Louise

by Diana Nixon

  The first surprise was waiting for me right at the airport. It was not one of the big commercial New York airports, but a private one, with a shining white plane waiting for me there.

  “Has Mr. Pierre already arrived?” I asked the driver helping me with my baggage.

  “Miss Woods?” Someone called before he could answer my question.

  I turned around and saw a man standing on the plane’s stairway. He was around forty, wearing a dark-blue suit, with a white hat and matching gloves.

  He must be the pilot.

  “Yes,” I said, coming closer to where he was standing.

  “My name is Brian, Brian Parrow. I’ll be your pilot for your flight to Paris. Welcome aboard.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled uneasily, going up the stairs.

  “The other passenger is waiting for you inside. He’s on a conference call right now, but he will join you as soon as possible. Please, make yourself at home.”

  I looked around the cabin, it was big enough to contain at least twenty more people. There were black leather chairs and tables everywhere, along with two small couches sitting on both sides of the cabin.

  “There are two more cabins here, you can take the one behind this door,” Brian said, pointing to the door on his right. “The flight will last for about seven hours. Would you like something to drink? That is Lucy,” he said, pointing to a girl who had just entered the cabin. “If there is anything you need, feel free to ask her, she will get it.”

  The girl, Lucy, had sandy hair, and was probably a few years older than me. She was wearing a dark-blue jacket and a matching skirt, and she had a trolley full of drinks and snacks.

  “Enjoy your flight, Miss Woods,” Brian said before leaving.

  I smiled and took one of the seats near the window.

  “A cup of tea, Miss?” Lucy asked.

  “Yes, please.” I didn’t have time to have breakfast, but I think I was too nervous to eat anything right now anyway. “Thanks,” I said, taking the cup from her hands.

  “Let me know if you need anything else.”

  I nodded, and Lucy left, leaving a plate of snacks on my table. Apparently, she thought I was too shy to ask for them myself.

  About ten minutes later, I heard the sound of the engine roaring. My heartbeat accelerated. I hoped I wouldn’t faint or anything, because by the time the plane started to take off, I felt lightheaded and dizzy.

  “Miss Woods, here’s a note for you,” Lucy said, giving me a piece of paper. She took my empty cup away, but left the snacks untouched.

  How very thoughtful of her.

  I unfolded the note and read the following, “If you promise to behave, I won’t put a blindfold on you.”

  You’ve got to be kidding me, I thought to myself, shocked.

  “Will? Is that you?” I asked in a trembling voice, hearing someone take a seat right behind me.

  No one answered. I panicked.

  What if I was wrong and it was Pierre sitting there, now trying to guess who Will was. God, I was so screwed.

  “Good to see you again, Louise.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of the familiar voice. Even now, I could tell Will was smiling.

  “This is not funny, at all,” I said, a little irritated. “I thought I was going to have a heart attack when you didn’t reply to my question.”

  He laughed quietly. “I wanted to surprise you.”

  “And you did surprise me. What are you doing here? I was supposed to go to Paris with Pierre.”

  “Actually, you were never supposed to go there with anyone but me.”

  “What?”

  “I have planned this trip for the two of us.”

  I couldn’t help but smile at the sound of that.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about it? And here I thought I was going to miss my show Wednesday and wouldn’t be able to dance for you again.”

  “Were you upset about missing a meeting with me?”

  There was no point in lying to him. “Yes. At first, I thought I would find a way to let you know I wouldn’t be there on Wednesday, but then…”

  “But then what?”

  “I thought maybe I was just imagining things and you didn’t really want to see me again.”

  I heard him sigh. “I wouldn’t miss my chance to see you again for the world.”

  I smiled again, leaning against the back of my chair. All of my fears were gone in no time, it was just enough to know that I was with Will now. And with him, I always felt good and safe.

  “Does Drew know about your trick?”

  “He doesn’t. But Pierre does, because without his help, this trip wouldn’t be happening.”

  “Did you bribe him or something?”

  “Or something…”

  “Aren’t you going to tell me how you managed to fool everyone and kidnap me for two entire days?”

  “Does it matter?”

  I thought for a moment, before saying, “No, not at all.”

  “You will still need to dance in Pierre’s club. We will need pictures to prove you were there.”

  “That is not a problem. I have a solo dance prepared for the show, and I have my costume with me.”

  “Good, then there’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Except for one thing…”

  “What one thing?”

  “When you said to behave in your note, did you mean I shouldn’t turn around to see your face?”

  “Does it bother you?”

  “Not really. But it’s hard to imagine spending time in Paris with you without actually seeing you there.”

  “I don’t think it will be a problem. I came up with a few tricks to make things easier for you.”

  I smirked, crossing my arms. “I bet you have.”

  He laughed, apparently hearing the accusation notes in my voice.

  “I just love teasing you.”

  “Two can play that game, you know?”

  “Oh, trust me, Louise, after your little dance last night…” He paused, and cleared his throat before continuing, “I’m certain you actually know the rules to this game even better than I do.”

