The moon was high in the sky on that cold, mid-March night, as Dominic’s garage door slid open sideways. A gentle press down on the throttle of his Lamborghini was enough to make the powerful engine roar, as he slowly drove towards his entrance. He was willing to do as Marianne requested; yet, her stunning looks did not allow him to do so. She looked incredible in her blue, ankle-long dress.

“Damn…” A sigh of exasperation left his lips. “I forgot how hot she was.”

“This is fantastic,” she commented, opening the passenger door. “I’ve always had a thing for sports cars.”

“Miss Brewster.” Dominic smirked, as the iron-gate slid upwards. “A Golf GTI is a sports car. This…” He turned his head to the left to face her. “This is a supercar.”

Their backs were pulled into the seats, as he pressed his foot hard down on the throttle. The massive engine revved and the wide tires kicked up water and gravel from the ground, as he drove off. Upon reaching the gate, Dominic turned right and onto a narrow road, smiling to himself.

“Oh, my God!” Marianne squeaked and her eyes were wide open with terror. “This thing is a monster!”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Dominic said with a grin. “It’s a tamable monster, though.” He added, easing down on the throttle. In a split second, the expensive supercar slowed down. It no longer sounded so terrifying. As a matter of fact, neither of them could hear the engine anymore.

“Jesus…” She sighed in relief, closing her eyes as she tilted her head down. “Do you have a death wish or something?”

“Relax, Miss Brewster.” He spoke in a more serious tone. “It only lasted a few seconds. If I wanted to scare you, trust me, I could have done a lot worse.”

“Where are we going?” Marianne asked.

“Les Bossons,” Dominic assumed a French accent. “It’s a nice little village, about four miles from here. It’s small: quiet; nothing like New York or Paris.”

“I kind of messed up back there,” She said, her voice low as she leaned back in her seat. “I shouldn’t have encouraged you. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.” He confessed in a. “We just got a little carried away. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“So…” Marianne started. “What’s it like to be king? How does it feel?”

“I think you’re smart enough to avoid such a cliché question,” Dominic stated.

“It is,” she agreed, nodding, as she pulled a small notebook out of her purse. “But it’s the first question on everybody’s lips. How is it?”

“My life consists of a lot of loneliness,” Dominic said, sadness written all over his face. “You don’t know who to trust. I keep trying to avoid fortune hunters. There are good things. I have a lot of time for myself, but this solitude sometimes is killing me.”

“You do realize that this is going to invite a lot of attention, right?” Marianne inquired, pointing at her notebook. “The interview, that is.”

“Sure I do,” he muttered. “Rest assured, Miss Brewster, I can spot a fortune hunter from a million miles away.”

“Really?” She raised her eyebrow. “How?”

“They never look me in the eye,” Dominic heaved a long, deep sigh: “They stare at my hands: they make the same stupid comments on my clothes: my cars: my castle. I swear to God, it’s like I’m listening to the same old tape, playing over and over again. ‘Ooooh, what a nice car; Ooooh, I think that rock has blinded me.’” He added, his voice high-pitched, as he once again assumed a French accent.

He anticipated yet another question, but what followed his answer was her sweet, hearty laughter. Marianne burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. Much to his surprise, her reaction made his heart flutter.

“That’s what I did when I heard that crap the first time.” He spoke in frustrated tones. “It stopped being funny after the second time.”

“Oh, no…” She chuckled, “They say that?”

“Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Dominic’s remark forced her to stop and open her eyes.

“What?”

“Never mind,” he said, biting his lower lip, as they crossed the village limits. “You wanted to keep this professional. I’m trying to respect your wish.”

“Simple, funny and polite:” Marianne declared, not taking her eyes off of her notebook. “What are your hobbies?”

“You’re in one.” Dominic spoke, as a toothy grin spread across his face. “Actually, you’re in two.”

“Yeah.” She swallowed hard, “Painting and fast cars. That’s quite an antithesis. Art relaxes you. These cars are just way too…”

“… loud and aggressive.” He finished her sentence, as they entered the restaurant’s parking lot. “They are, but most of them have a soul. You need to drive one to see what I mean. Get out of the car and look around you. Then, tell me if you’ve seen anything more beautiful than this.”

Marianne obliged. The moon and the stars cast their light upon the stunning Les Bossons glacier. Right behind it, she could clearly see of the majestic, snowy Mont Blanc. She liked the view so much that she stood still and speechless, with a broad, happy smile on her face. Dominic preferred silence. He loved the view, but her happy expression was much more enjoyable than the sight of a glacier and a mountain he had seen too many times in the past.

“I can think of one thing that would make this moment even better. Get it out of your head, Dominic. It’s not going to happen. You’ll also ruin this. Too bad… That kiss was amazing.”

And then, Marianne did the most incredible thing, something that made Dominic’s heart melt. She closed her blissful eyes and the words which came out of her mouth sent shivers down his spine.

Sheer and jagged the rock and the stone

Beauty in the eyes of the mountain king

Noble at heart and yet so alone

From the ashes his joy shall spring

“Impressive.” Dominic put his hands together, as she opened her eyes. “You really are gifted.”

“Thank you.” Marianne whispered. “It was just…”

“Something we have in common,” Once more, he didn’t allow her to finish her sentence. “You are an artist, Miss Brewster. You have to express yourself. You do it with a pen; I do it with a brush. Follow me.” He went on, offering his left hand. She glanced down at it and hesitantly gave him her own. As he led her to the old, traditional restaurant, he felt his heart pounding in his chest. Marianne was very different than the women he had socialized with in the past. More than that, her artistic nature made her irresistible. It occurred to him that respecting her will would be much more challenging than he originally believed.

What are you doing to me, Marianne? I’ve been looking for a woman like you all my life; someone with a similar soul, who could understand my need to pour my heart out. Now, here she is, forbidding me to even talk about dating her. God, it’s killing me inside…