Beyond Chance

by Karice Bolton

  For more reasons than one, I thought. Unfortunately, Tracy had come by the apartment once more, but I’d made myself scarce. Aaron dealt with her in the living room, and it had sounded like all business. I hadn’t mentioned our encounter to Aaron and planned on keeping it to myself. He didn’t need to be bothered with the wicked witch of Paris’s threats while he was working hard on his sculptures. I was a big girl and could handle myself.

  He pulled me into him and nuzzled my neck. “You and me both.”

  “You have a one-track mind,” I teased.

  “And has that ever been a problem before?” His eyes stayed on mine, and I felt my cheeks warm just from his gaze.

  “No, and it never will be.”

  He placed a kiss on my lips and groaned. “The chocolate tastes even better on you.”

  “You’re certainly smooth.” I playfully pushed him away and narrowed my eyes at him as I grinned.

  “I can’t help it. I’m trapped upstairs for hours on end. I have nothing else to do but think these things up.”

  I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Somehow I doubt that.”

  “You ready for a night on the town to celebrate?” he asked.

  “Celebrate what in particular?” I’d planned on snacking on whatever we had in the cupboards topped with cheese so his plan sounded like a much better option.

  “You making up your mind about law school. That’s huge, Brandy, and all it took was a week in Paris.”

  Ha! A week in Paris and a visit from Tracy to remind me what it’s like not to have a voice.

  “I think sometimes it takes being taken out of my comfort zone to put things in perspective,” I replied.

  “I know how that goes.” He smiled and took in a deep breath before glancing at his phone. “There’s a restaurant a few blocks away that I think you’re going to love.”

  My stomach tensed as I watched him text someone back and shove his phone in his pocket. I hated the feelings that erupted every time he picked up the phone. We hadn’t really discussed Elizabeth since I told him what I thought about the situation, and I certainly hadn’t mentioned Tracy because anything that might come out of my mouth wouldn’t be pleasant. Either way, I was always on edge when his phone buzzed. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was still communicating with Elizabeth every day.

  “So what kind of French food is it?” I asked, trying to distract myself.

  “It’s authentic, and I’d say the best Chinese food I’ve ever had.”

  “Wait. Are you serious?” My brows pulled together.

  “Totally. The chef makes the noodles right at the front of the restaurant. People can watch him make them as they’re walking by. That’s what snagged my interest. Anyway, the chow mein and almond chicken is incredible.”

  My smile widened at the thought of some delicious Chinese food, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate. Well, maybe one other way…

  “What’s that goofy look on your face?” He shoved his wallet into his front pocket.

  “Nothing at all.” I felt my cheeks redden and he laughed.

  “I hope to explore nothing at all later,” he teased, and my pulse quickened as his gaze stayed on mine a beat longer than anticipated. He really knew how to throw me over the edge, and I loved every second of it.

  “Let me go change, and I’ll be ready for some rockin’ chow mein.” I gave him a quick kiss and the stubble on his cheek tickled my lips in a wonderful way.

  “It’s not a fancy place,” he called after me.

  “I think the least I can do is upgrade from shorts to a skirt.”

  I walked into the bedroom and immediately felt at ease. I’d really grown fond of this room. It always felt refreshing and peaceful, and I vowed to recreate it when I got back to Washington. With law school, I would need a consistent sanctuary.

  Pulling open the armoire, I scanned the dresses and skirts in front of me and decided on a grey knit skirt. It was completely casual and would allow for an extra helping of almond chicken. I kicked off my shorts and flip-flops and slid on the skirt. I found a pair of sandals and buckled them around my ankles. I decided to trade out my oversized shirt for a lightweight, gauzy blouse. Glancing in the mirror, I gave myself the once over and was satisfied, considering how exhausted I felt. Between all the research and interviews, it felt like I was about at my tipping point, but I didn’t want to miss out on tonight’s celebration. Paris and I were starting to get used to each other, and I didn’t want to lose the momentum.

  “Well, you look stunning,” Aaron said, standing in the doorway.

  I spun around and kicked my heel up as I laughed. “Remind me to put a skirt on more often.”

  “It’s not the clothes,” he said, shaking his head. “You have your sparkle back.”

  “I do like to sparkle. My hope is that will confuse them in the courtroom.” I grinned and tried to squeeze by him in the doorway, and he seized the opportunity to place a soft kiss on my forehead as we stood in one another’s arms.

  I felt his body respond to mine, and I wondered if we’d even make it to the restaurant, but then my stomach growled so loudly I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

  “Can’t get any sexier than that,” I muttered.

  “No. It really can’t. After you.” He motioned through the door, and I slid through the doorway with Aaron following close behind.

  We decided on the elevator and bumped into a couple returning from a day out. We said our awkward greetings in English as they returned theirs in German.

  The street was noticeably quiet compared to the activity I’d grown accustomed to on the streets of Paris. Very few tables were filled as we walked hand in hand down the sidewalk. Apparently on Tuesdays the locals stayed in. It was about the only day of the week that seemed to happen.

