by Emy Calirel
Table of Contents
Blurb
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1—Trevor
Chapter 2—Jerome
Chapter 3—Trevor
Chapter 4—Jerome
Chapter 5—Trevor
Chapter 6—Jerome
Chapter 7—Trevor
Chapter 8—Jerome
Chapter 9—Trevor
Chapter 10—Jerome
Chapter 11—Trevor
Chapter 12—Jerome
Chapter 13—Trevor
Chapter 14—Jerome
Chapter 15—Trevor
Chapter 16—Jerome
Chapter 17—Trevor
Chapter 18—Jerome
Chapter 19—Trevor
Chapter 20—Jerome
Chapter 21—Trevor
Epilogue
About the Author
By Emy Calirel
Visit Dreamspinner Press
Copyright
From Brussels, With Love
By Emy Calirel
Dispirited after a recent breakup, Irish project manager Trevor is guilted into a trip to Brussels with his best friend. A chance meeting with cute and funny tour guide Jerome turns into a weekend of sex and friendship. Forgetting his phone at Jerome’s apartment shifts their fling into a long-distance relationship held together by postcards, texts, and stolen weekends. But distance isn’t the only thing keeping them apart—Trevor is a workaholic who values his success, while artistic Jerome is carefree but insecure.
Starting a life together means facing major challenges, but the loving words they’ve shared build a bridge across the sea—one that might let them meet in the middle.
World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.
For all the shrimps thrown my way in the lair, this one’s for you plod bunnies.
Acknowledgments
I’M VERY lucky to be part of an amazing writing group. To the women there, thank you. Thank you for the endless encouragements and source of motivation. For your critiques, your kind words, and your help. Thank you for believing in me, for pulling me up and kicking my ass when I need it, and for your genuine joy when I learned I was going to get published. I can’t express how grateful I am for your friendship.
The team at Dreamspinner Press also deserves a big thank-you. Their reassurances, help, and quick answers went a long way to make my debut experience easier. I couldn’t have hoped for a better support system. To Tricia and the team of editors who worked on my baby, thank you for helping me make it better.
Part of me can’t help but want to thank all the characters who came before Jerome and Trevor as well. Maybe their stories will be published one day, maybe not, but either way they were all big parts of my life. Months of living with them in my head, of obsessing with their stories and how to tell them. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without them all.
Chapter 1—Trevor
TREVOR DID his best to keep his frustration in check as he walked down the long corridor of the Brussels airport. The squeaky wheels on the suitcase pulled by the man walking in front of him were grating on his nerves. He was familiar with airports and early flights, although he was usually on his own and not with his best friend. He was just not in the mood to deal with the myriad of lost and slow-walking tourists that day.
The man with the squeaky luggage stopped, and Trevor barely avoided bumping into him.
“Fuck’s sake.”
“Will you drop the bad mood already?” Hannah asked, matching her steps to his. She was wearing tight jeans and a light purple top, her blond curls tied in a loose ponytail. “You’re on vacation.”
“Not by choice,” Trevor grumbled.
Technically he was on forced leave for a week because he had given a dressing-down to an intern. He was ready to admit maybe he had been a bit too harsh, but finding the office covered in ink after a printer’s explosion had been the last straw.
Hannah easily sidestepped two running kids. “You should be thankful I’m bringing you with me. I know you would have just moped around for three more days.”
“I didn’t spend the week moping around.”
Trevor eyed the coffee shop as they walked by. Hannah had knocked on his door in the middle of the night, packed his suitcase, and before he knew it, he had been in a taxi to the airport. He definitely needed more coffee to deal with his day.
“You could have fooled me. Seriously, cheer up. It’ll be fun. We have a nice hotel room waiting for us, and I read that the restaurant and breakfast are good. There’s even a gym you can use whenever you want. We’ll hang out and relax.”
