Her activity for today was for her Spring Collection. She wanted to get some inspirations from the beautiful countryside scenes, thus, she prepared a long list of places to visit. Her itinerary included the lavender fields in Provence, the vast golden sunflowers, the lonely canyons and the deserted castles. All were objects of her observation today.
Soon enough and Leena found herself indulging with the landscapes of Paris' countryside. There were even times when she would just stop her car and took pictures of blooming flowers. Sometimes, she would sit down, take out her drawing board, then begin sketching views. Gerard was like a quiet companion who spent his time looking at her. He would give her some water or biscuits from time to time but never had he made any sound that could disturb Leena's thoughts. It made Leena a little uncomfortable but at the same time impressed by how considerate he was today. She never experienced that from him before. It seemed that Gerard was not as worthless as she first thought. However, they had already lost each other. If only Gerard had known how to cherish her from the very beginning, they would not have parted.
"Mignonne, would you mind having a candlelit dinner with me tonight?" Gerard did not waste any time and asked her out with a pleading voice. She ended her whole day's work as soon as the sun set and its afterglow spread across colorful Provence. Her satisfied smile gave him the cue to approach her. She looked more relaxd now.
"Hmmm. Dinner is okay, but there is no need for candles". Although it was not like her to agree, Leena still wanted to thank Gerard for helping and taking care of her the whole day. Having an ordinary dinner with Gerard might not give him much hope, right? Leena thought to herself.
"Well, as long as you can have a dinner with me, everything is fine." The French guy was pleased with Leena's unexpected nod. He was so happy that he almost jumped to his feet as a brilliant smile made its way to his handsome face.
"Okay. Let's go. We can go back to Paris first." Leena found his bright smile infectious and wasn't able to stop herself from smiling back. She got on her car without hesitation and started driving back to Paris. On the other hand, Gerard hadn't recovered from his surprise yet and just noticed her car already left after it drove a good distance. He ended up rushing to get into his own car and drove in a hurry to cope up with her.
Leena finally had the chance to reassess her relationship with Gerard as she drove back to Paris. She clearly knew that it was impossible for them to be together again. However, as she had lived in France for several years, she also knew that the French people cherished friendship a lot. Therefore, she decided to take Gerard's behavior as a sign of friendliness. She wouldn't live in this place for a long time anyways, hence, she didn't have to worry about being followed by him all the time.
After thorough thinking, Leena felt relaxed and had a good appetite during dinner. French cuisine varied according to the season. The chefs would choose the freshest foods and ingredients within the season to come up with their unique delicacies. French cuisine was incomparable both in the taste and in presentation. It could be considered as an art. And the French restaurants also pursued the exquisite atmosphere. The French dinner was fantastic. Other than which were mentioned, Leena liked delicate French cuisines and sauces. Tonight's dinner was definitely something Leena enjoyed. It was that satisfaction on her beautiful face that gave Gerard a little more hope.
"Mignonne, have you forgiven me?" The man asked as he watched Leena eating sirloin in an elegant way. Gone was her cold and indifferent aura.
"Gerard, I don't have to forgive you, as I have never hated you." She wiped her mouth, put down the knife and fork, then looked at him seriously.
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