  We walked slowly down the street, stopping every so often so I could peer into the windows of the shops and bakeries. Things felt different and new and I wished I could bundle the feeling for when things might suddenly change.

  I stopped in front of a boutique that had the prettiest purse dangling from a silver hook. The rest of the store was almost empty, except for three more purses on the back wall. If they could somehow afford the rent off of only three purses, I couldn’t even imagine the price per bag.

  “Do you like that?” Aaron asked, draping his arm across my shoulders as he peered into the window.

  “It’s gorgeous, but my guess is that it would cost the same as my tuition.”

  Aaron laughed and shook his head. “I doubt that.”

  “I don’t.”

  We started walking down the sidewalk again and turned at the crosswalk. The buildings were just as regal as the ones from the prior block, but the vibe changed drastically. It wasn’t until about twenty feet down the road, when I started seeing boutiques exchanged for flashing signs and darkened windows.

  “Uh. Where the heck are we going?” I asked, as I saw several women congregating at the entrances to the mysterious storefronts. They were dressed in skimpy outfits, giggling and whispering as we passed.

  “I think I made a wrong turn,” he laughed.

  “You don’t say.”

  He slipped his hand into mine as we continued to walk down the block taking in the blinking signs and graffiti splattered limestone buildings. It was such a juxtaposition of worlds as neon winked its invite to a seedy underside of the city.

  I heard a few whistles and was pretty sure they weren’t directed at me, but it made me hold Aaron’s hand even tighter. We were in it this far and there was no point in turning around. If we kept walking, eventually we’d get to the end of the street and could figure out where we wanted to go.

  “This is certainly fun,” I laughed, as I saw the shadow of a woman dancing on the second floor.

  “Glad I could entertain you.”

  “I had no idea there was a red-light district in Paris.”

  “Me either. Learn something new every day.”

  “It certainly l
ooks more classy than the Mustang Ranch in Vegas.” I wriggled my brows and his jaw dropped. “What? I had cable growing up.”

  Aaron’s laughter roared down the street, and I loved the fact that I could still surprise him after a year of dating.

  We came to the end of the block at a busy intersection. “I think we should be one street over. We turned right too soon,” he said, his eyes narrowing as he tried to examine where we needed to go on his phone.

  “Sure we did.” I grinned.

  Smiling, he shook his head and led me in the direction of the mysterious restaurant.

  “It’s amazing how on one street, there’s a high-end store selling a bag for thousands and the next street over there’s, well…”

  “Yeah. It’s pretty crazy.”

  Aaron came to a stop and I crashed into him. I hadn’t been paying attention to where we were going. I was having too much fun studying all of the architecture.

  “Found it.”

  I looked up and saw the restaurant. Just as Aaron had explained, a chef was kneading dough, preparing to string noodles.

  “It smells delicious. How did you find the place?”

  We walked inside and the hostess led us to a table in the back. She handed us the menus and began speaking to us in French. I had to admit that I was kind of excited that she thought I might actually speak French fluently. It wasn’t until I attempted to order a beverage that she smiled and quickly switched to English. She left and I opened the menu to see pictures of the food and knew I’d found my new favorite place.

  “So how’d you find this restaurant?” I asked again.

  “Elizabeth recommended it. She thought you might like it.”

  Of course she did.

  “Oh, well, let’s hope she’s right.” I smiled and took a sip of water, attempting to cool off. For some reason it felt like my entire body was on fire, and I had to use the menu to fan myself off.

  Aaron let out a deep breath and shook his head. “I guess I shouldn’t have told you that.”

  “No. Don’t be silly. That would be weird not to.”

  “Let’s not make it a thing.”

  “Sounds good to me.” His gaze sharpened as he glanced around the restaurant. I wanted to know what was running through his mind with an expression like that, but there was a part of me that was afraid to ask.

  “I bet this would be a fun surprise for Lily and everyone when they visit. We can take them here the first night. Gabby’s been talking nonstop about eating all the French food she can. It might be kind of fun to mess with her.”

  “And crush her dreams of nightly coq au vin?” Aaron teased.

  “Someone’s got to.” I smiled, pushing away the unease that was creeping up. “I’m really looking forward to the opening.”

  Aaron shrugged and his gaze dropped to the menu.

  “What’s up with that?” I asked. “You’re not excited?”

  “Not particularly. No.”

  “You’ve always been thrilled when your pieces have been on exhibit… What’s changed?”

  “I’m not sure.” He brought his gaze up to meet mine just when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He maneuvered his cell out of his pocket and glanced at the voicemail alert, and my heart thumped in my chest. Was it Elizabeth?

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I’ve got to go return this call. If she comes back, make sure to get two orders of the chow mein. The only downside with this place is the serving size.”

  “Okay,” I said, my voice hoarse as he walked away, leaving me alone in the restaurant. Just when I was going to follow him outside to see who he was on the phone with, the server came over to check on us.

  I muddled through ordering and wasn’t actually sure what all we’d be getting, but at least it distracted me from creating a problem where one might not exist. Or where one might exist. I let out a sigh and watched him wander through the restaurant. I noticed several women smiled and cast glances his way.

