Paris, The Ambassador and Me

by Mia Villano

  “Yes, the heart is being delivered within the hour. Avery should be in surgery soon. I wanted to call and tell you if you wanted to come down.”

  Her voice was cracking.

  “Do you mind?” I wanted her to know she came first in Avery’s life and I needed to take a backseat.

  “God no. I need you here actually. I’m a mess.”

  “I will be there.” I looked over at the clock and it was ten. I jumped up and opened one of my suitcases and threw something on when Fabrice walked into the room.

  “Hi, beautiful.” He walked over to me and I ran into his arms. I missed him. He stood in front of me with his suit on and his tie loosely hanging from his neck. He looked tired.

  “Avery has a heart. They are rushing her into surgery now.”

  “That’s wonderful. I want to go with you.”

  “You don’t have to. Stay here and rest. It’s going to be a long surgery, Fabrice. Probably close to six hours.”

  “No, I want to be there. Let me change and we will go.” He held me tight to him giving my ass a squeeze.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~

  Dr. Simon was short, older and had a serious look on his face when he stepped out in his scrubs. He was dressed in aqua from head to toe. Avery’s dad was now cleaned up and more relaxed. Her mom was not. She was still a mess and crying when the doctor walked out.

  “Avery is prepped, and we are going to begin with removing her heart and by the time that is done the new heart will be ready to be put in. We will attach the new heart and shock it into beating and then watch as it begins to work for Avery. After that, we will close her up and she will be waiting to see everyone in the recovery room. She hasn’t been awake in days so she won’t know what happened. She may be irritated and upset. I want you to know we are very encouraged by what is going to take place. Other than her heart, Avery is a healthy young woman. I expect everything to go smoothly. I will have someone come out during the surgery and give you an update. Does anyone have any questions?”

  “Yes, afterwards how long will she still be in the hospital.” Cherise asked.

  “Typically the patient will spend two days in the recovery room, three days or so in intensive care and about a week in the transplant unit to make sure she isn’t rejecting her new heart. Once she is in the transplant unit she will be monitored to make sure her heart is doing its job. She will also start taking medication to stop her body from rejecting the heart. After that, she can go home and be monitored by our outpatient transplant team. A full recovery will take about six months, though she will be on medication much of her life.”

  I read about this online. Avery’s whole chest will be opened up and separated. It was a serious thing. Tubes will be inserted in her chest and she will be will be kept alive by a heart lung machine. Then her new heart will be shocked into starting.

  Avery’s dad paced as the doctor spoke. I breathed a sigh taking in everything he said to us.

  He left and we went to the waiting room to sit for the next six hours.

  As we walked the long hallway to the room a doctor came walking in with a red and white cooler. On the side it said ‘Human Heart’. My stomach fell. I heard Avery’s mom say “Oh my God.”

  That was Avery’s heart. In the cooler like a sandwich to take to the park, her life was inside there. What if the doctor fell? What if someone ran up to him and grabbed the cooler. I looked away until I heard him get in the elevator. Fabrice went to the cafeteria to get everyone coffee. Cherise took a seat by me. She looked incredibly beautiful and I caught Fabrice looking at her a few times. How could you not. I never saw such a beautiful perfect woman.

  “Are you okay?” I asked her. She tended to get forgotten about even though she was Avery’s wife.

  “I’m fine. I want Ave to be okay. I can’t believe this is happening. You know I insisted on her going to the doctor last month. She said she didn’t feel good and she was so tired all the time. I thought it was school. I should have made her see a doctor.”

  “I feel the same, Cherise. Avery being tired and cold I thought was just Avery. I never dreamed in a million years she would be this sick. I should have seen it.”

  “We can blame ourselves till were blue in the face, Isabella. It won’t change what is happening. We aren’t doctors. How would we know?” I shook my head in agreement. Fabrice came back in with a paper tray full of coffee and an assortment of creamers and sugars. I smiled up at him and he winked.

  He passed out the coffees and sat beside me. I breathed him in. His scent relaxed me, the warmth of him next to me felt like I was home.

