Her boisterous, buoyant laughter had people in the lobby turning to see the source, but so what? Hearing the carefree sound was worth it.
She beckoned for him to come closer again. “Shower with Flowers. Do you like it?”
“You have no idea,” he admitted before sending a mental message to his treacherous body part to behave.
He kissed her cheek, “Thank you for coming.”
The waiter approached them with the champagne and two long-stemmed crystal flutes. “Where would you like me to serve, monsieur?”
David looked at Stella, “I remember what you had at lunch today, and ordered a bottle. I hope you don’t mind. We can get something else if you prefer.”
“No, it’s very nice. Thank you.”
“Shall we go to the courtyard?”
“Yes, please.”
“The courtyard it is,” he informed the waiter, who nodded, turned, and led them outside, where they were seated behind a cast-iron trellis covered with pink climbing roses, giving them a bit of privacy.
“What is it with Paris and courtyards?” she asked while the waiter opened the bottle and filled their glasses. “I’m planning to get a bistro set and bright throw pillows, maybe plant a large pot with colorful flowers.”
“I’m sure it’ll look pretty. You could also get a small backyard fountain,” he pointed to the statue of a curvaceous woman sitting in the middle of a small basin, feeding a fat fish.
“What a great idea! But maybe not a naked woman,” Stella said.
A waitress brought a platter with an assortment of cheeses, crackers, some fruit, and olives and said, “With compliments of the house, Monsieur Danvers.”
“Is there anything else I can bring?” asked their waiter.
David thanked them both and handed one glass to Stella before holding up his own. “What do you want to drink to?”
“To Paris.”
Both took a few sips of the refreshing beverage, then she reached for the cheese knife the same moment he did. Touching a live wire couldn’t have caused a stronger reaction than the skin-to-skin contact of their hands.
He pushed the platter closer to her and reached for the olives. “We never got to talk about your trip this afternoon, or what brought you to France in the first place.”
“It was the weirdest coincidence. Last week, Naomi asked me if I wanted to join her on this trip because her mom couldn’t go. I already had this week off and wanted to visit Luca for a few days.”
She held out both hands with her palms up. “Hmm… New York or France? The decision wasn’t too hard. Naomi and I left Philly on Friday, spent Saturday afternoon and Sunday sightseeing, and our tour started on Monday.”
“What was the group like?”
“There were fourteen people, plus the driver and our tour guide. Most members of the group were nice, except for one guy, but let’s not talk about him.”
She took another sip of champagne. “Mmm, this is really good!” She smacked her lips.
David thought it was incredibly sexy, and his body signaled its agreement. Not again… At this rate, it promised to be an extremely uncomfortable evening.
“But listen to this… Naomi didn’t tell me the details. Only on the bus did I find out it’s a tour to romantic places in France. I asked her if we were on Candid Camera, since she knows I’ve been feeling down because it’s the anniversary of…well…”
She chewed on her lower lip and looked at her feet, and he hesitated, knowing she was trying to find the right words.
“Because it’s been a year since I sent the letter?” David finished the sentence for her, feeling like dirt.
She nodded. “I had finished my annual reading of The Phantom, and…” He watched helplessly as she swallowed a few times and tears threatened to spill out of her sad eyes. If someone had dumped a pot of hot oil over him it couldn’t have hurt more than hearing—and seeing—Stella’s heartbreak.
After what he did to her, she still read it.
He reached out to touch her hand, but she held it up and said, “Let me finish this, and then we have to talk about something a little more uplifting… Anyway, I put the book and your letter in one of my storage bins and planned to have a ceremonial send-off fire later, but I could never burn any of it.”
David couldn’t stop what happened next.
In one fluid move, he turned his body toward hers, took her face in his hands and followed the wet trail of her tears with feathery kisses, until he reached her lips and slowly put his mouth on hers.
It was a soft, gentle kiss, meant to say, I’m sorry.
He pulled back a scant inch and looked into her eyes. He saw confusion and pain.
His next kiss was harder and searching, begging her, Forgive me.
When he stopped this time, he guided her head to his chest and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her hair, letting his lips linger there. He hoped she’d understand his silent, Let me hold you, baby. He wanted to sit like this forever.
Carefree laughter at another table broke the mood.
He used his thumb to wipe away a last tear and couldn’t resist again tucking a lose strand of hair behind her ear. When she leaned into his hand, his heart was beating so fast, he could feel it in his throat.
Did this small gesture mean there was hope?
She leaned away from him, “I hope I didn’t cause a scene.”
He again reached for one of her hands, needing to maintain their fragile connection. “You didn’t. You have no reason to apologize for anything, my angel.” His old pet name slipped out before he realized it.
She cleared her throat and said, “Okay, so…do you want to hear more about the trip?”
“You bet.” He still couldn’t bring himself to let go of her hand.
She told him about the places they visited, about the meals they enjoyed, and even related Caroline’s romantic stories, the happy and sad ones. He listened, laughed, and asked questions, and wished he could’ve been there with Stella.
