by Daisy Allen
“This is NOT the Radisson!” A familiar voice accused us one of the chairs in the waiting lounge.
It was Larry.
“Larry! What are you doing?” I asked surprised, I’d spoken to him before we’d left Lyon almost two days ago, and he hadn’t mentioned anything about flying over. “Finn O’Reilly, this is Larry Hummel.” I introduced them.
Larry took Finn’s outstretched hand, “well, good news, they gave Dean the all clear.”
“Oh my god,” I felt all the air leave me from relief. “Oh, Larry that is such good news.”
“Yeah, that’s wonderful, congratulations,” Finn nodded, patting Larry on the shoulder.
“Yeah, he’s going home today, but they said there wasn’t anything to be worried about, mostly just making sure he’s ok on his feet after being cooped up for a week.”
“When did you get here?”
“I just did! I found out you weren’t at the Radisson and called around and found out you were here, so I’m here to find out where I’M going to sleep.”
“Well, um...we could go back to the...Radisson?” I offered, unsure of how to proceed.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re going to stay here as well, my treat. My PERSONAL treat, since you seem to have drilled it into Kara here to be frugal with company money.”
“No, Finn...that’s not necessary.” Larry shook his head.
“Oh hush, you deserve it after the week you’ve been through. Let me go arrange it, and I’ll be right back with your key.”
Finn walked over to the reception counter as I wondered again how generous he was.
“Ok, quickly, what the hell is going on with you two?”
“Wha? Nothing!”
“Yeah, he just puts up everyone at the Four Seasons.” Larry put on a ‘are you nuts?’ face.
I shrugged, “pretty much, he’s pretty generous. I mean, apparently he’s pretty rich in his own right but his stepfather only owns like 3 fortune 500 companies. He can afford to put you up at the Four Seasons for a night or two. Hell, even YOU could do that. Yeah, why DON’T you do that?”
“Because I’m cheap, you know that. But seriously, what the hell?”
“Shush, he’s coming back.”
Finn came back and we followed him to one of the waiting elevators.
“Well, they didn’t have any more suites on the same floor as Kara and me but there’s one just on the floor above. Did you want to go freshen up and join us for dinner in about an hour?”
“Yeah, sounds great. Meet me at my room?”
“Sounds good, oh this is us.” Finn held the elevator door open for me and then followed me out.
I watched Larry bug out his eyes at me as the elevator doors closed and I wondered how much more interrogation I was going to have to endure.
***
“And then he winks at me, as eef he a rock star, take a bite, and next minute he is coughing and choking and asking for a glass of meelk like a big baby!” Mati whooped with laughing, banging on her leg with her fist, as Larry and I wiped away tears from our eyes. Finn was not laughing, of course.
“It’s not funny. She said it was only mildly spicy.” He said defensively.
“Eet is what our babies eat in Tunisie,” she replied, adding to her own hysteria.
“Anyway, as I was saying before we were rudely interrupted by this unprofessional establishment’s waitress,” Finn tried to move the conversation off of focusing on him, “order whatever you like, but don’t rely on getting it,” he told Larry.
“I wouldn’t dream of ordering, Mati obviously knows what’s best,” Larry sweet-talked, which earned Finn a smack on the back of the head.
“That’s how I like my gentlemen,” Mati nodded at Larry, and gave him a wink as she wandered off to the kitchen.
“Wow, she is...wow.” Larry chuckled.
“Yeah, she’s pretty cool...to everyone other than me, apparently,” Finn grumbled.
Larry had agreed immediately when we suggested coming here. With all the rich French food I’d had over the last few days, I craved something homey, deep and spicy, soul satisfying. Mati had been overjoyed to see us and a new face, and had spent the last 15 minutes telling stories about Finn’s escapades there over the last few years.
“Finn, I just wanted to make sure you knew I’m not here to step on any toes, Kara’s told me that everything’s working out fine in your hands, but I’ve worked on this deal for a long time now and have a personal attachment to it. I hope you don’t mind me just being a fly on the wall for the last two days of meetings. You take the lead, I’d just love to be there for when it all come together.”
“Hey, no sweat. And you’re welcome to take over, I’m here because you couldn’t be. I’m just glad I could help. Truth is, I’d be in trouble if Kara wasn’t here.”
The unexpected compliment drew a blush from me.
“Yeah, Kara IS a Godsend, I don’t know what I’d do without her.” He smiled at me, “it’s why I put up with her food habits and tissues all over the place.”
“Oh, that’s a thing, it’s not just me? I thought it was just a one off when I saw them all over her hotel room! Kara, why do you always have so many used tissues around, can’t you throw them out?” They both turned to me.
“Wait, what just happened, go back to Kara equals modern business goddess talk.” I said.
They men laughed, bonding over their joint observation of my quirky habits.
“But yes, Kara, thanks for everything this last week. And before, if you hadn’t been so diligent with your research and reports, it wouldn’t have been so easy for someone to take over.” I knew he meant every word, but it was good to hear it.
“You’re welcome, Larry. That’s why you’re paying for dinner.”
“Done!”
