by Harper Bliss
“Inez?” Nadia picked a leaf from her salad before dropping her fork.
“It’s too much. I, um, loved her so much and I thought I could cope, but I can’t.” Margot stared out of the window, avoiding Nadia’s gaze.
“I’m so sorry. I should have tried—”
“It’s so unfair on Claire.” Margot had to vent, let it all out in one go. “It was going so well, until Inez came back. She’s been here a week and I’m already falling to pieces.”
“It’s only normal to experience a shock to your system when someone you cared for pops back up into your life. Just give it some time. You’ll get used to having her around. The shock and novelty will wear off. Focus on Claire.”
Margot shook her head, nothing but despair coursing through her veins. “You don’t understand. I can’t. I can’t go on a date with Claire tonight feeling like this. I already feel as if I’m cheating on her, betraying her, chipping away at the pureness of what we have between us.”
“What are you saying?” Nadia placed her elbows on her desk and leaned forward. Margot couldn’t avoid her gaze anymore.
“I thought I was over her. Because she was so far away and I believed I had taken the time to heal. But I’m not. After seeing her at the party on Saturday, everything changed.” The first tear broke free. “I know she left me to pursue this dream she’d had since forever and not breaking up with me immediately when she left for Africa was her way of letting me down easy, even though it was never going to be easy. What we had was special from the beginning. And, I may be totally wrong, but I think she came back for me. I think she feels it too.”
“Has anything happened between the two of you?” Worry crossed Nadia’s face.
“No, of course not. I would never do that to Claire.” For once, Margot was too upset to take other people’s personal dramas into consideration. And it wasn’t because Nadia and Juliette had both cheated that Margot ever would. “But I know it will. I feel it in my bones. I never used to believe in ‘the one’ and all of that sentimental bullshit, but Inez changed me. As cruel as this may sound, and as gentle, kind, beautiful and smart as Claire is, she pales in comparison.” More tears broke free. “I feel so horrible for saying that, you have no idea.”
It wasn’t that Margot didn’t care deeply for Claire, and that she hadn’t strongly believed that they could work without having the feeling that she was settling for less—already quite an achievement in Margot’s post-Inez world. But Inez had the advantage of time spent with Margot. In a matter of months, she had transformed the insecurity hiding beneath Margot’s leather-clad exterior into quiet self-confidence.
It wasn’t fair, but it was how it was.
“Are you going to break up with her?” Nadia started fidgeting with a stack of papers on her desk, shuffling them to the side.
“What other choice do I have?” Margot’s hands had started trembling and she hoped her beeper wouldn’t summon her to an emergency surgery any time soon. She was in no state to work. She should take the rest of the day off and get her act together. She waited for Nadia’s reply—perhaps some words of wisdom—but none came.
“I’m very sorry you feel that way. Claire adores you, I know that much.”
Margot fished a handkerchief out of her coat pocket and blew her nose. “What’s your news?” she asked, looking to change the subject, if only briefly.
“My news can wait.” Nadia cleared her throat. “Please don’t make any rash decisions, Margot. You may feel like this now, but don’t forget that you have grieved for Inez once already. Getting over someone changes things. It won’t be the same. You can’t just pick up where you left things out of nostalgia.”
“If it were nostalgia, I wouldn’t be sitting in your office crying my eyes out.” With that, the rest of the tears rolled out, moistening Margot’s cheeks and leaving black drops of despair on her white coat.
STEPH
I need something on Sybille.” Steph paced through Dominique’s living room.
“Is this really how you want to spend the forty minutes we have together?” Dominique sat in the sofa, nursing a glass of wine. “My children will be here soon, unless you’d like me to introduce you already.”
“I don’t understand why you’re not taking this more seriously. This girl could damage you.” Steph eyed Dominique. “Besides, they’re ready to fire her. If I have concrete evidence that she was following me, it may push Claire and Juliette over the edge.”
