inconvenience ma’am, but I’ll need mine boxed to go.”
He turned to Ellen and lifted the back of her hand to press it against his lips. His clear eyes caught hers in their trance. His voice was low and resonant. “Madame… Until tomorrow night, ma jolie fille.”
Anne barely touched her lunch. She supposed her stomach was upset because she knew Steven was angry with her. Still the meeting seemed to have gone extraordinarily well. Ellen was excited the show might be getting some much-needed funding and chatted with great animation throughout the rest of the meal. But instead of the elation she ought to be experiencing, Anne felt a gnawing pain in the pit of her stomach. Why wasn’t she thrilled? Steven appeared to be enthralled with Ellen. If his date went well on Tuesday night, Steven might never try to kiss her again. Wasn’t that what she wanted? More importantly, she wouldn’t have to worry about what that kiss might lead to. She pushed her food around on her plate until she finally gave up and asked for a doggy bag.
Steven's office door was closed, so Anne decided to FaceTime with Henri.
“Hello Anne.” Henri’s smiling face appeared on the screen. Still sporting the scruffy look, he smiled with tired eyes.
“Hey. I missed hearing your voice. How is Anna-Laure doing?”
“She has had a rough time today, but hopefully the worst is over. But she loves the book you sent her. Where did you find it?”
“I ordered it online. A seven-year-old with cancer wrote it, and it’s been translated into three languages. I wanted to do something. And since I couldn’t come to Paris, I had it sent straight to you. So she really likes it?”
“I think so. She has read it four times already.”
“Will you be able to come this weekend?”
Henri hesitated. “Yes… I am planning to go to Chicago for business on Wednesday. I will be in New York for the weekend.”
“If you’re here on Saturday, would you like to go to the company Christmas party with me? I’m kind of expected to go, since I planned most of it.”
“Maybe… but I am not feeling much like a party.”
“It’s okay if you don’t want to go. We can just wait and see how you feel.”
“Okay, that’s a good idea.”
“When will I see you? That is, assuming Anna-Laure is fine and you get to come over here.”
“I am not sure. Probably, we will get together on Friday night. That is when I first come into the city.”
“That sounds great. I’m excited to finally see you again.”
She wanted it to be true. She ought to be thrilled that she would see Henri again. But for some reason her emotions felt flat.
Back at her desk, Steven addressed work issues, not mentioning the lunch incident except for retrieving Ellen’s contact information. Still, Anne couldn’t relax in his presence. He chose the afternoon for a lesson using his email correspondence. He was constantly brushing his arm against her while leaning over to identify specific terms on her computer screen. At one point he stood behind her and leaned across her shoulder, his face almost touching hers. For his part, he seemed totally unaware of the casual contact, but Anne felt a growing discomfort. He’d ruined her. Now his close proximity stirred memories of just how good his kiss had felt. She tried to concentrate on work, but was frustrated at her lack of progress and grateful when it was time to leave.
After Anne’s long subway commute, Rayna hurried out to stop her before she got on the elevator. “Hey Anne. What are your plans tonight?”
“Not much. I’m planning to change clothes and go for a run on the treadmill right now. But I’m free later if you want to get together and talk. Is something up?”
“No, I just feel like we’ve lost touch. I like to know what you’re up to.”
“Should I call you later?”
“Sure. That’d be great.”
Anne changed quickly and headed for the gym. She needed a good run to release some tension and get all thoughts of Steven out of her head. She chose a treadmill and started her run. She planned a forty-minute run, but she might go forty-five or fifty if she was feeling strong. She’d been running for about five minutes when Steven Gherring walked in front of her treadmill, blocking her view out the window. He was shirtless, of course. He leaned his elbow on the front of her treadmill, his biceps flexing.
“Hello, Anne. Just thought I’d say hi before I start my ride.”
Anne made a vain attempt to keep her eyes locked on Steven's face. “Hello.”
“I’m planning to ride for an hour. I’ve gotten behind on my training.” He stretched his arms above his head, flexing every sinewy muscle in his chest and arms. Anne watched him, mesmerized, and stumbled a bit on her track.
“Is there something wrong with the fancy exercise bike in your apartment?”