***
“Larry’s great.” Finn said, later that night as we laid in my bed in the aftermath of making love.
“Yeah. He is. I told you.”
“Paul must love him, he’s going to go far in the company.”
“You know what? I think he could’ve been CEO of a company years ago, but he purposely means to keep working at this level. He still makes more than enough money but at night, he gets to put his kid to bed and watch TV with his wife. I think he’s exactly where he wants to be.”
“Then we’ll find a way he can earn more money making the company better, but still being able to do those things, how about that?”
I laughed, “that sounds like you’ve fallen asleep and are dreaming.”
“I’m serious! There’s no need for someone to not be able to make time for those things in their life. And they shouldn’t be punished for it by having a cap on how far they can go in a company.”
I looked up at him appreciatively, “do you really feel that way?”
“Of course. I hate the way corporations and businesses are so rigid. 80 hours a week to show your dedication pfffffft. How ‘bout you role share, then two people or three can be making 7 figures a year instead of one burnt out codger making 8 figures but ending up having a stress attack before they turn 50. Things need to change, I’d hate to think that Larry would miss out on a promotion because he wants to have time for the things that actually matter. Paul agrees, it’s why we get on so well.”
It was one of the first times he’d spoken about his stepfather.
“He sounds like a good guy.”
Finn nodded, pulling me in closer, spooning me, his lips against my shoulder. “He is. Wouldn’t have let Mom settle for anything less. He absolutely adores her, worships the ground she walks on, and I think she’s happy with him.”
I smiled, it made me happy to hear that, that even though she’d lost her first husband so young, she could still find happiness and love. She deserved it.
I wriggled back, feeling Finn’s hips curve around my ass, feeling our bodies mould around each other’s.
His body was still warm from our rigorous sex, his arm around my waist still slightly
damp. I loved the way he smelled, so masculine, like summer rain. Tomorrow was our last full day together. Knowing Finn, I knew he’d have something planned for tomorrow night. But tonight felt like we were just a normal couple, going out to dinner, making love, and falling asleep. No drama, no grand gestures, just the contentment of knowing from morning until night, we would be together.
“Finn?”
“Hmmm,” he mumbled sleepily against my hair.
“If we meet again in our next life-time? Don’t drive away ok? Just stay.”
He turned my head, and pressed his lips against mine.
“We will meet again; because I’m going to come find you, and once I do, I’ll never leave.”
Chapter Twenty Two
“So, I guess we’ll see you guys, bright and early tomorrow, to sign off on everything, d’accord?” Finn looked around the table for the unanimous agreement, and nodded and closed his file as everyone stood up.
“Kara, I’m going to go catch up with Manu tonight, are you going to be okay on your own?” Larry came up to me as the room emptied.
“Er, yeah, sure, are you coming back to the hotel or...”
“No, he drove here so I’ll just go with him now.”
“Ok, well, let me know if you need anything, have a good night.”
“You too, it’s your last night in Paris.”
“Yeah.” He didn’t need to remind me, I’d been dreading it all day.
Finn and I waited for everyone to leave and then walked together to the elevator. I’d hardly been able to focus all day. Our fingers intertwined even as we stood in silence in the elevator, and I wondered what was going on in his mind.
The car was waiting for us at the curb, and Finn slid in after me.
He pulled me into the crook of his neck, and held me tight, as we watched the chaos of Paris outside our car window whizz by, cocooned in our own little world for the last few hours we’d promised ourselves.
“You tired?” He asked, softly.
“No.”
“What do you want to do tonight?”
“Whatever it is you have planned,” I answered. He chuckled softly.
“No questions?”
“No, not this time, I want to wait for the surprise.”
“Is it possible, I’ve tamed me a greedy guts?” He mock dropped his jaw in shock.
“Yes, I’m yours. Wholly and completely.” I sighed and leaned back against his chest, closing my eyes, trying to memorize the dull thump of his heartbeat.
***
“Ok, I changed my mind, tell me!” I tugged on Finn’s arm, reenergized after a short nap in the car.
Finn’s laugh turned the heads of the other hotel patrons in the hallways as we walked to our rooms.
“You’ll see! You said you wanted it to be a surprise.”
“It’s a woman’s prerogative to...want to know everything right now!”
“Shhhh, sweetheart, you’ll find out soon. So, see you in two hours, ok?” He opened his room and ushered us in, then leading me through the joint door and dropping my laptop bag on the sofa.
“Where are we going? What do I wear? What’s going on?!”
Finn just shrugged as he went back to his room and closed the door behind him.
I kicked off my shoes and decided to take another quick nap, slipping out of my clothes before falling into bed.
A phone call on the hotel phone woke me up about half an hour later.
“Mr. O’Reilly asked that we call you for a wakeup call, and to tell you that, if you haven’t, to take a shower as your surprise will be arriving in half an hour.”
“Oh! What is it?” I asked the operator.
“I do not know, Ms Sinclair, but he did say that if you asked to tell you to stop asking.”
“Oh.” I laughed, he knew me too well. “Thank you.”
“Bon soir, Mademoiselle Sinclair.”
