Fabien clears his throat. We finally both stop chattering and look over at him. It isn’t until then that I realize people are staring, not just at me and Savannah buthim.
“Can I suggest a more private place to catch up?”
Savannah stares at him for a few seconds, before she looks back at me and says in a whisper obviously loud enough for everyone to hear, “Is this your mafia guy? You did not tell me he looked likethat.”
“Savannah!”I hiss. “Hush.”
Fabien’s lips twitch. The man she was talking to, apparently someone who works for him, stands as still as a statue and doesn’t say a thing. Fabien walks over to him and they speak in hushed tones before he turns to her.
“Fabien, meet Savannah. Savannah, Fabien. Savannah, Fabien’s the one responsible for flying you out here.”
She lets me go long enough to throw herself bodily at him and give him a huge hug. He looks a bit bewildered before he finally pats her back awkwardly. “Nice to meet you.”
I laugh out loud and take a moment to appreciate this—the two people I care about most in the entire world, right here, where I can reach out and touch them. Safe. Secure. No more pressure of a job to complete or a bill to pay or anything other than the peaceful knowledge that for now… all is well. My heart swells.
Fabien hasn’t gotten to the bottom of the attacks on his family, but I get the feeling that it’s pretty normal for him. And while I have mixed feelings about who he is, and what his family does, I’ve learned enough through my own experiences to know—life is very rarely a picture-perfect postcard.
We eat a luxurious dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. Savannah doesn’t miss the way waitstaff hovers, prepared to meet Fabien’s every demand. When Fabien excuses himself to take a call, she leans in and whispers in my ear, “Is there something I should know? He really is mafia?”
“Yeah, but maybe let’s not talk about it here?”
I have a lot to tell her. I don’t know if I ever want her to know what I did for work at La Maisonor how I earned the money I did, but I’ll see where we take it from here.
“I have something to show you,” I whisper. I pull out my phone and open my banking app. I log in and click on the little icon that shows me my balance. I get a little choked up looking at the numbers. I never imagined I would own this much money. I never let myself dream I’d be able to make our dreams come true with ease.
I show the phone to Savannah.
I watch as she stares, unblinking. Eyes widening. Her hand covers her mouth to stifle a gasp before she looks at me.
My own eyes well with tears at the sight of hers.
“Do I want to know what you did to earn that money?”
I laugh out loud.
“Do I want to know how you pulled strings to graduate early?”
“Well… hmm. Maybe it’s okay to not revealeverythingsometimes, isn’t it?”
Oh, thank God. I grin at her. “I would agree. Now what do you want to buy first?”
“Well,obviouslyle gâteau au chocolat. I don’t know much French, but something tells me that has chocolateandI’ll be learning a lot more French soon.”
“No, no, I don’t mean from the menu.” The waiter takes our dessert order and quietly leaves as Fabien joins us. “I mean… like, bigger than that.”
“Well, that depends,” she says softly, sitting up straighter. Fabien sits next to me. “What do you two have planned?”
We look at each other. Ever the gentleman, Fabien leans in and kisses my cheek. “Tell her.”
“We’re getting married,” I say gently.
I don’t know what to expect—shock? Hurt? But no. Her smile broadens in approval. Joy bubbles in her laugh as she shakes her head and stares at me in wonder.
“Of course you are. I’ve never seen you so happy.”
Me… happy? She’s right.
Happy.
