Vanquished (The Encounter #3)(20)
It took about another ten minutes before I declared myself ready. I went out of my bedroom to meet Julien, who was already nursing a whiskey at the living room bar whilst attached to his phone, quite possibly going through emails and such. Upon hearing the echoing click, click of my heels, he glanced up with a surprised look on his face, and then it broke into a dashing smile.
“Well, well, well, I should take you out more because you look radiantly beautiful, Isobel.” Julien slipped his phone into his pocket before coming towards me, ready to escort us both out of the hotel and to wherever he had made reservations for tonight.
Quietly thanking him, I was jubilant I had made the effort to spruce up my appearance for tonight. For weeks, I had gotten used to not washing my hair and skipping putting any artifice on my face after applying my moisturizer. I supposed it was true what they said about taking care of one’s self in this aspect—one seriously shouldn’t let oneself go, even if my heart was barely beating because I was beyond shattered inside. Alas, I admitted that, even though the temporary transformation was external, it made quite a difference to my mood. It was uplifting, and I found myself positively enjoying being in Julien’s presence for the first time since learning about my condition.
Upon exiting the hotel, we were ushered into a limo while his security, along with mine, closely followed behind us in an unassuming black SUV.
The place Julien had chosen for tonight was an upscale French restaurant in the upper Eastside that boasted an old-fashioned fine dining experience. With dimmed lighting and beautifully lit candles against starch-white table linens and the intoxicating mixture of aromas from their specialty foods teasing my senses, I found myself salivating.
It didn’t take long before we were greeted and seated. While Julien busied himself with a glass of wine, I studied the menu while casually sipping my iced water. Undecided on what to order, I asked Julien if he would choose for me anything that would not be too heavy on my palette since French cuisine was particularly known for its creams and sauces. He ended up ordering me vegetable soup for my appetizer and seared salmon with green salad for my entrée. The meal was superb. Although I finished half of the soup, the main course was slated clean. I could barely remember the last time I was this sated, and even though I felt beyond bloated, I had never been so relaxed in my life. For once, I let my guard down and simply basked in this rare moment of tranquility.
“What’s with that soft smile playing upon your lips?” Julien questioned as he finished his meal, reeling me back into reality.
I hadn’t even realized I was smiling. Well, I was most definitely grinning now.
“How can I not?” I languidly quipped back. “Great food and even greater company. Thanks for taking me out this evening, Julien.”
“That’s the effect of rejoining the land of the living. I admit it’s tricky to be out and about given your predicament, but once in a while, try to indulge in it. That’s why I hired those men to protect you. With you stuck in the hotel, you’ve made their jobs quite easy to accomplish,” he teased with his eyes sparkling then took a lengthy sip of his wine.
He had a point. So long as I could muster up the energy, I would definitely try to come out of my hiding and start being more active.
“I promise I’ll try not to deprive them of doing their jobs by joining the hectic bustle of the city’s streets.” I was, after all, in the Big Apple for the first time, so I should try to get to know the city before we left for Miami in less than a week’s time.
Our conversation halted when the wait staff cleared our table while another refilled Julien’s near-empty glass with his favored brand of Cabernet Sauvignon. With the table cleared of dishes, they then brought us crème br?lée, lemon soufflé, and a variety of fresh fruit flavored sorbet. My mouth instantly watered. The mere sight of these lovelies gave me butterflies.
“Oh my,” I gushed as my ravening gaze flickered back and forth, wondering which one I should attack first. “I’m beyond satiated, but for these sweet little darlings, I’ll surely indulge away.”
“You look like the cat that got the cream,” he commented, amused, as he nursed his drink while I busied myself with the strawberry sorbet first.
While I skipped my way about each treat, we casually spoke about his work and a little about mine. I didn’t really oblige much about the subject of my family since there wasn’t much to be said. Besides, the last thing I needed was for him to look into my father’s colorfully stellar past and present. Lord knew what he would find there.
Just as I was scooping a spoonful of crème br?lée, I decided to bring up the subject that I had meant to discuss with him tonight.
“I was thinking about living somewhere rural, anywhere really—Canada or even here in the States—but I would need your help to get me a new identity,” I voiced out the best idea I had been weighing out for quite some time. “I have enough saved up to tide me over until I can properly get a job to support the twins.” It would be difficult to do while I tried to look for childcare. The future appeared strenuous, but I was more than willing to tackle any obstacles that lay ahead for my children.
Julien appeared pensive before expressing his opinion. “That could be probable, but with a harsh road ahead of you.”
It was already a given the moment I had decided to go through with the pregnancy.