I yawned as I walked to the bathroom, drawing a bath instead of getting in shower. I rarely ever took baths in my tiny Manhattan bathroom, but since being in these giant luxurious European bathrooms the last week, I’d developed a love of them again.
I sank my body into the half filled tub and lathered up my hair and body as the water continued to cascade from the tap, wondering what Finn could possibly have planned for the evening.
He hadn’t dropped any hints, but the combination of bottomless finances and his natural creativity, I knew it was something I wouldn’t have been able to guess.
Relaxing in the warm tub, I lost track of time as I heard a knock on the door.
“Coming! I’m in the bathroom, I’m sorry, but I’m coming!” I stepped out of the tub and wrapped a robe around me, not bothering to dry myself.
“So sorry, “I apologized again as I opened the door. Standing there was a group of three woman, each holding a toolbox and one with a garment bag.
“Bon soir, Mademoiselle Sinclair, Monsieur O’Reilly sent us. We are your surprise!”
I was speechless as I stood to the side, as they came in, setting up stations around the room with their equipment.
“Mademoiselle Si-.”
“Oh dear, please call me Kara.”
“Ah, bon, Kara, my name is Frankie, I’m going to do your make up for this evening, would you like to come sit down here on the sofa?”
She led me to the seat and fussed with a headband tying back my wet hair.
“You have such beautiful natural features, we should just highlight them, no?”
I was still trying to process all this, Finn had really gone all out.
“Kara, hello. My name is Jemima, and I will be doing your hair, do you know how you want to style it for the evening?” The tall brunette asked.
“Oh, um, well, I don’t know what I’m going to be wearing so...maybe just something simple to make it safe?”
“Parfait. We will wait for Frankie to finish and then it will be my turn, is that ok?”
“Thank you. So much.” It was all slightly surreal, I felt like an actress going to her first Oscars.
An hour later, looking in the mirror, I was a different person. The women had worked magic in such a short amount time. I stared at my reflection, it was me, just a better version of me.
Frankie had brought out the grey in my eyes with her shadow work, and insisted I try a pinker shade of nude than I would normally have thought I couldn’t pull off. And my hair, my usual tight bun or messy ponytail had been molded into a soft cascade of curls falling from a high ponytail and down to caress my shoulders. I’d never felt so beautiful in my life.
“Are you ready to put on the dress now, Kara?” Winnie, the third woman asked. I was almost too nervous to say yes.
I followed her to the bedroom and put on my underwear as she prepared the dress. Pulling it from the garment bag, she shook it to its full length and then turned to hand it to me.
“Oh my god.” I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Yes, it is beautiful, isn’t it?”
“No. You don’t...you don’t understand.” I could hardly understand it myself. “It’s, it’s the same dress.”
I took the handle from her, and fiddled with the zipper, searching for the tag. It wasn’t there, just the jagged seam left where I’d cut it from the side because it was scratching me.
It was the dress.
The exact midnight blue silk, sequined bodice dress.
It was more beautiful than I ever remembered.
I’d asked my parents to drop it at Heather’s house after I’d moved to NYC, and somehow, he’d managed to get it, after all this time.
“Can you, can you please help me?”I held out the dress, trembling as the years faded away.
“Yes, of course,” Winnie replied, pulling the dress over my head and zipping up the back, smoothing out the silk skirt over my waist and down my legs.
“You look so beautiful in the dress, Kara.” The other woman came in to see.
“Thank you. Thank you all so much.” I could only hope tha
t I would live up to Finn’s expectations.
Winnie came back with a pair of silver stilettos and slid them on my feet. Perfect fit.
“Kara?” Finn’s voice called out softly from the other room.
“Um, I’ll be right out.” I answered.
The women wished me good luck and left, saying good bye to Finn as they closed the door behind them.
I took a deep breath and followed them out to the living room.
Finn stood there, in the same colored midnight blue that he wore that night, a single rose in his hands.
“Kara. My god, Kara.” He whispered.
I walked to him, my legs wobbling ,from emotion, rather than the shoes this time. He held out the rose to me, his eyes still locked on mine.
“Thank you.” I smiled, as I ran the velvet rose bud over my cheek.
“Do you remember what I said to you that night when we were dancing?”
“You said…that I was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen.” I would never forget it.
“I meant it, but I didn’t know there’d be a today. You are an angel, Kara. My angel.” He reached for the rose and placed it on the coffee table, pulling me close, his arms slid around my waist, and the other, curled in against our chests, as we swayed gently to the beat of our breaths.
“Remember this?”
“Always.”
He started to sing, “‘And I, want to thank you, for giving me the best day of my life...’”
“You remember that was playing?”
“You didn’t believe me when I told you that this was the most perfect moment...ever?”
I didn’t.
“It was only going to be surpassed by what was going to come after.”
“What was that?”
Finn went silent for a moment, pulling me tighter and humming another line of the song.
“I was going to tell you, that I loved you. But we were interrupted, so I’ll tell you now. I love you.”
I closed my eyes, wanting to imprint myself in time in that exact moment forever.
“Finn.”
“I did then, and I do now. And whatever happens after tomorrow, remember, Kara. I’ve loved you my whole life.”