Chapter Two

 

The wolf inhaled the fresh morning air and picked up the pace. The medieval fortress had yet to wake up from its deep sleep, so the beast could run freely for at least an hour before being spotted by anyone became a real risk. He ran up the hill at an unnatural speed, reaching the heavy doors of the Old Church in a matter of seconds. He looked up at the tall building and released a long, pained howl. From where he was standing, he had a good view of the town and the old citadel, of the Clock Tower that marked the border between the two, and of the Covered Staircase which led down into the central square. He would miss this place. Gods, how he would miss it! Another howl broke the silence, then the wolf turned around, jumped over the cemetery gates and disappeared between the old tombs.

He followed the path he had walked one too many times, both in his human form and in his wolf form. He would never get tired of it, and he couldn’t wait to bring the human female here later today and tell her all about the guilds of Segesvar, their unique emblems, and their importance to this part of Europe. So much history, so many memories trapped between these walls… He couldn’t believe this was his last day here. Tomorrow, he would be far away, seeking the only thing which had kept him alive all these years: revenge.

The wind ruffled the wolf’s brown hair. He loved the smell of pine trees, of green grass and morning dew. He jumped on the tallest tomb he could find, placed his forelegs on the old stone and sniffed the air. It smelled different than the night before. After he had met Rebecca Gilbert, his inner beast had felt the strong urge to break free and run, run as fast as he could, run as far away from her. The woman’s scent had driven him insane. Her pretty face, her long, blonde hair, her generous curves… As he had done his best to keep his desire under control and talk to her normally, his wolf had thrashed inside his body, eager to come out and snuggle against her soft flesh. Emil didn’t need that sort of distraction now that he had made his final plan. But he couldn’t leave knowing that the beautiful woman he had met the night before would be in Segesvar for the next seven days. One more day. One more day wouldn’t make any difference. After leaving her in front of her room, he had run downstairs and asked the receptionist to cancel his flight, then went for a run. His wolf needed some kind of release, anything to take his mind off Rebecca Gilbert.

He watched the first sunrays break through the heavy clouds as the pale crescent moon faded in the west. His heart was beating wildly, adrenaline was still rushing through his veins, and he felt alive. He had never felt so alive since he was a pup and his parents had taken him for his first run in the forests of the Carpathian Mountains. He could barely remember their faces, but he missed them so much. He growled and decided to head back to the inn. Rebecca was probably still sleeping, and he had a good couple of hours before he had to meet her at the reception desk. He’d call his accountant and make some final arrangements. After all, he did have to make sure the business would run itself for at least three more months, until his assistant would find a good client and sell the inn, the tour company, and his adoptive parents’ house. The guilt was still eating away at his heart, but he had no other choice. Since his adoptive parents died a month ago, it had been impossible for him to sleep in their old house, which was just a couple of meters away from the inn. He had moved in one of the rooms at the Weavers’ Inn and hired someone to clean and take care of the house two times a week. His adoptive parents, Jacob and Maria Weaver, had been the only reason for which he hadn’t left Segesvar the moment he turned 18 and gone to seek revenge for his real parents’ murder. But Jacob and Maria Weaver were no more. He had mourned their death, and his wolf was still howling and whimpering when he remembered their smiling faces, but it was time for him to move on.

Emil took the shortest way back to the cemetery gates, jumped over the fence, but instead of going down the hill and avoiding the Covered Staircase, one of the most important landmarks of Segesvar, he went to his secret place where he always stashed spare clothes. The T-shirt and jeans were crumpled, and he’d have to walk back to the inn barefoot, but he was used to it.

The huge, brown wolf turned into the strong and handsome Adonis who had taken Rebecca’s breath away the night before. He threw his clothes on and went inside the dark tunnel of the Covered Staircase, which took him right in the heart of Segesvar.

 

***

 

Becca was beyond excited. Before meeting Emil down at the reception desk, she had had a quick breakfast and a big cup of coffee. Given that the narrow streets of Segesvar weren’t very high heels-friendly, she had opted for a pair of light and elegant black boots which went really well with her black jeans and frilly blouse. A thin silver necklace adorned her neck, the tiny diamond drop nestling between her beautiful breasts. She had tied her hair in a high ponytail, leaving a couple of strands out to frame her face. Even though she knew she should be as comfortable as possible, she couldn’t completely give up on using make-up. Just a tiny bit of pearly eyeshadow to make her chocolate eyes look bigger, mascara, and a dash of pink on her plump lips. After a good night’s sleep and a long shower, she knew she looked fresh and ready for adventure.

