Chapter 16

Michael found himself back at work on Monday, and it was a far cry from the thrill of being in Paris, naked with Anelise. His mind kept wandering back to their time together, making it hard to focus on his tasks.

He was grateful to Craig for taking care of Ollie, so he showed his appreciation by gifting him an expensive bottle of cognac.

Sitting at his desk, Michael’s mind drifted back to the Eiffel Tower, where he had held Anelise, the beautiful woman he had left in his bed that morning. He remembered how he had held her close in her dress and carried her to their room.

In Paris, he had experienced a level of intimacy he had never known before. He had struggled to control his emotions that night as she slept, and he had stepped out onto the balcony with a drink to make sense of his feelings.

“Good weekend, Michael?” Harold asked, poking his head into the office.

Michael grinned. “It was perfect! I took Anelise to Paris.”

Harold’s eyebrows shot up. “Did you propose?”

“No,” Michael replied. “It’s too soon for that. Anelise needs to finish her master’s, and we’ll see where things go from there.”

After a few more minutes of conversation, Harold left, and Michael returned to his work. ~Marriage?~ ~That’s crazy!~ He thought. ~Could he really marry Ani?~

---

Anelise was out with Ollie in the stroller, searching for a bookstore that the front-desk clerk had recommended. She was on the hunt for a specific book for her thesis, and she figured London would be the best place to find it, given her topic.

Ollie found a book he liked and sat quietly, flipping through the pictures. Anelise smiled as she searched the shelves and finally found what she was looking for.

As she moved down an aisle, she noticed a sale on a book and immediately blushed. It was the revised and updated anniversary edition of ~The Joy of Sex~.

She picked it up, read the back, and quickly flipped through it. The book was exactly what she was looking for. She hurried to the checkout line, paid the clerk, took her bag, and left, blushing all over again.

She thought about their weekend together and how perfect it had been. She wanted to contribute to their relationship and thought the book would help. She wasn’t sure how Michael would react, but she wanted to surprise him.

While Ollie was taking his afternoon nap, Anelise called Leslie and told her about her weekend, leaving out some of the more intimate details.

Leslie was both jealous and thrilled for her best friend. “You are so damn lucky! You lost your virginity in Paris! One of the most romantic cities in the world! If I didn’t love you so much, I would hate you right now!”

Anelise laughed, “It really was amazing. I will never forget it, ever.”

After their conversation, she started reading and taking notes from her new book, figuring out how to incorporate it into her paper. She had emailed her professor to ask if she could extend the length of her paper.

She knew she wouldn’t be able to wrap up her argument in the eighty-page limit set by the department, and she really hoped they would agree. She hadn’t worked this hard to leave out key points!

After Ollie woke up, they played with his new toys from Paris since it was raining and they couldn’t go to the park. They laughed and giggled for a while before she got up to make dinner.

Michael had texted to say he would be late and told them not to wait for him. They were almost done eating when Michael arrived, kissing them both before changing and joining them for dinner.

Ollie was sitting on his lap, chatting with his dad, when Anelise’s phone rang. She sighed when she saw it was her parents.

“Hi, Mom,” she began, trying to hide her annoyance.

“Hello, sweetie! How is everything going in jolly old England?” Kim asked.

“It’s going great. My paper is coming along really well. I found a book in a bookstore today that will help support my argument,” Anelise explained.

“That’s wonderful! How is Ollie handling being out there?”

“He is perfect! We have so much fun together. He really is an exceptional little boy!” Anelise gushed.

“And I hope Michael isn’t working too hard!”

“No, he seems to be managing his workload well,” Anelise said, rolling her eyes, sensing her mother was leading up to something.

“Excellent. I was talking to a friend of a friend this weekend, and she mentioned that the publishing house her husband works for is hiring at the start of the year. I think that could be a great opportunity for you!” Karen suggested.

Anelise was silent for a moment, finally realizing what her mother was trying to do. “Um, thanks, Mom. I…um…haven’t really thought about a career yet. I’m just focusing on my thesis right now.”

“That’s admirable, Anelise, but December will be here before you know it, and you’ll need a job when you move back home. Have you considered the Chicago Library System?” Karen asked.

“Mom, the waiting list for the library system is long, so I don’t know if that’s an option or even what I want to do,” Anelise reasoned.

“Well, your father and I were talking, and we both agreed that you aren’t going to be one of those college graduates who sits at home after graduating. We’re going to have to charge you rent when you move back home,” Kim warned.

Anelise was taken aback for a moment. “Mom, I…um, I don’t know if I want to go back to Chicago after I graduate…”

There was silence on the other end, and Anelise thought the call might have been dropped. “Mom, are you there?”

“Yes, I’m here. Why wouldn’t you want to return home?” Kim demanded.

“Well, I really like Nashville, and there are some good opportunities there too. I want to keep my options open,” Anelise explained.

“Those people planted this idea in your head, didn’t they?”

“Mom, what are you talking about? The Rothchilds have been nothing but wonderful and welcoming to me! They didn’t plant any idea in my head!” Anelise said, her voice tinged with irritation.

Kim let out a derisive laugh. “That Naomi Rothchild is something else! I saw the change in you the moment you came back home! You had makeup on, and your hair was cut! I should’ve nipped it in the bud right then!”

“Mom! Enough! I made those choices! I decided to cut my hair and wear makeup!” Anelise shot back.

“Don’t you dare raise your voice at me!” Kim warned. “I need to discuss this with your father! I’m not sure we can let you stay in Nashville after December!”

Anelise couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I have to go, Mom. Ollie needs his bath before bedtime. We’ll talk later…”

She ended the call and collapsed onto the couch, stunned by her mother’s words.

~She’s deciding whether I can stay in Nashville? Am I a child?~

She sat there for a while, feeling the tears trickle down her cheeks. She tried to wipe them away, but they kept coming.

“Ani, are you alright?” Michael asked, having heard her raised voice.

Anelise took a few deep breaths and nodded. “Yeah, just another delightful call from home.”

“Sure seems like it. Take a moment, I’ll handle Ollie’s bath,” he offered, concern etched on his face.

She nodded and walked over to the French doors, opening them to take in the scent of the rain.

She didn’t know how long she’d been standing there lost in thought when Ollie came bounding out to her and wrapped himself around her legs. She smiled and lifted him up, inhaling his clean, sweet scent.

“My Ani, you sad?” he asked, touching her cheek.

She gave him a sad smile and kissed his nose. “No, sweetheart, I’m fine. Why don’t you grab your book, and I’ll read to you?”

He wriggled out of her arms and dashed to his room. Michael came over and wrapped his arms around her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She leaned into his embrace. “I think it’s time I told you about my parents.”

“Alright, let’s get Ollie to bed first, and then we can talk as long as you need,” he said, kissing the top of her head. She nodded and went to sit on the couch, ready to read to the little boy.

An hour later, Michael was on the couch, pulling Anelise into his lap after setting two wine glasses and an open bottle of wine on the coffee table. “Can you tell me what’s happening, Ani?”

Anelise let out a sigh. “It’s a bit of a long story…”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he reassured her, planting a kiss on her temple.