by Parker, Ali
“That’s generous,” I quipped.
“I am so sorry for what I put you through,” he said. “Although I stick by my original statement. I didn’t approach Patrick. He came to me. I did what I did to save you guys from being picked off.”
“I know,” I conceded. “I’m not angry about it anymore. It hurt. I healed. End of story.”
The waitress came by and we both ordered. When she walked away, I took a moment to really look at Tyson. The man looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. I truly did understand how he felt. The money and the freedom of not having a business to take care of was tempting. But that same business was a reason for living in many ways. It didn’t just bring money. It brought joy and happiness.
“Suppose you did sell,” I started and watched him flinch at the very idea. “What would you do?”
“I don’t know. That’s the thing. I have never ever considered my life without the museums.”
“They have become your identity.”
“Yes, in many ways, they have.”
“Would you still collect?” I asked.
He rubbed his jaw again. I felt bad for the man. Although he could absolutely say no, the stress of the idea was taking a toll on him. “I don’t know. I honestly have no idea. I can’t just shut off my interest in ancient history.”
“You could start over,” I offered.
He groaned. “No way. I think back to those early days and years. I can’t do that. I can’t go from being at the top after a long, arduous climb up to be kicked down again. No way.”
“Tyson, don’t sell if it is not going to make you happy. Patrick sold because it made him happy. Really happy.”
“You wouldn’t sell.”
I smiled. “I think we both know the answer to that. I feel like we had this exact same discussion very recently.”
He chuckled. “I suppose we did. Here we go again.”
“I know it sounds impossible but try to put the matter to the side and let the shock wear off. Let it kind of marinate in the background and then revisit the idea. Right now, you are in a knee-jerk reaction mode. Just give yourself some time to think it over.”
“I will. Thank you. I knew you would be the person to talk me off the ledge, so to speak.”
I felt very needed. It was nice to know he valued my opinion. It felt good to be his source of comfort and support. He was a strong, bullheaded man and to think of him needing little old me was a real ego boost.
Chapter 60
Tyson
Mae’s head rested against my shoulder as the plane bounced once, then again as we hit the runway. She immediately jerked awake. She looked around, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Paris?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
“Paris.”
She yawned, slapping a hand over her mouth before stretching her arms. “What time is it?”
I checked my watch. “It’s almost ten here.”
She quickly did the math. “So, it’s about five back home?”
“Yes.”
She pulled out her phone and rapidly tapped out a text. “I wanted to let Carrie know we arrived safely.”
I kissed her cheek. “Of course, you did. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
“Unless you are flying this plane, jet, or whatever, I don’t think you have that much control.”
“I would be your parachute.”
She burst into laughter. “You would land on me.”
“I’ll roll at the last minute and let you fall on to me. I’ll be your cushion.”
She gave me a quick kiss. “You are crazy. Thank you for being willing to sacrifice your life for me.”
“I’m serious,” I told her. “I would do it in a heartbeat.”
The jet slowed and taxied to a complete stop. “Are we going to the hotel first?”
“Yes. We’ll drop off our bags and freshen up if you would like. We can go straight to the museum if you prefer.”
She looked down at her traveling outfit, which was a step above pajamas. We’d left Philly late last night to take advantage of the overnight flying. We slept in bed for much of the flight until we hit a bit of turbulence and made our way to the seats for the remainder of the flight.
“I would definitely like to change first. I’ll be fast.”
I was in full agreement. I felt wrinkled. “We can grab something to eat before we go.”
She reached for my hand. “I’m kind of anxious to get there. We can eat after, if you are okay with that.”
“I am perfectly okay with that. I’m sure there will be snacks in the room we can munch on.”
“Good plan.”
“Have you ever been to the Louvre?” I asked, realizing it wasn’t something we’d talked about. I had a feeling she was trying to avoid the subject to spare me undue stress. I had several days to digest the information and was feeling a little better about things.
“I have not. I’ve never been to Paris. Have you?”
I nodded. “I came here once a really long time ago.”
“I’m excited,” she squealed as we stepped off the plane.
“As am I.”
The car was waiting to take us to the hotel. We got to the room and both of us showered and changed in record speed before heading right back down to the car. Mae’s head was on a swivel as she looked left and right. It was a beautiful city. The city of love and I was there with the woman I loved. I couldn’t wait to spend a romantic evening with good food, great wine, and her all to myself. Damn straight I was going to take advantage of her.
She slid in next to me in the backseat of the car. I put my arm around her, holding her close as the driver took us to the massive museum. We were dropped off at the entrance.
“Let’s just take a minute here,” Mae said, her tone wistful and full of awe.
I held her hand in mine as we both took in the sight of the historical building. It was amazing. I had seen it before but seeing it with her made it a hundred times better. “It’s awesome.”
