Julie's Butterfly (16 page)

Elena winced. “I never said that.”

“She can be really impulsive,” Julie said, “but she’s basically a good person. I think you’d like her.”

Felix clearly had no doubt about it.

“Bastian told me you’re working on your dissertation,” said Julie, changing the subject. “What’s it about?”

Felix looked at Bastian in astonishment before turning to Julie to answer her. “I take it Bastian’s explained a thing or two about our disorder to you,” he said finally, trying to find an appropriate starting point for his explanation.

Julie nodded. “I’ve also read a little about it,” she said, looking at Bastian. He was initially taken aback, though deep down, he was very pleased.

“Then you’ll know that we’re a pretty rare breed,” said Felix, laughing halfheartedly. “There are a few specialist centers scattered around the world. All these doctors and scientists are hard at work, researching the disease, trying to find cures, figuring out ways to improve patients’ lives. My goal is basically to create a digital interface for the exchange of information between them.”

Bastian would have expected Felix’s explanation to satisfy Julie, as he had expressed it well and succinctly. But to his amazement, she turned back to Felix and started asking him about the medical aspects and computer issues such as data protection. She seemed genuinely interested in his work.

If Felix had not already been enchanted by her, just being able to discuss such things with her would have been enough to charm him.

Bastian and Elena had followed Felix’s work on a daily basis for months and knew all about the obstacles, so they withdrew to the kitchen to prepare the main course.

“She certainly has a better handle on Felix’s work than I do,” remarked Elena.

Although he couldn’t really take credit for Julie’s intelligence, Bastian felt a certain pride at Elena’s words.

“On another note, I wanted to thank you,” she said. “For speaking to Felix for me.”

“I hope he was nice about it.”

“He was a little indignant since I hadn’t spoken to him sooner,” admitted Elena. “But he was ultimately the one who assured me that it was for the best.”

“That sounds like him.”

“Well, I’ll be interested to hear what the insurance company has to say,” she remarked as they began arranging the food on the plates.

“If you have any trouble, let me know.” He would not hesitate to put the fear of God into anyone who tried to make his friends’ lives more difficult than they already were. If he had learned anything, it was that you didn’t get very far simply by being nice.

“It’ll all work out,” said Elena, picking up one of the plates. “Let’s see if they’re still talking about Felix’s work.”

They entered the dining room to find Felix and Julie chatting about movies. Bastian and Elena sat down and joined a heated debate about the pros and cons of movie sequels as they started on the second course.

After dinner, Julie helped Elena with the dishes while Felix returned to his easy chair.

Julie joined Bastian on the sofa and snuggled up familiarly to him. Bastian hardly noticed when he placed his hand on her lap; she covered it with her own. There hadn’t been a single awkward silence all evening. His friends clearly had plenty to talk about. Bastian did his best to follow their conversation, but he was distracted by a feeling that he had long tried to deny but that kept springing up in him: hope.

The knowledge that this hope could easily be destroyed made his throat constrict.

If Julie sensed his unease, she said nothing. She stoically traced the seams of his gloves, sometimes even succeeding in calming him, allowing him to simply embrace this moment of happiness.

When Felix could no longer hide his exhaustion, Bastian decided it was time to leave. As expected, Felix objected vehemently, but the fact that he didn’t get to his feet when Bastian and Julie stood was evidence enough that Felix had come to the end of his strength for the day. He still had to tend to his wounds, which would take at least an hour.

“Before I forget,” said Felix, “Dr. Wangenroth gave me those documents for you. They’re in my room.”

Bastian nodded stiffly. Felix could not have chosen a worse time, although he thought he detected a certain calculating look in his eyes. “I’ll grab them tomorrow when I come get the car.”

“Have you thought any more about it?” asked Felix, turning to Bastian.

Julie gave him an inquisitive look. “About what?”

Bastian gritted his teeth as Felix answered her. “Dr. Wangenroth is writing a book about our disease in an effort to explain it to others and help those who are affected by it. He asked for pictures of Bastian for documentation purposes, but our dear friend is still a bit ruffled about it,” he explained with a grin.

