Sylvie heard the deep rumble of Rene’s voice and had to force herself not to run. To him? Away from him? Either way, she would walk away like the empowered woman she was and not the college girl with a crush.
She kept her eyes on her phone. She knew city hall like the back of her hand. Her father had worked here when she was a kid. He’d been the city clerk for most of his life, and he’d taken such pride in bringing her and Andre to work with him when he could. When he would catch up on paperwork over the occasional weekend, this place had been a playground for her and Andre.
She missed her father.
She glanced down at her phone and then smacked right into a big body. The impact sent her phone and bag straight to the floor.
Without glancing up, she dropped down, reaching for her Chanel caviar quilted tote. She’d gotten that one secondhand, too. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“Well, I was the one who didn’t move out of your way, so it’s my fault.”
Rene. She should have known from the ridiculously expensive loafers or the perfectly tailored cuff on the slacks. But no, it was the deep voice and that smooth accent that got to her every time. At least he was speaking English, because when he spoke French, she couldn’t even think straight. Naturally she’d knocked right into the man she’d been trying to avoid.
And her screen had been damaged slightly. There was a tiny crack in the lower corner. “I’m sorry, Rene. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Be careful with that.” He knelt down and got to her phone before she could. “That glass is incredibly sharp.”
“It’s not the first time. I’ll tape it up.” It wasn’t so bad. It hadn’t completely shattered, and she was locked in a contract for another year. She would have to make do until she could get into Houma and find someone who could repair the screen. Hopefully that spiderweb could be temporarily stopped with some tape.
Rene got to his feet and held his hand out to help her up.
She put her hand in his and tried not to think about how big and warm it was. She needed to get back out in the dating world, because just the touch of the man’s hand sent a thrill through her.
She needed to get laid. That was all. So why was it only this one man who could do this to her?
She got to her feet and gently slid her phone into her bag.
A warm smile creased his face, and those green eyes stared down at her. “You’ll tape it? That sounds like something your daddy would have done. I remember him explaining to me that there was nothing in this world a man couldn’t fix with duct tape and—”
“Patience.” She knew the motto well. “My dad was big on patience.” He would also tell his only daughter not to make a fool of herself over a man. “Sorry again. I’ll let you get back to what you were doing.”
His smile faded as though that hadn’t been the reaction he’d hoped for. “I was looking for you. I was hoping we could talk.”
“Of course. Gertie went to grab our lunch, so I’ve got a little time. Let’s head to my office. What’s it about?” It would be smarter to talk to him out here in the open, but also far less polite. She needed to get used to the man again. Once they’d been friends. It was time to find a way to be something like coworkers. The Darois family had had a good working relationship with city hall for as long as anyone could remember. The Daroises had been in the area since long before there was a city hall to speak of.
“A wedding.”
Sylvie should have known this was coming. Rene was close friends with the Guidrys. “Did Sera and Remy talk to you about having Zep’s bachelor party out at your place? Sera would love for you to be involved. She trusts you more than a lot of Zep’s other friends.”
“I’m glad to hear that since it might make the rest of this conversation easier. But I wasn’t talking about Zep’s wedding. I was talking about ours.”
“I’m sorry . . .” And then she couldn’t help the laugh that came from her. “That’s a good one.”
He’d gotten the slightest frown. “It’s not that crazy an idea, and I would like the chance to convince you why. Can we go to your office? I would rather not propose in front of half the town.”
She stared at him for a moment. There was not a hint of humor on the man’s face. “You’re serious.”
“I am,” he said, his voice going quiet. “I even put on my best suit in the hopes that you would be blinded by my masculine beauty and tell me yes without thinking about it.”
She was well aware that there were eyes on them. “We should definitely go to my office.”
She turned and started down the hall. It looked to be an interesting afternoon.
* * *
* * *
It hadn’t been the most romantic of proposals, but then romance wasn’t the point. This proposal was all about logic.
Rene stepped inside the big office the mayor used. It was a place he knew well, but he hadn’t actually been inside it recently. Not since Sylvie had come home.
Damn, but she looked good. Growing up, she’d had a quiet beauty about her. Even in college there had been an academic air that clung to her. She’d been the smart one, the Hermione of her group.
Then she’d walked back into town three years ago and he’d been floored by how lovely she was. Elegant and sweet, and he had to wonder how hot he could make her if she gave him a chance.
But his proposal wasn’t about sex, either. Sex would simply be a nice bonus.
“You haven’t redecorated.” The office was still masculine and dated back to the early nineties, the last time Mayor Malloy had redone the place.
“Well, we have a budget here at city hall, and it doesn’t include much for redoing individual offices.” She placed her handbag on the massive cedar desk, which didn’t match her classic feminine style at all. “So what is this craziness about?”
“It’s not crazy, and I didn’t put it the right way. You’ll have to forgive me. I’ve never proposed marriage before.” And that was part of the problem. He’d had many a girlfriend, but none of them had been the “one.” After a while he’d started to think there was no mystical one person in the world for him, and if he waited for a woman to knock him on his ass, he would be alone for the rest of his life. He would miss out on something he considered important.
She stared at him like he’d grown two heads. “Rene, we’ve barely talked since I got back.”
“That is not my fault,” he pointed out. She’d been frustratingly hard to get close to the last few months. “You’ve been good at walking away anytime I show up.”