I Want You Back

Angel Leffman

After cruising around Paris while watching Sofia finish three platters of cheese and sharing most of the desserts, the night, unfortunately, came to an end. I won't lie; I would have liked to spend the night with her, but I have a wife who is difficult to persuade and has yet to forgive me. At least

she agreed to have dinner with me, which is a good thing.

"Harry, I told you that even if the sky is falling, don't call me," I told him as soon as I answered his call.

"I know that you went to look for Sofia in France. I don't know how it didn't occur to me that she was there because of the contract."

""How did you know I was here?"

"Amelia called me all stressed out because she needed to communicate with your pilot, and since you didn't answer, she called me, and she had no choice but to tell me." "Did you help her with the products?"

"Yes, that woman when she gets angry, I swear. She is worse than you and me combined. By the way, I accidentally read a folder that you had on your desk, thinking it was something from the company. Did you have someone investigate Sofia and Elisa?"

"Yes, I don't want any more surprises like the ones from the Arab, although that investigation was already underway since Sofia told me that she had nothing to do with the photos."

"I see that the moment he told you that Sofia is in France and you came running there, dude, I told you to let her breathe," Harry said while shaking his head.

"She breathed for six days without me, and besides, I will not leave her alone here with French bastards flocking themselves around her."

"And Germans," Harry added much to my irritation.

"I read that too, but I didn't ask her what she was doing there. I can only guess that it's related to her fashion business."

"I don't see what interest a civil engineering company could have in fashion."

"I'll ask her."

"Did you reconcile with her then? Angel, please don't ruin everything. You are quite an expert at that." He mocked, and I glared, and I gave him a blank look.

"We haven't reconciled yet. Sofia refuses to forgive me, but at least she lets me help her with this event. I won't stop, and I will conquer her."

"Be prepared and be patient, because I don't think she'll make it easy for you."

"It wouldn't be Sofia if she weren't like that."

There was a knock on the door, and it was a chambermaid.

"I'm here to clean up the room; I didn't think you would be here, sir. I apologize," she told me with her thick French accent.

"It's fine. Do what you have to do."

I passed by her while I continued talking with Harry. Before hanging up the call, he told me a few things about the company and about my parents, like how they've been looking for me these days.

There was a knock on the door again, and I frowned. "Harry, take care of it, and we'll talk later."

I opened the door and smiled when I saw Sofia, who stayed silent when she saw me. I think opening the door without a shirt was a good idea.

"Good morning, beautiful." I greeted her and opened the door to let her in.

She seemed to come out of her trance and cleared her throat. "Good morning. I was calling you, but you didn't answer," she says upon entering. "Yesterday, after I got to the room, an idea occurred to me." She trailed off when she heard noises from the bedroom. "What ideas, Sofia?"

"Is there anyone in the room?" She asked and entered the room. There she saw the chambermaid arranging the bed, and Sofia looked at me again and back at the woman. "Does she have to tidy up the room now?" She asked with a firm voice, her eyes trailing down my body. "Sofia, it's her job," I emphasized, and I laughed at her jealousy. "My wife can be a little jealous sometimes," I told the woman.

"I'm not jealous; I know it's her job to do it when an adult like you can't fix your own bed. You could have at least put some clothes on if you were going to stay here," she says coldly, making me chuckle and follow her out of the room.

"Calm down, Sofia. If you act like that, I cannot help but think you're jealous." I teased her. I dressed up before going back to her. "Are you going to stand there and be upset, or are you going to tell me what idea you had?"

"It's better to talk in my room since it's busy here."

She left my room, upset, and I couldn't help but shake my head. Women.

I walked into her room, and she was still sulking. As I walked, I saw several leaves lying on the floor.

"My love, tell me you slept."

"Yes-well no, just a few hours, and don't call me that because I'm not your love. At dinner last night, with everything we saw and what you said, it occurred to me that the theme of the parade could be 'A Journey through France' in a subtle way. The entrance could feature photos of the country's emblematic places, and the runway could simulate the hallway of the Trocadéro Gardens. When the models walk into the room, it could be lit like the Musée du Quai Branly. The stage could be a replica of the entrance path to the Eiffel Tower, which would be in the background, very well-lit, as we saw last night. This would make you feel like you are parading inside the Eiffel Tower itself, even though we are in a room. In addition, we could include a giant sign inspired by the 'I love you' mural on the Bridge of Padlocks."

