Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
“No problem. That’s what happened to me when I got roped into this event. It’s almost over, though. I’m the event planner, by the way.” She sticks her hand out for me to shake. I do, and she didn’t seem to be overtly flirtatious with Julien. In fact, Elsa’s nothing but professional, and he doesn’t act like she’s any different than anyone else.
I meet her and realize that she’s not a threat, but there will be plenty of other women that will fall at Julien’s feet. He excuses us and leads us up to the hotel room where he takes my hand and pulls me into his arms. Gripping both sides of my face, he pleads, “Please tell me what’s wrong with you.”
“I don’t know what’s going on with us,” I state.
“What do you mean, what’s going on with us?” He backs away, looking at me like he’s confused.
“Never mind. I’m just being foolish. I’m in the city of love, and I guess that newspaper article and online post about our relationship has me on edge. I guess your comments were just to shut them up, weren’t they?” We haven’t known each other long enough to be talking about marriage and babies and yet here we are, and I feel overwhelmed by the need to make it a reality. Have I lost it and become an insane woman, attaching herself to the first man she sleeps with?
He paces, thrusting his hands in his hair. Finally stopping in front of me, he says, “Woman, we have a job to do.” He brushes right past me and out of the hotel room. I follow right behind him and remember that we came here to bake for a wedding, not anything else.
“Of course, you’re right, Mr. Beaumont. Let’s get to work,” I reply, stepping into the elevator without looking at him. I’m not mad at him, just at myself.
“Cher, please.”
“No. Whatever is between us can wait. We have to show off our talents in the kitchen.” He takes my hand and brings it to his lips, but I pull it away quickly after he kisses the back of my hand. “We should remain professional.”
He gazes into my eyes, and I see that he’s wounded by my overreaction but I can’t take it back. “Very well.” We step off the elevator and walk side by side without touching.
For the rest of the day, I keep my distance from him. I can’t, because my heart is breaking into pieces. This past week has been a test of how things get when work is tough, and apparently he pulls away and doesn’t want me anymore. I call the girls, needing someone to talk to, but neither of them answer. Hell, I even call Petra because I’m desperate, but she doesn’t answer and I wonder if the damn time zone has something to do with it.
By the end of the night, I fall into a fitful sleep and Julien is nowhere to be found. I wake up in the middle of the night to his arms around me. “I love you, ma marguerite. Je t’aime, Marilyn.” Sleep comes to me easily.
Chapter Ten
Julien
I want to surprise her, but she’s making it very difficult. Of course it wasn’t a fucking way to shut the press up. I have the ring in my pocket this very second and I’d marry her in a heartbeat, but I’m waiting for that asshole brother of hers to arrive with the wedding gown. It’s been a hard thing to pull off via email and text with the occasional phone call when I know she’s just in the other room, or hell, even sitting next to me on the plane, but I have every intention of making her my wife.
We’ve only known each other a short time, but she’s my soul mate. I’ve never met a woman who could capture my heart or even attention. I get that she’s pissed at me, but I can’t do anything about it without spoiling the surprise. This woman has my heart and will be my wife before we leave Paris.
Tomorrow was the wedding for Alexa and Philippe, who met on a cruise for singles after both having failing marriages. When I arrived, my buddy called me to inform me that the wedding had been called off because Philippe had found her in bed with the best man. So I made a quick change of plans. Instead of having the wedding the day after theirs, we’d have theirs with the special creations Marilyn and I had created at the last minute. Our family and friends were already on their way, so it was perfect. My friend let me have the venue and everything in exchange for the fees he would have paid for the cake and desserts, so it worked out.