The repairs had been going smoothly, and in about a week or so, Alex would have finished renovating the house, bringing it back to its former state. The only taxing thing, he thought, was the trips he had to make to town to get materials. He had fixed the broken fuse and called the local Power and Communications Office, and they had reconnected the electrical and phone cables.
His buddy Philippe had dropped by for a welcome visit when he found out that Alex was in town. They had chatted over beer and some biscuits, which he had bought just the night before. After filling him in on all the happenings around town since he left, Philippe had asked him a tricky question: "Will you be staying for good, or is this just a vacation?"
"I don't know, mon ami," he replied with a sigh. "You know, a man has to settle down at one point; you can't continue working forever," Philippe said. Alex himself had only planned on staying till next spring, but after his encounter with Lena, he was beginning to have second thoughts. Work, he thought, could wait. He was a fucking billionaire and didn't need to struggle any longer, but he had passed through so many places, and they had left the notion of working nonstop deeply ingrained in his mind.
He was a workaholic, Mona had said. He grew up without a father and had to go through trials and tribulations to get to his current position. He had suffered both physical and emotional pain to achieve his current status, but still, he was modest, preferring a low-key life as he worked relentlessly. "Napoléon des temps actuels" they had named him. All of this, however, were gone with the wind the moment he set his eyes on Lena; he knew he wanted her back, to go back to the way things were. He had confided in Philippe. "Go for it while there is still a chance; I know she must feel the same," Philippe had said with his signature smile.
Today, he ran into Jean, Colette's older brother. They had both been on the swim team together back in the day and could be considered friends. "How have you been?" He asked as they chatted at the cafe. Jean had asked him to have lunch together, and he couldn't refuse such an earnest person.
"I have been good; what about you? How have you been?" He said. "You know me; I've been here and there, trying to keep the family business going," Jean replied. They talked at great lengths on different topics, with Alex even offering to invest in the Tremblay family business. Jean found the idea fantastic, and they entered another session, discussing prospective business collaborations.
Their chat lasted almost an hour, ending with Jean inviting Alex to an anniversary dinner at the chateau. Lena was going to be there, and she had even promised to unveil her latest piece after the dinner. Alex saw an opportunity and decided to accept the invitation.