“Hang out? I’m not spending my time talking teeth with your colleagues. I was quite content to just stay home and watch telly.” Hannah taught dentistry at Trinity College and was in Belgium for a conference. “What am I supposed to do while you’re at workshops and stuff?”
“You’ll be enjoying yourself and playing tourist. I have a whole itinerary planned for you with visits and places to see.”
Trevor froze midstep. “No.” His fingers clenched around the worn leather handle of his luggage.
Hannah turned to face him. “Yes. You need to get out of your funk.”
“Hannah, no. Absolutely not. I am not going to walk around by myself for three days because you think I need it. I had plans back home.”
She scoffed. “You planned on calling work before your week off was up, and I’m not having it. I’m tired of seeing you miserable because that asshole broke your heart. I’ve had enough.”
“No one asked you to stick around if I’m such a chore,” Trevor snapped.
Hannah’s eyes narrowed, but her voice softened. “It’s been two months, but honestly he was making you miserable for a long time before that. I know it’s hard, sprout, but you need to move on.”
The mere mention of his recent breakup with Ronan made it hard to breathe around the constant ache in his heart. Trevor knew she was right. He needed to let it go, but being by himself in a foreign city wasn’t his idea of a good time.
“I miss my best friend,” Hannah said, attracting Trevor’s attention. “And I miss seeing you smile. I can’t stand watching you fade away because of him. If you hate what I have planned for you, we’ll think of something else to make your stay enjoyable, but at least give it a try. For me, if not for yourself.”
“You’re manipulating me,” Trevor said, already knowing he had lost the battle.
Hannah smiled, not a trace of guilt on her round face. “Is it working?”
Trevor started walking again. “Yes, it’s working. I’ll do your touristy crap today, but if I don’t like it, I reserve the right to spend tomorrow at the hotel.”
“Deal. You’re gonna love it. You’re going on a walking tour of the high city this afternoon. There’s even a chocolate degustation at the end of it.”
“You’re really pushing it.”
A NAP and a good lunch had done wonders for Trevor’s mood, but he still felt completely out of place as he waited for his tour guide. He stood near the tourism office at Grand Place, watching people walk by and take pictures. The sun was shining, making the buildings gleam, and while Trevor agreed it was pretty, the city was also smaller than he expected. Somehow, pictures had given him the impression the place would be bigger.
He was playing with the idea of going for a quick Starbucks when a small group formed around white umbrellas. Hannah had told him his guide would have one, so he warily made his way toward them. A dozen tourists, speaking different languages, surrounded three guides with clipboards and badges around their necks. A plump woman with a high ponytail caught his eye and he smiled, but before he could ask if this was t
he right tour, she spoke to him in French.
Trevor frowned. “Um. English?”
“Oh! Well, I’m doing the tours in French and Spanish. The one you want is Jerome,” she pointed out, switching to English effortlessly.
Trevor followed her gaze to a man almost a foot shorter than him, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt over jeans, strands of light brown hair escaping from his beanie. He was talking to a young couple with a baby, so Trevor thanked the woman and made his way toward them slowly.
“Trevor?” Jerome asked when the couple stepped away, his accent not as strong as Trevor had anticipated.
“Yes,” Trevor said, wondering how Jerome knew his name already.
His confusion must have shown, because Jerome’s smile grew bigger. “We’re just waiting for one more couple, and then we’ll be ready to go. We have a full reservation today, and seven people have already shown up.”
Before Trevor could find anything to answer to that, two older ladies in dresses and hats arrived, and Trevor stepped away.
THE TOUR started at two on the dot with Jerome telling them about the history of Grand Place and Brussels in general before they made their way to the Manneken Pis. Because it was September 18, the tiny statue was dressed up for Chile’s Independence Day. Trevor thought about taking a picture to show Hannah, but the crowd gathered in front of the fountain deterred him.