“I have documents of the last owners’ meeting, including the names of tenants, although most people who own a flat in the building also live here.” Dominique found Steph’s eyes. “Do you know what the girl who supposedly lives here is called?”
“No, because she probably doesn’t exist. My guess is Sybille made her up as a cover story. She thinks she’s so clever, but does she really think we wouldn’t check?”
Dominique rose and made her way to the study next to the living room. Steph followed her. She watched Dominique ruffle through a drawer and dig up some papers. “I inherited this apartment ten years ago and, as far as I know, the ownership of the building hasn’t changed since. Two units are rented out, but, officially, the tenants haven’t changed in the past few years. Obviously, it is possible that someone would sublet or let a family member stay, but I haven’t noticed any new faces. Then again, I only moved in a short while ago.” She handed a sheet of paper to Steph.
Steph studied the names on the paper, a few of them vaguely rang a bell and she suspected this building to be quite the strong-hold for conservative politicians and their families.
“For obvious reasons, the management takes great pride in discretion. If someone is taking pictures of the front door, I’m certain they’d take an interest.”
Steph sighed and waved the sheet of paper around. “This doesn’t prove anything.”
“Do you need me to come in and testify?” Dominique smiled. “Meanwhile, I can convince your bosses to let you go on holiday with me.” She opened her arms. “Come here.”
“I realise this is just a tidbit for you, but this is important to me.” Steph couldn’t hide the frustration in her tone, not that she tried very hard. “Let’s see how casually you’ll react when a picture of us pops up on the front page of Le Matin.”
“I couldn’t care less what Le Matin writes about me.”
“Well, I do care. And so will your children, your ex-husband, your party and your father.”
“I’m sorry.” Dominique scrunched her lips together in an apologetic pout. “If I had to worry about every person who might hypothetically be out to get me, I wouldn’t get any sleep at night.”
“What will you do when it does come out? Deny my very existence?”
“Never, and you know it.” Instead of waiting until Steph came to her, Dominique bridged the gap between them. “I invited you to my family’s summer house. I told you that I love you and I made it quite clear how I feel about us. What more do you want from me? Do you want me to announce it on the podium of the Assemblée?” She curled her fingers around Steph’s wrists.
“No, I want you to take this seriously. Take me seriously.”
“Oh, but I do, Stéphanie. I do. Just watch me take you seriously.” Dominique slipped her fingers from Steph’s wrists straight into the waistband of her trousers. With a quick flip, she undid the button, and before Steph had a chance to protest, Dominique had twirled her around so her bottom pressed against the mahogany desk in the middle of her study.
“That’s not what I meant,” she tried.
“I know.” Dominique peered into her eyes before dropping to her knees and pulling Steph’s trousers all the way down. The cold air rushing against her pussy lips was quickly replaced by the hot touch of Dominique’s tongue. They didn’t have much time left.
Bottoming again, Steph thought as Dominique licked along her pussy lips, wriggling her tongue inside of her. She seemed to be making a habit of that. Then Dominique’s tongue hit her clit again, and Steph
stopped thinking. Instead, as Dominique stepped up the pace, hitting the spot she knew Steph liked over and over again, Steph imagined the two of them doing this against a tree in the backyard of Xavier Laroche’s villa in Juan-les-Pins. She almost came, but Dominique pulled back.
She rose and looked Steph in the eyes. “Spread wider for me, baby,” she urged.
Steph, as if complying to women’s orders during sex was all she’d ever done in life, obliged. She opened her legs and let Dominique in.
“You’re under my skin now,” Dominique said as she thrust two fingers deep inside of Steph. “You’re in my blood. You’re part of me.” Her eyes didn’t leave Steph’s. “Je t’aime.”
Steph came with the same force that had been hitting her so much of late. An unrecognisable surge of relief rushing through her. A wave of something unknown to her—or at least long forgotten—before she’d embarked on this insane affair with Dominique Laroche.
