by Tey Holden
Once in Paris, they went to the Eiffel Tower, as planned. “Oh Ker, it’s so beautiful and romantic, don’t you think so?”
Karen was delighted watching Addy. Paris at night from the Tower was quite a breathtaking view. But, all Karen could see was Addy. No matter how long they had been together, she felt the same as the day they met. “Yes, it’s beautiful, alright.”
Addy realized that Karen was talking about her. “I meant the city.”
Karen smiled, and touched Addy’s face lightly with the back of her hand. “Me too.”
Addy knew she was lying. “Ker, you are making me blush.” This was supposed to be Addy’s romantic present to Karen and yet here was Karen romancing her.
“Well, you know how I like that.” They held each other and kissed.
Addy couldn’t hold back anymore. She was too nervous to postpone it. She looked down and in a whisper tone said “I have something for you.”
“Addy, you said we weren’t going to exchange presents and that the trip was going to be our Valentine’s Day gift to each other, so I didn’t get you anything.”
Addy smiled. “Ker, I said I was going to get something for the two of us.”
“Yeah, and I thought you meant the trip.”
“Would you just shut up and open our gift?” Addy handed her a rectangular box. Karen looked at it and looked back at her with inquisitive eyes. When Karen removed the gold paper and the manicured bow around it, she found a velvet black box. “Addy? What—?”
“Open it.”
Karen’s hands were shaking. She was smart and began to suspect the minute she saw the box. When Karen opened the box she gasped, and looked at Addy. Her eyes were pools of tears. “Oh, Addy!”
In the box were two beautiful gold bands, each with embedded diamonds. Karen’s eyes were so full of tears that she could hardly see the rings anymore. The tears began to drop as she laid her forehead on Addy’s shoulder. She was trembling when Addy wrapped her arms around her.
“Here let me get the rings out of the box?” Addy took one of the rings and put it on Karen’s finger, it fit perfectly. She took the other and put it on hers. Karen was still overwhelmed, with tears bathing her face, as she looked between the ring on her finger and Addy’s.
“Do you like them?”
“Addy, I don’t know what to say?”
“How about yes?”
“Yes, I like it, them.”
“Good! Now I’m going to need another yes to an even more important matter that I need to ask you.”
“What? What could be more important than this?” She was rubbing the sparkling ring on her finger.
“Would you marry me?”
Karen was in total disbelief. “What?”
Addy chuckled. She loved the amazed look on Karen’s face and knowing what the answer would be. “Would you marry me, and let me love you for as long as we live?”
Karen’s face of shock, incredulity and happiness was a sight. “Oh, my God! I can’t believe that you are the one asking me! I always wanted to ask you, but never dared because I—.”
“I know. That’s why I’m asking you. I knew you’d never ask because of what I’ve said in the past about never marrying again, but Ker we have the real thing. I want this from the bottom of my heart. Look inside the ring.”
Engraved in beautiful letters was ‘Always and Forever.’ “Addy, My God! Hold me, I think I’m dizzy.”
Addy chuckled. “Ker, you are beginning to sound like JP.” This made Karen chuckle also.
“Please don’t tell him.”
“Never, baby, this moment is ours. I love you, Blondie. I’d ask you to be mine, but you already are, so—.” She was not able to finish. Karen’s lips covered hers in a searing kiss that left her lips burning.
“Addy, I’ve never wanted anything in my life like I want you, like I want us. I don’t know what to say!”
“How about yes?”
“I can’t believe that you even have to ask! I also can’t believe that you are the one proposing! You are amazing! Adriana Marcos, it’s my privilege, my honor, my luck, my blessing totally, absolutely without any reservation to accept your marriage proposal. I’d marry you any day. I’ve wanted to for so long!” Karen caressed Addy’s face gently, rubbing her thumb against Addy’s lips, parting her lips and taking them in a passionate open mouth kiss. “We need to go.”
“Where? What’s the rush? What about the romantic moment you were just talking about?”
“Oh, we are having that romantic moment, but somewhere else.” Karen pulled Addy towards the elevators.
“Where?”
“In our hotel room. The romantic moment I’m thinking about requires privacy.”
Addy laughed. “Let’s go then.”
When they took the elevator down, they were alone. Karen took advantage of the moment and wrapped her arms around her waist from behind and nuzzled and kissed her neck. Addy leaned against her, exposing her neck and closing her eyes. They remained like that until the elevator reached the ground floor.
They took a taxi and twenty-five minutes later they were in their hotel. In the taxi their mutual desires burned them to the point that they couldn’t hold back. When ultimately Karen put her hand up Addy’s dress and pulled aside her panties, in a moment of sanity, Addy grabbed her hand to stop her. “Ker, not here. We need to wait.” Karen stopped and followed Addy’s eyes to the driver who seemed to be eyeing them on the rear view mirror of the car. They looked at each other and smiled. By the time they reached the hotel, Karen had a fifty Euro note in her hand, which she handed in haste to the driver. “Keep the change.”
