“Do I?” she quips.
“Absolutely.” As I lean in to kiss her,, I hear the soft click of a camera.
I turn. Another click. Paparazzi. I guess it was only a matter of time before they found us. “Vivienne, come on,” I shout, pulling her away and down the street.
The man taking the photos gives chase. We’re almost to the subway steps when Vivienne’s hand slips out from mine. I turn. The man is gripping her by the elbow. Her face is twisted in fear. I don’t think—I act.
In a fury of rage, I grab the man by his jacket, shoving him against the wall of the building hard. People passing by turn to watch our encounter. Bringing my face close to his in a menacing display of dominance, I snarl, “Never put your hands on my woman.” The words come out cold, devoid of all emotion but anger. “Give me your memory card.”
“Wha…what?” he stutters.
“Give me the memory card, and I won’t smash the camera,” I snarl.
His hands shake as he pops the card out of its slot.
“Cas,” Vivienne tugs at me. “Let’s go.”
I release him, allowing her to pull me away, clutching the card in my fist. “I better not ever catch you around here again. Do I make myself clear?” He nods as Vivienne pulls me down the subway steps.
Miraculously, neither one of us spilled a single drop of cocoa. We pick a spot on the empty subway train and each breathe a sigh of relief.
“Cas,” Vivienne looks at me wide-eyed, “I was fine. He didn’t hurt me.”
“I saw the look on your face. You weren’t fine. You were terrified. Don’t try to explain it away,” I snap, not meaning to.
She recoils. “I guess it caught me off guard and reminded me of when I got stabbed. I was surprised by it all, but I promise he didn’t harm me.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I reply through clenched teeth. “He doesn’t get to touch you. I won’t apologize for how I acted.”
We pick our seats and she rests her head on my shoulder. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I ask, confused.
“For looking out for me like that,” she mumbles.
I put my arm around her in reassurance, holding her to me for a few minutes of silence until the adrenaline calms and I’m once more in control. She relaxes into my embrace. When I remove my arm, I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Look at me, Vivienne.”
I grab her by the chin gently. “I promise, I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
Vivienne gazes at me intently as she appears to think things over. To my surprise, a few seconds later, she whispers, “I know.”
We ride in silence for a few minutes, sipping our cocoa.
“Cas,” she starts.
“Hmmm,” I answer simply.
“I appreciate you showing me the city today. I love it here. I can see exactly why people visit and fall in love. There’s something strangely enchanting about it.” Her confession tugs at my memories. I know the feeling of never wanting to leave.
“I’m glad you had a good day.” I genuinely mean it.
“Maybe I should move here. You know, instead. I can work from anywhere.”
“Absolutely not.” I stop her before she gets too far down this hole.
She sits up, shifting her body away from me defensively. “Why?”
“For starters, I’m almost never home. Plus your place is way bigger, and you have that amazing pool.” I side-eye her to see if she’s going to accept defeat.