Julie’s eyed widened in surprise.

“I’ll take a look at the paperwork tomorrow before I decide,” said Bastian.

“Do what you like,” said Felix before turning to Julie. “It’s been lovely getting to know you.”

“For me as well,” she replied with a smile. She gave Felix a light kiss on the cheek and promised to visit again soon.

Felix waited until Julie had followed Elena into the hall before giving Bastian a meaningful look. “The way I see it, that woman’s crazy about you. Don’t mess it up.”

Bastian’s expression darkened. “I’m working on it.”

C
HAPTER
22

“Your friends are lovely,” murmured Julie, leaning her head on Bastian’s shoulder in the taxi on the way back to her apartment.

Bastian nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead, but didn’t reply. He didn’t seem to be in the mood to discuss the evening in detail.

“Are you staying over?” she asked.

“If you like.”

She lifted her head and studied him thoughtfully. All evening, he had appeared to drift off into his own thoughts; it had been impossible to guess what he was thinking about. “Of course I’d like it.”

“Then I’ll stay.”

Although the passion that had driven them over the last few days could still be felt that night, Julie sensed a change. She couldn’t work out exactly what it was, however. He still insisted on darkness, but where before there had been a hint of despair when he touched her, he now treated her with a kind of awe as he covered her body in kisses, and he no longer flinched when she touched him. Before going to sleep, he drew her into a strong embrace, a silent promise that this time he would stay where he was.

And he did.

She awoke the next morning to the scent of fresh coffee and the touch of his soft hands. She blinked sleepily and peered at the alarm clock. Nine o’clock already—they didn’t have much time before they had to get to work.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he whispered in her ear before nibbling gently on her neck.

She stretched and turned so that she was half-buried beneath his arm. She noticed despondently that he was already dressed and sitting on the edge of her bed.

When would this game of hide-and-seek end?

She stared at him blearily. “Good morning.”

“Coffee?”

“I’d love some. Thanks.” She sat up and pulled the blankets up under her arms to cover her naked breasts.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked.

“Like a baby.” She sipped the coffee he handed her. “Do you have to go already?”

Bastian nodded. “The agency’s expecting me in an hour.”

“Pity.” She smiled at him coquettishly.

Bastian smiled back, unable to conceal the fact that Julie was having the desired effect on him. He cleared his throat and asked hoarsely, “Will I see you tonight?”

“I can’t tonight. Isabelle and I are going to Gabriel’s party.”

His eyes darkened, though not with desire. “Could I pick you up from there later?”

She shook her head. “When you’re with Isabelle, you never know when the evening will end. I’d hate to keep you waiting. It’d be better if you came over for breakfast tomorrow morning.” She leaned forward and kissed him. “We can pick up where we’re about to leave off,” she whispered against his lips.

As she expected, Bastian drew back before she had a chance to touch him. With great effort, she managed to suppress a frustrated sigh.

Patience
, she told herself. She had to be patient with him.

Bastian downed the rest of his coffee in one gulp.

“I’ll see you to the door,” she said and heaved herself out of bed. Wrapped in a blanket, she trudged through the apartment behind him.

In the hallway, he turned and stroked her hair. “Don’t let anyone make a pass at you this evening,” he said as though in jest, but his worried eyes betrayed the fact that he was entirely serious.

“I’ll be a good girl,” she promised with a grin. She watched him leave, pulling on his gloves as he went. Julie gave a deep sigh and then went off to take a shower.

Fortunately, the café was so busy that day that she had little time to brood about anything. The sun was finally shining, which raised not only her spirits but those of her customers, who were extremely generous with their tips all day. A coworker arrived for the late shift with plenty of time to spare. Julie hurried home where Isabelle was already waiting at the door.

“Have you been waiting long?” asked Julie, giving Isabelle a hug. Her friend was so rarely on time that she never expected it.

“No, I’ve just arrived.”

Julie noticed the oversized shopping bag at Isabelle’s feet. “What’s that?”

