Dominic and Marianne spent the night talking, teasing each other and having sex. They were having so much fun together that neither of them seemed willing to sleep. He suggested they stay there for another day, but, much to his disappointment, she refused, maintaining that her job was not finished just yet. Marianne still had to take the locals’ opinion about him. More than that, she also needed to talk to a few of his loved ones and do quite a lot of typing. And, much to both of their frustration, all those people were scattered across the Alps. Marianne would have to go to Les Bossons and Grenoble, more than two hours away. Indeed, she had a full day ahead of her.

Happily for her, she found the single person who knew Dominic quite well in his castle: Melanie. She had been going out with his best friend for four years and they were very close. After a few questions however, Marianne had to leave. It was already 10:30am and she had no time to waste. Nevertheless, Melanie wanted to go with her, claiming that the locals would treat her differently, if they saw her with a native, such as herself. Marianne did not like her idea at first, but her friend’s persistence left her no choice. An argument with her would cause her to lose time and she wanted to finish her work as fast as possible.

“This is going to be so much fun!” Melanie cheered, in the back seat of Dominic’s Mercedes. “I think it’s going to beat Paris.”

“I doubt it.” Marianne spoke in lazy tones, running her hand through her hair, as the limo drove off. “I’ve been to Les Bossons. Is there anything special about Grenoble?”

“It’s much quieter than Paris.” Melanie pointed out. “You sound a little annoyed, dear. Is there something wrong?”

“I’m just tired.” Marianne claimed, turning her head to the left to face her friend. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Ooooh, lovely!” Melanie’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Where did you go?”

“Lake Monteynard.” Marianne replied, as a broad smile spread across her face. “It was just amazing. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Melanie chirped. “That lake is very close to the city of Grenoble, in case you’re wondering.”

“What’s Dominic like?” Marianne wondered, shaking her head. “I mean, is he always so romantic?”

“Mon cher…” Melanie gave a huff of amusement, as her smile widened. “The things I could tell you about him… Yes, he is. Very romantic, actually. He must be the sweetest man I have ever known. He’s just been…” She faltered. “Unlucky so far.”

“Go on.” Marianne urged with a hint of tension in her voice.

“When Jean introduced us, I thought he was a little bit of a bore.” Melanie confessed. “He wouldn’t speak much. He kept glancing at his watch, chatting with Jean. But, when I mentioned that I had a replica of Botticelli’s ‘Primavera’ in my storage room, he turned into someone completely different. He was so excited that he went to that room all by himself, without even asking for my permission. I was annoyed, of course. This is not a proper behavior for a visitor. Jean didn’t seem to mind. He said he was expecting it. When he came back, he was holding the painting and requested a hand duster. I was in shock. He wiped the dust off himself. Then, he started talking about Botticelli and Donatello, his favorite Renaissance painters. And he didn’t stop there. Dominic loves every form of art. Poetry, music, painting, sculpting… Everything. We stayed up late, discussing our favorite songs.”

“He’s…”

“A very passionate man.” Melanie finished her friend’s sentence. “He’s honest. True. I’m surprised, though.”

“Why?” Marianne squinted at her.

“We have talked about him on Facebook.” Melanie explained. “I have already told you what kind of man he is. I can still remember your reaction. You liked everything about him. Were you just pretending?”

“No.” Marianne said with a sigh, leaning against her seat. “I believed you. It’s just that seeing it in person is a lot different.”

“Mon cher, I can understand why a reporter would ask questions about him.” Melanie attempted a stiff tone. “It’s part of her job. But, I can’t understand why she would insist on the romantic part. Oh, mon dieu!” She opened her eyes wide, covering her mouth with her hand. “You’re interested in him?!”

“I might.” Marianne whispered, tearing her gaze away from her friend’s intense stare.

“But how?” Melanie’s voice became high-pitched. “How can you make this work?”

“We can’t.” Marianne said and her voice was filled with sadness. “We just can’t.”

“I was right.” Melanie stated with a smug smile on her face. “I had a feeling you two would get along.”

“Thanks, but this doesn’t make me feel any better.” Marianne muttered, returning her gaze to her friend’s face. “He’s been very good to me so far. How can I just…” She paused. “Leave France after meeting such an exciting guy?”

“Awww, poor cher!” Marianne made her voice sound sweeter, raising her hand to Marianne’s face, as the car rolled to a halt on a crossroad. “Don’t worry. Where there’s a will, there is a way.”

Marianne was about to speak, when the sight of a massive, oncoming truck grabbed her attention. Her stomach chilled with fear, upon realizing that it was not going to stop. On the contrary, it kept speeding down the road. Her face loosened in utter disbelief. She reached both arms towards Melanie and pulled her closer, a split second before the truck in question rammed the limo. The side crumpled with the sheer force of impact, as the window shattered, showering the insides with numerous slivers of glass. The metal of the car groaned and shuddered, as it slowly fell onto the side. Marianne banged her head hard against the door handle, as Melanie effectively landed on her, moaning in agonizing pain. The smell of gasoline filled the air, as she rolled her gaze down her friend’s body. Her heart sank, when she discovered the reason behind Melanie’s agony. Her coat had been shredded on the left side. A long, thin piece of metal had been lodged into her, just above her hip. Blood was oozing out of the deep gash. Marianne reached back for the door handle, feeling a tremendous amount of pain on the back of her head. The world around her darkened, as Melanie’s heartbreaking image began to fade. Her friend’s faint voice filled her ears, as she slowly closed her eyes…