One night at the waterfront restaurant, he and Winter had sat and talked for hours after closing. Talked and kissed... Winter had shared her dream of starting her own restaurant.
Pierre had encouraged her. He'd helped her with the business plan and filling out the loan documents. After weeks of working on the project, they'd been practically inseparable. While they were waiting to hear from the bank, Pierre had taken her to France for what he called a "culinary vacation," which included meeting his family, who'd charmed her completely. Although her French was terrible, she felt welcomed and loved. Thankfully they all spoke excellent English. She'd had one spectacular meal after another, some in bistros and restaurants, others prepared by his parents.
When Winter announced that she was naming her new venture the French Cafe in honor of Pierre and his family, he'd let her know how pleased he was.
Then for reasons she never quite understood and couldn't seem to change, their relationship had gone steadily downhill. They lived together briefly, but it just didn't work. Her schedule often conflicted with his. Some days she'd go home after a long shift at the cafe and make his dinner. But Pierre showed little or no appreciation for her efforts, which annoyed her. She'd sulk or make some derogatory comment, and he'd react swiftly with one of his own.
Other times she'd talk about her day and Pierre would be so fixated on some incident or other in his own kitchen that he couldn't or wouldn't listen. Soon they'd be bickering, furious with each other, finding fault.
Then it'd all blown up and they'd separated. A year and three months had passed before they met again and admitted they'd both been wrong. They'd each had an opportunity to examine their roles in the breakup. Yet here it was, happening all over again.
The problem was that they were too much alike--both perfectionists, both volatile. Sooner or later, usually sooner, a clash was inevitable.
A few months after they reunited they'd slipped back into the old patterns. Nothing had changed, despite their determination to make the relationship work.
This time Winter had been the one to suggest they separate and Pierre had been all too eager to comply. Watching him walk away had nearly broken her heart. She couldn't believe that two people who'd been so enraptured with each other could let it all fall apart.
They both hoped that during this separation they'd be able to figure out a way to fix what was wrong.
At the beginning of this second breakup, not having Pierre in her life had been a relief. The sudden lack of tension had lifted a gigantic weight from her shoulders. It felt good to get home at the end of the day and not worry about doing or saying something that would set him off. She could relax, listen to the music she enjoyed, watch her favorite TV programs without having to defend her choices. She cooked what she wanted to eat without being subjected to his complaints.
The honeymoon period without Pierre had carried her for nearly two weeks. Only in the past few days had Winter realized how empty her life was without him.
She'd heard that he'd changed jobs and wondered if some of their problems might have been related to the stress he was under as head chef at the seafood restaurant. She'd learned from a mutual acquaintance that Pierre had taken over as executive chef for the Hilton Hotel. The position entailed far greater responsibility, with a large staff, huge banquet facilities and less creative freedom. The trade-off must've been worth it if Pierre was willing to make such a drastic move. It hurt that he hadn't talked to her about his decision. Still, she reminded herself, that was their agreement. No contact.
When Winter had suggested the terms of their pact, she'd fully expected Pierre to break it. He broke every other one they'd made. Oh, that wasn't totally fair. When they'd shared a place, he did occasionally prepare dinner, but not on a reliable basis. Often he'd be too tired or he'd simply forget, so she did most of the cooking. Even when she left a notation on the calendar it hadn't helped. And he hadn't exactly done his allotment of household tasks, either. If Pierre couldn't manage to pick up his dirty socks, she wondered how he'd ever deal with being a husband and eventually a father.
Despite their agreement, it bothered her that he hadn't made a single effort to contact her. She hadn't tried to reach him, either, but that was because he'd always been the one to make the first move, the one who sought peace after their quarrels. So, admit it or not, she'd expected to hear from him.
Pierre's temper flared hot and erupted like a volcano, and when he was finished it was over. He was ready to kiss and make up. Not so with Winter. She blew like a factory whistle, and when she finished, it wasn't over. She wanted Pierre to react, to change, to learn and grow. Instead, he just walked away until she became what he called "reasonable" again. He'd make overtures to see if that "reasonable" state had been achieved and when he decided it was safe, he'd act as if nothing had happened. Until the next time...
Now something unforeseen had turned up and she wasn't sure how to handle it. Michael had come to visit and he'd made it plain that he was interested in her. At least that was what she'd assumed. While setting their rules, neither Pierre nor Winter had provided for such a contingency. The question remained. Did she want to go out with her cousin's husband? Winter still didn't know.
By midafternoon, she'd talked herself into breaking the agreement with Pierre and seeking him out. She had a valid excuse. While she wasn't eager to acknowledge it, her real reason was that she was starved for the sight of him. These past few weeks had been a revelation.
She missed Pierre. She loved him and, in the weeks apart, that hadn't changed. Closing her eyes, she heard the lilt of his accent and her heartbeat accelerated at the memory. She missed his touch, his whisper when he woke early in the morning and kissed her. In a crazy kind of way, she even missed the excitement, if that was the appropriate word, of their quarrels. What it came down to was that nothing seemed right without him.
Now Michael had offered her the perfect excuse to see Pierre. Her pride would stay intact and she could present Pierre with this new situation and gauge his feelings. If he truly loved her, he'd move heaven and earth to join her in solving their problems. The possibility of another man's interest should galvanize him into declaring his own. Her goal wasn't to make him jealous, but to get him to recognize his feelings. The more she thought about it, the more hopeful Winter became.
Sitting at her desk, she called his cell phone, let it ring once, then abruptly disconnected. She wanted to do more than speak to Pierre. She wanted--needed--to see him. One look would tell her if he missed her half as much as she missed him.
Decision made, Winter waited until later that afternoon, in the lull between lunch and dinner. She contacted the Hilton and confirmed that Pierre was indeed working that day. She pictured walking into the kitchen, pictured Pierre raising his head, meeting her eyes. He'd stop whatever he was doing and come toward her as though drawn by an invisible rope. Then she'd rush into his arms and he'd tell her how unhappy he'd been without her.
Figuring she had time, Winter went shopping at a fancy little boutique off Blossom Street owned by Barbie Foster, whom she'd met through Anne Marie Roche. Anne Marie had the bookstore diagonally across from the cafe and was also a friend of Alix's. On a whim she purchased a new outfit. The classic "little black dress." Elegant yet sexy, it was ultraexpensive and worth every penny because of the way it made her feel. She was going to give Pierre an eyeful of what he was missing, just in case he'd forgotten.
When she'd changed clothes, she took a cab to the Hilton. She announced herself to one of the dining-room staff.
"I'm Winter Adams, a friend of Pierre Dubois," she explained. "If you tell him I'm here, I'm sure he'll see me."
She wasn't left to wait more than a few minutes. In that time she reviewed what she wanted to say. The staff member returned, smiling, and said, "Chef Dubois will see you in his office."