Emil was even more handsome in the bright morning light. As he led her out of the small central square and towards the Covered Staircase, she did her best to pay attention to her surroundings and not ogle his wide shoulders, thick arms, and gorgeous ass.

“The Staircase leads up to the Church on the Hill and the cemetery.”

Oh, that accent again. Rebecca tried to pay attention to what he was saying. The citadel was fascinating, but if Emil Severin’s voice and mere presence kept distracting her like that, she wouldn’t learn anything about its history and architecture.

“It’s very old, made of stone, and as you can see, it has a wooden roof along the whole span. It was used by students on rainy days, when the usual route up to the school was impracticable.”

“It’s breathtaking,” Becca whispered.

They started climbing the Staircase and she took out her camera to snap some photos. It was incredibly dark inside, and the tiny sun beams sneaking through the cracks gave the whole tunnel an eerie look. Rebecca felt like she was between the pages of a gothic romance. The hot, mysterious stranger walking beside her, the delicate spider webs clinging to every corner and crevice of the wooden roof… it was magical. When they reached the hill and stepped out of the tunnel, the sun hurt Becca’s eyes.

“And this is the Church on the Hill,” said Emil while leading her towards the imposing building. “There’s also the Old School, which is now a museum, and the new school… We can visit the Church if you want, but right now it’s really busy.”

It was true. There were tourists everywhere. Becca could hear them chat in various languages and she marveled once again at how many people from all around the world visited this remote Romanian town.

“How about we visit the cemetery first?” asked Becca. She peeked through the open iron gates and noticed it looked pretty much like a park. She had always loved cemeteries. Walking down each alley, no matter how narrow and hidden, reading the names on the tombstones out loud… She felt like it was the best way people could honor the memory of those who were no more.

Emil’s face stretched into a wide smile and his green eyes sparkled with happiness. “You read my mind!”

“Did not!” She shielded her eyes with one hand and looked up at him. “I just like cemeteries.”

“Me too.” He couldn’t believe they had so many things in common. “Ladies first.” He motioned for her to pass through the gates and took his time to admire her incredible body. His wolf stirred inside his chest, and he took a couple of deep breaths to calm down the beast. Rebecca’s tight jeans hugged her hips perfectly, and Emil’s body responded by sending a rush of heat straight to his cock.

“Wow! These tombstones are amazing!” Becca took a couple of pictures then turned to see if Emil was following her. “Are you coming or not?”

“I’m right behind you.” He ran his hand through his dark blond hair and stepped closer to her. Her scent made his erection twitch.

“Why are they displayed like this?” She went back to studying the intricate carvings on the tombstones. Many of them were displayed along the cemetery’s main path. Some were so deteriorated by time that she could barely read the letters. The words were in Latin anyway, so there was no way she could read them. The newest ones guarding the graves were in German.

“They’re very old and too degraded to be displayed in the church or the History Museum. See those carvings and how they appear on various stones? They are the emblems of the guilds.”

“Fascinating!” She took a couple of close shots.

“This one here shows that the person who died belonged to the Tailors’ Guild.” He pointed to a round, complex carving which had a pair of scissors as the central piece. “And this is the sign of the Goldsmiths’ Guild. Each guild had its own value case. They were these big wooden boxes decorated with the guild’s signs and emblems, where they kept their most prized possessions. Many of them are displayed inside the church, so we’ll go there after we see the cemetery.”

“I never understood how the guilds worked in the Middle Ages.” Rebecca straightened her back and resumed walking down the alley.

Emil fell in step with her. “Well, they were very important to the economy. The guilds of Segesvar, for instance, played an important commercial role in Central Europe. Of course, they can’t be compared to the guilds of… say… Florence, which ended up having a strong influence on the ruling class. Those really worked as secret societies.”

“Oh, I love everything that has to do with secret societies! Tell me more!”

For a second, Emil was mesmerized by Rebecca’s beautiful smile and wide, curious eyes. He blinked a couple of times to chase away the image of her naked body pinned underneath his, those pretty lips parted to welcome his kisses.

“Well, if you truly want to know, there’s this one guild which eventually turned into a sort of assassin’s guild that hunted supernatural people.”

Becca almost choked on sheer air. “You’re kiddin’ me!”

