Chapter III : Freedom

The next day, Bernadette got up at 10 am. She had a breakfast of fruit and cereal. She took a shower She put on a blue peasant sleeve top and white high waist palazzo pants. She put her hair in a French braid and decided to go shopping.

Meanwhile, Gustavo was putting on his white Armani suit and a white Trilby hat. He too was going shopping.

Ten hours later, Bernadette was finished shopping. Her chauffeur helped her carry her shopping bags up to her apartment. She struggled while unlocking her door. "Gaston, thank you for helping me." she said. Then she tipped him.

"Thank you" he said. " You have a good night" he said as he walked out the door. Bernadette hung up all her things because she had tried it all on already. Suddenly she heard a bark. "What the-" She heard it again. She walked into the living room and saw a pink cage. "What the hell?" she said as she bent to look in the cage. Inside the cage, she saw a black Standard Poodle puppy. "Oh my goodness!!" she exasperated. She opened the cage and let the puppy out. The puppy was wearing a collar and there was something attached to it. She took off the collar and opened the card.

Dear Bernadette,

Please accept this puppy as a gift from me to you. This is not to win you over but to know that you are happy with me. I have given you the luxury of not having to potty train her and I have food bowls, food, a leash, a carrier and chew toys in the bag on her cage. Please enjoy her. Name her what you wish.

Love,

Your Lover From Afar

"Alright then. I guess you and I are best friends eh?" Bernadette said with a smile. The puppy barked happily. She took her outside and let her go to the bathroom. Then they came inside and prepared to leave. As Bernadette changed clothes, the little puppy sat on her bed and looked at her. As Bernadette put on mascara, she looked at the puppy and said, "What shall I call you? Oh! I know! Soleil! Perfect! It matches your personality perfectly." The little puppy barked happily. Bernadette smoothed out her black evening gown and picked up Soleil and put her in the black carrier that looked like a leather purse. Then she got the keys to her Maserati and left. She arrived at a popular casino and walked up to the front door. " Bonjour Bernadette, please, come right inside."

"Thank you." she said. She walked in and she went to the Bacarrat table and they started a new game. She dealt the cards.

Gustavo walked into the casino and went to the bar, "Hey! Gustavo! How have you been?" a man asked

"Oh, Alphonse, I would've never thought I'd see you here! I'm doing pretty good." Gustavo said as he shook hands with the man.

"Ah, I come because of the pretty ladies. You know me." Alphonse said with a sly smile. He took a sip of his Scotch. Then his eyes stretched,"Oh, you know that girl Bernadette Poesy? The dancer? She is here!" he said.

"Oh?" Gustavo said. He tried to sound disinterested.

"Last time I saw her, she was at the Baccarat table dealing the cards. She was winning." Alphonse said. "Say Gustavo, where's your wife? She's usually right there on your right arm." he said.

Gustavo to a large gulp of his wine and said, " After she and I went to see Bernadette perform live last night, she thought that I was fantasizing about Bernadette. We got into an argument and I volunteered to leave. And I have been staying in a hotel every since."

Alphonse laughed. "Gustavo, I have no idea how you have put up with that for thirty years. Why do you think I'm still a bachelor? It's because I want to be. Because I don't have time for a woman that gets mad anytime a woman looks at me." he said. They shared a hearty laugh. "Hey, hey, you and I should join that Baccarat game. You know you want to look at Bernadette in that sexy black dress she's in." Alphonse said.

"Hey, as long as my wife isn't around." Gustavo said with a sly smile. They went to the Baccarat table and sat down. Bernadette was there with a sleeping poodle in her lap. She looked at Gustavo and smiled,"It seems that our paths have crossed again, eh Gustavo?" she said.

"So it seems. This is my friend Alphonse."he said. She smiled at Alphonse.

"So, how much is on the table tonight?" Gustavo said.

" Two hundred thousand euros so far." Bernadette said. "Shall we start a new game?" she asked the other two players.

"Sure" one of them said. She started shuffling the cards again. They laughed and enjoyed each others company for the rest of the night.

Meanwhile, across the room, Aurore, Gustavo's wife was watching their every move. She was infuriated when she saw Gustavo put his arm around Bernadette's waist. She growled and left. "I will have my revenge." she muttered. She got into her Porsche and sped home.