Jerome looked completely at ease as he led them from place to place. Their little group was eclectic, with the couple with the baby, a huge beefy man and his tiny wife, three giggling young girls, and the two older ladies, but Jerome kept all of them engaged. He gave them facts and anecdotes, but also asked questions and made them laugh with jokes and teasing comments. Trevor was smiling and talking with the others as they walked around the paved streets. By the time they made it to an LGBT mural two hours later, Trevor was relaxed and content.
“We’ll go taste some chocolate soon, but I wanted to show you this place first.” Jerome stood in front of the colorful and mostly pink artwork. “Belgium was the second country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2003, and Brussels is generally an open and accepting city. Broussaile, the drawing we saw earlier with a couple walking, was, in 1991, the first Comic Strip Mural made in Brussels. It caused a scandal at the time because it looked too much like the two characters were men. Frank Pé had to fix his painting to make the dark-haired character more feminine, but it started the conversation on LGBT rights. The murals you’re about to see were made in 2015 by artists Ralf Köning and Fotini Tikkou, and they highlight how far the country has come. I’ll wait for you at the end of the alleyway. Take your time.”
The couple with the baby followed Jerome immediately, and the three college girls started taking selfies, not really paying attention to the art. Trevor sauntered from mural to mural, reading the bubbles, which were thankfully in English. Coming out to his close friends and family hadn’t been easy, and even after a decade of accepting who he was, some of the words on the wall resonated with him deeply. He felt eyes on him and turned to find Jerome watching him. Their gaze met for only a second before the older ladies attracted Jerome’s attention, but it was enough for recognition and a connection to pass between them.
The moment stayed with Trevor all the way to the chocolaterie, where a master confectioner explained how they made their treats before giving them a chocolate mixed with champagne to taste. The boxes they sold weren’t cheap, but Trevor couldn’t resist buying one.
By the time he finished his purchase and left the store, most of the group had already dispersed. The three college girls left the shop just before him, each carrying a box of chocolate, and Trevor glared when they walked away without even acknowledging Jerome. The tour was technically free, but Jerome had told them from the start this was his job, that he was paid by their tips. Trevor guessed they weren’t the first ones not to pay their guide, but it annoyed him all the same. Jerome stood next to the shop’s entrance, so Trevor made his way to him.
“I just wanted to thank you for the tour. I truly enjoyed it.”
Jerome’s smile was warm and sincere. “Thank you. If you’re interested, the company does a lot of other tours. Les Marolles, the comic book route, the royal square and palace.”
“Are you doing them as well?” Screw Hannah and her planning, Jerome had been a great guide, and Trevor wouldn’t mind listening to him talk more about his city.
“Not this weekend, no. But the other guides are good. I’m sure you would have a great time.”
Before Trevor could answer, his phone rang, and he took it out of his pocket. His heart dropped and any good mood he’d had instantly disappeared.
“Excuse me, I need to answer that.” Trevor held out a bill for Jerome. “Thanks again for the tour.”
His throat felt tight and his shoulders were tense when he picked up the call and walked away.
AN HOUR after coming back to the hotel, Trevor was still on edge. Music blared in his ears, loud enough for Trevor to lose himself in it. Drown the thoughts and lingering ache that talking to Ronan had left behind. In all honesty Trevor could have just read the email he had needed to review on his phone and stayed in town, but by the time he had hung up, he hadn’t been in the mood to play tourist any longer.
He startled when hands landed on his shoulders, and he ripped the earphones away.
“What the fuck, Hannah! You want to give me a heart attack?”
“I made some noise. It’s not my fault you put your music so loud. Should we go look for hearing aids when we get home?” She smirked.
“Very funny.” Trevor glowered, but he could never stay mad at her for long. “How was your afternoon? Interesting?”
“Meh. First days are never the best. I’m super excited about tomorrow’s talk on laser dentistry, though.” She pulled her shirt over her head and threw it toward her bed on the way to the bathroom. She pushed the door halfway closed behind her. “What about you? Shouldn’t you be admiring the Manneken Pis right now?”
