It wasn’t just about my mother’s birthday dinner. It was everything that came with it. The expectations, the quiet pressure.
And my father.
I had no idea how I was going to tell him I’d quit my job to pursue dancing full-time. He had always been so proud of my stable career, the steady path I had carved out for myself. But dancing, the thing I had always wanted more than anything, was what I truly wanted to pursue. The thought of telling him terrified me. I didn’t want to disappoint him, but I knew I had to follow my dreams, even if it meant risking his disapproval.
“We’re not that bad,” I argued, though the dampness of my panties said otherwise. “You can handle a few days without me, right?”
“A few days without you? That’s not a break, cupcake. That’s a punishment.”
I tried to laugh it off, but my heart skipped a beat at the way his eyes softened, the deep affection there impossible to ignore. Nathan wasn’t the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but every time he said something like that, it made me feel like the center of his world and made me silently hope all upcoming flights from LAX to MIA would be canceled.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
ELISE
I USED TO THINKa weekend with Nathan Edge would be a disaster, now I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
A part of me still couldn’t believe we were going on dates or that Nathan had become someone I caught feelings for. Before, if someone would’ve asked me if I would go for a man like Nathan my answer would’ve been no.
Nathan was too serious. Too mean. Too arrogant.
But that was before he showed me that there was a softer side to him. The one that had a large bouquet of pink tulips anonymously delivered to my desk every single day this week. The one who showed up at my house every morning to take me Bakery Bliss so I’d have my favorite coffee. The one who pretended not to notice me adding my rom-com DVDS into his shelf of action and thriller movies.
Now, if someone were to ask me if I would date Nathan Edge my answer would be ab-so-fucking-lutely.
Especially on days like today.
It was the weekend and my time as Nathan Edge’s assistant had officially come to an end. I felt equal parts sadness and happiness on Friday. On one hand I was happy that I was bold enough to walk away from a good job to follow my dreams, but on the other hand I was sad that I wouldn’t be able to see all the people I’ve come to know and become friends with. The only bright side to me leaving was that I wouldn’t have to hide my relationship with Nathan anymore.
We managed to keep it a secret the last few days, keeping our interactions business as usual aside from that one time in his office and studio. Other than those slip ups, we’d been able to keep things professional at work.
“Remind me to never doubt you again.” I looked up from my bowl of fresh strawberries and pinned Nathan with a look of disbelief.
“Oh, I will.” Nathan stretched one leg out, a faint smirk pulling at his mouth as he leaned back against the headboard casual as ever. He was acting as if this was just another night in his penthouse in LA instead of one of the best suites at L’Esquisse Hotel in France.
It was Saturday, the day after my last day at Edge Records. We were enjoying strawberries and champagne in our suite after a surreal first day in Colmar, and it still didn’t feel real that I was here. Normally, I’d never board an airplane to an undisclosed location just because a charming, attractive man asked me to. But when Nathan appeared at my house Friday after work and told me he was taking me away for the weekend with that boyish smile of his, I didn’t ask any questions.
My parents and brother would be so disappointed in me if they ever found out how easily I said yes.
How quickly I packed a bag, ignored every practical thought in my head, and got on a plane with a man who, not that long ago, I would’ve sworn I couldn’t stand.
But that was the thing about Nathan Edge.
He didn’t just change your mind, he made you forget you ever had a different one to begin with.
Our suite was equally gorgeous and picturesque. Between the warm tones, antique furnishings, and the soft glow of the fireplace, I felt like I had stepped straight into a storybook—one I never wanted to leave.
I’d traveled to so many places with Nathan over the years as his assistant, but this was different. This wasn’t a rushed business trip or a blur of meetings and schedules.
This was ours.
At first glance, Colmar looked like something out of a fairytale with its colorful half-timbered houses, flower boxes spilling over with blooms, and cobblestone streets that seemed to wind endlessly. But the longer we wandered, the more I realized Colmar wasn’t just charming, it was alive in a quiet, magical way.
We drifted in and out of little boutiques tucked between pastel buildings, the kind that sold delicate jewelry, handmade goods, and things I didn’t need but desperately wanted. Nathan, of course, had no problem indulging me. At one boutique, he bought me a delicate gold anklet that shimmered against my skin, and he barely glanced at the price before buying me a thin gold bracelet shaped like a continuous loop, fluid and effortless like a body in motion.
Somehow, we ended up along the canals of La Petite Venise, where he convinced me to take a boat ride. Sitting across from him with the water reflecting the golden afternoon light, and his attention entirely on me, it was hard to believe I wasn’t ina fairytale of my own. And maybe it wasn’t just the view I was enjoying.
Maybe it was the way his hand found mine without hesitation, or how his gaze lingered just a little too long, like he was memorizing me in a place that already felt unforgettable.
