15
KIERA
I wake up with a wide smile, the morning sunlight filtering through the curtains casting a warm glow on the room.
This is the happiest I’ve felt in a while.
I can’t wait to tell Ellie and Tammy about it. I can only imagine their reactions. Ellie will throw me a horrified stare, and Tammy will faint. None of them will believe it. Even I can’t.
Sometimes, I feel that if I pinch myself too hard, I’ll wake up in a different reality, one where I still loathe him.
As the memory lingers, I glance at the clock and my eyes widen.
I'm late for the museum meeting!
Panic sets in, and I scramble out of bed, throwing the sheets aside in a hurry. I hastily pick out an outfit, yesterday’s events still playing in my mind like a happy reel.
Downstairs, the aroma of breakfast wafts through the air, and I find Jake in the kitchen, expertly flipping omelets. "Jake! Why didn't you wake me up? I'm late for the meeting!"
He turns, a grin on his face. "I figured you'd be up soon. You looked so peaceful sleeping; I didn't have the heart to disturb you."
"I'm sorry, Jake. I didn't mean to keep you waiting."
He chuckles. "No worries. Breakfast is almost ready. Sit down, and we can eat before you head out."
I take a seat at the counter, watching Jake as he prepares two plates for us.
"So, Kiera, are we ready to wow them at the museum?"
I take a sip of coffee, nodding. "Absolutely. I've made a few tweaks to the slides, and I think we're good to go."
***
The museum looms before us, a grand building that seems to hold centuries of history within its stone walls. It’s in the countryside, by a little village, away from the hustle and bustle of the main city of Paris.
The fa?ade is adorned with intricate carvings and sculptures, a testament to the craftsmanship of eras long past.
Unable to contain my excitement, I fumble for my phone and snap a couple of pictures from outside. The ornate details and the sheer magnitude of the building are too captivating.
“You’re just going to geek out at every historic building we visit, right?” Jake says.
“Does that bother you?”
“Not even a little,” he says. “I can take your pictures with the place if you want.”
“Thanks, I’ll let you know.” I duck my head.
Derek used to say, “Try to keep the geek in your pants.” I don’t remember what I was doing when he said it, but his words cut me deeply every time. I could feel myself getting smaller by the second, and after a point, I stopped doing everything I loved in front of him. Just so that he wouldn’t make fun of me.
As we enter the museum, the atmosphere changes. The air is hushed, and the soft echoes of our footsteps reverberate in the vast halls.
I can't resist stopping at each exhibit, reading the plaques, absorbing the details, and occasionally taking more pictures.
Jake watches me with a fond smile on his face.
“Let me know if you want me to stop at any point,” I say.
“And why would I want that?”
I don’t have any reply to that.
Jake checks his phone. “Come on, they’re waiting for us.”
We cross a long courtyard and reach the administrative building at the back. There are four people in the corridor talking. My heart quickens as we get closer.
"Good morning," Jake offers with a warm smile as we reach the group, extending his hand for a handshake. "I'm Jake, and this is Kiera. We're thrilled to be here and to share our proposal with you."
The board members reciprocate with polite greetings. A redhead woman steps forward with a polite smile.
"I'm Catherine, the museum director," she says, her tone both welcoming and authoritative. "This is Micah, our chief curator, and Isabel, our financial advisor."
“Let’s talk inside,” Isabel says, smiling.
Just before we cross the threshold, Jake subtly pulls me aside, his eyes holding a mischievous glint. Without warning, he steals a quick kiss.
My eyes widen, and I instinctively glance around to make sure no one saw us.
"Jake, what are you doing?" I whisper, my cheeks flushed.
"It's for good luck," he says, his tone light but earnest.
I can't help but chuckle. "Good luck kisses now, really?"
He shrugs, the hint of a smile lingering on his lips. "Can't hurt, right?"
Before I can respond, we're ushered into the room, the door closing behind us.
The room settles as Jake begins his introduction.