CLAIRE
“I called in a favour at Johnson’s. Marc, the CEO, owes me big for convincing our client to drop the lawsuit against them when they represented Maceau Pharma. He’ll take on Sybille as his second executive assistant. It’s a big step up for her and Marc runs a tight ship. He’ll keep her in line.”
“Good to know scheming and plotting can still get you promoted in this business,” Steph said.
Claire shook her head, indicating this was neither the time nor place for snide remarks. “For what it’s worth, I believe you when you say she doesn’t actually live at Avenue Foch, but I guess we’ll never know.”
Juliette didn’t say anything. Claire turned to her. “You’ll have to give her the news, Jules. And you’ll have to make it sound plausible. Tell her she’s been headhunted or something.” Claire watched Steph bite her lip. “We need to get our stories straight.”
“And I’ll need to get a new assistant.”
“Try to pick someone you’ll never be sexually attracted to,” Steph offered.
“She won’t believe me, of course. She’ll see through it,” Juliette ignored Steph’s remark.
“It doesn’t matter as long as you make it sound as good as possible, like a real opportunity. Don’t mention Nadia, just make her believe that you can’t work with her anymore. That it’s too hard.”
“At least that won’t be a lie,” Juliette said.
Claire felt quite pleased with herself for coming up with this elegant solution. More in control than in her personal life, where Margot had cancelled a date two nights in a row—and she hadn’t used her key either. Being a doctor’s wife was not all it was cracked up to be, then.
“How’s the big reunion going?” Steph addressed Juliette. She looked as if she was out for blood. She probably wasn’t too happy about the way they were trying to rid Barbier & Cyr of Sybille, but she could at least be happy that she was leaving. Nevertheless, Claire pointed her ears, curious about Juliette and Nadia’s magical reconciliation.
“Slowly, but she’s moving back in.” Music to Claire’s ears.
Steph stood up. “I don’t care how you do it, just make it work and restore my faith in humanity. You and Nadia being apart is just not right.”
“Hey, um, Steph…” Juliette hesitated. “I’m sorry about what I said about you and Dominique the other day. I was out of line. I apologise.”
“I understand.” Steph leaned against the armrest of the chair she had just risen from. “You’re trying to protect your company.”
“At your expense.”
Claire cleared her throat. She hated to interrupt their moment but she wasn’t finished yet. “Look, Steph, it’s not our place to forbid you something and to instruct you what to do in your free time, but I’ve given this more thought and I really don’t think it’s a good idea for you and Dominique to go on holiday together.”
“I know.” Steph held up her hands. “I won’t go. It’s too risky and I’ve done enough damage.” Her bottom lip trembled almost imperceptibly, but Claire noticed.
She tried to put herself in Steph’s shoes and tried to imagine what it would feel like if someone asked her not to go on holiday with Margot because it involved too many risks. Any beginning of a new relationship was already so fragile, and to have that kind of pressure added. It must be so hard for Steph.
“Are you going to Gordes?” Steph bravely asked.
“Yep, for the annual Cyr holiday extravaganza.” Claire nodded while pouting her lips.
“Are you inviting Margot?” Juliette asked, still seated.
“Do you think she’s ready for something like that? My family can be quite full-on, you know what they’re like. I don’t think there are people on this planet who are more the opposite of her than my mother and my brother.”
“Maybe not then.” Juliette grinned. “Remember when I met your family at that barbecue, and while happily gnawing on a sausage, your brother asked me how we did it? In front of your parents. Your father nearly had a heart attack.”
“And my mother didn’t even bat an eyelid.” Claire snickered. She considered cutting her holiday short and returning to Paris earlier to spend some time off with Margot.
Juliette rose as well. She walked to the door, Steph following her. “I’ll take care of Sybille today.”
Claire nodded and hoped for the best.
