23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Olivier

Laughing with Hazel will never get old. We're both drunk right now, but I'm proud of us for still managing to come up with new puns.

"You know," she says, giggling, "I've heard that champagne is good for your pours ." Then, she sets off again, and I'm having trouble catching my breath.

"Well, then. Hit me, baby, one more wine . "

Collapsing onto the table, she explodes into laughter, tears springing from her eyes. "Oh my goodness. Yay for Britney."

For a second, I forget everything else, because Hazel looks magnificent, blinding me with her beauty. Her hair is adorably messy, the sparkle in her eyes is competing with the bubbles trailing up the bottle, and her smile—her smile is captivating. A full-on tooth smile that almost hurts at the corners. I know because I'm sporting the same one.

Reaching for her face, I capture the tears falling down her cheek.

Her eyes fall to my lips.

"You're so beautiful," I whisper.

Giggling, she leans into my hand, and I cup her face. "You're not so bad looking yourself. Especially with that beret." She breaks into a fit of laughter again, and my smile widens.

"I got it just for you."

"I know." She bites her lip, her gaze drawn to mine. "Why?"

"Because you were dreaming of a Frenchman with a beret?" I say, hoping it doesn't sound as pathetic as it actually is. "I was just trying to make that dream come true."

"There's only one Frenchman I want," she says, jabbing my torso with her finger, "with or without a beret."

My heart leaps, and suddenly, I'm extremely heady. "Really?"

She nods, another giggle escaping her lips. "You're the wine that I want."

Is this really happening? I want to pinch myself just to make sure, but I don't have to. I see it in her eyes. In the way her chest rises and falls with every rapid breath. I feel it in the air thickening around us. "I am, huh?"

"Mm-hm." Her forehead presses against mine, and I trace a finger along her soft lips.

"Are you going to kiss me?" she asks, glancing up.

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes," she answers. "But I want a proper French kiss this time. With tongue and everything."

She doesn't have to ask me twice.

Our mouths collide, and I'm transported to another world. A world of hope and brighter futures. A world where Hazel lives in France with me, and all our dreams come true. A world where I can feel the softness of her lips and her heart beating against mine every single day. Where every inch of her is familiar and comforting. Where she and I are the happiest couple on the planet.

I never want this to end.

When I wake up the next day, I almost wonder if it was all a dream. Kissing Hazel, her telling me I'm the one she wants. But I know it was real, because even the best dreams can't make you feel what I felt last night. My heart burst into pieces, and my entire world became everything I'd ever hoped for.

But as the morning wears on, I'm getting more anxious by the second, because I wonder if it was just the champagne talking. Did she mean all those things she said? Maybe she doesn't even remember saying them.

When I get down to breakfast, she's already sitting at the table eating a crêpe—my girl—with Luc seated right in front of her.

" Olivier, comment ?a va? Bien dormi? "

" Bonjour. Oui, très bien. A bit hungover, but it was a wonderful evening," I say, my gaze turning to Hazel. Her beautifully complex brown-green eyes are set on me, and I know the memory of last night is etched in her brain too. Hopefully, it's a good one.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he replies with a grin. "Breakfast?"

"Sure."

Hazel doesn't say much during breakfast, then she disappears while Luc and I talk business. He's interested in having his champagne on the Cezanne table, and we take a few minutes to set up a test dinner. I also come clean about my intent to leave the palace and start my own venture. To my utmost surprise, he says he'd be more than happy to discuss a collaboration with my new place as well.

Finally, the time comes to return to Paris, and I'm eager to get into the car with Hazel. We haven't really spoken much this morning, so I don't know how she feels about last night. We say goodbye to Luc before starting our journey back.

Silence hangs over us until we reach the highway. I've been meaning to say something, but I forget it every time I open my mouth .

A notification pings on her phone, and she pulls it out of her bag. "Oh, I'm finally off the waiting list," she says. "I've been put on a flight for tomorrow night."

That announcement almost sends me over the edge. "What?"

"Yeah." She glances at me, her big hazel eyes softening before she brings them back to her phone.

I try to focus on the road. "You can't go, Hazel. Please don't go." There, I said it. I didn't need some elaborate speech after all. Just what comes from the heart.

