I don’t think about her any longer.
For the next year, I enjoy the hell out of having something to do nearly every day. Something I love. Something that keeps me more than busy—something that brings me pleasure.
Talking.
I’ve always loved to talk. To tell stories. To chat, whether with strangers or friends, business partners or adversaries, my family or the women I’ve dated and sometimes become entangled with. Talking about anything and nothing is one of my greatest pleasures.
Griffin was right. I do love translating, and I love Paris, and I love the life I’ve carved out as I bounce from assignment to assignment, translating for French, Danish, Swedish, and other companies that need my expertise, picking up jobs as I want them, enjoying evenings out with friends in the City of Lights.
The best part? My brother, Erik, moves to Paris with his wife, and works feverishly to expand the firm and strike new deals. That keeps me occupied too, since he lets me dip my fingers in the pie now and then and help him bake the partnerships to the right temperature.
I don’t mind helping him. He’s the reason I have two homes, a fat bank account, and the choice to live my life the way I want. I owe all my success to him.
It’s a brilliant year as I turn 30, with one exception.
For one dark month, I return to Copenhagen to mourn the loss of my grandfather when he passes away at the ripe old age of ninety.
We cry, and we comfort our mum, but mostly we remember how good he was at being human.
Then, I see her again.
5ELISE
Present day
My heels clack against the sidewalk as I exit the metro in Oberkampf, on my way to meet friends. I wonder what Joy’s new beau will be like. He seems like a stand-up fellow, so enchanting.
But I thought that about Eduardo too. We were all enchanted by him, including my followers, from back when I used to weave stories about him into my perfume blog—a blog I rarely write anymore. He’d cast a spell far and wide, across continents, since I’d told the tale in it of how I’d met an enchanting man.
Flicking memories of him away, I stroll past Annalise & Charlie, doing a quick scan of the windows at one of my favorite boutiques. My gaze lands on a pair of candy-pink shoes with a strap over the instep.
“I’ll be back for you,” I whisper to the shoes, because shoes can’t hurt your heart.
When I reach the hotel, the doorman nods in greeting, swinging open the door with Hotel Particulier Tenth calligraphed across the gleaming glass. I’m early, and that’s by design. I say hello to the owner, Armand, who’s working at the front desk. He’s also a new client.
He beams. “Elise, to what do we owe the pleasure of seeing you here tonight?”
I bring my finger to my lips. “Shh. It’s a best-kept secret.”
He wiggles his eyebrows. “Yes, I love our marketing tagline.”
This small partnership could pave the path to a bigger one. Armand’s business partner is expanding a luxury chain across Europe, and I hope to secure a meeting with him. He’s being courted by several agencies, including the Thompson Group, the same company I lost two of my clients to more than a year ago. That was my fault—my work focus had strayed during my marriage to Eduardo and the fallout after his death.
This time around, I plan to fight harder.
I say goodbye to Armand and walk through to an enclosed courtyard. Lush trees climb high, and ivy crawls sensually along the white walls. Strings of lights cascade from the branches of the trees, turning the bar into a glittery adult fairyland. The low beat of a bass thumps from the sound system, an enticing aural embrace.
A few minutes later, my redheaded friend arrives, and I say hello. By her side is the tall, dark-haired, handsome British man who’s captured her attention and her heart since she’s been in Paris.
Joy makes the requisite intros.
“So, this is the woman who says days should be eaten,” Griffin remarks, a twinkle in his blue eyes.
“So, this is the man who’s so enchanted my friend.” I give him a look over the top of my glasses.
He wraps an arm around Joy, possessively. “The enchantment is entirely mutual.”
The way he looks at her stirs something inside me. It’s a reminder that love doesn’t have to be tainted. He stares at her with adoration, but respect too. It’s such a missing ingredient in some relationships, and I can see he has an abundance of it.
We chat briefly about his work, the hotel, the city. He seems honest enough. I shoot him an approving nod. “You’ve passed my test for the night.”
He exhales heavily. “Whew. I was worried.”
Joy laughs and grips his shoulder. “By the way, have I told you Elise is in charge of all the inquisitions in my life?”
“No. I’m in charge of the fun,” I correct, laughing too.
Footsteps crunch on the stone path behind me, and a man’s voice drifts across the sultry night air, his accent British. “Fun? Did someone say fun? I believe that’s my middle name.”
I turn to see a strikingly handsome man striding across the patio to join us. Well, I do believe I’ll be enjoying the eye candy tonight. He’s tall, with legs that go on for days, a broad chest, and a face that ought to grace magazine ads with those carved cheekbones. I must enlist him to sell something. To sell everything in the world. I’d buy it all.
“Elise, let me introduce you to my mate, Christian. Feel free to ignore any and everything that comes out of his mouth. I know I do,” Griffin says, and we shake hands.
Christian claps him on the back. “The sentiment is fully reciprocated.”
“We work together. He’s a translator too, specializing in the Scandinavian languages.”
