Did you get her contact or her address?" he asked.
"Unfortunately I could not. But she said she wishes to meet you and express her gratitude. I believe she will come back," Betty said.
Lucien shook his head slowly. "She does not look familiar with this city. She would not simply find her way back here."
"I apologise," Betty said quietly.
"It is fine," he said.
Meanwhile across the city Elora knocked on Aine's door.
"Aine there is a new movie releasing this month. Big stars from all over the world. They are also dropping their albums. Would you like to come with me to the premiere cinema?" Elora asked.
"El… ora. I h… ave to ask per… mis… sion from R… avi," Aine said.
"Ravi asked me to come and take you out himself. He will not be back for a while," Elora replied.
Aine considered this. "I will go," she said.
The words came out cleanly. No breaks. No stammering.
Elora stared at her for a moment. Then she pulled her into a hug. "Aine you spoke clearly. You are doing so well."
The moment Elora's arms came around her something happened. A rush of black and white images flooding in without warning, fragments arriving faster than she could catch them. Someone being held. Someone being hugged. A woman, younger than her, familiar in a way that had no name attached to it yet.
Then it was gone.
"Aine are you alright?" Elora pulled back, reading her face.
Aine blinked. "I g… ot some mem… ories. But they are not clear." She pressed her hand gently to her chest. "The person looked close to me. Like family."
The following day Paris greeted them with billboards everywhere they looked. Every surface, every corner, every stretch of road carried the same face. Blonde hair. Blue eyes that seemed to hold an electric charge even in print. A face that stopped people mid stride.
"I love seeing Lucien Devereaux all over Paris," Elora said as they walked. "I meant to tell you earlier but he is the male lead of The Boss. I cannot wait to see him at the fan signing. Do you have a favourite actor?"
"Since I saw Lucien first I will be his fan," Aine replied.
Elora turned to her. "You are improving so much with your speech. I love it." She smiled. "For me it is the female lead. Elodie. She plays every role so, so well."
They arrived at the cinema and were handed golden VIP wristbands, the only ones in the entire crowd wearing them. A waitress appeared almost immediately and led them through the building to the VIP section.
"You are my guests for today. I am entirely at your service," she said.
Aine looked around slowly. Everything was gold. The chairs. The glass popcorn cups. The detailing on every surface. It caught the light and held it.
"Do you love it?" Elora asked.
"Very much," Aine replied.
They went for their popcorn, moving through the growing crowd, gold wristbands catching every eye they passed. On the way back, arms full, Elora turned a corner and walked directly into someone.
The popcorn went everywhere, raining down between them like snow.
The noise of the cinema, the crowd, the music, all of it seemed to fall away for just a moment.
"You," he said.
"Boss let's get going we are late!" Esmee's voice cut through from the top of the stairs, sharp and urgent as she rushed toward them.
"I am so sorry for interrupting but it is urgent. We have to leave right now," she said, her hand already pulling at Lucien's arm.
Lucien let himself be moved. But as Esmee steered him away he turned his head and glanced back at them one more time.
His blue eyes found Aine across the crowd.
Then he was gone.
Aine stood completely still amid the noise and the gold and the scattered popcorn.
"D… o you kn… ow him?" Aine asked.
"Yes I do," Elora replied.
"Let us get to our seats. The program is about to begin," Elora said.
They settled into their seats as the entire cast walked onto the stage. They bowed to the audience and took their places.
The microphone was passed to Elodie. She was the most eloquent among them all.
"I would like to thank every single fan gathered here today. You are the reason The Boss is alive. For those of you here tonight it will be a privilege for us all to watch the thriller together for the very first time," Elodie said.
The lights behind the cast lit up as the cinema lights went dark. The enormous screen came alive.
The thriller ran for one minute and fifty seconds.
When it ended the entire cinema erupted.
Aine sat forward in her seat, her eyes wide, her popcorn forgotten in her hands.
"Th… at w… as," she started. Then she stopped, searching for the word, finding it slowly. "Am… az… ing."
Elora reached over and squeezed her hand. "It really was."
"We will now move to the fan signing. Everyone please gather in front of the cinema," the announcer said.
The waitress appeared at their side. "Since you are both VVIP guests you are supposed to be first in line."
Then Elora's phone rang.
She glanced at the screen and answered.
"The therapist is at the house. I think you should bring Aine," Ravi said.
"I will do that right away," Elora replied and ended the call.
She turned to Aine. "Your therapist is at the house. You have to be there for your session."
"B… ut wh… at ab… out the f… an sign. I re… ally wan… ted to m… eet Luc… ien," Aine said.
"We can meet him another time. Right now your health is what matters most to me," Elora said.
"Th… is is a on… e in a lif… etime exp… er… ience," Aine replied.
Elora looked at her steadily. "Aine I cannot trade your health for anything. I promise you we will meet him again. I mean it." She took her hand. "Trust me on this."
Aine looked back toward the crowd gathering at the front of the cinema, the noise and the gold wristbands and somewhere in the middle of it all a pair of blue eyes she had not stopped thinking about since the corridor.
Then she turned and followed Elora out.