“Come on, bossy little girl,” she says with a laugh. “I’m having my break!”
“Just kidding,” I say. “How was your day? Did your cocky boss give you a hard time again?”
“He surely did, but I don’t want to talk about it now. Tell me about your day!”
“Oh, it’s been great. We had a tour around the vineyard. It was so beautiful. I don’t want to leave.”
She chuckles. “Of course you don’t. You wouldn’t want to leave even if it were the ugliest place on earth.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean,” she says. “As long as you’re with him.”
“Shut up,” I say, glancing at Louis furtively to see whether he’s listening. Thankfully he’s looking at the screen of his phone.
“So, you still haven’t told him?” Kayla asks.
“No.”
“Come on, girl. What’re you waiting for? You don’t have all the time in the world! Do it already. Do it for me!”
“Why do you care about it so much?”
“I care about your happiness! I don’t want to hear another word of pining for Gavin, understand? If you don’t accomplish your mission this time, I’ll plug my ears. I’ll quit being your relationship counselor.”
“I don’t remember hiring you for that at all. You volunteered for it.”
“Okay. But I’m serious, Ivy. It’s time to tell him.”
I want to tell Kayla what happened earlier at the pool. I want to tell her I might not have much a chance with Gavin even though I’m planning to do just what she’s telling me to, but a glance at Louis changes my mind.
“Thanks, Kayla. I’ll try,” I say.
“Good girl. I’ll return to work now. Your dad says hi. Bye!”
“Bye!” I hang up. Your dad says hi? Jeez. It sounds so odd. It sounds like she’s my mom!
“Who’s Kayla?” Louis asks.
Damn. I wonder how much he heard. “She’s my best friend.”
“Can I meet her one day?”
“Sure, why?”
“She sounds like a cheerful person.”
“Were you eavesdropping?”
“What’s eavesdropping?” he asks.
“Listening to my phone conversation without my permission.”
“Oh no, but she was very loud. It’s why I got the idea she was cheerful.”
“I see,” I say, standing up. “I’ve got to go back to my room.”
“Oh, come on, stay a bit longer. We’ll go separate ways tomorrow and I don’t even know when I’ll see you again.”
I hesitate, touched by his sentimental look. “You have my number,” I say. “You can call me when you come back. You can also invite my friend and me to visit your vineyard in the future.”
“Allez!” he says, holding my hand. “Just accompany me over to the garden. C’est charmant.”
I can’t refuse him. Although I don’t think it’s a good idea being alone with him this time of the night, the garden is vast, even with lights, there are dark places.
He takes my hand and not giving me a chance to refuse.
I grasp my phone tightly and follow him nervously.
No one is in the garden and it feels eerie even with the dim lights around us. Louis stops next to an ancient olive tree. “See? It’s nice and romantic here,” he says.
My heart tightens, and I give a small laugh. “It is quiet.”
Without warning, he pulls me to him and puts both hands on my shoulders. I’m so stunned I don’t even know what to say. I stare at him wide-eyed.
“Ivy,” while gazing into my eyes, he says in a voice that gives me goosebumps. “I fell in love with you the moment I saw you at the airport.”
Oh no. What should I do? What will he do? I laugh nervously. “You must be kidding. We didn’t even know each other yet.”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t heard the expression le coup de foudre, love at first sight?’”
I stifle the urge to cringe. “I have, but it’s not possible.”
“You don’t believe in romance? I thought you loved George Sand, the romanticist.”
“I do, but not love at first sight,” I say, willing him to let go of me and praying he wouldn’t do anything else to me. I’m ready to scream if he touches me.
He doesn’t move. He leans close to me as if going to kiss me. His breath disgusts me.
I put my palms on his chest to push him.
“Please, Louise, don’t. This is unprofessional. You’re here for business.”
“Family business. You’re Gavin’s friend, too, right? What’s the problem?”
“I don’t feel that way toward you,” I say. “That’s the problem.”
I’m normally not so blunt. I certainly don’t want to be rude to Gavin’s potential buyer, but I have no choice.
“Are you serious?” he says. “You’re just shy. I know you want it too. American girls are open to sex. I know that. My ex-girlfriend told me on average, college girls have sex every night. You are certainly not an exception?”
“Stop it!” I want to throw up. Not in the mood to discuss sex life with this guy.
My positive feelings for him all fade away.
“Don’t talk as if you know American girls well. I don’t have sex every night. Even if I did, it doesn’t mean I would want to have sex with you.”
I can’t help being harsh. I’m desperate and angry.
Louis doesn’t take it well. His smile vanishes all of a sudden and his eyes narrow. “Are you insulting me? No woman I’m interested in ever refuses me. It’s normally the girls who ask me to fuck them, not the other way.”
“Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything.” Although I’m trembling by the menacing look on his face, these sarcastic words fly out of my mouth.
Louis only steps closer to me until he pins me against the gnarly tree trunk.
“No! I will not have this the first time,” he snarls. “I always get what I want when it comes to girls. French, American, Italian, British… you will not be the first who gets away…”
My heart is in my mouth. “Please, Louis. Let go of me.”
He brushes my cheek with the knuckle of his finger and slides it down my chin, my throat, and my collar bone. “I’m going to fuck you, Ivy, whether you want it or not.”
I scream. “Help!” But I know no one will hear me. The garden is far from the chateau. I should’ve followed him here.
I tremble with disgust as Louis grabs my butt and says. “I’ve wanted to do this all day. You wanted it, too, didn’t you? You flirted with me in the pool, bitch!”
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean it!” I cry, but my voice is muffled as he covers my mouth with his. I clamp my lips shut in order not to let him kiss me.
Chapter 14
Ivy
I’m about to pass out when I hear a familiar voice shouting, “Let go of her, you asshole,” When I open my eyes, Louis’s body is yanked away from me by a large hand, followed by a loud thud as a fist smashing into his face.