Emil smiled, but there was something tense in his expression. “I’m just telling you the legends which have been circulating for centuries…”

Rebecca thought back to Shift Your Fate for a moment, to Kassandra and her weird powers. The powers she claimed she had. Eventually, she encouraged Emil to continue. No, she didn’t believe in the supernatural, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy a good story.

“There were seven major guilds in Florence, and they controlled the arts and trades from the 12th into the 16th century. Only one of them is still active, or so they say. In the Late Middle Ages, the Arte di Calimala, as they were called, took care of the woolen cloth trade, which was the engine that drove the city’s economy. That was why the guild members became rich and influential very quickly, to the point when they were the elite of Florence and some of their members turned to banking to better control and protect their activities as merchants. Legend has it that sometime in the 14th century, when witch hunts were at their peak all over Europe, the Calimala became much more than just a guild of merchants and bankers. They took it upon themselves to create a secret society that would hunt down supernatural people, such as witches, vampires and shape-shifters, to protect the human race.”

Becca chuckled, but stopped herself before her chuckle became full blown laughter. “I’m sorry, I just feel like I’ve heard this story before. More like… read it in pretty much every modern fantasy novel.”

Emil bit the inside of his cheek. What was he doing? What had he been thinking? Of course Rebecca Gilbert wouldn’t believe in shape-shifters. She was a modern woman, a successful chartered accountant who lived and ran her business in the heart of New York. What he was doing was silly, but deep down he knew he had to try. The last thing he needed right now was to complicate his life with a beautiful woman, but the wolf hiding underneath his skin kept howling and growling, urging him to tell her the truth. Why was the beast acting as if Rebecca was his fated mate? Shape-shifters didn’t believe in fated mates anymore. It was true he hadn’t met other shape-shifters since his real parents were killed, but it was something etched into his brain, like a universal memory passed on from the old shifters to their young pups. There were no wolf-shifters left in the Carpathian Mountains, so he had no one to ask. He could only rely on his natural instinct.

“It is an interesting story, though,” Becca continued when she noticed Emil had fallen silent. “I’m sorry. I won’t interrupt you again.”

“It’s okay. You’re right, it’s a story that has been told one too many times.”

“More the reason to believe there might be some truth in it…”

Emil threw her a curious glance. Did she really mean that?

“I mean… there’s no smoke without fire, right?” She offered him her cutest smile, feeling guilty for having been sarcastic earlier.

“I guess there isn’t…”

They walked in silence for a couple of minutes. While Rebecca was making good use of her expensive camera, Emil was thinking about the Calimala.

“Wanna hear the rest of it?” He asked tentatively.

“Sure! I was hoping the legend didn’t end so abruptly. You were saying these Calimala guys are still active today?”

“Yes. But not as a merchants’ guild, of course. In the Late Middle Ages and during the Renascence they were pretty effective at cleaning Europe of supernatural people. Most of their victims were shape-shifters.”

“Why shifters?”

“They…” Emil swallowed hard and cursed himself for having almost said “we” instead of “they”. “They were never as good as vampires when it came to living in the shadows. Many shifters lived in packs, such as the wolves, or prides, such as the lions, so it was easy for the assassins of the Calimala to track them down. Many shifters fled Europe and settled in America when the continent was discovered. For a time, they were safe, but then the Calimala figured out their strategy and went after them. Today, it is said there aren’t many shifters left in Europe, but there are hundreds in America, still hiding from the Calimala.”

Rebecca smiled at the crazy thought of shape-shifters in New York. What if the hot attorney who was her new client was actually a werewolf? Or a werebear? Maybe he was a member of the Calimala, why not? A cold-blooded assassin who dealt with divorce trials during the day and hunted vampires and shifters at night.

“Fascinating,” she said instead. “You know… someone should write a book about the Calimala Guild. I know there is enough literature about shifters.”

“Oh, I bet someone has. After all, this is how secret societies stay secret while doing their thing in broad daylight: stories that give them an air of magic and legend which makes it difficult for people to believe them.”

By the time Emil had finished telling her about shape-shifters and their worst enemies, the Calimala, they had already seen the entire cemetery.

“Should we head back?” asked Rebecca.

“Of course. Do you want to visit the church before lunch?”

She checked her phone and smiled up at him. “Definitely! We can squeeze in at least one more hour of history and mythology!”

