Meg looked up into Etienne’s eyes. “I believe that this might be a question for my advisor,” she said, nodding to Etienne.
Jeff let go of Etienne’s arm and he moved forward, making a beeline for Meg. “There are various possibilities here,” Etienne offered. “He’s been warned to stay away, so we might consider him a trespasser.”
“Hah! That’ll never stick,” Alan said.
“I believe I was talking to Meg,” Etienne said. “And yes, it probably wouldn’t stick…yet,” he told her. “But we could establish a precedent, file a complaint and eventually manage to bar him from the property. After that he could be arrested.”
Meg nodded solemnly. “I like that idea. Not as much as the hitting him with the bottle, but it does have the appeal of being legal.”
“Or we could have his car towed. Right now. It’s an unauthorized vehicle in the parking lot, isn’t it?”
A cry went up from the rabble. “Yeah, he’s got a really expensive car. I’d love to see that on the back of a tow truck. Let’s go call right now and we’ll stand guard so he can’t drive it away,” someone said.
Alan swore.
“Alan, shame on you. Such language,” Meg said. “I don’t like swearing in the office…unless it’s in French. Yes, let’s definitely tow his car.”
Alan swore again. And then he ran for the door.
A round of applause went up from the rabble standing behind Etienne. He walked forward and pulled Meg into his arms. “I know this is unprofessional, but I just have to do it,” he said. “You were magnifique, mon coeur.” When his lips met hers, Etienne’s heart began to pound. She was all he wanted and needed, but he had to let her go.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ETIENNE turned to leave, and Meg’s heart skipped. She held out her hand. “Thank you,” she said. “But…” It was going to be so hard to ask this. It was opening a conversation that might end so badly, so awkwardly, so heartbreakingly. “You know I don’t know much French. What did you call me just then?”
His smile was sad. “My heart. It’s an affectionate term.”
“Like my little rabbit?”
Now his eyes were sad, too. “A bit, but…more.”
Her throat felt so full she could barely speak, but…he was going to leave. If he left…
“I never thanked you,” she said. “So…thank you.”
“For this? This was all you,” he answered.
“For the proposal.”
“Meg, I’m so sorry for that. It wasn’t meant to be an insult.”
“I know. You were worried about me. You wanted to protect me.”
“And yet, today you didn’t need protecting.”
Her heart was aching, and yet she laughed. “It felt like I needed protecting at times. I was afraid and angry and not thinking all that clearly at first, but yes, I managed, because I remembered things you had told me. You gave me courage. You made me realize that I could be me, and that being Meg Leighton was a good thing.”
“It’s a wonderful thing.”
“I wondered…You didn’t even try to step in with Alan today. That’s so…not like you.”
A pale imitation of that wonderful grin appeared, and pale as it was, her heart still leaped. “I wanted to. For a few seconds, Jeff and Edie were holding on to me so that I couldn’t rush forward, but mostly I held back because I realized that you didn’t need my help. At all. You didn’t need saving. Meg, I have to be honest…You have to know that I’ll always want to save you and protect you. Always. Forever. I can’t seem to help it. You do that to me, but I also want you to know that I wouldn’t, unless you asked. That proposal…”
She tried to shrug and to look as if she didn’t care. “It was an impulsive thing, I know. You felt you had to do it.”
The pale grin was gone. Etienne’s eyes burned fire. “Meg, look at me. I love you. It might have been out of the blue, but it wasn’t remotely impulsive. It was because I couldn’t do anything else. When a man feels about a woman the way I feel about you…I love you, Meg. You’ve turned my world around and I just can’t help loving you.”
A tear slipped off her lashes and fell.
“Meg, mon coeur, I’ve made you cry,” he whispered in wonder. “You never cry.”
“I know.”
“Why? Have I hurt you?”
She shook her head vigorously. “Do you think…I’m sure I hurt your pride when I told you I couldn’t marry you, but do you think…I mean…I do love you, Etienne. So very much. I hated telling you no when I wanted to say yes and…”
He pulled her into his arms right then and there. “While I was here, I bought a piece of property. At the time I didn’t know what I would do with it, but now…I’m thinking of a second Mont Gavard. I’d build a house, maybe get a cat and…If I asked you to marry me, again, Meg, would I hurt you again?”
She turned in his arms. She pressed her lips to his. When she pulled away, she stared directly into his eyes. “I don’t know if that was a hypothetical question, Etienne, but please ask me again. I know your work takes you far away, and much as I’ll miss you when you’re gone, I’m strong. I can handle your absences…or I’ll travel with you. You don’t have to build the house or get a cat or…anything but…just love me.”
“I love you now. I’ll love you forever. I’m asking you again. And I’ll ask as many times as it takes. Marry me, Meg. Love me. And yes, we are building the house. You may be strong enough for the separations, but I couldn’t be apart from you that long. We’ll delegate, bring new people into the business. We’ll make a family, Meg.”
“And we’ll travel back and forth between France and here?”
“Whatever you want, love. Wherever you are is home to me.”
Meg smiled through her tears. “I’m so glad Alan dumped me and fired me. If he hadn’t, you wouldn’t be here.”
Etienne laughed. “What an amazing way of thinking you have, love. And yes, I agree with you. I’m grateful for anything that brought us to this moment, but don’t expect me to send the man a thank you card. And Meg?”
She looked up and waited.
“The eyebrow thing?”
She blushed. “Lots of practice. I’m very good at practicing.”
“You’re very good at lots of things, and I intend to learn about every single one of them, my love, my heart, my everything, my Meg.”
“Monpetit lapin,” she whispered to him. “Mon coeur.”
“Look at that. Meg’s speaking French,” someone whispered.
“And our bosses are kissing. This is the best place in the world to work.” That was Paula’s voice.
Etienne and Meg chuckled. He whispered in Meg’s ear. She whispered back. Then she turned to the group.
“Etienne and I would like to declare this a paid holiday for all of you,” she said. “Beginning right this minute.”
A cheer went up.
“Best ever place to work!” someone else agreed. “Kiss her again, Etienne.”
“Oh, I intend to,” he said. “Many times. Kissing Meg will be the greatest joy in my life. It’s going to be at the top of my to do list every day, at the bottom, and lots of places in between.” He twirled Meg into his arms and against his heart. She was a perfect fit.
“Now, about that list,” she said.
He smiled. “It’s written on my heart, but this is how it begins.” He kissed her.
“And this is how my list continues,” she whispered, returning his kiss.
He smiled against her lips. “I like the way you think, my love. I always have.”
“Show me,” she said.
“Toujours, always,” he said. Then he kissed her again.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4109-5
THE FRENCHMAN’S PLAIN-JANE PROJECT
First North American Publication 2009.
Copyright © 2009 by Myrna Topol.
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