"Olivier . . ."

"Yesterday. It was—"

"I know." She breathes out a heavy sigh.

I cast her a tentative glance, but she's peering out the side window. "Then you know you can't leave."

The utter quiet that meets my words is killing me softly inside. Spotting a rest area, I decide to pull over. We need to have this conversation face to face.

When I park, we both get out of the car. The rest area is relatively empty, only a few cars pumping gas in the distance. We're now parked near an overflowing trash can. Not exactly your ideal romantic venue.

I take her hand in mine. "Please, Hazel. I know you feel it too. What we have—"

"I do," she says, and an unsure smile tugs at her lips. "But your job and the restaurant . . . You told me you wanted to focus on your career, and I don't want to derail your plans."

I caress her cheek. "There is no plan without you. You're the one who nudged me in the right direction. I wouldn't imagine pursuing my dream without you by my side."

Her brow wrinkles as she raises her head to meet my gaze. "You wouldn't?"

"I'll need a sous chef for my restaurant, won't I? And I have my eyes set on you."

She opens her mouth to speak, but I'm quicker. "I know you already have a job that you love. But maybe you could cut down your hours. You could do part-time university, part-time kitchen." I fully realize I'm rambling now, and I need to stop before she runs away.

She cocks her head to the side. "You've really thought this through."

I let out a small laugh and squeeze her hand. "How could I not? We're amazing together, in and out of the kitchen. I can't imagine not having you in my life. These past few days have—"

"Been incredible," she finishes, her face beaming, and I pull her close. Pressing my forehead against hers, I breathe her in. Never before have all my dreams been so close within reach.

We stay like that for a second before she shuffles a step back, shaking her head. "But this is crazy. I don't even know if I'm ready for a relationship, and I live thousands of miles away."

Taking a step forward, I pull her near me again and stare into those beautiful hazel eyes. "I know this is fast, but please let me take care of you. You deserve it. I want nothing more than to make you feel as amazing as you are. I'll wear that damn beret every day if I have to."

"Olivier, wait," she mutters, placing a hand on my torso. "It's—I need to—"

"Hazel," I cut in before kissing her soft lips. "We can figure it all out. Don't overthink this."

I slide my hand to her neck and kiss her again. Deeper this time as I strive to show her how much I need her to say yes. How much I want to make her happy. Make us happy.

She resists at first, but after a moment, she wraps her arms around my back, and I finally feel like I can breathe again.

When we arrive home, we do what we do best together—we cook. And kiss.

"Were you serious about me working in your restaurant?" she asks as we're digging into the blue cheese ravioli we just prepared.

I swallow my bite. "Of course I was."

She pins me with an incredulous stare. "Really? I mean, it'd be an honor—you know how much I love food—but I have no experience in a professional kitchen. There are far more talented people who deserve to work under a chef like you."

"A kitchen brigade is composed of more than two people," I say with a chuckle. "But I've seen you at work these past few days. You're excellent. You have great instincts, and you're a fast learner."

She wrings her hands and averts her eyes. "I don't know. "

"Whose idea was it to add crushed nuts to the meal we're eating now?" I ask, arching an eyebrow.

She concedes a smile. "Okay, fine, this one time."

"Well, it's a start. You see the difference it makes in the dish. The nuts are a great addition. You did good."

Pausing, she nods. " Salami get this straight." She bursts into giggles, unable to finish her sentence, and I laugh along. Finally catching her breath, she continues, "You were basically evaluating me all this time without my knowledge?"

I take another bite. "Yup. And you passed with frying colors."

Her eyes sparkle as she erupts into a fit of laughter, a hand over her ribs. "You're kiwing me."

I cock my head to the side, throwing her a questioning look. " Soda think you can help me out?"

As her laughter subsides, she shakes her head. "It's hard to know if you're serious right now."

"Oh, but I'm very serious. I want to do this with you."

Her face relaxes, and she leans into me. "I'd be honored to help."

Grabbing her chin, I plant a soft kiss on her luscious lips, once again left in awe of how lucky I am that the universe put this girl in my path. "Well, lettuce celebrate, then!"