“Your party outfit, of course.”

“I hope there are no hats in there.”

“Oh, it’s better than that,” said Isabelle excitedly as she followed Julie up to her apartment. Once inside, she drew a shimmering gold flapper dress and black feather boa from the bag. “This is for you.”

“Over my dead body.”

“What’s wrong with it?” moaned Isabelle. “You’ll look amazing in it.”

“It’s just a birthday party, not a dress-up affair.”

“You’re such a spoilsport.” Isabelle looked at the dress lovingly. “But I thought that’s how you’d react. Which is why I bought it in my size,” she announced with delight.

Julie rolled her eyes, went into her bedroom, and pulled out the denim miniskirt she intended to wear with her black leather boots.

In the living room, Isabelle turned on the stereo before coming in with an open bottle of champagne and two glasses, Spot following at her heels. “So? What’ve you been up to this week, you minx?” she asked as she poured the drinks and settled herself cross-legged on the bed.

Julie grinned, took a glass, and drank. She loved the sensation of champagne prickling in her throat. “I’ve been at the café by day and with Bastian by night.” She turned to look for a top in the depths of her wardrobe, feeling no need to elaborate. She knew herself well enough to realize that if she talked much more about him, she wouldn’t be able to hold back all the questions that plagued her.

“Working and screwing then.”

“That’s not all,” protested Julie. “Yesterday, for example, we had dinner with Elena and her brother.”

Isabelle took a gulp of champagne. “You were at Elena’s?
My Elena?
”

“Bastian wanted to introduce his friends to me,” said Julie.

“So why is Elena so private?” Isabelle’s voice was inquisitive and waspish in equal measure. She evidently didn’t like to think of Julie being closer to her gallery owner than she was.

“She’s just as nice as you’ve always described her.”

This statement appeared to pacify Isabelle somewhat. “What about her brother? What’s he like?”

“Felix is great,” Julie continued, holding up a dark-red turtleneck sweater. “The cheerful disposition seems to run in the family.”

“What’s this sinister, incurable disease he has?”

Julie lowered the sweater slowly. “He’s a butterfly child.”

Isabelle snorted. “What’s that supposed to mean? Has he got wings or what?”

Julie sat down on the bed and explained the basics of the disease in as few words as possible. After listening carefully, Isabelle looked somber. “That sounds dreadful.”

“It is,” confirmed Julie. “He’s covered in bandages, and each of his fingers is bandaged for his own protection. I hardly dared to shake his hand for fear of hurting him.”

“More of a mummy than a man,” murmured Isabelle in a daze. “I don’t know whether I could cope with such a thing.”

“You could if you had to,” countered Julie. “Felix is an incredibly cheerful man, open-minded and hungry for knowledge. To hear him laugh, you’d hardly believe that he’s in pain every waking moment of his life. He’s amazingly ambitious and tries to make the best of it all. When you see how he acts, it really makes you think. I don’t mean just how he deals with it, but how Elena copes.” She thought of her own butterfly, who was responsible for the fluttering in her belly. “It’s so hard to see someone suffering when you can’t do anything to ease their pain,” she said softly. It was the first time she had spoken her feelings out loud, though Isabelle could not possibly know the full implication of her words.

“Now I understand why Elena sometimes has those moods,” said Isabelle soberly. “I can hardly bear to think about it.”

An awkward silence reigned between them for a moment.

Isabelle was the first to shake off her consternation. “I’ll never be able to hassle Elena again without a guilty conscience,” she said regretfully.

“Because you’re not a coldhearted bitch.”

“Well, a little, perhaps.” Isabelle’s expression brightened. “But I’m not going to feel sorry for her either.” She raised her glass. “So, to courage!”

“To courage!” replied Julie, and she drank her glass dry in one go.

Isabelle did the same, then leapt up from the bed. “Now let’s get back in the party mood, or else we may as well stay at home.”

Julie nodded and rose to join her. Isabelle was right; after all, she was denying herself an evening with Bastian to meet up with her friends.