“Can you imagine the millions of people over hundreds of years that have walked through these doors?” she asked.
“I like to think about the kings and queens coming here. I like to imagine the pomp and circumstance.”
“I love the idea of something being around for hundreds of years. I like the idea of following in the footsteps of the people we study so diligently and revere in our museums.”
“Are you ready to go in?” I asked her, suddenly very anxious to tour the grounds.
“Are you going to let them know you are here?” she asked.
I smiled and shook my head. “No. I want to see this place without anyone telling me what I should be looking at. I want us to be able to take our time if we choose and skip exhibits that bore us to tears.”
“Good plan. It will be a secret shopper experience. Let’s see if their little museum is all that.”
We both laughed. “Yes, indeed.”
We casually fell in line with the masses and paid our fees just like everyone else. I hoped Gino and Mike were off doing whatever it was they did. I really did want to be incognito. I wanted to enjoy the museum with Mae and no one else.
The moment we walked in, there was a shift in both our moods. We were both lovers of the old things and to be in the presence of such a massive, valuable collection was a little overwhelming.
“This is crazy,” Mae breathed. “I cannot believe I am standing here.”
I squeezed her hand. “You are.”
“I have butterflies in my stomach. I have no idea why I am nervous, but I am. It’s just so wild. This is the kind of trip people plan for months. Monday, I was going about my regularly scheduled life, and Friday, here I am.”
I grinned. “The power of a private jet.”
“No kidding.”
We slowly moved into the museum, taking our time to examine each exhibit. When we came to the infamous Mona Lisa, we both paused in silence, soaking it all in. She looked at me, tear
s shimmering in her eyes. “I never thought I would see this in real life. Obviously, I have seen a million pictures of the painting and another million replicas, but to see it? Just wow.”
A flash went off, bouncing off the protective glass. Both Mae and I turned to scowl at the offensive, rude photographer violating the rules. The man did not look the least bit ashamed as he scurried off to go violate another painting. “Can I be perfectly honest?” I whispered.
“I think that is a good thing,” she teased as we moved on.
“I don’t think it is all that great,” I said in a hushed voice to keep from being overheard.
“What?” she gasped.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s a lot of hype. That statue you have, several of the pieces I have? Those are real treasures.”
She smiled and nodded. “I agree. It’s a nice painting and I’m sure the woman was pretty enough, but it’s a portrait. Boring.”
I grinned. “A woman after my own heart.”
“We can never say that to anyone else. We would be ostracized from the historical community.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Are you dying to see the Egyptian exhibits?” she teased.
I couldn’t hide my excitement. “I am.”
“Let’s go. I want to see these sarcophagi.”
“Me too,” I whispered. “Me too.”
We casually walked into the first room, both of us discussing the chronological timeline the museum had put together. I was always impressed by just how much she knew. It was awesome to have someone to discuss my passion with. Most people I encountered thought I was a little eccentric and a lot crazy.
“This is amazing,” she breathed as we stood in front of a display of funerary artifacts.
I was in complete agreement. “These are some excellent pieces.”
“I can see why they want your collection,” she said as we moved on.
“Why?”
“You have the other half to the puzzle.”
“How so?”
“Between what you have and what they have, you can truly get a good idea of what life was like back then. You have things they don’t and vice versa.”
“Are you saying I should sell?” I questioned.
“No. I’m saying I understand why they approached you. You know your collection is pretty damn amazing. They do too. Your items combined with these would just give such a complete, all-encompassing experience to a visitor.”
She was right, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to part with my items. “I understand. Ready to check out the Roman and Greek section?”
Her face lit up. “Absolutely. I cannot wait.”
We were both giddy. We toured the collection with Mae oohing and ahhing over each piece. I loved that it could make her so happy to see the items in person. I totally understood how she felt. It was a natural high. I was going to be riding the high for a good long while.
We meandered through the expansive museum until we had soaked it all in. “I’m starving,” I told her. “We’ll be back tomorrow for our official visit. We can pretend we never saw any of it.”
She laughed and put her arm around my waist. “Works for me. By tomorrow, I will be anxious to see it all again.”
We were headed through the main entrance area when I noticed a familiar figure headed my way. “Oh shit,” I whispered. “Busted.”
“What?” she asked, looking around.
“Mr. Helms,” Gino said in a loud voice. “We were not expecting you until tomorrow.”
I looked down at Mae, who had a shocked expression on her face before turning to look back at Gino. “I had some free time and we thought we would fly in early to enjoy your beautiful city.”
“It is lovely,” Mae agreed.
“Ah, young love in Paris is always welcomed,” Gino said with a warm smile. “Will you be coming by tomorrow? I would love to give you the private tour and take you into places that are not open to the public.”
“We would love that. Truthfully, we were anxious to see the place and popped in for a visit before the tour tomorrow. We are both lovers of history and were thrilled to get the chance to be here.”
