Page 28 of The Holiday

Ruby and Dexter slow to a stop, and out of habit and instinct, she clutches Dexter more tightly. She and Banks have agreed that he’ll attend every official event on this trip as her Secret Service detail, vetting the people in the room and watching over her as they make their way through interviews and meet-and-greets, but there have been things along the way, like this walk through the Jardin des Tuileries, that Ruby has insisted she and Dexter do alone.

“Oh, don’t worry,” the American man says. “I’m not a weirdo. I’m just someone who really admires you.” He turns to Dexter. “And you too, Mr. North.” He lowers his voice like he’s about to share a deep secret. “I was also once in an age gap romance, and believe me, I understand the pressures.”

Ruby almost gives a surprised laugh. The man is probably in his late twenties, and he’s impeccably groomed and sincere. But instead of chuckling at his admission, she smiles at him. “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

The man hems and haws a little. "You know...just typical age difference type of stuff: she thought we didn't like the same things, she worried I was looking at other girls and wishing she was younger, and she thought I was laughing at her when she didn't get one of my pop culture references. But honestly, I always just thought it was cute when I had to explain things to her. I liked our age difference.” He shrugs.

Ruby's face burns and she intentionally shifts her feet and her gaze, trying to hide from Dexter. These are all things that she herself fears, though she is loath to give voice to most of them. A woman who has been First Lady, who has seen the world, who has raised children--a woman with her experience should not feel as insecure as she sometimes does, and she hates that something as simple as their ages brings these feelings out in her.

"There is something utterly charming about two people bringing different information and references to a relationship," Dexter agrees. "I love it when Ruby says things about the 80s, because I don't even have solid memories that start until about 1993."

"Same!" the man nearly shouts, nodding along as he points at Dexter genially. "Totally. I think it's cute when she forgets that I've never lived a totally analog life, and I hope she finds it charming that I've only ever done math on a calculator. I mean, what evenislong division?"

Ruby isn't so sure that a woman would find it charming to hear that her man can't work out a basic math problem on paper, but what does she know about other people's love affairs?

"Well, I wish you luck with that, man," Dexter says jovially. "I hope she realizes that there are bigger and more important things than one person having taken a few more trips around the sun than the other person."

The man shrugs. "I hope so, too. We're taking a break now, but I'd like to get back together."

"Good luck to you." Dexter thrusts a hand out for him to shake.

"I'm Tegan, by the way," the man says as he shakes Dexter's hand. He turns to Ruby and offers a hand for her to shake. "And I'm sorry I interrupted your walk to talk about my love life, but you two are an inspiration. I mean that."

Ruby smiles at him kindly; she really does hope he gets what he wants--he seems like a genuine guy. "It was lovely to meet you, Tegan," she says.

"Well, that was nice." Dexter looks at Ruby as they start walking again, giving her a half-smile. "We're an inspirational age gap couple, darling."

"Yes, a regular President and First Lady Macron," Ruby says with a smirk. "Wait." She stops walking as a fit of giggles overtakes her. "I've actually been a First Lady--I'm not interested in doing that again. Forget that example!”

Dexter grows serious as a cloud passes over the sun and the world around them shivers with the slight drop in temperature. He puts both hands on Ruby's waist and looks down into her eyes with meaning. "How about if you'remylady, and we just fly under the radar for the rest of our lives?"

"You promise you're never going to tell me you want to live in the White House?"

"I promise you I will never even suggest that we live in a white house of any sort," Dexter swears, holding up one hand like he's pledging Scout's Honor. "You have my word."

Ruby smiles up at Dexter with the kind of love and happiness borne of truly understanding another person and feeling known by them, and she stands up on her tiptoes to seal the deal with a kiss.

Another drift of pink petals swirls around them there on the garden path, and little bits of flower land in Ruby's hair and stay there.

"I love you," Dexter says. His eyes crinkle at the corners as he smiles down at her.

"I love you more, Dexter North."

Just for good measure, Ruby kisses him again.

PartTwo

Dexter

The pink blossoms from the Jardin des Tuileries came back to the hotel in the collar of Dexter's dress shirt. He pulls the crewneck sweater over his head once he's safely in his room, and petals fall to the floor. He stands there for a moment, looking at them there against the dark carpet beneath his feet, and a memory tugs at his heart.

Just then, his phone rings in the pocket of his overcoat and he pulls it out to answer.

"Hello?"

"Mr. North?" It's a woman with an American accent. "Jacinda Rawlings here. How are you, sir?"

So he's become asirto a young publicity intern; this is a turn of events that he'd never seen coming.