Winning entry of Project Love Affair contest: Written by calicobby

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August was an excellent time to visit Lille. The weatherman predicted seventy-two degrees, which would be the warmest temperature in that area for the rest of the month. Joseph sat rigidly behind his desk, an uncomfortable expression forming on his face. The old woman in front of him couldn't possibly imagine that his son had died and that the culprit was right in front of her.

"You're good to go, Miss Dubois." His French was still terrible, but at least they could understand him now. Joseph had decided to isolate himself from his previous world after Martyn died and Anna married another man. He had been residing in Lille for the past two years, and for some reason it was the only place in the entire world that could simultaneously give him solace and also haunt him.

"My granddaughter is a little late." Mrs Dubois was very old, so much that her gentle voice trembled at each word. Because she knew Joseph was still learning the language, she spoke slowly.

"I'll keep you company while you wait for her." His manners remained unchanged, and despite his poor well being, he chose to be kind. Perhaps he was just trying to convince himself that he was a good man.

A vintage T-Bird convertible in baby blue parked right in front of the clinic a few minutes later. From the window, Joseph saw a young woman emerge from the vehicle and lose her pink foulard in the strong late-summer breeze. He followed the piece of cloth with his gaze until it vanished in the distance.

"There she is. Thank you very much, Monsieur Fleming." Miss Dubois flashed a smile at Joseph and walked towards the entrance door. He accompanied her and kept the door open.

"Sorry, Mamie." From behind the door came a young, sweet voice. Her "r"s were guttural, and she spoke in a way that immediately reminded Joseph of how a mermaid would sound. "I got caught up with uncle Elliot."

Mrs Dubois was blocking his view, so he couldn't see her from where he was standing. He had to patiently wait for her to move a little. But that young woman was well worth the wait, because when his gaze fell on her, he was completely captivated. Her petite body was wrapped in a red silky dress that matched the color of her cheekbones. That skirt is way too short, he found himself thinking.
Her blonde, wavy hair was pulled up into a messy chignon and held in place with a single chopstick. When she smiled, you could see a small gap between her upper incisors. And she smiled a lot.

"It's okay, Lollie. Help me down the stairs." The grandmother walked down the stairs, holding her niece's hand. Joseph approached them and stood at the door frame, watching them from a distance. He even looked into the girl's Bambi brown eyes. Her long lashes fluttered as she looked at him. He felt so old at the time, trapped in the feeling that he was wasting his life. Then the thought of Anna intoxicated him in a way that only she could. His son had died as a result of those thoughts, but he still wanted to find her. How could he be so self-centered and evil?

"Au revoir, Mr. Doctor." She whispered, waving her small, soft hand. Joseph's lips curled into a grin. He had no idea he'd become addicted to that woman and her lovely vanilla scent.

SEPTEMBER

Her nickname was Lollie. Her given name was Jolie, which translates to "pretty" in French. She came by the clinic frequently to assist her grandmother, and she subconsciously became one of the reasons Joseph got up every morning.

Jolie would wander around the clinic, touching everything, even though he would scold her for it. They both looked at each other as if they were expecting something to magically happen, and somehow it worked. The spark was there and they both knew it.

Joseph, on the other hand, fought his emotions with all his might. He clearly desired her, but he had no intention of destroying her life with his existence. She looked at him with those big, adoring eyes, and he rejected her by treating her like a daughter. He could sense that she hated the way he was treating her, but he really felt like he had no other choice.

It was the end of September when they were left alone at the clinic for the first time, after Mrs. Dubois had walked home with a friend. It was pouring outside, and a drenched Jolie knocked on the door, looking for her grandmother. Even though he didn't want to be left alone with her, he let her in because he could tell she was cold. In Lille, September was not as warm as August.

"Here, take this." He offered her his white coat and turned around to face the window, allowing her to remove her soaked flower dress. She accepted it with a half smile and didn't even wait for him to turn away before stripping down to her underwear. Joseph could see from the corner of his eye that she wasn't wearing a bra, which almost tempted him to turn around and enjoy the view.

"You don't have to turn around, you know?" Jolie let out with a sigh. "Look at me, I know you want to."

He leaned against the window and gripped the edge, releasing as much tension as he could. Then he slowly turned around to do exactly what she had asked. Jolie was still wet from the rain. Her red lace high waisted panties hugged her slim physique, and her thin legs shook from the cold - or maybe from the embarrassment. Joseph could tell that she wasn't as experienced as she'd liked him to believe. Her cheeks blushed as soon as their eyes met and that was a very genuine, naive reaction.