They rushed to the hotels entrance hand in hand and as soon as they closed the bedroom door they practically tore the clothes off each other, falling breathless on the bed. “Oh God, I will never have enough of you! I don’t think this is ever going to end with us.” Karen whispered in her ear as she finished removing Addy’s panties.
“I hope not.” Addy replied before pulling Karen closer to her.
Karen chuckled and stopped for a minute. “I have one question.”
“What?” Addy protested.
“What exactly would be my marital rights?”
Addy laughed. “Ker, I can’t imagine any marital right we have not already exercised!”
“Hmm, we may need to get creative then, I’m only just starting with you.” Karen wiggled her eyebrows very suggestively and pressed deep into her making Addy gasp. “Kerrrrr! Oh God!”
The night was deliciously long. In the interludes of recovery from their love making, they shared intimate thoughts. “Why did you change your mind about marriage?”
Addy pulled back to look at her and to caress her face with the back of her hand. “I’m in love with you.” She tapped Karen’s nose, “and I can’t think of a life without you, that’s why.”
Karen took Addy’s face in her hands and placed small kisses on every centimeter of it. “I can’t love you more. I wish I knew how. I wish I was some goddess that could enchant you with some kind of magical love.”
Addy chuckled. “You already have, Ker. You are my goddess, and you have already enchanted me. This is all the love I need and want. It’s plenty and it’s magical.”
“Oh, God, woman, do you ever realize what you do to me when you say things like that?”
“I sort of do, but a show is more than a tell, so—.” Addy chuckled because she couldn’t talk any further. Karen’s lips covered her mouth. There was nothing more left to do than enjoy the endless passion again and again, until the sun rose on the horizon.
Part 15
As they were leaving Paris, still in the taxi, Addy had an idea. “What if we opened an inn here in France, in the French Riviera?
Karen looked at her in complete disbelief. “What? Is this one of those moments we talked about once, about you having crazy ideas?”
“You mean crazy ideas that turned out to be gold mines?” Karen continued to look at Addy, who appeared to b
e deep in thought. “We could have JP and James manage the place. They would love it. I mean JP would love the climate, and the Mediterranean Sea. I can see him flipping over the idea.”
Karen rolled her eyes as she got out of the taxi and continued to walk, still unbelieving what she was hearing. Another ‘wise’ business decision this time based solely on the fact that JP would love the climate and the sea. Karen didn’t know whether to just laugh or simply yell and run. She wasn’t running, so she started to raise questions in an attempt to put some sense into Addy’s head. However, Addy had an answer for every question and a solution to every problem, and all in the spur of the moment. Karen saw this train fast approaching and there was no way she could think to stop it. One could only hope that it would not derail, or that if it did, the losses would be minor.
***
“Hi JP. How’s everything? Yes, we just got back and all is fine.” She listened as JP gave her a status report of all the happenings at the inn over the Valentine’s Day weekend. “Listen sweetie, I have some news to convey and I want you to be the first one to know. Karen and I are going to tie the knot formally.” Addy was expecting some screaming and instead she got complete silence. “JP? JP, are you there?”
“Addy?” It was James on the phone. “Let me call you back.” Addy looked at the phone somewhat in disbelief.
“What happened,” Karen who was in the kitchen expecting to hear JP’s reaction to Addy’s newsflash, wondered what had gone on.
“I don’t know. The line went silent and then James picked up and said that he would call back.”
“That’s weird. I was expecting to hear JP’s screams all the way to here.”
“Me too. I hope James calls back soon.”
About fifteen minutes later the phone rang and Addy picked it up. “Hi, James, what’s up?”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t talk to you earlier, but JP had a fainting episode.” Addy smiled. “Congratulations, he told me the big news. We are super excited for you guys.”
“Is he okay? Can he talk?”
“Yes, he’s fine. Let me put him on. Here he is.”
“Girl, you are going to kill me!” How did that happen? I had no idea that the blonde was going to pop the question!”
“Well, that’s because she didn’t.”
“Shut up! Did you? Oh, my God! Where is she? Is she in some hospital in Paris recuperating from shock?”
Addy smiled. “Seriously, JP. Do you really think that if my blonde was in a hospital in Paris I would be here talking to you?” Karen, who was sitting in one of the kitchen stools munching on potato chips, smiled.
“Well, no, but she must have been in shock.”
“She was, and she said yes.”
“Of course she said yes! You never thought she’d say no, did you?”
“No, you are right. So, listen I’m going to talk to the district registrar to perform the ceremony, and we would like you guys to be there to celebrate with us. We were thinking of doing it in three weeks to give Laurie time to get here. Yes, she knows. I called her from Paris. You know how Karen is, she wanted to make sure that she had Laurie’s blessing.”
“Is Laurie okay with it?”
“Of course, her immediate reaction was ‘about time!’” Addy laughed, “and then she thanked Karen for making a decent woman out of me, can you believe that kid?”
“That is wonderful. She is such a wonderful girl! I guess I never would have expected any less, considering who raised her. And, of course, we’ll be there. Let us know when and where, as soon as you know.” Three weeks later, they tied the knot under the huge oak tree on the hill of their property, and held a small family celebration at the inn’s restaurant.
***
Addy had continued to ponder the idea of opening other inns and began to talk to people about it. She again got Karen involved in coming up with numbers and a business plan and soon the idea began to take shape and to materialize. She spoke to all the contractors that had contributed to the Inn of Scotland and who now were in high demand. Everyone became excited with the project as a way to expand their businesses all over Europe. All of a sudden, the small, unknown craftsmen acquired such notoriety that they were looking to become business entities of their own.
The project became even more appealing when Addy offered to pay in shares of the business. This materialized when Karen created a privately held corporation. They decide to offer twenty per cent of the business to investors. Some of the contractors were sold on the idea, and those who weren’t worked for pay.
Even though they had all their contractors lined up, it took a while for the inn on the French Riviera to materialize. There were permits to acquire and the usual delays that go with any construction. The inn in France became the second of what later became known as a chain of luxury inns throughout Europe. Unbelievable as it was to Karen, they would be known as the Inns of Europe. That very common name Karen had laughed about almost a few years back. Each inn took the name of its location. “A name common enough to remember, a stay never to be forgotten.” This was Addy’s motto for the inns. The idea and the slogan took immediately and the inns slowly materialized and flourished.
The inn at the French Riviera became booked to capacity for the next year, even before it opened. It was promoted, from preopening, as affiliated with the now called Royal Inn of Scotland. Some time later, after again undergoing all the permit and construction ordeals, they opened a third inn at the Costa Blanca, in Murcia, Spain. As there were plans to open more inns, they had friends and other investors wanting a share of the business in support of the projects. They all wanted a piece of the pie, of Addy’s delicious pie.
JP and James were having the time of their lives flying from one place to the other and overseeing everything. Karen and Addy did all the managing from Scotland, but hired and trained local people who knew their respective areas. However, the employees of the inns were trained in Scotland under Addy’s specific guidance.
***
While the Inns of Europe were built, they hosted a private celebration as tribute to each and every one who had anything to do with the creation of the Inn of Scotland, most of whom were now involved in the development of the Inns of Europe. In addition, many of the town’s people, who had any type of relationship with the inn, were invited to the get together.
Everyone gathered in the inn’s restaurant. It was after the meal that Addy said a few words. “I’d like to thank everyone for your hard work and for contributing your talents to this project. It has been an amazing ride and for most of us, a dream come true.” Everyone clapped and cheered.
“It was certainly fun building something from nothing. Granted that we had many ups and downs, but we did it and here we are!” Again, another round of applause and cheers resonated through the room. “Most importantly of all, I’d like to thank everyone for their faith. Sometimes we went along barely scraping by, and it was everyone’s faith and hard work that got us through. A lot of you worked for little or nothing, just hoping for the best. Well, our faith paid off and we made it!” There were more cheers and applause. No one could work a crowd like Addy.
“I hope that all of us have taken a lesson from this journey, sometimes we have to risk in order to gain. I also would like to remind each one of you whose businesses are now booming to remember your starting days and to give opportunities and be mentors to others that are in the positions you were two years ago. We all need to get that experience somewhere. So, pass it on!” More cheers and clapping. “I also have a few special thanks. This entire project would have never been possible, without the complete support, encouragement, financial brain and complete and total love from the person who brought me here in the first place, the love of my life, Karen Larsen.”
Karen blushed. Proud that Addy had proclaimed their love in front of the whole crowd. Granted that most people knew, but to openly state it, was just wonderful. Karen got up to speak, amidst cheers and applause. “Thank you everyone, at the r
equest of many of you, we have created a consortium of businesses as we have expanded ours through Europe. The purpose of it all is to promote your own businesses in Europe and to promote mentorship programs. We would like to think that what we started here will perpetuate itself and provide opportunities for new talent to flourish.” Cheers and clapping were heard again.
She paused for a moment. People began to wonder if she would continue to speak or if she was done. She was not done. She was gathering her thoughts. “So many times in life greatness is confused with craziness, and that is exactly what happened here. The idea for the Inn of Scotland and the Inns of Europe were the product of Addy’s imagination.” She paused again. “At first, I confess thinking that she was crazy. I also thought I was crazier for going along with the whole thing. But I was proven wrong. Sometimes we have dreams and visions we would like to make true, but only some have the courage to make them come true. This is what Addy did. She had a vision and she had the courage to make it happen. The fact that she convinced all of us to follow her vision is only a testament of her genius. I’d like to propose a toast to Ms. Adriana Marcos and her visions, may she have many more!” There was a lot of clapping, cheers and whistling all around.
As Karen finished her speech, Mr. Kimbell approached her as she joined Addy. “Ms. Larsen, I think you have forgotten a small matter in the midst of all your projects.”
“What is it, Mr. Kimbell?”
“Well, the matter of the three year term of the inheritance?”
“Oh, yes.” Karen had been aware that the term had come and gone a while back, but because Addy hadn’t said anything, she didn’t want to be the one to stir things and she let it go. The minute Mr. Kimbell had finished his sentence, and after Karen’s brief reply, she looked to Addy. Addy had a small knowing smile which she couldn’t help hide.