Chapter 13 #2
She had arrived in Zurich, Switzerland, three days ago, and he had been at baggage claim, waiting for her.
Like the old friends they were, they hugged upon seeing each other, and after grabbing her luggage, they caught a taxi to the train station.
The scenic train ride to the Alps had been so beautiful, she had trouble believing her eyes.
“No, I’m not just saying that, Dre. You know me. I can be brutally honest about your work when I need to be. This screenplay is really good. Honestly, it’s superb. There’s just one problem. With all the props you’ll need, your budget for this will have to be pretty high.”
“I’ve thought of that.”
He leaned closer, and his robust, masculine scent enveloped her, making it difficult to concentrate.
“I haven’t told anyone yet, Cam, not even Kassie or my brothers, but I met with Luther Mondruleo a few months ago.”
Camille blinked. “The Luther Mondruleo?”
Léandre grinned, and Camille’s heart skipped a beat. That sexy Léandre grin would be the death of her yet.
“Yes, that’s the one. He’s one of the wealthiest men in Paris, and his favorite pastime is investing in the arts.
After attending one of my productions last year, he did some research on my work, and said he liked what he saw.
He asked if I had something new. I told him I didn’t, but that I was starting work on something once the play wrapped up.
I gave him an overview of my idea, and he loved it.
He even offered me the use of this cabin so I could get the first draft written, without any interruptions. ”
She glanced around. “This is his cabin?”
He nodded. “Sorry about the little white lie. I told Kassie that a friend was letting me use it, because if I told her the truth, she wouldn’t leave me alone. You know how my sister is.”
She shrugged. “I wasn’t too concerned. I just figured you had to have wealthy friends that I don’t know.”
“You know all my friends, Cam. Even my ex-girlfriends. None of them has this kind of money.”
But your family does, she wanted to say.
But she didn’t. That was a touchy subject with him and had been for years.
His parents had four sons, and Léandre was the youngest. The older three had gone to work for the family’s corporation after finishing college.
However, Léandre’s dream had always been to write, produce, and direct plays for a live theater.
Paulo Beauchamp had given Dre an ultimatum: either work for the family business or be on his own.
Dre had chosen to follow his dream, and to this day hadn’t asked his father for anything.
Definitely not financial assistance for his plays.
Even though he was close to his brothers—and they had offered to invest in his projects—he’d refused to get them involved by accepting any funding behind their father’s back.
“Well, I think this script is a winner. And with the right cast, it could be something that could change your life. I’m so happy for you, Dre.”
“And I’m happy that you’re here with me, Cam. You’ve always been my biggest supporter.”
She grinned. “After twenty-five plays, I would hope so.”
“You and I make a great team,” he said, standing and crossing the floor to place a kiss on her forehead. That was something he’d started in college. More than once, Desiree had tried to convince her that Dre’s forehead kisses meant more than a kiss on the lips.
“How much longer do you think you’ll need to finish reading it?” he asked.
She tilted her head to look up at him. “Rushing me back to Paris already?”
“Heck no. I’m just looking forward to our time here together. There’s a lot of fun stuff to do—skiing, snowboarding, night sledding, and a lot of other cool stuff. We haven’t had that kind of fun in years. So, let’s enjoy being here. Just the two of us.”
Just the two of us... “I’d like that, Dre.”
“Me too.”
Was she misreading the moment, or was he looking at her differently? And was her body the only one that was tingling with awareness? When the room got silent, she cleared her throat and said, “I almost forgot. Kassie sent a package for me to give to you.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“I don’t know. It’s in a box. I finished unpacking today and saw it. Hold on, I’ll go get it since it might be important.” Sliding by him, she rushed off.
***
Léandre watched her leave and let out a deep breath. He couldn’t mess this up. He couldn’t and wouldn’t. Over the next couple of weeks, they would spend time together and get to know each other again.
In a way that sounded weird, since it often seemed as if they had known each other forever.
She’d always been his biggest supporter, not just by keeping him motivated but also by playing a role in every one of his theatrical projects, even when they were in college.
Although she had continued on to graduate school and then her PhD, she still had his back by helping out where she could, working on sets, and acting as an extra.
Last year, when his lead actress got mad and quit in the middle of production, Camille had learned the lines quickly, then took the actress’s place.
She had become an overnight sensation and had received excellent reviews. And she had remained the lead throughout the whole production, even though she was doing clinicals for her psychology residency during the day.
Camille was the best buddy a guy could have, but he wanted more.
He had always wanted more, but he’d been too afraid to take the first step.
Now that she was here, he would do everything he could to convince her that they belonged together.
Just before she’d left the room, he’d felt something new, something strong flowing between them. Sexual chemistry. Had she felt it, too?
“Here you are,” she said, returning with a wrapped box and handing it to him. Their hands touched in the process, and she drew in a sharp breath the same moment that he did.
“Thanks. I wonder what she sent.”
“I don’t know. It looks like she wanted it to be a surprise.”
He smiled and headed for his bedroom. Closing the door, he began unwrapping the package. There was a note attached that read… “Dre, I thought it was time you gave this to the person it was intended for.”
He opened the box…and found his book of poems.