 

***

 

Rebecca was a bit disappointed when Emil told her he couldn’t have lunch with her. She had really hoped they would spend the whole day together, so when he showed her one of the best restaurants in the central square and told her they would meet later by the Clock Tower, her appetite disappeared. It came back the moment the waitress brought her the pasta. She ate while checking her e-mails and social media accounts on her smartphone. She posted a couple of pictures, took some more from where she sat at the table, and tried not to think of Emil and his reasons for leaving her so unexpectedly.

“After all, he is my guide. Nothing else,” she whispered to herself.

But why would Emil Severin, the owner of the Weavers ’Inn and the Weavers’ Tour Company, waste his precious time showing her around the citadel? Surely, he had a bunch of people working for him. She could understand that he had worked as a tour guide when he was younger to help his parents with their business, but now she didn’t see any point in doing the job himself. Maybe he simply liked it. Or… liked her. She smiled at the thought, a warm feeling starting in her chest and spreading all over her body. She closed her eyes and pictured his gorgeous green eyes, his sensual lips, and those firm, taut muscles… She shivered and reached for the glass of cold water.

Some hours later, they met by the Clock Tower, the most notable landmark of Segesvar, and Emil took her up to visit the museum and see the medieval fortress from the highest level. By the time they were done, the sun was setting and Becca had taken more pictures than her friends in New York would ever have the patience to go through. Side by side, they walked back to the central square, neither of them in a hurry, nor very willing to break the comfortable silence that had settled between them. They had known each other for only a couple of hours, but they already felt like they could spend an eternity in each other’s presence without getting bored.

When she saw the familiar sign of the Weavers’ Inn, Rebecca’s stomach sank. And it wasn’t because it was way past dinner time and she was starving. She stopped before they entered the square and cleared her throat. It was now or never. She had no intention of having dinner alone, much less go back to her room alone.

“So… I was thinking…” Emil fixed her with his bright green eyes and, for a second, she forgot what she wanted to say. “How about dinner? My treat. I mean… if you have time, of course. I just want to thank you for the tour. It was lovely.”

Emil’s eyes softened. How could he refuse such an offer? Especially when it was coming from the sexiest woman he had ever met. He had wanted to join her for lunch too, but his wolf had howled so loudly at the perspective that he had suddenly decided it would be better to put some distance between the beast and the woman he craved. So, he had left Rebecca at the restaurant and gone for a quick hunt, far away from the citadel, deep into the forest, where people rarely ventured. The speed and the rush of adrenaline had calmed his wolf down, but now there was no way the beast would agree to be tamed in the same manner. It was time for Emil to give in to what his wolf wanted. And his wolf wanted Rebecca. Besides, he really did appreciate a woman who wasn’t afraid to break the ice.

“How could I ever say ‘no’ to you?”

Becca’s face lit up and she jumped in excitement, then giggled and blushed to the tips of her ears. She was acting and feeling like a teenager again, not like a 35-year-old experienced woman who had been burned one too many times. This man was so different from all the men she had dated before.

“On one condition, though,” he added.

“Oh… what condition?”

“I did enough talking for today, so it’s your turn. I want to know everything about you.”

“Huh. Even the dirtiest little secrets?” Her lips curved up in a wicked smile.

“I expect you to start with those.”

He winked at her and offered her his hand. Rebecca stared at it for a long moment, her mind barely processing the idea that Emil would take her hand for the first time and, hopefully, hold it in his the whole way to the restaurant. She took it and sighed softly when his big, calloused fingers closed around hers.

“I’ll take you to my favorite restaurant.”

For the thousandth time that day, Rebecca noticed how inconvenient it was that Segesvar was so small. It literally took them less than ten minutes to reach any place they wanted, and the same thing happened now, when her whole body was enjoying the warmth radiating from their joined hands. The restaurant was small, intimate, and there weren’t a lot of people on the terrace. In the middle of each table, there was an antique lamp with a single candle in it, and a small vase with a white dahlia. Becca had never been a romantic, but she had a feeling that seven days between the walls of this medieval fortress would change that forever. It was only her first day, and she was already so happy and relaxed to the point when she felt a bit lightheaded. They ordered the first two courses and Becca told the waitress she’ll think about the dessert. Waiting for the first course, Emil drank his beer and Becca took long sips from her apple cider.

“So, what do you want to know?” she asked. She rather liked this little game they were playing. It told her Emil was truly interested, and that was crucial if she wanted to end up in his bed. Or Emil in hers.

“Anything you are willing to share. I’m not picky.” He looked at her through his half empty glass. The small flame of the candle danced in her chocolate eyes as if her irises were its notion of home.

