Authors: Natasha Knight
Tears filled her eyes and he looked at her with some of that sadness she was sure he'd seen in her just a few days ago. “Julian,” she said, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest.
“You need to be really clear that what you're feeling for me isn't just because of the role I played for you. If it's real, it'll be there. If not, well, then we've had a wonderful time together, haven't we?”
She nodded and wiped at her face as she pulled back. She tucked the envelope into her purse.
“Thank you,” she said. It was all she needed to say.
He nodded once. “Goodbye, Gabrielle,” he said, looking at her as if filling his eyes with the image of her for the last time.
“Goodbye, Julian.”
He kissed her deeply one last time before helping her into her car. Gabrielle cried. She drove out of the parking lot, losing sight of him in the rear view mirror as she headed down the road.
She'd come to the B&B to face the guilt that had tormented her for two years and something had shifted there. She felt good. In fact, she truly realized how bad she'd been feeling for so long now that she felt good again.
But she was also feeling the loss of Julian. Was she falling in love with him or would the endorphins wear off after a few weeks back in her old life?
* * *
Julian turned back to find Luciana watching them. He smiled at her, catching the look in her eyes. She was a kind woman and he liked her.
“I'll be checking out early, I'm afraid,” he said, stopping a few feet from her.
“I thought you might. I'll get your paperwork ready,” she answered, her eyes betraying the fact that she felt sorry for him.
“Thank you,” he said. He turned toward his room. He'd told Gabrielle she might feel depressed but he hadn’t told her she wouldn't be the only one. He hated to let her drive away alone today; he still wanted to hold her, to tell her how wonderful she was, tell her he loved her. But life was difficult, to say the least.
He packed his bag quickly, wanting to be away. Not wanting the reminder of her in his room, in his arms, and in his bed. Not yet. He swallowed the lump in his throat, hardened his eyes, and walked out the door.
Epilogue
Exactly four weeks had passed since she'd met Julian. Gabrielle sat on a lawn chair in the late afternoon sun holding the envelope he'd given her in her hands. She'd wanted to tear into it once she'd gotten to the airport but she hadn't, remembering his request. But now she was ready.
He had been right about the depression but she realized it wasn't entirely a result of having lost him as her disciplinarian. It was more than that. Although a part of her was giddy with what she felt, another part, a more logical part, told her it was too complicated, it would never work.
She slipped the letter opener beneath the seal of the envelope and slid it across. She then, with trembling hands, retrieved the pages inside.
She didn't know what she was expecting, but what she found wasn't long and it wasn't a gushing love note. Instead, he'd written two sentences on the first page and the second was a computer printout.
Dear Gabrielle,
I hope you've waited to open this like I asked. If so, and you've found you have some feelings for me, then you'd make me very happy if you accepted my invitation.
Julian
She looked at the second sheet. It was an open round trip ticket to Paris, she'd just have to call the airline and choose the date. At the bottom of the page was his address and telephone number.
She checked her watch. It would be late there, almost eleven at night. Her heart raced. She went inside, picked up the phone, and dialed the number.
“Julian?” she asked when she heard his voice.
The End
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