  “I’m so lucky.” I kissed him and he smiled.

  “I’m the lucky one,” he whispered in my ear.

  “I hope you understand, there is no one I want to be with right now other than you, Isabella Piori.”

  I set my coffee down on the table in front of me and I slipped my arms around his waist hugging him to me. I soaked up his body heat from his tight, muscular body. I looked up at him and he kissed me not worrying about who was in the room. His tongue ever so slightly found its way into my mouth. I groaned. For a couple of seconds he made me forget where I was.

  His arm went around me and pulled me even closer to him. His fingertips caressed my neck under my hair. I loved the touch of his hands against my skin. It gave me confidence that everything in my life was going to be fine.

  “I will be right here with you today and every day.” I felt tears in my eyes and I realized he was the one. No matter what my insecurities were, he loved me. Fabrice was power and confidence. His eyes were focused on me. And once again, his eyes told me everything would be okay.

  After five hours of pacing, drinking coffee, watching television, and dozing off, Dr. Simone came into the room. He wasn’t as upbeat as he seemed to be going in. Standing in the middle of the room, he said nothing. He took off his surgical hat and mask.

  Chapter 23

  “I want you all to know the surgery was a success.” He smiled.

  Avery’s parents burst out into a huge sob, Cherise screamed and clapped her hands and I, well I cried as usual. My Avery made it. I made the sign of the cross and didn’t realize it until I did it.

  I hugged Fabrice and then stood up and hugged everyone.

  “Thank God. She made it.” I texted my mom and my brothers. It was such a relief to know, though, we weren’t out of the woods yet, the worst was over.

  No one was allowed back to see her so we went to get breakfast and celebrate. Everyone was starved and Fabrice suggested we go to one of his favorite spots. The coffee was endless and the food was fantastic. Fabrice got along with everyone and we had a wonderful time.

  After, Fabrice and I went home to get some rest. I had been up all night and was exhausted. We flopped on his bed and within minutes I didn’t remember anything.

  I woke to my phone ringing on the nightstand. It was Avery’s mom. My heart raced. Could something be wrong? The heart transplant wasn’t working? I hated having to answer it.

  “Hello,” I barely got the words out.

  “Isabella, Avery is asking for you. It’s getting pretty ridiculous. We want her to rest but for some reason she can’t rest until she sees you.” It was Avery’s mom. She sounded like her old self again. I promised I would be there as soon as I could get dressed.

  An hour later, I was cleaned up from a quick shower, dressed in a short jersey dress, walking into the hospital, I had become too familiar with. I stopped at the gift shop and bought the biggest arrangement of flowers they sold, two balloons and three fashion magazines.

  I wasn’t allowed to take it into her room, so the nurses kept it until she had an assigned room. I was led to the surgical intensive care unit by an older nurse with a limp. I couldn’t go in until Avery’s parents were told I was there. They stepped out with Cherise and told me to go on in. She was awake. I was so nervous and I didn’t know why. I stepped in her room and the first thing I noticed was she was attached to so many tubes. I walked clo
ser and he smiled. I smiled and I rushed to her bed to grab her hand. I wanted to hug her but, I couldn’t.

  “Avery, I’m so glad you are awake.”

  “Izz,” she whispered.

  “Yeah, it’s me. Do you have any idea how scared you made us?”

  “What the fuck happened to me.”

  “Didn’t they tell you?”

  “I don’t believe them. I needed to hear it from you.” I couldn’t help but laugh.

  I told her everything from passing out on top of me, CPR, the heart transplant and about her dad and Cherise not leaving her side, even to shower.

  “No fucking way.”

  I held her hand and was so thankful she was still the same old Avery. The nurses coming in and out couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Someone is here to see you.” I said. They were going to let Fabrice in because of who he was. He received special treatment everywhere he went.

  He stepped over to the bed and it took Avery a second to register.

  She looked back over to me and squeezed my hand.

  “You wised up I see.” We both laughed.