“Well… Let’s see.” She pretended to be in deep thought. “I’m 35, I work as an account in New York, I used to travel a lot before the two companies I’m currently running took over my entire life, and… oh yeah! I’m single.” She offered him a large smile, hoping he would catch her not-so-subtle proposal.

Emil smiled back, but didn’t make any obvious move. This woman intrigued him to no end.

“About that… How come a beautiful and successful woman such as yourself is single?”

Rebecca blushed at the simple, natural compliment. Yes, this kind of compliments she liked and could believe.

“I could ask the same thing about you,” she said.

Emil cocked and eyebrow. “Geez… I don’t know. I’ve been asking myself that for years. I am absolutely sure there’s a beautiful and successful woman hiding inside me. It blows my mind how people don’t see her.”

Rebecca laughed and drank the rest of her cider. “Stop that. You know what I mean.”

“I asked you first.”

She bit the inside of her bottom lip while circling the edge of her empty glass with the tips of her fingers. It was a tough question. Did they really need to go into this topic?

“I guess I just didn’t find the right guy.”

“Nah. There must be more than that.”

“All right.” She thought for a moment. “I am very busy. Sometimes, my day starts at 8 AM and ends at 9 PM, so I barely have time to throw my dinner in the microwave and take a shower before I crash. It’s one reason for which I’ve been unable to hold a serious relationship in the past five years.”

“I honestly doubt it’s your fault.”

“I didn’t say it was. I love my job and I’d never let anyone else run my accounting companies. I would, of course, find the time for a relationship if I found the right man. I am busy, but I’m not a workaholic. I know it takes two to make a relationship work and, eventually, build a family.”

“So, you want a family…”

“And children. At least one.”

Emil smiled. She was perfect. Perfect for him and his wolf. Strong, confident, independent… He could trust this woman with his heart and soul. He could trust her with his pups, because he knew she would be a fantastic mother and wife. Sadly, his plans didn’t include a mate. Not yet.

“What about you? Do you want to have children one day?”

“More than anything in the world.” His voice, however, cracked imperceptibly. Why was he lying to her? There was something else he wanted more than anything in the world: revenge.

Rebecca smiled. She would have loved to ask him more about his plans for the future, but she knew it was bad practice to talk about family and children on a first date. She had been on the dating scene for five years. She knew the unwritten rules.

“Oh! And if you really want to know one of my biggest secrets… here it is…” She drummed her fingers on the table. “Ready for it?”

He chuckled. “I don’t know… It sounds dangerous.”

“And it is. You should be afraid. I can shut my mouth right this instant if you’re not ready.”

He adjusted his position on the chair, leaning forward to look straight into her eyes. “I’ll take my chances.”

“Okay. You asked for it.” She drummed her fingers on the table again. “I design my own dresses.”

Emil’s hand flew to cover his mouth and his eyes grew wide with mock astonishment. “I don’t believe you!”

“You’d better. Because I intend to wear one of them tomorrow night.” She threw a glance around her. “This place is nice.” She nodded in approval. “If you hold my hand tightly, I might actually be able to walk on high heels from the inn.”

Emil placed both his hands around his glass of cold beer. His shoulders slumped. He lowered his gaze and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Becca chewed on her lip. She saw the waitress coming with the first course, so she hurried to ask her question. “Did I say something inappropriate?” She knew she shouldn’t have been so bold. What kind of woman threw herself at a man like that? A confident, successful woman who had no patience for stupid rules. Oh yeah! Now she remembered: that was why she was single.

The waitress placed the plates before them and Emil asked for another beer. Becca ordered water.

“No, not at all,” he finally answered her question.

“Then what is it? Look, I’m sorry… I just…” She took a deep breath. There was no point in hiding her intentions. After all, they weren’t children. “We’re both grown-ups, aren’t we?” She gave him a tentative smile. “I only met you yesterday, you gave me the most wonderful tour of the citadel, I realized I love spending time with you… so, I mean… why not? I’m single, you’re single. I like you, and I’m pretty sure you like me. I’m here on vacation. No strings attached.”

Emil smiled bitterly. Normally, he wouldn’t have minded that. He had done it countless times. But there was something different about Rebecca. He could feel it, his wolf could smell it on her creamy white skin. He wanted to have her. He craved her body. His cock had been hard for the past few hours, and he knew she must have noticed the rather generous bulge in his jeans. But he couldn’t take her. Not now, not like this. Not yet. But if he didn’t do it now… If he didn’t do it tonight… then when?

