Page 46 of All the Gossip from Paris
“Perfect. I shall see you soon,” said Sophie. She turned and disappeared. One moment she was standing in front of him, the next she was gone.
“What do I buy her?”
He was tempted to go back to the stationery department and get Sophie the same planner she’d bought Camille, but decided that would be too lame. If he was going to try and impress the girl, he had to come up with something which caught her imagination. That had her thinking about him whenever she saw his gift.
Making his way to the nearest escalator, Liam rode it down through the various floors of the store. Women’s fashion. Jewelry. Fragrances. By the time he reached the street level he was ready to grab the nearest perfume Christmas pack and beg the staff to wrap it. When he next checked his watch, it was twenty minutes past twelve. And he’d not bought a thing.
Sophie settled into her chair at the café, carefully tucking her packages under the table. She was proud of herself. Every name on her gift buying list had been ticked off.
Now she could relax.
Seated across from her Liam looked anything but relaxed. He was frazzled, but she didn’t want to say anything. Last minute Christmas shopping wasn’t for the weak.
“While you look at the menu, I’ll order us a bottle of wine,” said Sophie.
“I could do with a drink. I can’t believe anyone can brave the stores at this time of the year while completely sober,” sighed Liam.
She waved to a nearby waiter who hurried over. He took one look at Liam and addressed them in English. “Bon jour. How may I help you?”
Sophie replied. “We would like two Pornstar Martini’s to begin with, then a bottle of the Royal Toscana white. Thank you.” She glanced at Liam who was still struggling with the menu. “And I will have the smoked salmon on scrambled eggs.”
Liam looked up from the menu, and nodded to the waiter. “That sounds great. I’ll have eggs as well, please.”
While the waiter went to place their orders, Sophie sat back in her chair. She had to ask. “How did your shopping go?”
Her lunch companion gave her a one word answer. “Fine.”
She was just thinking that was all she was going to get from him, when Liam leaned forward, and rested his hands on the table. “Can I ask you something Sophie?”
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The way he spoke, she guessed his question wasn’t going to be about what she’d bought.
“Yes.”
“You are super organized. More than capable of managing time and to-do lists. Yet you seem relegated to a role barely above that of a grunt in your father’s business. What I want to know is… why?
She didn’t need him to explain what a grunt was, Sophie got the meaning from the rest of Liam’s question. He wanted to know why she was still doing the same job she’d been doing for the past twelve years.
The waiter reappeared and set their cocktails on the table. Sophie gave him a nod of thanks. She was too afraid to speak.
Liam had gotten right to the heart of the matter. His question challenged her entire existence. Highlighted her failings.
“I understand about taking risks. I had fifty bucks to my name and few contacts when I started out in the world of photography. There were nights when I slept on the street because I didn’t have the cash to afford a train ticket to go back to my parents place.”
But you’ve had all the opportunities.
He didn’t need to put that last thought into words. It hung over her head every damn day. She had a life of privilege and wealth. Never once had she tried to break free.
Sophie blinked back a tear. “You make me sound like a poor little rich girl. Which I suppose I am. But it’s not so easy to break free when you’ve spent your entire life in a gilded cage.”
He held out his hand to her, but Sophie refused to take it. She didn’t need or want his sympathy. “I’ve been thinking about my role in the atelier. I want to ask Papa for greater responsibilities.”
“But you find yourself continually putting it off. I’m not judging you Sophie far from it. Breaking the mold is tough. Taking chances is hard. The fact that you know change needs to happen means you’ve already won half the battle.”
Picking up her glass, Sophie took a sip. The vodka and passionfruit went down smoothly. A few more of these and she might find the courage to do something about her life.
Or not.
“It’s securing the final victory where I seem to continually fail,” replied Sophie.