  He bent down and placed a light feathery kiss on her forehead.

  “You have no idea how happy we are that you are alive,” he whispered in his Parisian accent. Poor Avery’s lips were so dried and cracked. She was in a lot of pain, I could tell.

  “I’m so glad you are back. She was hell to live with.” We both laughed again.

  “Don’t worry. I’m not leaving again.”

  Chapter 24

  I finished packing when Avery came into my room. She had been home now for three weeks. It was rough on all of us, especially Cherise who had to go back to work. Thankfully, I wasn’t working so my days consisted of taking care of Avery. Now that she was able to walk and do most everything on her own, I felt comfortable enough to leave her and go to Paris with Fabrice. He had been planning this for quite some time and I gave in and told him I would go and meet his family. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go, it’s that I didn’t want to leave Avery. I was so afraid that if I wasn’t there she would get sick or fall or something and no one would take care of her like I could. Cherise assured me that everything was fine and it was time I needed to get away.

  Though still weak and thin from her surgery, she was slowly but surely getting back together. Her heart was doing wonderfully and there was no sign of rejecting it.

  “I know one thing. I’m glad you’re getting out of here for a while.” She sat down on my bed to catch her breath. She was getting heavy from the steroids and most times she would look in the mirror. Her face was filling out and the doctor assured her she could go off them and be back to normal.

  “Wow. That’s nice considering all I did was take care of you for two months.”

  “And I’m very appreciative, but you need a break. You would’ve made a horrible nurse.”

  “Boy, the compliments keep coming.” I laughed.

  “I’m not being mean. I know this was hard on you.”

  “It didn’t bother me. I would do it again if I had to, Avery. I’m so happy you are alive and walking.”

  I showed her everything she needed. Her massive amount of anti- rejection drugs were on the counter and labeled when and how many she should take. I showed her the ointment that needed to go on her incision.

  “I’m going to be calling you a lot so get used to it and don’t have an attitude with me.” She wasn’t doing so well the week prior. She was emotional and depressed. I was who she lashed out at.

  “I won’t. Don’t worry so much, Izz.”

  “I can’t help it. Your parents will be over tonight to bring you dinner. I told them to go to your favorite restaurant. You need to eat more.”

  “I’m as big as a whale now.”

  “It has nothing to do with what you eat. You are on high levels of hormone drugs. I won’t last forever.”

  “I know. I never saw myself look like this. I look like I fell in a bee hive. I’m thankful I’m alive though, Izz.”

  “You’re damn right. I will take you forever blown up as long as I get to see you every day.”

  “Oh, you see me all right.” We both laughed.

  “You seem to be doing better. You don’t look as depressed and lost.” Avery studied my face.

  “I feel better. What you went through gave me a new perspective on life. I’m also not at the job I thought I wanted more than anything. Seems I didn’t want that job after all. Though one good thing came out of it.” I couldn’t help but smile thinking about Fabrice and leaving with him for Paris.

  “It’s only going to get better, Izz. Don’t forget that.”

  “I won’t, Ave. I love you.”

  Before I left, I talked to Cherise and her parents. Everyone assured me Avery would be fine and if anything happened they would let me know. I informed them of her numerous doctors’ appointments and everyone promised Avery would be well taken care of.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~

  The flight into Paris on a private jet wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was rather nice.

  “Holy fuck, Fabrice.” My hands dug into his hair as my back arched up off the bed in his cabin on the plane. Fabrice had his face in my pussy as his tongue sucked on my clit. My thighs were sore after the pounding I had taken from him earlier. Our bodies were exhausted but we couldn’t get enough of each other. Once again, my heart raced and my blood churned. My stomach clenched as the orgasm overtook me. He looked up at me and licked his lips.

  “I could live off you.” His face was wet from me, his eyes dark blue and still looking hungry.

