“Steph?” Camille whistles through her teeth. “She’s also an intensely private person.”

“It’s just an idea… but my instincts tell me she would make for excellent television.”

“Television in which an Australian audience would be interested?”

“No doubt. The entire world has been transfixed by Dominique’s presidency. This woman from a conservative party taking out the socialists and the far right in one fell swoop, right after coming out of the closet. To interview the woman she fell in love with would be the perfect blend of human interest and politics. You’ve seen my show. I’m hardly the kind of journalist who would interview the Kardashians.”

Camille chuckles. “I don’t think I would have fallen for you if you were.”

“French elitism at its worst.”

“All jokes aside, I can’t give you any guarantees about Steph. I will ask her, but I can’t blackmail her with the benefit it would have for us. That’s not something I’m willing to use a friend for.”

“I’m not asking you to do that at all. I could ask her myself. We kind of hit it off that night in Provence, don’t you think?” I narrow my eyes and grin at her.

“There aren’t many lesbians Steph doesn’t hit it off with, so don’t feel too flattered.”

“I love it when you’re jealous, babe.” With my feet still in her lap, I can’t resist tickling her with my big toe.

Camille swats away my toe matter-of-factly. “It would be great to see you before Christmas.” There’s a twinkle in her glance. “Let me summarize the tasks you have given me, apart from being a loving long-distance partner. I have to persuade the first lady to bare her soul to you on camera and I have to find you a worthy job. Talk about having a high-maintenance girlfriend. Maybe you don’t interview the Kardashians because you’re aspiring to be one.” She runs a finger lightly over the sole of my foot, tickling me to the extent that I have to withdraw it.

“I never claimed dating me would be easy.” I maneuver myself in such a way that within seconds I’m straddling her on the bench, which turns out to be a highly uncomfortable position.

“Now you tell me.” She pulls me close by the neck and kisses me hard on the lips. When we break from our kiss, she looks me in the eye and says, “Thank you for your willingness to consider moving here.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven