SAFEHOUSE

“Yes, yes it was. I believe it’s one of the original gardens of the château. The main garden was laid down years after the building was put up. This one predates all of that by several hundred years… At least that’s what the realtor told me. It even came with this lovely key. Who doesn’t want to buy a house with a garden that has a key?”

I laughed, nodding. “I see your point.”

We devoured the rest of our food, chatting about the history of the home, along with the history of the local area. I hadn’t taken the time to see any of the surrounding area yet. Julien explained we were close to the city of Arbois, and not too far from the border of France and Switzerland.

“Do you get a lot of snow here?”

Julien laughed out loud, nodding his head. “You could say that. We are in the mountains after all. Not much further up the road is a famous ski resort. It’s always full of celebrities that try to get away. I actually ran into Jordan there once.”

“Jordan? Jordan… As in?”

“Sorry. Michael Jordan. You might’ve heard of him,” he laughed.

My eyes bugged out, and I froze, my mouth open and just inches away from my sandwich. “You lie like a rug! Are you serious? The Michael Jordan? As in the basketball player that my dad had a total man crush on?”

He choked on his food, quit trying to clear his throat. I couldn’t help but grin at him. When he recovered, he promptly began laughing his ass off. It felt nice to know that somebody appreciated my ridiculous humor.

“Yes, that guy. He was there with his family, when was it . . . about 1996? Right around the same time that he came out that awful movie.”

I turned my fork out pointing it at him threateningly. “Hey. Don’t hate on Space Jam.”

Julien threw his hands up in mock self-defense, his eyes wide. “My apologies!” His face broke back out into the crooked smile of his, making me blush again.

As he turned away to wipe something from his face, I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly was going through his mind. He was being awfully nice to me, and while he seemed like a really nice guy and all… I felt myself becoming more suspicious. It was probably just because of my paranoia, but what else would lead someone like him to try and charm someone like me? We were from totally different worlds, with totally different backgrounds.

And let’s face it, I probably wasn’t his type.

He probably fell for the well-educated, wealthy, tiny little white girls that probably flit all over him when he goes back to the states. Somehow that image just popped right into my mind, making me grit my teeth.

I had to figure out what his angle was. Maybe then I would feel little bit more at ease around him.

“So what made you decide to open a halfway house? I mean that just seems so… random, don’t you think?”

That caught his attention. “What do you mean by random?”

“I mean you’re an heir to a billion-dollar company. You’re famous, and… look at you! With everything you have going for you, what makes you decide to open up your enormous home to people on the run?”

His cheeks reddened, but he didn’t look pleased with my observations. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up at all.

“That sounds like something a reporter would ask me. Is it so far-fetched to think of me as someone who wants to help others?” His voice was low, and he looked at me with the kind of intensity that made me swallow against the lump in my throat.

I bit my lip, not wanting to hurt his feelings. Of course he was a good guy. Of course he wanted to help. Maybe I was just turning into a psycho.

“I’m sorry, Julien. I don’t mean that you’re someone who wouldn’t help others. It’s just that, I don’t know, there are so many other things you could be doing with your life I guess. I just don’t see anyone waking up in the morning one day and saying hey, maybe I should open up my house to people who could possibly bring in all sorts of danger along with them.”

Julien just shook his head, a smile making its way back onto his face.

“You know… Growing up, I always wanted to be a detective…” he said wistfully.

I caught myself letting out a squeak of a laugh, forcing it back down quick as Julien stared at me.

“I couldn’t, of course. My family name makes that sort of thing impossible. Everyone treats you differently when money is no object… I can’t live a normal life. I’ve grown up associating with the most powerful people on this planet. And I didn’t like what I saw.”

His body language had changed. He seemed angry, unhappy…

“They treat others terribly, and don’t think about the consequences. I disagree with their actions. When I was given the chance to take part in witness relocation, I jumped on it. It gives me a chance to spend a little time on something outside of myself. I give to charity, I support good causes around the world… But I wanted something more. Something personal. This kind of work grounds me. What is it you say? The work is hard… But it’s good for the soul.”

I nodded. “If I was in a better position myself, I would do something to give back to my community... Especially where I grew up… there are so many people who need help in so many different ways. So I guess it’s nice to see someone like you trying to help out in your own way. You’re a really nice guy, Julien. I just didn’t expect this.”