  “Serves you right, Mr. Secret.”

  “Is that what you call me behind my back?”

  “Exactly.”

  “I’ve been called worse.”

  “I bet.”

  “Hey, don’t you think you should be thanking me for taking you away from Drew for a couple days? I think I deserve a thank you, Mr. Secret.”

  I rolled my eyes. “No, you don’t. Not just yet. But if you promise to make these two days unforgettable, I will thank you, later.”

  “My, my… Who would have thought it would be so hard to please you, Louise?” He said quietly.

  “Why does that surprise you? You hardly know anything about me or the ways to please me.”

  “No, really? Why don’t you enlighten me, then?”

  “Only if you promise to behave.”

  “And what do you mean by that?”

  I can’t help but admit that I loved our small word play. And I was sure I was not the only one enjoying it.

  “I want a dinner with you. With no mask on my face,” I blurted, frustrated with the secrecy.

  “Hmm…”

  “You can wear one if you wish, but I want my eyes to be wide open. Deal?”

  He hesitated for a moment. “Deal.”

  “And why does your answer sound so suspiciously good, and easy?”

  “Maybe because I have an offer to make in exchange for dinner…”

  I shook my head, saying, “I should have known better than to make a deal with the devil.”

  I could hear the smirk in his voice when he said, “You definitely should have.”

  “Okay, tell me, what do you have in that dirty mind of yours?”

  “I want a night with you. A whole night with you.”

  I think I forgot how to speak for a moment. I didn’t know how to react or what to say in response. Wa
s I terrified by his unexpected offer? No, not really… Was I thrilled about the idea of spending a whole night with Will? Oh, hell yes, I was…

  “You never make fair deals, do you?” I said, looking out of the window. I couldn’t see anything but an endless sea of clouds. It made the whole situation even more surreal.

  “Why do you think it’s an unfair deal?”

  “A dinner in exchange for a night… Don’t you think you are asking for so much more than I am?”

  “And here I thought you said you wanted to be with me, in the way I want to be with you...”

  My words… Of course, he remembered them. Smartass.

  “What made you change your mind?” I asked, remembering how many times he refused to get too close to me.

  “Life is so short… I have decided we shouldn’t spend it denying what is getting more and more obvious, with every passing day...”

  “What if I say no?”

  “It will be your choice. I can’t make you do things you don’t want to do, or things that you are not ready for.”

  “And what if I say yes?”

  “I will make sure you will never forget the night we spend together.”

  “How much time do I have to think about it?”

  “You have all the time you need, Louise.”

  Then I heard him rise and leave. As always, he left me with even more questions than I had had before I knew it was him I was going on a trip with.

  Dreaming about Will was one thing, but actually being with him, in one room, in one bed — was something completely different. Was I ready for a whole night with him? I wasn’t… But I couldn’t wait for the moment to happen. It was so easy to close my eyes and imagine him making love to me, even though I had never been with a man before, I knew that with him, it would be perfect. I felt the familiar trepidation forming in my belly. He was like pure seduction to me. His every word, his every touch made my mind explode. I wanted nothing but to get lost in his embrace, with his searching lips taking me to heights I had never been before. Every small thing I felt when I was in his presence was new to me. I didn’t know how he was doing it, but I liked everything he made me feel. And I didn’t want to lose that feeling. I couldn’t even imagine losing it, losing him.

  I didn’t see or rather hear Will for the rest of the flight. It wasn’t as scary as I originally thought it would be. I even dared to look out of the window a few times. I didn’t think about falling asleep; I was too anxious to think about sleep, but maybe that’s why I missed the moment I closed my eyes and sank into another dream of walking around Will’s house. There was something mystical about my mind’s ability to take me there whenever I fell asleep. It was like I knew everything about the place, and nothing at the same time. I knew every turn, every corner, every hall. But whenever I wanted to get closer to the secrets hidden by Will, it felt like the house refused to help me, giving me more and more charades to solve.

  This time, Will wasn’t there with me. But there were more letters with my name on them. They were lying on the table in the living room, as if they were just sitting there, waiting for me to read them.

  Curiosity can be dangerous, I remembered Will saying. I took one of the letters in my hands, but I didn’t open it. Instead, I put it into my pocket and thought I should wait until later to read it, I could always read it when I got back to Le Papillon. I hoped Will wouldn’t notice I took one of the letters that I couldn’t wait to read. The moment I was about to leave his house, I heard him saying behind me, “Do you really think you can run away unseen?”

  I turned around, but as always, he was no longer there…

  I didn’t like the way his words were said. They didn’t sound like a question, they sounded more like a warning. As if he wanted to let me know that I couldn’t hide from him, anywhere. I felt so small at the moment. And I wanted to run away again. Just like the first time I was in his house. There was something I didn’t like about the place, it was as if it could reveal Will’s secrets that I was not ready to know. I opened the door and went out into the street, welcoming the fresh air filling my lungs. There was no car waiting for me outside.

