“Not explicitly. But this feels ambiguous. She’s a PhD leading an international cohort of students.”
“But she’s on the payroll, right, so she’s not your student?”
Sylvie fidgeted. “Right.”
“Then get over yourself. She’s probably wondering why you left her hanging.” Elda jumped off the couch. “If this was the other wayaround, you’d tell me to grow up and kiss her before she gets tired of waiting.”
Charlie crept through the door. “El, keep your voice down; you’ll wake the boys.” Her gaze flicked between them. “What’d I miss?”
“Sylvie’s got a hot woman on the go, and she’s lost her bottle.”
“Thatisnews. Who is she?” Charlie poured herself a fresh glass of wine and sat next to Elda.
“We didn’t get that far,” Elda said with a huff.
“She’s doing a PhD in marine conservation. She’s over here for a year supervising a bunch of students from the US.”
Charlie smiled. “She’s American?”
“Yes. What’s your point?” Sylvie asked.
“Nothing. Just that you’re not known for your tolerance of other…cultures,” Charlie said with a cheeky wink.
“I’m very tolerant. I put up with you two and your Britishisms, don’t I?”
“You make it very well known when we frustrate you because we’re not being French enough.” Elda giggled and put her legs over her wife’s lap. “We’ve spent two weeks negotiating the Christmas Eve menu.”
Charlie nodded. “I don’t know why anyone needs to buy that much fish for Christmas.”
“You’re in France for Christmas. The least you can do is respect our traditions,” Sylvie said.
Elda mirrored her wife’s baffled expression. “Anyway, you’re distracting Sylvie from telling me all about the juicy bits. I want to know how you feel and exactly what’s happening. Don’t skimp on the details.”
If only it was that easy. Sylvie couldn’t describe the crushing disappointment of the almost-kiss, going from elation to despair in a single beat. She’d craved the resolution of that moment, her lips connecting with Ade’s in a final crescendo of attraction.
But it had fallen to the cold, stone floor, along with herexpectations, leaving nothing but fear and shame in its wake. She wasn’t only afraid of the consequences, but also of the strength of her feelings. She’d never obsessed over someone this much. No other person had gotten under her skin, leaving their mark on her, like Ade. “I feel desperate.”
“Oh, jeez, she’s got it bad.” Charlie tipped her head in the air.
“There’s only one thing for it.” Elda sat bolt upright and took Sylvie’s hands. “You need to see her. She needs to come over here.”
The brakes inside Sylvie’s brain threw her forward with inertia. But her heart stilled, as if it had emphatically known the answer all along. “Yeah. I think you’re right.” She excused herself and turned over what she might say. Ade needed a straight-forward message with no room for ambiguity.
Are you busy tomorrow? Would you like to come over? I know it’s Christmas Eve, but I’d love to see you.
The interminable three dots blinking on and off the screen were enough to drive her to refill her wine glass. She never should have left the kiss hanging, and she was determined, more than ever, to put that right. But would Ade accept her invitation? Or leave her in a purgatory of not knowing if their lips would ever meet.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Ade had worriedthat the near-kiss at the Christmas fair was enough to put Sylvie off forever. The few messages they’d exchanged since had been courteous and functional, with Sylvie reminding Ade of her travel plans over the holidays. But the spark between them had been all but extinguished by Paul’s interruption. And it seemed neither of them were brave enough to relight the flame.
When Sylvie messaged with a surprise invitation to her parents’ house for Christmas Eve, Ade almost didn’t believe it. But Steph had talked her into going, insisting that she didn’t need babysitting, as long as Ade was back for Christmas morning.
Installed in the train carriage, Ade traced the line of her journey along the map and watched the coastline bend and break through the window, until it came to halt in a picturesque, tiny station about an hour down the track.
As promised, Sylvie was waiting when Ade jumped down onto the platform. Against the winter morning, Sylvie’s radiance shone like the sun itself bounced off her. The days they’d been apart shrank in significance, and Ade wondered how she’d ever doubted Sylvie’s sincere invitation.
She hoisted her bag crammed with gifts onto her shoulder; she’d already bought something for Sylvie but had run out for a couple of last-minute purchases for Elda and Charlie’s two young boys. She’d figured a bottle of wine would suffice for the adult strangers. She wasn’t used to buying gifts of any kind, especially for people she didn’t know.