I take a moment to collect my thoughts, glancing around the room at the attentive faces of the board members. The kiss, albeit unexpected, seems to have worked its magic, as a newfound calm washes over me.
Jake does an amazing job and transitions to my part of the presentation and I provide a detailed timeline, addressing the financial aspects with transparency.
When we are done, Catherine, the museum director, smiles. "Your proposal is intriguing. How do you see this collaboration evolving in the long term?"
I glance at Jake, who’s letting me keep the rein. “We’re very excited for the collaboration and hope to be there with you in the long run. Our team brings a genuine love for art restoration, and that reflects in each project we take over.”
“There’s no doubt about that,” Catherine says. “That’s the reason we chose Bennett Restoration.”
“And we’re grateful for your trust,” Jake says.
“Looking forward to working together,” Catherine says. “We just want another meeting to finalize everything.”
“I’ll have it set up,” Jake promises.
“This will be a good thing,” Catherine says. “For the museum. We’ve received the highest grant for museum restoration this year and intend to use it well.”
I nod. “We won’t let you down.”
Catherine smiles at me.
As the last of them leaves the room to just Jake and me, a wave of relief washes over me. Unable to contain my joy, I turn to Jake and wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.
"We did it. I can't believe it."
He returns the hug, his warmth a comforting presence. "We make a great team, Kiera. I knew we could pull it off."
I pull away slightly, looking up at him with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Jake. For everything."
"How about we celebrate with some ice cream?"
"You don’t have to ask me twice."
“Perfect. Will you accompanying me to all my meetings after today?” Jake says.
“Only to make sure you don’t keep pissing off your prospective clients like Mr. Richards.”
“Oh, you mean the charming old gentleman you loved so much,” Jake says sarcastically.
“Come on, he was nice.” I bump his shoulder.
“Too nice, to you,” he mutters under his breath.
My eyes widen in realization. “Wait, is that why you were so pissed?”
He just raises both his brows.
“Come on, Jake.”
“I can’t help myself,” he says. “I’m an irrational man when it comes to you.”
My heart skips a beat at his words. “You’re a bad man.”
He leans. “Wait till you hear the bad thoughts I’ve been having about you.”
My heart skips a beat. “You have?”
He sighs, his warm breath fanning my face. “I really can’t help myself around you, Kiera. Just being close to you, not being able to touch you, was torture enough for me. It was the seventh circle of hell.”
Oh my. My knees shake, and my legs almost go weak.
As if sensing my inner turmoil, Jake puts an arm around me and pulls me to him. His erection pokes against my belly. “Even now, I cannot help myself.”
I shake my head as I push him away. Inside, my heart is beating so loudly that I’m surprised that he can’t hear it. "You really are incorrigible, Jake."
“I promise I can make it up to you.”
“How?”
“It’s late now, so they probably won’t be open. But tomorrow, I’m taking you to one of the best ice cream spots in the city.”
“You better. It's a small victory, and we deserve a sweet celebration.”
***
The sun hangs low over the Seine River, casting a warm glow on the small bistro we've chosen. The scent of freshly cooked food permeates the air. I inhale deeply. Every single spot in this city has a little bit of magic in it.
Jake and I settled into a cozy table in the corner and have just been served profiteroles, the view of the river stretching before us. I can't help but steal glances at him.
He tastes his dessert, the indulgent sweetness evident in the satisfied curve of his lips.
As I take my own profiterole goodness to my mouth, my gaze inevitably wanders back to him. The way he savors the treat, the flicker of amusement in his eyes when he catches me looking. “Do I have cream on my face?”
“Not yet,” I say as I take some from my fork and put it on his cheek.
He glares at me. “Now, that’s unfair.”
I laugh before pulling my phone out and taking a picture of him.
Every now and then, his eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles, and my heart skips a beat. I find myself captivated by the play of emotions on his face. I want to memorize every dent, every curve.
“Who's Ellie?" he asks, his tone casual but genuinely interested.
I'm taken aback for a moment, surprised by the unexpected question. "Ellie?"