MARGOT
Margot waited for Inez in the changing room. Her own shift had ended an hour earlier, but she’d stuck around because she had to ask. Since her talk with Nadia, she’d been avoiding everyone as best she could, Inez being the only one she couldn’t help but encounter several times a day. She hadn’t been able to face Claire and had stayed late at the hospital two nights in a row, pretending—to herself included—that it was necessary. Now, she couldn’t bear it anymore.
Inez walked in with a colleague in tow. She nodded at Margot, but stayed engaged in conversation with Anna the anaesthesiologist, who’d just come into the changing room to fetch something from her bag. Within minutes, she rushed out, leaving Margot alone with Inez.
“Can we talk?” she asked.
Inez sat down on the wooden bench in front of the lockers and regarded her from below. “Are you all right, Go-Go? You still look so pale. That hangover should really have passed by now.” She shot Margot one of her trademark smiles and it cut straight through every armour Margot had ever put up, straight into her heart.
“I’m serious.” Margot sat down on the bench as well, but left at least two feet between them.
“Of course.” Inez swung one leg over the bench so she faced Margot fully. “Shoot.”
“Why did you come back?” With all the courage she could muster, Margot stared Inez straight in the face.
“Ah, the million dollar question.” Inez shuffled a little closer. Before she replied, she wiped the grin of her lips. “I came back because it was a mistake to leave in the first place.” She drew a deep breath. “Not only because the things I’ve seen will still give me nightmares ten years from now, but because I should never have left you.” She swatted a stray ginger curl away from her face. “There was no one else, Go-Go. I just told you that to make it easier, so you could move on.”
“What?” Margot’s heart felt as though it was being pierced by a hundred daggers at once. “You lied to me?”
“I did. I had to. Because I know you.” Inez briefly looked away. “I knew you would have waited for me while I was chasing my idealistic dreams and, in hindsight, it’s my second biggest regret. Leaving you being my first.”
Margot was still processing the part of there not having been someone else. The nights she’d lain awake imagining that other woman. The torture she’d put herself through over nothing.
“You wouldn’t have met someone like Claire if I hadn’t set you free to live your life, Go-Go. And, as sorry as I am for the mistakes that I’ve made, and I’ve made plenty, I’m glad that you’re happy.” She gave a small chuckle. “And before you ask, yes, it was my initial plan to join Saint-Vincent and sweep you off your f
eet. I wanted you back more than anything, but I respect what you have with Claire and I have no one to blame for that except myself.”
“I was happy with Claire. She’s amazing.” Margot’s voice trembled as she continued. “Until you walked into that bar last Saturday and brought it all back.” The tears came. Tears for being convinced that she’d been replaced by someone better, or at least more convenient, as soon as Inez had touched foreign soil. Tears for Claire who didn’t deserve this. Tears for all the time they had wasted. “What we had, you and I, was magic. A once in a lifetime thing.” Margot wasn’t sure Inez could make out what came from her mouth in between sobs and heaves. “I thought I was over you. I would have been if you hadn’t come back.” She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. “Now look at me.”
“I’m so sorry.” Inez inched closer still. “Oh god, I am.” She put her hands on Margot’s thigh, making Margot shiver in her skin. “I was foolish, reckless, and so so stupid.”
Inez’ breath was near. It was the only sound Margot heard apart from her own sniffles. Never a woman of many words, Margot didn’t have any left. In some twisted way, she’d believed this conversation would have made her feel better. But she’d never felt so bad, because not only was she getting hurt all over again, Claire’s happiness was at stake as well.
“I forgave you for leaving, because you wanted to help people who needed it most, but I’ll never forgive you for lying to me.”
“Go-Go.” If Inez came any closer, she’d be on Margot’s lap. Her fingers dug deep into Margot’s thigh muscles. “After what you’ve just told me, you must know that I will fight for you.”
Margot found Inez’ eyes. They were filled with tears as well. Despite what she’d just said about never being able to forgive her, she found herself slanting her head and leaning in. Because this was how it had always been between them. This constant pull towards each other, stronger than any resolve Margot had ever had.