“Did you have a favorite place?” he asked when she was finished.
She rested her chin in the palm of her hand and thought about it, then reached for her champagne glass. Before her lips touched the rim of the glass, she looked up and said, “Mont Saint-Michel.”
“Any special reason?”
“To me, it’s the perfect combination of magic, history, passion, and strength,” she mused. “And so beautiful, it takes your breath away.”
As are you, my angel!
“You would’ve liked it there. I have tons of photos on my phone, but it would take forever to look through them now. Maybe I’ll put a slideshow together when I’m back at home and send it to you.”
“I can’t wait to see it.” He hoped to find a way to watch it together with her, not away from her.
One step at a time, Danvers…
Their waiter topped off their glasses, and told them their table was ready at their convenience.
“I think we’ll finish the champagne first,” David gave Stella a questioning look and when she nodded, he said, “Give us a few more minutes, please.”
“I have a table reserved in a side room as we discussed, but we can also go to my suite and order room service. The manager assured me the menu is the same.”
“Do you have a preference where we eat?”
He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “I think we’re both more comfortable if we can speak freely, and without wait staff interruptions.”
“You’re right. In case there’s more crying like I just did. Ugh… Can you see the headlines in tomorrow’s papers? Weeping Woman Wrecks David Danvers’ Dinner.” Stella snickered. “Yes, let’s eat in your room.”
He didn’t care about his reputation or being recognized right now. But he needed to protect Stella from gossip and scrutiny.
After David informed the waiter about their new plans, she asked him to tell her about his performan
ces in Hungary and England, about living in Budapest and London.
Giving her a summary of his past year, he realized the experiences sounded unbelievably similar—big stage, big city—and the only difference was the language in each country. But such was his professional life.
There was nothing to tell her about his personal life.
CHAPTER 30
Stella—July 2018
D
avid held the door to his suite open and Stella walked into a room warm with orange evening sunlight. Through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, she saw part of the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden. Like the public areas of the hotel, the spacious corner room was decorated in shades of beige with black accents.
A round table with a white marble top stood in front of the corner windows, with two comfortable-looking chairs inviting guests to sit and relax. A perfect spot for reading—or just enjoying the views.
To the side, the door to the bedroom stood ajar and she saw part of a king-sized bed. She was relieved to see the sitting and sleeping areas were separated. Otherwise, the next few hours could be very awkward.
She dropped her purse on the sofa. “Do you mind if I take off my shoes?”
“Not at all, please make yourself comfortable. The powder room is there,” he pointed at a door to his right, “in case you need it.”
“How convenient to have a separate guest bath. Yes, I would like to wash my hands, but maybe I shouldn’t look too closely into the mirror. I must look a mess,” she sighed.
“Not at all, but if you want, I’ll go in and cover it with a towel,” he offered with a wink.
“I’m trying to be a big girl, but thanks for the noble offer!”
One look into the mirror confirmed her suspicions. Red-rimmed eyes and blotchy cheeks frowned back at her. And—invisible but imprinted on her skin—a burning sensation where David’s lips touched not long ago. Her fingers went to the spot and lingered for a moment.
“What can I get you to drink?” David asked when she came out of the bathroom. “I can order some wine if you’d like.”
“Just water for now, if you have some.”
He took two bottles out of the minibar refrigerator. “Your choices are Perrier sparkling water, or Evian spring water.”
“Sparkling, please. I like Perrier. Thanks.” She sat down on one side of the sofa.
“Would you like to have a look at the menu first? I’m in no rush, but I don’t know how hungry you are.”
“The appetizers were filling, so I’m not too hungry. It was a nice gesture to bring them with the champagne. But let’s check the menu and then decide whether we want to wait or order now.” She reached for the menus on the table and gave one to him.
“Sure, why not?” he agreed.
“Oh no! Ugh, big mistake…” Stella put the menu down. “Did you just hear me say I’m not hungry? Well, I’m really not, but this all looks so good. Do you know what you want?”
“Yes, I do,” he said and looked at her.
“What is it?”
He mumbled, “It’s not on the menu.”
“I’m sure they’ll make it for you.”
“They can’t.”
“David, I don’t need to remind you, but this is a five-star hotel.”
“Believe me,” he said quietly.
She shrugged and let it go. “Why don’t we go ahead and order before it gets too late? It might take a while to prepare the meals.”
“Hold on, let me get a notepad.” He went to the small writing desk in a corner of the spacious room, and she couldn’t help thinking how good he looked in his black dress pants and dark gray shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He wore a burgundy tie earlier but must’ve taken it off along with his shoes while she was in the bathroom. She liked this casual look on him...always had. He walked with the confidence of someone used to being in front of thousands of people every day, but without being cocky about it. He was the image of masculine grace, but sleek and powerful. She could sit here all day and night and watch him.
Liar! You wanna do way more than look at him.