  Over the last year, I’d managed to ignore the attention he often received from the opposite sex, but today it bothered me. It was like a constant reminder of what I’d probably be dealing with the rest of our lives together. He would always receive attention from women, whether he meant to or not.

  Aaron slid into the seat and gave me a huge smile, looking completely relaxed and at ease with life, which only irritated me.

  “So everything sorted out?” I asked.

  He nodded and placed the napkin in his lap. “It is.”

  “Was it about the show?” I asked, trying to sidestep the obvious question.

  He shook his head and took a sip of green tea.

  I found myself squirming in the chair and couldn’t take it anymore.

  “Was it Elizabeth?” I blurted.

  His head snapped up as his brows furrowed. “Elizabeth? No. I haven’t spoken to her since you and I had our talk. You made things pretty clear.”

  Feeling completely sheepish, I fiddled with the napkin in my lap and stared at the painting on the wall next to me.

  “I thought we’d settled everything,” Aaron said, reaching his hand across the table.

  We’d barely scratched the surface.

  I shook my head. “Nothing was settled. I simply told you how I felt.”

  Aaron bit his lip and remained quiet for a few moments.

  “The only way I understand to deal with a problem is to solve it, fix it. That’s what I do. You told me you didn’t like me talking to her, so I stopped. I don’t know what else you want me to do.”

  “That’s plenty. I’m sorry. I’m just out of sorts. I’d never been one to be insecure and it’s like ever since the accident, I’ve been playing catch up with my self-esteem. You shouldn’t have to deal with it.”

  “Baby, don’t apologize. You’ve had to overcome a lot and put off lifelong dreams. None of us can predict how we’ll handle things that pop up in life, and yours have been a little more serious than most.” His expression softened. “Things aren’t always easy or as obvious as they seem. I never would have guessed we’d be in Paris working on an opening, and I certainly wouldn’t have thought that—”

  Our order came and covered the entire table.

  “You wouldn’t have thought what?” I questioned after our server left.

  It looked like he wanted to say something more, but he didn’t. Instead he dug into the chow mein and placed a pile of noodles on my plate. Studying his expression, I realized there’d been something bothering him that I hadn’t stopped to notice. I’d been so wrapped up in my problems that I couldn’t see that he’d been wrestling with his own issues. My heart sank as I thought about the timing. Since he stopped his daily chats with Elizabeth had whatever issues he’d been struggling with gotten worse?

  “You look like something’s bothering you…”

  “I’m just stressed with the showing. No big deal.”

  I took a bite of the chow mein and had to admit it was the best I’d ever tasted, but I had other concerns to worry about.

  Aaron’s phone buzzed again, and I watched him glance at the text quickly and reply without saying a word.

  During our long drive to our new home for the week, it slowly dawned on me that he didn’t need to rent somewhere in the country just to assemble his work. I wasn’t sure what he had up his sleeve, but the farther away we got from Paris the more relaxed he became, which rubbed off on me. Aaron turned our car down another rural road. I hadn’t seen a home in miles when I finally couldn’t take the suspense any longer.

  “Are we getting close?” I asked, staring out the window. The lush rolling hills and graceful trees were beautiful, but I was getting anxious to see our final destination.

  “Just over the knoll.” He smiled and glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.

  “Do you think all your pieces have arrived?”

  This morning movers had packed and hauled everything out of the studio. They actually had to use a pulley system and move everyth
ing out through the window. It seemed like a big ordeal, but they acted like they did it all the time. With all the tiny hallways, elevators and stairs in Paris, I imagined the team it would take just to move a couch so maybe this was the norm.

  “They should have, and Tracy was going to be at the house to meet them and get everything moved into the workshop. She said she wanted one last look before I started to assemble.”

  My blood froze at her mention.

  “What’s wrong?” Aaron asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “I mentioned Tracy’s name and your body stiffened. Something is definitely up.”

  “Nothing worth mentioning.” I smiled as the beautiful home came into view. Actually I wasn’t sure it would be called a home, maybe a chateau or a villa?

  Blue shutters adorned the windows and matching wooden planters overflowing with blooms hung from the base of the windows. It was right off a magazine cover, and I couldn’t believe we’d be staying here. Tiny gardens speckled the entire property, and I imagined each of them had a purpose of some sort.

  “Is it a hotel? Are we renting a room?” I asked.

  Aaron laughed and shook his head. “Nope. The whole place is ours for the week.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “I thought you would enjoy being away from the city with everything starting…”

  “This is spectacular,” I whispered, my gaze fastened on to the tiny turrets at the far end of the structure. “Absolutely amazing.”

  “There are horses and riding pastures are behind.”

  I spotted a car on the side of the home where Aaron turned the car, and my chest tightened when I saw Tracy step out of her vehicle and wave. She looked so happy and perky, and I probably looked like a grump who wanted to eat her for lunch. But the best way to win in a situation like this was to match her in spirit and action so that was what I planned to do.

  Aaron parked our rented Mercedes, and I took a deep breath in before opening the door. Gravel crunched under my feet as I stood up and stretched to buy time. Aaron shut his door and greeted Tracy, who was overly exuberant. She had this act down.