I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived here all those days ago. As I scoop up the beautiful ivory gown from the bed, I find I still have no expectations of what I will find down in the showroom where Phillipe is waiting. One thing I do know for certain is that nothing will stop me from finding out.
After showering quickly, I style my hair in a regal notch at the nape of my neck, sweeping my bangs across my forehead. Believing this gown calls for elegance, I am determined to do it justice.
Making my way out into the bathroom, I spot heels that were covered by the gown. Beautiful taupe tips adorned with rose-colored jewels peek out from under the bed.
Sitting on the edge of the bed where I’ve slept, dreamed, and fantasized, I slip my feet into the leather-lined shoes and stretch my legs out in front of me, admiring the sparkling jewels as the light hits them. Taking a deep breath, I stand and look myselfover in the mirror by the dresser. I’m struck by the woman who is looking back at me.
She is a stranger, a woman who has given her heart away, and she is a woman who will never be the same.
Sheis now me.
Phillipe feels her the moment she enters the room.
He’s waiting by the corner in the shadows, wanting to give her the time and space to feel whatever it is she needs to feel.
Once again, the room is dimly lit, except for the spotlights on each of the paintings. As Gemma moves into the space, Phillipe is surprised when he feels that the room is now complete with her presence.
Breathtaking. That’s how she looks as she steps carefully into the low-lit space. The dress he chose for her cloaks her body like candlelight, and with every step she takes, the satin parts and her long, sensuous leg appears through the clouds of fabric. He is mesmerized.
He notices that she has pulled her hair back to the nape of her neck. Her elegance calls to him as she moves farther into the room. She stops beforeArmor. Watching silently, he is spellbound as she reaches out and, this time, shows no hesitation as she runs her fingers down Chantel’s arm.
Phillipe steps out from the shadows toward her, but he finds himself paralyzed as she moves even closer to the painting. Resting her right palm on Chantel’s shoulder, she inches in as close as possible and turns her head, laying her cheek against Chantel’s breast. She whispers, “How do I leave him?”
Phillipe holds his breath as she raises her left hand and runs her fingers along Chantel’s naked thigh.
“And how do I leaveyou?” she pleads, sounding confused and desperate.
Stepping back into the shadows, he gives her a moment to say her goodbyes. After all, he knows how hard it is to let go ofher.
As I stand there, brushing my fingers over her flawless figure, I close my eyes, remembering her words to him.Don’t let them make a villain out of you. Don’t let them break you. It shocks me to my core to know that I am now thethemin the equation.
Letting my fingers come to a stop against the curvature of her hip, I make a vow to her. “I willnotvillainize him. I’ll make sure the whole world knows what happened that night. They will all know that he didn’t leave for help because there was no time to go.” Stepping back from her, I add, “That, I promise you.”
I turn to look at the door, expecting Phillipe to come through at any moment, but he doesn’t appear. So I turn back and take solace in the knowledge that I am not alone.
In a room that once frightened and confused me, I feel calm and comforted. Finally, I understand his need to have her here.Sheis his peace.Sheis his sanity. As I gaze upon the six images that torture and sadden the rest of the world, I feel an overwhelming sense of love and acceptance from both the man who painted the images and the woman who posed for them.
Finally, I feel more complete than I ever have before.
Phillipe doesn’t know why he chose to put this particular piece on. As soon as he hits play on the system, the sounds filterthrough to the room Gemma is standing in. He feels his heart tighten and then release, like he is giving himself permission to continue.
After setting it to play repeatedly, he makes his way into the room to face Gemma, who turns and looks right at him.
Without a word, he crosses the space to stand before her. Finally, he allows his eyes to really take in the woman before him, without comparing her to the one who hangs in silent repose on the walls beyond them. He marvels at the creamy texture of skin that is displayed so magnificently by the deep V-cut of the bodice. It is edged in a dusky rose that reminds him of her sensitive nipples after he’s sucked them to full, pouty points.
Caressing her shoulders are thin straps of satin holding the dress in place. Molding down her sides to tuck in at an extraordinarily narrow waist, the dress bunches on her lower back and falls out into a long, flowing train that brushes the ground with each step she takes. He rakes his eyes over the sensuous slit in the gown that runs up the left side of her leg, ending high on her smooth thigh in a peekaboo ruffle. It makes him want to reach out and touch her.
In the heels he has given her, she is now almost eye to eye with him, and as she stares wordlessly, he allows himself to care.
Reaching forward, he touches her high cheekbone and closes his eyes. When he opens them, he isn’t sure what he expects to see, but he’s surprised enough to confess that his vision has finally cleared, allowing him to seeher.
“Gemma,” he whispers.
Dressed in the clothes he laid out for me, I feel an overwhelming need for him to seeme. As soon as my name leaves his lips, I take a step closer to him.
“Phillipe,” I breathe softly, my heart fluttering inside my chest.
He flattens his large palm against my cheek and runs his eyes over me as though he is seeing me for the first time. I can hear music floating around us. It’s a tune that I haven’t heard before, and I want to know what is playing, so I can find it later when I mourn the loss of him. I know what he is doing. He is telling me goodbye.