"Yeah, you mentioned her a couple of times,” he says.
“I mean—” I shake my head. “You really want to know about Ellie?”
“Yes,” he says sincerely. “Tell me all about the person who replaced me.”
I punch him playfully on the side. “She didn’t replace you.” Nobody can replace Jake Bennett.
“I don’t believe that.”
"She's my best friend,” I admit. “We met in college and became roommates. We've been inseparable ever since. But, Jake, she didn’t replace you,” I say.
“Nevertheless, I want to know everything about the enigmatic character,” he says.
“Ellie is anything but an enigmatic character, she’s an open book,” I say. “It was luck really. I had totally forgotten to put the deposit in for a dorm and couldn’t get a room last minute. She was accidentally put up in a double room, so she decided to ask people if they wanted to move in with her. I was the first person she asked. The rest is history.”
“Wow,” he says.
“What about you?” I say. “Are you still hanging out with Chris?”
He gives me a guilty look. “Do you really want me to tell you the truth?”
“Yes please,” I say.
“We hang out occasionally,” he says. “We’re definitely not as close as before. I think our friendship changed when I found out he was cheating on you. Part of me always felt guilty because I was the reason you guys met in the first place.”
“I knew what I was doing.”
“You were seventeen,” he says. “You had no idea what you were doing.”
I snort. “You’re like seven months older than me.”
“And that’s seven months of wisdom that I have over you,” he says before his smile fades. “But I made a bad call on Chris. I always knew he was kind of a player, but he’d never been serious with a girl before. And you were smitten.”
“I wasn’t smitten,” I say. “He was just my first boyfriend.”
Jake gazes at me solemnly. “The fact remains that I messed up.”
“And I did, too, by not checking in with you,” I say. “I think we’ve been over this part already.”
He nods and gives me a sad look. “I know I never wanted things to end up like this for us. I understand you were mad, but I should have tried harder to make things right between us.”
“It’s not your fault,” I say. “I cut off access to myself. But you want to know a secret?”
His eyes are sad as he looks at me.
“I mean, I guess it’s no secret, but we never really got to talking about it.”
“What?”
“That night… I was planning on giving myself to him, but I ended up with you instead.”
“Yes, I know what happened.” He frowns.
I laugh. “You don’t get it, do you?”
His frown deepens.
“You were my first.”
His eyes widen and his mouth is hanging but no sound is coming out.
“And then you broke my heart. Or I did… But I just want you to know that I’m glad it was you.”
We are both silent for a while just looking at each other.
He takes my hand and squeezes it. “I’m happy it was me, too.”
There’s an accordion player just a few paces away. It feels nice to drown my thoughts in the music.
“What do you want to do tomorrow?”
“I thought we were going to meet up with the museum people again.”
“We haven’t set a hard date with them yet,” Jake says. “Besides, I think they’ll be bored to death with us droning on about restoration two days in a row.”
“That’s their job,” I point out.
“Exactly,” Jake says. “We’re ahead of schedule already. There’s no harm done if we take the day off.”
I turn to him. “But we took yesterday off too. Isn’t that too much?”
“No, I booked a week knowing I was planning some days just for you to sightsee,” he says.
“You did that for me?”
“I did. And I would do it again,” he says with a shrug. “Besides, they loved the presentation, and they loved you. You nailed it, Kiera, and I think you deserve a break.”
“So, what’s the plan?” I say. “Not that I’m condoning you wanting to take a vacation in the middle of a work week.”
“Again, it’s Paris. We practically owe it to ourselves.”
“Okay, fine.”
There’s no point saying no to him. Besides, the thought of taking the day off is definitely intriguing. I have spent sleepless nights working on the presentation, and it’s not like we have slept a lot the last two days, either. Just the thought of it makes my ears grow hot.
“So, it’s a date?” he asks, matter-of-factly.
My heart skips a beat, and I realize that this will be our very first date. We are really doing this.
“It’s a date,” I say.