  How am I supposed to get back to the club? I thought to myself. I sat on the porch and took the stolen letter out of my pocket. I don’t think I could wait any longer to read it.

  “I could live a million lives, and yet, I would never find the right words to tell you how much you mean to me, Louise; even trying would be pointless… The true emotions overwhelming me at the moment are too deep to talk about; they need to be felt more than described. Falling in love is never easy, but with you, it was as easy and natural as breathing. You have become an essential part of me that will never be erased or replaced by anyone. You are the wings that I can’t fly without, you give me hope for a future with you and I cherish this hope like the most precious treasure in the world. Forever in my heart, you disappear with the sunrise, but I’m still waiting for your return…

  Always Yours

  W.”

  “Miss Woods, we are landing in twenty minutes,” Lucy said, waking me. “Would you like anything to eat or drink before we land?” I looked at my watch a little puzzled and realized that I had been asleep for almost five hours. Apparently, I was too exhausted by the events of the last few days to stay awake for the entire flight.

  “No, thanks. Where’s Mr. William?”

  “He’s talking on the phone. Should I call him?”

  “Yes, please.”

  The words written in the letter were still ringing in my head. A part of me didn’t want to forget them, repeating them, word by word, over and over again. But the other part was screaming in agony, because the things the letter from my dream made me feel were too damn good to become real…

  I shook my head, and blinked a few times hoping it would help my mind come back to reality. Will and I didn’t have time to talk about the show or the hotel reservation, or anything else for that matter. So it would be helpful to know more about our plans for the next two days.

  I rubbed my eyes, trying to force the remnants of my strange dream away. Maybe I shouldn’t let my imagination run wild. Maybe I was thinking too much about things which actually didn’t deserve so much of my attention. Maybe everything I saw in my dream was just a fantasy buried in the depths of my mind that I knew would never come true, yet couldn’t let go.

  “Did you sleep well?”

  I flinched from the sound of Will’s rich voice, ringing right above my head.

  “Will you disappear again if I look up?” I asked, jokingly.

  “You promised to behave, remember?”

  “I didn’t promise you anything, remember?”

  “Always a tease.” He ran the back of his palm down my cheek and neck, his breath caressed my skin, making my whole body tremble. He didn’t even need to kiss me or anything to make the desire inside me grow stronger.

  “When do I need to go to Pierre’s club?” I asked, trying to switch my attention to anything other than the sensations his touches made me feel.

  “Tomorrow night. You will have the entire day to get ready for the show.”

  “Will you come to watch me dancing?”

  “I will. But you won’t see me.”

  “I didn’t expect to see you there. But I want you to be there. At least to be sure that no one will make me dance privately for one of their clients.”

  “I told you, you will never dance privately for anyone but me. When we land, my driver will take you to the hotel, where I have reserved two rooms opening into each other. So if you need anything, I will be right behind the door.”

  “And by anything you mean… If I want to spend a night in your bed instead of mine?”

  “That too.”

  “I haven’t made the decision yet.”

  “I know you have not.”

  “How do you always know everything that I’m not saying aloud?”

  “It is called intuition.”

  “Right.”

 
; “By the way, I wanted to give you something… Here.” He put a black box into my hands.

  “A cellphone?”

  “I don’t want you to get lost in the new city. Besides, I want to be there with you, no matter where you go.”

  “How very thoughtful of you. So this is one of your tricks to be with me, and not to be with me at the same time, right?”

  “This is the best we can do for now.”

  What about the night that you want to spend with me? I thought to myself. How in the world are we supposed to spend it together without seeing each other? I sure as hell didn’t want to spend it with another blindfold on my eyes. Or did he know of other ways to be with me without letting me see him? I was kind of curious to find it out…

  Chapter 12

  I didn’t know much about Paris, but much like the rest of the world outside of Paris, I have read about and seen sights like the beautiful Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Champs Elysees, so when the driver stopped at the entrance to Fouquet's Barriere Hotel, all I said was, “Thank you.”

  “This is one of the best hotels in Paris, Miss,” he said, nodding meaningfully to the entrance.

  “Really?” I looked at the majestic building again. I should have known it was as he said, ‘one of the best hotels in Paris’, Will would never agree to anything less than the best.

  My phone chimed in my purse. It was a message from Will, saying that my room number was 303 and that he had already taken care of my check in. All I needed to do was to go upstairs…

  Something was telling me that my life would never be the same after this trip was over. To everyone else, I might seem too young to understand the magnitude of the changes and events that were happening in my life right now, but not to myself. I was more than ready to face everything my fate had prepared for me. Back then, I had no idea that I was definitely not ready for the surprises Fate was getting ready to throw in my direction. As it turned out, I didn’t really know the first thing about living, and I was even more lost and confused when it came to the rules of the game Fate enjoyed playing with people. But right then and there, none of that mattered, because I was happy… I wasn’t about to question all the changes in my life, I simply wanted to be free, and when I was in Paris for the first time in my life I felt free even though I wasn’t, not really. Not yet anyway.