“Something quite unbelievable happened to me this week,” said Isabelle as they headed into the bathroom.

“What?” Julie asked as she began freshening up.

“One of the guests at the opening was an art professor—Professor Sokolow. I spoke to him, but only briefly. He asked me to meet him at the university today, and at Elena’s insistence, I went.”

“What did he want?”

“He asked if I’d give a guest lecture about my work to his class.” She giggled and made a face.

“That’s fantastic.”

Isabelle stared at Julie in the mirror, aghast.

“Are you serious? Me? A lecturer?”

“Surely you haven’t declined the invitation?”

“I asked for time to think about it,” she said. “It seemed rude to reject his offer out of hand.”

“Why don’t you want to do it?”

“I’m not like you. I hate everything to do with school. All that stuff never came easily to me. The very thought of giving an art lecture makes my hair stand on end.”

“You don’t have to give a lecture on art. Just talk about your work. Who are you? What were you thinking and feeling when you produced your masterpieces? Things like that.”

“Yes, fine. Baring my soul in front of a horde of overeager students barely two years younger than we are. Nothing could be easier.”

Julie gave Isabelle an amused look. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“So what if I am?”

When she saw Isabelle’s wide eyes, Julie had to laugh. “No need to get all worked up. It’s a great opportunity. You should make the most of it.” Isabelle looked unconvinced, so Julie continued. “I’m sure the university won’t impose any restrictions on you. You could take them all outside and discuss the effects of color. Or drag them off to a studio and let them experiment for themselves. It could be great fun.”

“OK, fine. I’ll do it.” She took a big gulp of champagne. “It’ll probably give me a heart attack, but if you think it’s a good idea, I’ll give it a go.”

“There’s a good girl.”

“I also brought you something back from the university,” Isabelle said as she finished off her makeup with a pink lipstick that contrasted brutally with her red hair. “Have a look in the bag. I left it in the bedroom.”

Julie took a last glance at herself in the mirror. She had only applied a little makeup, emphasizing her dark-brown eyes with green eye shadow and a touch of mascara. Pleased with the results, she went in search of the bag. Hidden in the soft down of the feather boa, she found a stack of brochures.

“What are these?” she asked Isabelle, who appeared in the doorway and watched her in eager anticipation.

“What do they look like?”

Julie leafed through them: Faculty of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Medicine.

“It’s time you started to think about your future,” said Isabelle. “There’s a workshop next month on career choices, courses offered, and admission requirements. You should go.”

Julie stared at the brochures. Isabelle crouched down in front of her and waited for her to look up. She grinned. “I deliberately didn’t pick up any law school or fine arts brochures. We already know those aren’t for you. But there are plenty of other options. You got great grades in high school. If you apply soon, you could do anything you wanted.”

“Thanks” was all Julie could say, a little overwhelmed by all these possibilities.

“My pleasure.” She gave Julie a kiss on the cheek before turning her attention to her dress.

“I’ll take a look at them tomorrow,” promised Julie.

They polished off the rest of the champagne and left the apartment in high spirits.

Twenty minutes later, they walked into the party. Gabriel beamed when he saw them. He had transformed the whole floor of his building into a party zone. There were clusters of students everywhere, sitting in various rooms and pouring out of the kitchen.

Julie handed Gabriel a gift bag of wine and chocolates before giving him a hug. “Happy birthday!”

“Thank you, querida. I’m so glad you came.”

“My turn,” chirped Isabelle, pushing Julie aside. “Best wishes, you sweet boy.” She planted a wet kiss on his cheek, leaving a lipstick mark.

“Lovely to see you again, Bella,” said Gabriel.

“Every woman has her own pet name,” sighed Isabelle. “You sure know how to please a girl.”

They all laughed and followed Gabriel into the fray in search of their old friends. Pascal, a blond man with designer stubble and friendly blue eyes, pressed colorful cocktails into their hands.

“What is it?” Julie asked over the thumping bass.

“Tequila sunrise,” Pascal said and raised his glass to clink against hers. “Lovely to see you again.”