Honor Banet's plan for a single small profitable patisserie-bistro was swiftly blasted to pieces by a combination of customer demand, Marq Haydn and other events beyond her control.
After opening on Carlisle Street, Rick Ford's prediction of people lining up for miles had not exactly come true... but it came close.
After four months, Marq apologized for getting it wrong and advised that she should open another branch on the adjoining Jameson Avenue to relieve the pressure on her Carlisle Street shop.
Unfortunately, the place she had wanted on Jameson originally had been taken, but another smaller place had become available just a few yards away and Marq had immediately secured it for her in exchange for equity in 'Délices d'Honor' when she had balked at it being a gift.
Cornered in her - now their fully bought and paid for apartment - naked, wet, knowing she was being manipulated by the man even then ravishing her body, she had surrendered and agreed, albeit pouting with lip furled afterwards. That had earned her another round of ravishing.
A week later, she had a duplicate of her Carlisle kitchen being set up on Jameson with workers busily banging and hammering the location into shape, Marq moving with swift efficiency.
That location, a purely takeaway establishment, had become a roaring success as well, but she had outright refused to open on Bowen Street as he next suggested, insisting instead on going to Zurich because Marq had put his life on hold long enough.
Her refusal to expand came after she finished paying off her loan to the bank, in record time, to the disappointment of the bank's loan panel officers who were hoping for a longer profitable relationship. Multiple treat boxes and loyalty cards from 'Délices d'Honor' helped ease their pain.
Ultimately, Marq's denials that his life was 'on hold' had fallen on deaf ears.
"Honor," he had said, eyebrow quirked, still clothed as he held his frowning and very nude odalisque in his arms, "you are my life. Where you are is my home. How can my life be 'on hold' when I am with you?"
It was the wrong thing to say if what he had wanted was for her to stay and expand her business. Her determination to move and stay long term with him in Zurich only became much stronger.
She had been to Zurich multiple times for short stays with him by then, but she was resolved to actually live and make a home with him in his home city.
A business management graduate who enjoyed being in a kitchen herself, Faith Sabrina Banet offered to move and oversee the two eponymous 'Délices d'Honor' locations for her older sister. Nervous, Honor had accepted, especially after Marq, having surrendered to his wife's wishes to live with him in Switzerland, revealed that he had quietly analyzed and process engineered her operations and handed a tablet with the resulting manual with preset management and scheduling software to Faith.
"Nerd," Honor had muttered, eyes tearing, getting on his lap and kissing him.
"How the fuck," Faith had demanded, later, when the sisters were alone, "did you get so lucky, Honor?" She was scrolling through the tablet's screen and making notes.
"I don't know," Honor had said, genuinely confused.
She was still confused when she arrived in Zurich to stay, weeks later, and discovered that her husband had arranged for her to be shown a series of locations to choose from for a 'Délices d'Honor' in Zurich.
A month later she was staring at a kitchen that was virtually identical to the one on Carlisle Street. When he couldn't find identical equipment of suitable existing or refurbishable working order, Marq had found a bespoke engineering firm and ordered the item specially constructed to match.
Honor had looked at the kitchen and then at him with her hands over her mouth.
"Well?" he asked, looking enquiringly at her. "Is this okay?"
Honor started crying. "I don't... I don't deserve this!" Her eyes were utterly bewildered as he swiftly took her in his arms. "I don't deserve you...! What did I do...? Why are you doing this...?"
He kissed her hair and held her as she buried her face in his chest, sobbing. The workmen around them stopped work to look, confused, many appearing distinctly uncomfortable.
"Look at me," he said, after she had quieted down. "Look at me, my love."
She sniffled, and finally, she lifted her head up to look at him, and she saw him smiling down at her.
"First," he said, "'Délices d'Honor' is making me a lot of money."
She giggled.
"Second, and most importantly," he continued, lowering his head toward her, "you're my life, my love, my everything, Honor Marina." He brushed a tear away from under her eye. "You deserve everything good I can do for you for just that alone."
"But you've done enough," she said, smiling through falling tears, "You've already done more than enough."
"No," he answered, wiping her tears away. "Never."
She stared at him for multiple heartbeats, overwhelmed. "I love you, Mr. Haydn. I love you so much."
He shook his head and kissed her on the forehead again. "You never answered the question."
"What?"
