you about,” Julian said. The words rushed out of his mouth, as though he couldn’t stop them from flowing. “In San Diego. The tour. We don’t have an official tour photographer right now. And since you’re so good at photography, I was thinking - I mean, I know you’re busy with school. And if you can’t come, that’s okay. But-”
“You want me to come with you?” Shannon couldn’t believe what she was hearing. San Diego wasn’t that far, but she had never thought Julian would want her to come along.
“Just if the tour doesn’t interfere with your classes. It would be for the next week, week and a half.”
Shannon’s mouth dropped open. It was true. He did want her to come with him. It was impossible, but it was happening.
Chef Chantrelle opened the door at that perfectly inopportune moment, three desserts displayed on his silver platter. He walked over to the table to show them off, but Shannon couldn’t tear her gaze from Julian’s face. Her heart was leaping for joy inside. To go on tour with Julian! As the official tour photographer! It was all she could do to keep herself from jumping on the table and screaming in delight.
“I’ll have the apple tart,” Julian said calmly. “And mademoiselle will have the chocolate ganache.” The chef bowed and exited the way he had come.
“Did I order right?” Julian said, his mouth curving into a half-grin. “Is that what you want?”
“Yes,” Shannon said, breathless. Chocolate something or other? She hadn’t heard. “Yes, that’s what I want.”
“And the tour?”
“Yes.” She clasped his hand tightly. It would be hard, but she would make it work. She could make anything work. Everything was right with the world as long as they were together.
“Yes,” she repeated, looking into Julian’s eyes. “That’s what I want.”
THE END