“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You will. I’m sure of it, if I’m sure of anything.” Lucas finished his drink. When he turned to me again, I could see a mask of politeness come over his face.
“I should go mingle. Thanks for chatting. I’ll be sure to invite you and Steph over the next time we have an orgy.” He grinned roguishly at me and then moved off into the clusters of well-dressed, successful people.
I gripped the glass of wine in my hand like it was a life preserver. I stopped and chatted with a few people from Jake’s business, but there wasn’t anything for me to say to them. They were all swapping stories about sailing trips in Belize and which hundred-year-old wine vintage was the best investment.
What could I say? I’d never been anywhere more exotic than the Brooklyn Bridge, and I sure as heck didn’t know the difference between Pinot grapes. So I smiled and nodded and finally escaped out to the patio.
I breathed in deeply, enjoying the chill of the night air after the stuffiness of the cocktail party. I didn’t fit in, not with any of these people. The slight dizziness of the wine made me even more antisocial. I looked up at the stars. Even they looked different.
“Lacey?”
I turned to see Jake stepping out onto the patio.
“Hey,” I said. “Just getting some fresh air.”
Jake stepped forward, lacing his arms around my back and pressing a soft kiss against my lips. Tears sprung to my eyes. I loved him so much, and yet… all of this…
“What’s the matter?” he asked, pulling back.
I shook my head, blinking back my tears.
“I just… I feel like I’m getting farther and farther away from home.”
Jake furrowed his brows. I could tell he didn’t know what I was talking about.
“What’s home?” he asked.
“Home is family. Home is…” I trailed off, biting back the sob in my throat that threatened to come out.
“Lacey, babe. What is it? What’s the matter?”
“I miss my parents,” I said. It wasn’t exactly what I was feeling, but it was close. “I miss feeling like I’m in the place I belong. I don’t know.”
“Look,” Jake said. “We’ll be done with this soon, and—”
The blond lawyer stuck her head through the door.
“Jake, viens. The Luhrmans are saying goodbyes.”
Jake turned back to me with a stressed look on his face. I steeled my face and waved him away.
“Go on,” I said. “It’s business.”
He paused and then smiled a tense smile.
“Thank you for understanding,” Jake said. He leaned forward and gave me a sharp peck on the cheek before disappearing. It was less of a kiss than the one he’d given that lawyer.
I blinked back tears as I looked up. The Eiffel Tower was supposed to be a romantic view. Then why did I feel so unromantic?
So far from home…
Chapter Nine
Jake was already snoring by the time I got out of the shower and to bed. And in the morning, he was gone before I was awake. This time, he hadn’t left a note.
He probably didn’t have time.
I was starting to understand what he meant when he said that this trip was all about business. I hated to think this way, but waking up in an empty bed was not my idea of a Parisian vacation. I felt grumpy; he might as well have left me in New York.
I wouldn’t have seen that woman in the hallway if he’d left me in New York. Was ignorance really bliss? I wanted to trust Jake; I really did. But it was so hard when we couldn’t even talk for just a moment…
My phone rang. I slapped my hand onto the end table and fumbled around before picking it up.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Lacey?”
Jean-Luc’s voice came rumbling into my ear. I twinged with guilt for feeling so good that he would call me.
“The deal we spoke about yesterday—”
“Yes,” I said boldly. “I’m interested in a deal.”
I was going to be professional now. I was going to make Jake proud of what a good businesswoman I was. And if I got the job, I would make sure that Jake stayed with me in Paris—and I would make time to sightsee around with him.
“Wonderful! Would you meet me tonight at around six o’clock, at Les Roses?”
“Sure. What—what was that name again?” I scrambled for a pen, not understanding his French accent.
“Les Roses. Rose, like the flower. Yes?”
“Absolutely. Yes.”
“Wonderful,” he said. “I’ll see you soon.”
I ate breakfast and went out with renewed determination. I was going to shop, and I wasn’t going to feel bad about it. I found myself standing inside of a shop on the Champs-Elysees, staring at a row of size-zero mannequins and turning Jake’s credit card over in my hands. I was going to buy something. I had to. I couldn’t wear the same thing again to see Jean-Luc.