"And that the floor could be like the Seine River that you can see through the window. And so with this theme, every part you see is full of history with replicas, like in a museum. The wall of vegetables, the stained glass, the monuments, the bridges, everything. Plus, the music has to be French, what they had on the ship, the country's typical food, and its most famous drinks. It must have its touch of romanticism. We brought the whole of France in one place. What do you think?" She explained while sounding so excited that it made me feel it as well. "I see you thought of everything. I'm glad to know that dinner gave you ideas."

"You were right; I just had to calm down and enjoy the country, and the ideas were going to come to me, with your help, of course."

"I like the idea; it fascinates me. I am ambitious like everything you do, but I have a question: how are we going to do the apartment and the Eiffel Tower?

"That's easy; there's nothing that technology can't solve right now. A big green screen, images, lots of light, programs... I'll take care of that. After all, I am an expert in that area. We will need your friend from the fabric store, and we also need to visit the tourist places where they sell things for tourists and buy everything we need. Plus, I have to make a call before Amelia arrives."

"Sofia, honey, that sounds a little ambitious for a week, don't you think?"

"Weren't you the one who said everything would be fine? Just help. Better call your friend Mattias and tell him what we are planning. I'm sure he has contacts here. Come on, let's get to work! Chop-chop!"

"You say you planned all this last night and you haven't slept?" I confirmed, and she nodded. "Sofia, how much caffeine do you have on you?"

What did she mean when she said she was in charge of the technology? I called Mattias and told him about the parade. He loved the idea, although he was a little hesitant at first. But that's how designers are; they see everything with good eyes.

"Sofia, I already spoke with Mattias, and he loved the plan. He was a little hesitant at first, but he became fascinated with the idea. He said he would talk to one of his contacts about the replicas and that he would start designing the advertising."

"Perfect! I already have it. I did it last night." Sofia approaches the computer and shows the design. It's... Damn, I have a smart and talented wife. "Copy the file and send it to him, okay?'

"I can work under pressure. With Lee Andrew's, I have never been so stressed because we have always planned it beforehand, but the other two have."? She turned to me when I didn't say anything. "Are you going to help?"

"Yes, my love, I'm going to help you with whatever you ask of me, but you need to take a bath and sleep, even if it's just for an hour. You haven't slept at all, Sofia."

"Sleep? How do you think I'm going to sleep? I'll sleep later when I get out of all this. Now we have to work. I'm going to take a bath, and we'll go out to buy everything we need in bookstores and other places. You better be prepared because we will have an active day. Can you do the music, the party favors, the food, and all that stuff that you said you were going to take care of?"

God, I've never seen her move and think so fast that I'm afraid she's on the verge of collapse. After a while, I ordered us breakfast while I called my friend and some other acquaintances, as well as the agency that helped me launch my company here. Thanks to this, I have already solved the musicians and food.

"I'm ready." Sofia dresses in jeans, a purple blouse, and a beautiful jacket. "Come on, we have a lot of things to do!"

"No, we're not leaving. You're not going out without eating first."

"Angel, we have millions of things to do," she complained with a groan.

"And we are going to do them, but you are not going to faint on the way due to low blood sugar, so let's have breakfast first."

Our breakfast came, and she reluctantly sat down to eat.

"You're so impossible and annoying."

"The musicians are ready, and so is the food. I asked for the local foods of the country, that there be a lot of cheese, a lot of desserts like yesterday. Everything French."

"Wonderful, at least that's ready."

"I also called my friend, and she will be waiting for us so you can choose fabrics and all the things you need. I spoke to some acquaintances, and they are organizing the drinks. Additionally, I hired an events agency that will take care of the logistics of the parade. We are going to need waiters to serve guests and someone to greet people at the entrance. I spoke with Mattias, and he loved the design of the advertising."

"I already spoke with Amelia, and I explained the plan to her. She was scared at first, but she liked the idea. We also need to distribute advertising. Lend me your phone." I handed her my phone, then she headed to the computer, and within seconds, the advertisement was active on social media.

"How did you do that?" I asked in amazement. Where did this woman come from?

"That's easy with technology these days, Angel. I already ate; shall we go?"

We were all over the place, jumping from one place to another. Between fabrics, objects, and stores. I had to force her to eat when i was time to. After that, we went to see the models and talked to Mattias about what clothes they were going to wear. They had an argument about whether they would carry his company's name or Lee Andrew's until they decided it would be both.