"This is not something you should do with a man twice your age, Lollie." He still looked at her perky, small breasts. They appeared to be the perfect size for his hand, and that thought made him lose his mind.

"You want me to do this with any other man, Doctor?" She provoked him. It was working because his gaze had acquired a hint of jealousy, causing her legs to shake even more.

He took a step toward her, and she took a step back. This was repeated several times until she was up against the desk. She instinctively opened her legs wide, allowing him to position himself between them. Joseph took his time unbuckling his belt, unbuttoning his pants, and ripping off her panties with his other hand.

They made love on every piece of furniture, and Joseph never felt so good as he did when he was inside of her. She screamed his name throughout the evening, and Joseph couldn't think of another being who could sound as lovely as she did.

"Your cologne is addictive." Jolie embraced him on the carpet. They were both naked and exhausted. "It makes me think of my brother. He used to be extremely protective of me, but I think he has given up." He noticed that whatever she said was always accompanied by a smile, no matter how small. Jolie could feel his big hand grabbing on her asscheek and that strong grip made her whine.

"I can smell me on you." Joseph replied, kissing her blonde locks. "We should shower and go home."

Because everything would have become an illusion the moment they left that clinic, neither of them wanted to return home. But all magic must come to an end at some point.

OCTOBER

After their evening at the clinic, Jolie had left for the United States for two weeks. Joseph longed for her. A lot. He chose not to call her, though. Perhaps she had moved on to a new chapter of her life and had forgotten about him.

He reasoned that doing things this way would be better for them both because he wasn't stupid enough to repeat his mistakes. He also realized that every time he thought about Jolie, Anna would return to haunt him in his dreams. He felt remorse, and guilt ate him alive once again. He even wondered if Martyn could see him from heaven.

When Lollie showed up at his door again, she was accompanied by her British boyfriend. Joseph expected this, but he was still jealous. She even had the nerve to ask if they could stay at his house until they could find a better arrangement. A request Joseph accepted just so he could prove how wicked she was being.

She hadn't changed a bit in those two and a half weeks. Her hair was cut in a short, elegant bob, but everything else was the same. Luke, her new boyfriend, was a jerk, and Joseph didn't think so just because he was fucking the woman he wanted for himself. Even Jolie occasionally found that kid's lack of regard for others annoying.

Jolie had spoken to Joseph in the clinic the third week of October. It had felt like forever since that day back in September, but he cherished that memory in his heart, obsessing over it whenever he lacked love or lust. The girl didn't say much to him, but it was clear that she was trying to find an opportunity to get close to him.

"We're going out to eat tomorrow." She'd informed him.

"I'll be out as well, so don't forget your keys." It wasn't a lie; Joseph had a date with a woman who was in her thirties. She used to be his patient but was now fully recovered. He could see the jealousy in Jolie's dark eyes, but as good as he felt about it, he knew he couldn't act on it and take advantage of her weakness.

"Are you seeing someone?" Even though she asked, she didn't look like she wanted to hear his reply.

"Yes, Lollie."

"Who is she?"

"You should mind your own business."

"This is my business. Who is she?"

"How is this your business?"

"Who is she!" She screamed, and it didn't even sound like a question anymore.

Joseph got up from his desk and paced around the room. "You can't do this to me now, Lollie." His throat felt dry. "We make love," as he talked, Joseph took out a cigarette from a drawer. "You disappear for weeks," he continued, pausing only to light the thin cylinder between his lips. "And then you show up with a new boyfriend that you've been fucking in my home for the past... three weeks or so?"

"I was scared!"

"You think I'm not scared?" He screamed back at her as he slammed his hand on the desk. "I lost my son because of a woman like you!" He almost immediately regretted saying that. He didn't want to go over that tragic story with anyone else, especially not with Jolie.

"I am in love with you. I have been since the day we met." The youthful, naive Jolie sounded so mature and aware.

"I'm too old for you."

"You're perfect for me."

"Lollie, be rational. Stay with your boyfriend. You might marry him and, who knows, build a future together- "

"I want you."

Joseph let out a sigh. October was coming to an end; a couple of years ago on the same day, Anna told him she didn't want him to divorce for a fling, breaking his heart in half. Now he was doing the same thing to this charming young woman.

Except this time he didn't want to. Because this time it was different.

"There's no going back if you accept to be with me, Lollie."

She started crying. "Let's move forward then."

They exchanged a kiss, the first of many. And then, for the next months, they fought against everything and everyone just to be together.