This is L.o.v.e. like it should be

LVII. Better Man

Ava's phone showed 9:00a.m. on the display, she should be knocking at the door of Paul's office. She didn't like to be late for anything, but this new look of hers took more time than she was used to.

Ava waved at some of her colleagues, while trying to make her way to Paul's office, but it was taking longer than usual. The company was having another board meeting, and that meant the atrium would be flooded with people, and the elevator would be crowded. Ava was starting to sweat, she completely forgot to check the company's agenda for the week.

"Calm down. You'll be there in no time... If I could just get to an elevator..." But it was impossible to navigate the crowd. Forced to wait in the line, she was getting nervous. At that pace, she would be at least 15 minutes late.

"Ava," someone called out her name, making his way through the crowd around her.

It was him... Her mind was so focused on getting her session on time that she completely forgot he was one of the major shareholders. Of course, he would be showing up to the board meeting.

"Oh, it's you," she said disappointed, not even bothering to look at him.

"Are you stuck in the line?" he politely asked. Julien was taken aback when he finally got close enough to really see her. Ava was wearing the red dress she brought the day before and black high-heels. This was nothing like her.

"Obviously," Ava replied in a cold tone, still not looking at him.

"Join me in the reserved elevator. It'll get you to your floor faster."

"No, thank you. I'm not a shareholder," Ava said in a harsher tone, hoping it would be enough for him to go away.

"Please," he pled, forcing his eyes up from that dress that displayed perfectly Ava's curves.

Ava sighed.

"I know you don't care about trivial things like that, but half of the employees are still here. I don't think it'd be good for me to go with you, I don't need people trash talking me."

"I see..." Julien said, looking defeated. "I didn't want to upset you."

"Yes, you already did worse than that. Now just go."

"Alright."

Julien, looking like he lost his north, disappeared in the crowd.

Ava finally got in the elevator, and, as predicted, arrived 15 minutes late to the session.

"I thought you had forgotten our therapy again, Ava," said Paul, after she opened the door.

"I'm sorry Paul, I forgot there was a board meeting today."

"Take a seat, Ava."

Ava nodded and sat on the couch in front of Paul's chair.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked.

"Yes, Paul."

"So, tell me, what's been going on that made you so forgetful?"

Ava smiled nervously.

"Me.", she answered.

"How so?"

"I don't know. I am still trying to keep up with the promotion I got. You know, doing my best to keep the position. Maybe I'm working too hard, I don't know. I should probably slow down."

"Yes, I've heard you have been working late."

Ava's eyebrows raised themselves.

"Did you?" she asked, wondering who told him about it and why.

"Yes, the company isn't that big after all. But, tell me, how are you feeling emotionally?"

"I'm fine," Ava instantly replied.

"I see you are focusing more on yourself. I liked your new look, Ava."

"Thank you."

"What made you want to change your look so abruptly?"

"Oh!" Ava didn't quite expect that question coming her way. "I've decided to start wearing clothes that match my new position."

"I have to ask, is that the only reason?"

That question from Paul made Ava aware that he could see right through her. She quickly came to the conclusion that if she wanted to avoid a bad report, she was going to have to be honest with him.

"No, it was not."

Paul watched her with a quizzical look on his face.

"Do you remember the day dream you shared with me, Ava?"

"Which one?"

"The one where your former lover was sitting on the couch and you on his lap. You asked him a question, a question which you were never given an answer to."

"I wasn't looking for the answer in his words, but in his heartbeat. I think I never got the answer because I'd rather kiss him..."

"How can you think I don't love you?", Paul repeated the question she had asked Julien's heart. "Do you have your answer now?"

Ava looked him straight in the eyes.

"Yes, I do. Julien often accused me of not loving him. But it should have been me who accused him." Ava sighed. "He was the one who didn't love me. I knew that when I broke up with him."

"Yes, you knew, Ava."

"I wasn't looking for an answer in his words because I already knew he was liar, but I didn't want to see it. I was afraid of the truth, so I'd rather deceive myself and keep the passionate fairy tale going on my own head."

"Exactly."

"I was such a fool."

"You're not, and you never have been a fool Ava. You were just in love with the wrong person."

"Yes, that I was."

Ava's phone rang.

"Go ahead, you can answer it," Paul said.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure."

Ava took the phone from her purse. It was a message.

She smiled.

"I got your number," it was the message from an unknown number.

"What's that smile about it?" Paul asked, compelled to smile too.

"Hope," she said.