  He kissed his way up my body. We were both naked this time. He hovered on top of me. He lowered his mouth over mine and kissed me. He was still hard and thick and I was still wet. He slipped into me with ease. I was so sore but it didn’t matter. What mattered was this unbelievable man was making love to me three thousand feet in the air as we headed to the most romantic city in the world. And he didn’t want to stop. Fabrice rolled his hips into me as I pushed him deeper.

  “Look at me, Fabrice.” I said as I pulled his face up so I could look into his eyes.

  “Isabella.”

  His body had me pinned to the mattress. He looked at me and began to thrust. I moaned as my sex squeezed him with each thrust. My hands brushed across his back until I grabbed onto his muscular ass.

  I pulled him closer and wrapped my legs around his waist. He was mine.

  “I’m going to come.” He breathed out.

  “Come, Fabrice. Come inside me.” We held each other’s gaze. His face became distorted in the way it does when he comes. His lips were parted as he panted.

  “Isabella, I love you.” His body jerked as he came, spewing inside me hot and wet. The entire time he kept his eyes open and stared at me. His face told me everything. We would never be apart.

  “I’m now in the mile high club.” I whispered to him as we dressed to get buckled in for the landing.

  “That is the only way to fly.” It became aware to me that Fabrice didn’t like to fly unless he was in control. He was afraid of flying and I didn’t know that. And when I asked him about it, he avoided the truth.

  We landed at Charles de Gaulle airport and Fabrice rented a car to take to his parents’ house in Saint-Germain-en-Laye which was about a half-hour out of town in the suburbs. It looked like something in a textbook or a calendar once we arrived. Stone buildings with blue shutters and flower boxes on the windows lined the bricked streets of the main road. It was the perfect French town.

  When we pulled into town, my idea of Fabrice’s family home was a French country cottage somewhere out in the country. I was shocked when he pulled up to a large brick and stone mansion near the center of town.

  “This is home?”

  He smiled.

  “This was my boyhood home. My parents still live here.”

  “This huge place is where your parents live alone?”

  “Crazy isn’t it? They won’t sell it. They w
ant to keep it in the family.” We pulled into the drive way and I was amazed at the vast hugeness of this place. It was bigger than his mansion in D.C.

  “You are quite the spoiled brat, Mr. Arbidoux.” I looked at him.

  “I’m not spoiled. Wait till I show you my apartment I lived in before I became the Ambassador. It was tiny. I sold that before I left so if I come back I will have to find a new place to live.”

  “I’m crying for you, Fabrice.” I laughed.

  He grabbed my leg and I reached over and kissed him.

  “Are you ready to meet the two people that brought me into this world?” he asked.

  I was more than ready. I wanted to thank them.

  “I’ve been ready.”

  We walked into an immensely huge foyer and were greeted by the Arbidoux family that consisted of his mom, his dad and two cats. He had a brother, but he wasn’t there.

  Without saying anything, Mrs. Arbidoux walked over to me and grabbed me in her arms.

  She was as beautiful as Fabrice. In fact, she looked like him with the same blue eyes, hair color and face structure. Mrs. Arbidoux was a thin short woman that had a lot of work done to herself to look as young as she did. Fabrice said she was seventy and didn’t look a day over fifty.

  She wore Chanel, I noticed as soon as I saw her. His dad stayed in the back and smiled, the same smile as Fabrice. It was amazing seeing Fabrice in both of them.

  “Isabella, you are more beautiful than Fabrice described.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Abidoux. I’m so happy to meet you. Fabrice has talked so much about you I feel like I already know you.”

  “You are family. If Fabrice loves you, so do we. My baby is home. I’m so happy he’s here. Come in and relax.”

  She held onto me after she gave me a hug and stared at me taking me in.

  I looked over at Mr. Arbidoux. A handsome, tall man, dressed in jeans, a white shirt and Gucci loafers, he was every bit a suit tailor. He grabbed my hand and kissed it as I smiled at him. He wore the new stylish black, thick-rimmed eyeglasses.

  “Please call us Anais and Romain. I see now what Fabrice was raving about. You are a very beautiful woman. Please come in and make yourself at home.” He had the same voice as Fabrice. It was crazy.