When we got to the hotel, I practically forced her to sleep, which she only did for an hour. The next day, Amelia arrived, and things got more hectic. Mattias and I were going crazy; we ran from one place to another. The invitations sold like hot potatoes within three days because people bought them like crazy. A limit of one to two hundred tickets was stipulated, but it had to be increased to three hundred and fifty. The capacity of the room could not be larger than that. The models practiced and tried on the products. I didn't realize how stressful it was.

Sofia was stressed, and I don't know how many times we argued, talked, laughed, and argued again. It happened often because I had to remind her to eat and rest. Amelia didn't help, and she also drove me crazy. Finally, tomorrow is the big event, and everything seems to be ready. I saw Sofia finalizing the last details when they brought what she ordered from a local company. When I saw the label, I saw "Let-Tech." I didn't know they had a branch here. I watched as she ordered some people to install the screens on the platform, and she also asked them to place something in various places on the floor.

"Sofia, what are you doing? Let the technicians do that."

"The technicians are in charge of putting things together and solving them, but the system has to be perfect so that the tower and the Seine River can be projected well. There can be no errors." She strongly refused, and I can only stand aside and watch her.

She moves the computer around like an expert, and in a matter of minutes, she faces me. "Let's see if it works. Ready, guys? Can you turn off the lights, please?"

They turn it off, and she does something on the computer, and magic is done. The entire room is lit. The floor looks as if it were under the Seine River, the platform and the background are the Eiffel Tower itself, and it doesn't seem like it was a projection. When you look around the place, it's like the whole country is projected on each of the walls.

"Wonderful, Sofia, this is..." I couldn't even finish what I wanted to say because I was so impressed.

"Great? I know. I told you I'm brilliant, and I have a gifted mind. It feels like that night on the boat, right?"

"The only thing missing is the music, the food, and the drink, which will be here tomorrow. Therefore, you have to rest; you haven't slept for days."

"I will sleep tomorrow. There is still something to do."

I sighed in exasperation. "Sofia, you have already seen and supervised everything a thousand times."

"And I always miss something. Tomorrow, there should be no mistakes, Angel. This is important to make our way in the market, and most importantly, if I want to open a branch here."

"You'll see that everything is going to be fine, and it is going to be a success. Look around you. Look what you have done in a week."

"We will see tomorrow. We should not be too sure. Did you confirm the musicians and the food?"

"Everything's settled on my side, Sofi. It's already late; can we go?"

I had to drag her out of the living room. I want to sleep, and I want her to sleep because she has to rest. When we were out, I stopped her.

"Wait, come!" I made her look at the Warsaw fountain, which had a great show under the music.

"It's beautiful. We've been here for days and we hadn't seen it," Sofia exclaimed in amazement.

"We were too busy with the event, but now that everything is ready, you can give yourself the pleasure of watching the show."

"I'm beyond exhausted. I hope it'll be all worth it."

"Of course it will. Have no doubt. Tomorrow, you will be a sensation."Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Sofia shook her head. "No, the brand will be the sensation. Nobody knows that Amelia and I are the owners, and I want it to stay that way."

The show ended, and we saw the spectacle that the Eiffel Tower offered us next. "Thank you for making me see this. I was so focused on work that I forgot that I was in France. How ironic," she says with a bitter smile.

When we reached the hotel, I left her like a gentleman at the door of her room. "Promise me you're going to sleep, please," I pleaded in concern.

Sofia just rolled her eyes. "I won't promise, but I'll try."

"That's better than nothing." I gave her a kiss on the cheek and went to my room to rest as well. I made a couple of calls, and everything is fixed.

When I woke up, Sofia was no longer in her room or in the hotel, nor was Amelia. When I called them, they were exactly where I imagined them to be. In the living room, finalizing details and running with the final touches to get everything ready. I did not disturb them, and I got us some drinks.

"Sofia, we must go change. Everyone has already left, even Amelia. Everything's ready, but you aren't. Let's go."

"I just hope nothing goes wrong," she anxiously said while biting her lip.

"Everything is going to be fine; now let's make you look pretty."

We went back to the hotel to prepare. After two hours, I picked her up from her room, and she looked so beautiful in a red dress that was half-shoulder. She paired it with a pair of black shoes, and her hair was in a half ponytail. She has natural-looking makeup as always, but she highlighted her eyes. "You are so beautiful."

"You don't look so bad yourself." I saw her hand, and she was wearing the bracelet that I gave her in the tower.

"Let's go. Amelia is already there. She told me that people are starting to fill the place and they are excited about the photos. The press is there too, and even the fashion advisors, Carla Lavine and Victoria, are present. Angel, what if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing's going to happen, Sofia. And if a problem occurs, you're a genius, and we'll fix it. Now, stop worrying and enjoy the night and your achievements. You've worked hard for tonight."

