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I laughed at the idea of Tomas pushing Paul’s buttons. But I had no doubt Tomas would have naked suggestions.
“Don’t you want to tell your mom?”
“Mom! Yes, I have to tell her.” I frowned.Dad’s ill. How can I even entertain the idea of leaving?
“Ah, so, I will have to decline Tomas’s offer, Paul. I need to come back to Wisconsin.
I can’t leave my parents all summer after Dad just had a kidney transplant.” Mom’s already working two jobs. It would be cruel and selfish.
“Your dad will get better. If your mom’s exhausted, I’ll give your dad a private nurse, whatever she needs to help her out. But you can’t turn down Givenchy. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If need be, I’ll fly you home every weekend.”
I frowned. “No…you can’t do that.” Just hearing how much he knew about Givenchy had me suspicious. “Did you get involved? Is this why the team selected me?”
He snorted. “Absolutely not. Do you honestly think Givenchy Paris would waste their time with someone without talent or potential? Have you met Tomas?”
I laughed. Tomas had a big ego but had the skill to back it up. He blew my mind.
“I’ll fly your family to Paris to visit you, or your dad can recover there. I know you want this opportunity. This is your dream.”
Paul understood me so well. Fashion was my life, and design was my dream. I’ve wanted this since the moment I sewed my first practice zipper. Having my own line had always been a wish, and Paul was helping me get on the path there. But what would that mean for us?
“Nadia, are you still there?”
“I am. I just wonder…what would this internship mean if I took it? Would you find…?”
“Find what?”
“Someone else?” I whispered, my stomach twisting in knots. He can’t promise me anything.He’s available for a girlfriend according to social media. I’m just the friend.
“Replace you? Why would I do that? I have an office and homes in Paris. I have planes to fly you to me. But what I’ll never do is stand in the way of your goals.”
“Even if it means never seeing me again?”
“I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore,” he said in a teasing voice, but I let out a sob. “Nadia…” his voice rose, “what’s wrong?”
I gulped. “It’s not you; it’s Mom. She knows about the arrangement and doesn’t want me to see you anymore. She’ll tell my dad, and I can’t hurt him.”
Damn it. I sound like a child, so eager and desperate.It made me sick to hear it, and I couldn’t imagine what a man like Paul would think.
“I’m sorry you’re upset. I know what it feels like to want that parental approval; I used to fight for it, too. But you’re a grown woman and can make your own choices. I will work things out with them.”
“How?”
“Easy. I’ll talk to them.”
“My mom doesn’t want to talk to you or receive your help. Please, Paul, just leave it alone.”
“If it means giving you up, then no, Nadia, I won’t leave it alone. I’ll fix it.”
I tensed. “How? There isn’t a fix. Mom doesn’t want you to pay me, and you don’t want to date me.”
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow. You’re upset now, and I can’t hold you. I sent you the message because I wanted you to know I’m willing to compromise. Have I ever gone back on my word?”
I wiped my face with my sleeve. “No.”
“Just tell me what I need to do to keep you.”
I stopped breathing. Paul said what I had thought was impossible. It had been two days, and now he was willing to change his agreement for me.