“Please say something,” she sighed. “I feel like a fool.”

He reached to squeeze her hand on the table. “Rebecca… I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Leaving?” She felt like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water right on her head. “Leaving where? I thought the inn was yours… And the tour company.”

“Not for long.” Their food was getting cold, but he needed to tell her this. He would never forgive himself if his reluctance hurt her feelings. He would never do anything to hurt this woman. He’d rather die a slow death first. “I’m leaving for the US. Moving, actually. I didn’t join you for lunch because I had a meeting with my assistant. He’s taking care of selling the business, and I had to make sure he has things under control.”

“But isn’t this your parents’ legacy?”

“It is…” It hurt so much to talk about his adoptive parents. It hurt even more that he couldn’t tell her the whole truth. “I can’t… I tried, but I can’t stay in Segesvar anymore. I can’t live in their old house. I can barely stand living at the inn. They’re gone, and every single day has been a struggle to make peace with the situation. I need to put as much distance as possible between me and this town.”

Rebecca thought for a second, then furrowed her brows. She enjoyed his warm hand on hers, but she couldn’t let his soft touch cloud her judgment. It wasn’t as if she didn’t believe he was telling the truth, but she had a weird feeling there was more to it. There was something he wasn’t telling her.

“Why the US? I mean… you could go anywhere.”

He smiled and hoped she wouldn’t be able to tell how fake it was. “I just told you… as much distance as possible.”

“Right…”

“Let’s eat.” He motioned to their plates. “It’s already gotten cold. A few more minutes, and it will actually become icky.”

They ate in silence. They only made small talk between the two courses, then Rebecca told the waitress she would skip dessert. She felt so full that she could swear she wouldn’t need food for the next couple of days. This time, she ordered a beer and drank it slowly while she watched Emil drink his dark coffee. It was always weird to see someone drink coffee at such a late hour. She jumped in surprise when she felt his big, warm hand on her thigh.

“I like you, Rebecca,” he whispered. “I really, really like you.”

She smiled and spread her legs just enough to show him she didn’t mind what he was doing to her.

“Good. Because I like you too.”

After another moment’s hesitation, he pulled his chair closer to hers and encircled her waist with his thick arm. She immediately responded by pressing herself against his chest and rubbing her nose on his neck. She inhaled his strong, masculine scent and sighed in delight. Oh yes, she could get used to this. Her pussy throbbed and juices soaked her tiny panties.

Emil smelled her arousal. His wolf growled, and it was all he could do to hold himself back. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead, and when she moved to look up at him, he captured her lips in a fierce kiss. She opened her mouth almost immediately, and his tongue sought hers. She smelled delicious, but she tasted even better. The sweet scent of her juices invaded his nostrils. He started breathing heavily, his stomach tensing with desire, and his rock-hard cock threatening to explode in streams of milky seed before she even touched him. He couldn’t believe what this woman could do to him with a single, passionate kiss.

Rebecca lost herself in Emil’s arms. He was so big, his muscles so wide and hard… For the first time in her life, she felt tiny in a man’s embrace. She had never been on the skinny side, so whenever she had managed to land a date, she had done her best to handle the guy gently by taming down her kisses and caresses. It seemed with Emil there would be no need for such silly tricks. She knew he could take her hard, and she looked forward to it.

The beast thrashed in his chest, and Emil was forced to pull away for a moment. He stared into Rebecca’s brown eyes and the realization hit him: he was afraid of her.

Rebecca was having her own revelation, but it was completely different from his: he was the one. She couldn’t tell why or how, but he was it. He was Mr. Right.

“Becca…”

“Emil…”

She stretched her neck, her lips inviting him to claim them again. When he pulled back and removed her tiny hands from his chest, she felt like someone had just driven a sharp knife through her ribs.

“Emil?”

“I’m sorry… I’m leaving tomorrow and I don’t want to do this to you. I can’t, Becca. I respect you too much.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

He couldn’t look into her hurt eyes anymore, so he took his wallet out of his pocket and paid the bill before standing up and leaving her at the table.

“Good night. I hope… I hope you enjoy your vacation here.”

Rebecca stared at the money, then at his back as he walked away from her. She blinked rapidly, determined to chase away the tears of anger and frustration which were threatening to ruin her make-up.

“The fuck did just happen?” She looked at Emil’s empty chair. “I just got dumped. That’s what happened.”