When he kissed her in the courtyard, it took all her willpower not to crawl into his lap and kiss him back the way her body and heart urged her to. The memory alone sent a tingling sensation to her core.
“Stella? What can I order for you?” David’s voice interrupted her daydreaming. “No, wait, let me guess…”
“Go ahead,” she said, entering into their old game of guessing what the other ordered. And later they’d share their meals. Or used to…
“You’re going with the Viennese veal cutlet and a side salad, but will substitute French fries for the pasta.” David looked confident to have gotten it right.
“And you’re having the fillet of cod with herbed potatoes and olives. Correct?”
“Yup,” he grinned. “What about dessert? Want to keep playing the guessing game?”
“Sure! You’ll order, hmm,” she tapped her bottom lip, “the selection of sorbets with the Madeleine cake.”
“And you the crème brûlée,” he said.
“I thought so at first. But the waffles Grand-Mère with chocolate sauce and apple compote also sound good.” She sucked in her lower lip, rolled her eyes, and put an index finger under her chin. “Oh, I simply cannot decide!”
He laughed and said, “There’s an easy solution, then. We’ll order dinner first and wait for dessert until later. And if you still can’t pick one, we’ll get all three.”
“Deal.” She held up her hand for a high five.
He high-fived back, but locked their fingers before she could pull away. Then he kissed the back of her hand and released it.
“Would you like some wine with dinner?”
“Yes, please.” Her skin prickled where his lips had touched.
While David was on the phone, she gazed out the windows. How would this evening end? She hoped they could remain friends after they cleared the air.
When he joined her at the window he said, “I ordered a bottle of Shiraz. I know you prefer reds over whites, and it’ll go well with both the veal and the fish. But I can change it.”
“It’s fine.” She turned, and said with a smirk, “I just remembered something; I broke my promise to Naomi. She’ll milk it so much, I’m almost afraid to see how she makes me pay.”
“What did you promise her?” he asked.
“On Monday, I promised I wouldn’t mention your name for the rest of the trip.” She looked up at him. Judging by the sparkle in his eyes, he didn’t seem hurt by her comment, only curious.
“Why is it important to her?”
“Because she wants me to move on. Last year she said she’d grant me a three-month bereavement period—her words, not mine, and don’t look at me like that. You know Naomi—and after my time was up, she started telling me I can’t continue to live in the past.”
“You said she’ll make you pay. What was your deal?” The curiosity in his expression was replaced by something else, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
“Well, we agreed if I break our deal, she gets to set me up on a blind date with a guy of her choosing.”
His eyes widened and he propped his fists on his hips. “Come again?”
“She’ll set me up on a blind date,” she repeated, and almost laughed. His reaction was hilarious.
“You can’t go out with a stranger. Especially not with one of her shady ex-boyfriends.” David went to the table and picked up his phone. Then he put it down again. And started pacing between the table and the windows.
“Excuse me? First, I’m free to go on a date if I want to. Second, she’ll send me on a dinner date, not into an arranged marriage. And third, nobody says I have to go on a second date with whoever it is.”
“Right, because there won’t be a first date to begin with.” He pierced her with a look.
“Huh?” She went to get her water glass and said over her shoul
der, “Shouldn’t that be my decision?”
He was quiet, but she could feel his eyes on her. Then he asked in a voice so low she almost didn’t hear him, “Did you go on any dates in the past year?”
“Well... I sort of went out twice,” Stella said, and could feel her face getting warmer. She imagined Naomi telling her, “You don’t have to explain anything to him, let’s not forget he dumped you.”
“I wouldn’t call them dates. Both times, Naomi had a date, and her date had a friend or a cousin visiting from out of town, and the friend or cousin needed someone to keep him company…blah-blah-blah… you get the picture.”
“So, you were the designated babysitter?” He stood right in front of her now. The earlier curiosity in his eyes had been replaced with fire.
“That’s actually a very good description,” she grinned and touched her forehead. “But you know, then I got those sudden headaches and had to go home…”
She hadn’t thought it was possible, but she swore something was boiling in his eyes. He ran a hand over his head and down the side of his neck.
Before she realized what happened, she was in his arms and he kissed her. Unlike his earlier kisses, this one was hard, demanding, and the message was clear.
It told her, You’re mine.
For a moment, she got lost in his kiss, but then broke the connection and pushed away. What did he think he was doing? After everything he put her through…
“Listen,” she needed to take the upper hand here and get them back on neutral ground. Kissing didn’t give her the answers she was seeking.
“I’m sorry, Stella, and I apologize.”
“Don’t apologize for the kiss,” she whispered.
“I didn’t mean the kiss, baby. I’d never insult you by apologizing for wanting to kiss you. I apologize for what I did to you last year.” He sat down on a chair.
She sat on the other chair, facing him. Was this it? The moment she’d been waiting for?
“I don’t want your apology. I don’t need your apology,” she leaned back in her chair. “But I need to understand what happened. Was I not enough for you?”
He stared at her and reached for her hands, but she pulled them back and clasped them in her lap.
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