We arrived at the place, and everything was perfect. It's like we're seeing all of France in one place. People are excited and speak highly of the event. Mattias and her agency stood out, and I made Lee Andrew's stand out as well. Nobody is going to leave my wife out, even if she doesn't want to be noticed. I made it very clear that it was the idea of the owner of Lee Andrew's that made this whole event.

The event then began, and I calmed her down. The people were dazzled, and that was enough. The reviews are surprising and positive. The event ended with a fireworks show that we can watch from the window.

"Congratulations! I told you you'd do just great," I whispered in her ear.

"Thank you. Because without your help, it would not have turned out so well, but please, Angel, don't ever think about planning an event in a week again."

I laughed at that. "No, I've learned my lesson the hard way. But still, I have a brilliant wife that deserves to be celebrated." From behind her, I see Gerard and Mary approaching. "Don't be angry with me.

"Why am I going to get angry?" she asked with a frown.

"Sofia," her dad greeted her.

Sofia whirled around in shock. "Dad, aunt, what are you doing here?"

"We came to attend the fashion event. Everyone was talking about it, and Angel called us and invited us," Mary answered.

"Yes, I'm not a fashion lover. Angel said you wanted to see us here. So, here we are."

"What did you think of the parade and the event?" I asked them on behalf of Sofia.

"Wonderful! It's glamorous and sophisticated. I feel like I traveled around France," Mary said in excitement. "The clothes are beautiful!"

"And what do you think, Gerard?" I asked my father-in-law, discreetly squeezing Sofia's waist in support.

"I don't know much about fashion, but I must say that the show was surprising and pleasant, as well as the drinks and food, not to mention the music. As for the idea, I can agree with my sister; whoever planned it had a brilliant idea."

"Did you really like it, dad?" Sofia asks excitedly. She looks at me, and I wink at her.

"Yes, why would I lie? The owners of these companies must be geniuses to think of doing something like this. The designs are very good."

"Dad, Mary," Sofia begins. "Thank you." She hugged them, and I could see their confused faces.

"Are you okay, princess?" Gerard asks, checking her.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just that hearing you say that is important to me, and it makes me happy," Sofia emotionally said.

"Why are you acting like that?" Mary asked while drinking her champagne. Sofia looked at me, and I nodded in support of her.

"I was the one behind all this," she told them nervously, and the siblings looked at each other.

"Since when have you been an organizer of fashion events?" Gerard asked in curiosity.

"Since I became the owner of one of them," Sofia responded, and Mary almost choked on her drink while Gerard smiled.

"Sofia, are you telling me that you are the owner of Lee Andrew's? I should have known when the name was similar to your mother's first and last name."

"I told you that I had seen those designs in her room, and you told me that I was crazy," Mary complained to Gerard.

"Who can imagine that my daughter was going to start a large fashion company when she runs a car company?" he wondered with a proud look on her face before he hugged Sofia. "My princess, I'm so proud of you. Look, running two companies with different contexts is really surprising." When I looked at Sofia, I knew she was relieved. "Thanks, Dad. I thought you wouldn't approve that you would say it's stupid instead of creating something more productive."

Gerard looked at her in disbelief. "I have suits from Lee Andrew's, and they are the best I have ever tried, and the company is recognized; how can I not approve?"

"I told you." I intervened, and she looked at me before giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you for bringing them," she whispers in my ear.

We continued enjoying the night until suddenly, I found myself looking for Sofia because I had lost sight of her. I finally found her outside the place and away from everyone. "Everything alright? I was looking everywhere for you." I hugged her, and she barely responded. "Sofia?"

"I'm exhausted. I just wish-" She didn't get to finish before she collapsed in my arms.

"Sofia!"

Amelia comes out and holds her friend. "Sofia! What happened?"

I lifted Sofia into my arms and stared in worry. "I don't know! She just fainted. It must be stress. She hasn't slept or eaten well for days."

"Princess!" Gerard exclaimed when he saw her daughter. "It must be a crisis."

"I'm going to take her to the hospital and then let her rest. Amelia, please finish up."

Amelia nodded her head. "Sure, I'll see you later."

I didn't waste any time before taking her to the nearest hospital with her father and aunt. Once we got to the hospital, we had her checked by the doctor.

I knew she should have rested in between. In the end, I was right, and she ended up collapsing.