Trevor paused the music coming from the discarded earphones. “I saw him, and he’s a lot smaller than you’d imagine.”
Hannah briefly poked her head through the door’s opening, toothbrush in her mouth. “Seriously, how come you’re here already? Wasn’t the tour good?”
“The tour was great, actually.” Trevor dropped his gaze and fidgeted with the cords. “Ronan called. I needed to review something for work, so I came back here. I didn’t feel like leaving again afterward.”
“Goddamnit, Trevor, you’re on vacation!” Hannah snapped. She rinsed her mouth before she spoke again. “He broke your heart, but he won’t let you go. You need to tell him to back off.”
“You know I can’t do that. As the project manager, I’m responsible for the whole Valentina project. He has to refer to me. It has nothing to do with us.” Trevor swallowed heavily. “He wouldn’t talk to me if he didn’t have to.”
“And that wouldn’t be a loss. Seriously, you need to disconnect and enjoy life a little. There’s more out there than work.”
“Work brings money, and I don’t hear you complain when it pays for this kind of room.”
“Hey, asshole.” Hannah pointed at him before she disappeared behind the door again. “I paid for half of this room. And I would have been fine with a smaller one and queen beds, but I knew you would enjoy having a king. Don’t go and blame your fancy tastes on me.”
“Says the woman who won’t wear any shoes costing less than two hundred euros.”
“Wearing good shoes is healthy.” Hannah came out of the bathroom with her hair in a tight bun.
Trevor scoffed. “Whatever. Point is, I needed to work, and it comes first.” He turned back to his game of Free Cell, trying to relax and focus on it. Hannah moved around the room behind him, fabric rustling as she got dressed. This time when she wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder, he was ready and didn’t jump.
“Money doesn’t buy happiness.”
>
“Tell that to the hobo on the street. Or to my parents.” They had that argument so often, Trevor didn’t even need to think about his reply anymore.
Hannah sighed but didn’t push. She pointed to a move on his screen Trevor hadn’t seen, and he moved the cards accordingly. “Thanks. I know I should have gone out. Or stayed out,” Trevor admitted, “but I wasn’t in the best frame of mind. I just wanted to stop thinking.”
Hannah tightened her arms around him and kissed his cheek. “It’ll get better.”
They finished the game together before Trevor dislodged her so he could turn around.
“Where are we going for dinner? Want to go out and see the Grand Place by night with me?” He took in Hannah’s tight black dress and golden pendant earrings, and his shoulders slumped. “You’re bailing on me.”
“I’m not bailing on you, but I need to go have dinner with the other attendants.”
“Are you serious? You’re dragging me to Belgium when I wanted to stay home, and now that I’m here, you’re not gonna spend any time with me?” Trevor knew he sounded whiny, but he didn’t care. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed his best friend.
“I won’t stay late. I promise. And we can go out for drinks afterward if you want. I heard there’s a bar with more than two thousand types of beer on the menu.”
Trevor glared, and Hannah at least had the decency to look guilty.
“I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you. I don’t have to attend the workshop in the morning, so we can maybe go somewhere then?”
“Sure.” Trevor turned back toward his laptop and opened a fresh game. “I’ll see you later.”
She squeezed his shoulder as she left, but Trevor didn’t look away from his screen until the door shut behind her.
“Idiot,” he muttered, dropping his head in his hands and rubbing his eyes.
He knew he was being unfair and needy, and he wasn’t even mad at her. Some of the colleagues she really liked were attending as well, and she was happy to see them after months of only texts. But he was disappointed. And lonely. Maybe he should just take everyone’s advice and go to a bar to get laid. After all, Ronan hadn’t wasted any time. Barely a week after their breakup, he had been shagging the new accountant. Finding them at Trevor’s favorite restaurant had hurt more than the actual breakup, because until that moment, Trevor had still hoped they could work it out.