Gino smiled, his eyes moving to Mae. I realized I never introduced them and felt like an idiot. “I understand,” he said, still looking at Mae.
His eyes were a little too roving for my tastes. “Gino, I would like you to meet my girlfriend, Mae Kendell. Mae this is Gino, the man I told you about.”
Mae looked like she had seen a ghost. Her face paled a bit as she extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said. To anyone else, she sounded normal. To me, I could hear the strain in her voice.
“It is very nice to meet you. I look forward to visiting tomorrow.”
“Me too,” she said, regaining her composure.
“We were just leaving,” I said. “We’ll be back at nine tomorrow.”
“I will see you then,” Gino said.
I put my arm around Mae’s shoulders and steered the way out of the museum. I couldn’t help but notice the stiffness that had not been there earlier. We were both a little jet lagged and tired. I would take her to a nice dinner and relax with some of the infamous French wine. I was looking forward to a night neither of us would forget.
Chapter 61
Mae
My mouth felt dry. I didn’t know what to think. He had called me his girlfriend. Was I his girlfriend? His arm was around me, leading me toward the car.
“Girlfriend?” I asked the question aloud.
“What?”
“You introduced me as your girlfriend,” I stated. “Why?”
He stopped walking and looked at me. “Are you upset?”
“No, but I think I am a little surprised.”
“Then I can call you my girlfriend?” he asked with a cheesy grin.
“I suppose you can,” I said, surprising myself.
“It’s weird, huh?”
“Very. Are we secret boyfriend and girlfriend?”
He let out a long sigh. “I don’t know. I think that might be up to you.”
I nodded. It was going to be tricky. “How about we table it for now? We are in the most romantic city in the world. Let’s enjoy the moment. We’ll worry about the details later.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan to me.”
“Now, let’s eat!”
We walked to the car, both of us leaning into each other. I didn’t think of it as a new relationship, but it was a new beginning for an old relationship. It was a fresh start and I was optimistic for our future. I briefly thought about the contract that remained unsigned and ignored. I truly hoped it stayed that way.
“I have a small surprise for you back at the hotel,” Tyson said.
“I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“We are going to have dinner at one of the best restaurants in the world. We can’t show up wearing jeans.”
I grinned. “Another dress?”
“Maybe.”
“I think you like dressing me.”
“I like undressing you,” he clarified.
“Thank you in advance. What will you be wearing?”
He sighed. “A suit.”
“Don’t sound so thrilled.”
“I hate suits.”
“But you look so good in them,” I told him.
His smile gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling. When we got back to our suite, there was indeed a dress hanging on a hook. It was of course stunning. “Did you pick this out yourself?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I ask for a dress, the personal shopper sends me some choices, and I pick from there. She takes care of the shoes and what not.”
“It’s perfect. I’m going to change.”
I took the dress and the bag of accessories into the massive bathroom. I pulled away the plastic and ran my fingers over the tiny little beads around the neckline of the black dress. It was exquisite and I imagined very expensive. I pulled it on and added the earrings and bracelet bef
ore sliding my feet into the designer shoes.
I left my hair down but pulled it back with a simple clip. I looked in the mirror, slowly spinning around to take it all in. Feeling confident, beautiful, and sexy, I walked out of the bathroom. Tyson was tying the black tie in the large mirror hanging over the dresser. He caught my eyes in the mirror and slowly turned to look at me.
“Beautiful,” he breathed. “Stunning.”
“You have excellent taste.”
“In women apparently.”
“You look good,” I told him. “I like the suit.”
“Are you ready to go?” he asked, suddenly sounding rushed.
“Are we late?” I asked as I checked the time.
“No, but if we don’t get out of here, I’m going to tear that dress off you.”
A flash of heat washed over me. The man could take me from zero to scorching hot in a matter of seconds. “Got it.”
We arrived at the restaurant that was extremely exclusive. I wasn’t going to ask how he got a reservation on such short notice. I had come to learn his money kicked open doors that would typically be closed to me.
I felt very fancy, drinking wine in the quiet dining room filled with murmurs of soft conversations around us. I couldn’t believe I was sitting in Paris, drinking wine. It was surreal. I looked at him, studying him in the soft light. He reached across the small round table and grabbed my hand.
“This is beautiful. I feel like I’m in a dream. I don’t want to close my eyes. I’m going to remember every moment.”
“I’m glad you are here with me,” he said.
“I’m glad I’m here as well. I’m thrilled to be here.”
“I wish we could stay longer. There is so much to see.”
“I don’t think they are going to kick us out. We could always come back. Take a nice long holiday. You might have a lot of free time on your hands very soon.”
The change in his demeanor was obvious. “I might. I might not.”
“Do you know which way you are leaning?”