“S’il vous plaît, go to the gala with me. Voudriez-vous venir avec moi? You will go? Tomorrow night?”
Anne stared at Henri, with her mouth hanging open as she scrambled for a reply. Gherring would be furious if she went with Henri.
Henri grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “I will be good. I will not drink too much. If you desire, I will not drink at all. You will say yes, and make me happy?”
“Henri, you can’t go with me. Surely you know many women in the city who’d love to go.”
“Why do you say I should forgive myself and give myself a chance, but you will not give me chance?”
“That’s not what I mean. I mean I’d love to go, but you shouldn’t go with me. You should go with one of your… sophisticated friends. Like Mr. Gherring—he’s going with a famous model, Margo Milan. I won’t fit in with you and your important friends. I’m just a simple Texas girl. I wouldn’t even know what to talk about in a party full of international business people.”
“I do not care about them. You are important. You are important to me. Vous êtes très importante.”
“Why, Henri? Why me? You barely know me.”
“Because, mes amis importants, my important friends, they see à l'extérieur, the… outside. But you… you see the inside. Your eyes see deep, dans l'âme, in the soul. With you, I have hope that I will be a better man. I am better, I am good with you.” He paused to let his words sink in, watching for a sign of her relenting. “And… vous êtes très jolie, non…belle. Canon!”
Anne blushed at being called beautiful and hot, but Henri held her hand and gazed at her seriously, expectantly, waiting for a response.
“What about Gherring?” asked Anne.
“Gherring? You told me he is taking someone else. He has asked you to go with him?”
“No, but up until a few minutes ago, he seemed to dislike you a lot. And he didn’t want me to go out with you.”
“Is Gherring your father? You must ask permission?”
“No Henri—that’s not fair. I just don’t want to appear spiteful. It is his event, and he’s my boss. I’m trying to be respectful, even though I’m not very good at it…”
“Pardonnez-moi. You are right to have respect. But he said all is well between us, I promise. He knows now, I am not as bad as my reputation. I think he has had a similar experience with reputation. And we will stay across the room and not even go around him, not near him—the party is big, énorme, infini, vaste. Gherring will never know you are there…”
“Okay, okay.”
“Okay? That means yes? Okay, yes?” His green eyes peered fervently at Anne’s.
“Yes, yes I’ll go with you.”
A Gala Affair
“What!” exclaimed Katie. “Are you kidding me? Really? Henri asked you to the gala? I can’t believe he never asked me.”
“But you’re engaged.”
“I am now, but Henri was coming to the international business gala long before I was engaged.”
“And Henri is way too old for you anyway. He’s my age.”
“He’s been going out with girls younger than me in the past, and I certainly don’t think he’s too old for me. I’m so jealous. Henri is sooooo hot.”
“But Katie—”
“Don’t worry, I’m just kidding. I’m happily in love, so don’t fret. I’ve just always had a crush on Henri.”
“He is kind of cute.” Anne felt her cheeks warming.
“Kind of cute? That’s the understatement of the year. You’re a lucky dog. All these years I’ve done the preparation and planning, but I’ve never gotten to go to the bash. And you get to go after your first two weeks on the job. Plus, you get to go with Henri, who is smokin’ hot. But wait… We’ve got to get you ready for the party.”
“What do you mean? It’s not until tomorrow night.”