From Paris With Love This Christmas

by Jules Wake

  ‘Wow, this is gorgeous,’ exclaimed Siena and rushed in to touch the sheets on the king-size bed. ‘I adore the bed. There’s something so romantic about sleigh beds.’ She ran a reverent hand over the chestnut coloured wood.

  It looked like a nice big, comfortable bed to him. More than big enough to spark visions of what he’d like to do with her.

  She’d darted to the window. ‘Lovely view.’

  Her slim figure was silhouetted by the light through the diamond-paned windows. It certainly was. His gazed lingered on her slender form.

  Enthusiastic as ever, she moved again through to the open door of the bathroom. ‘Look at the bath,’ she said, looking over her shoulder at him, her eyes dancing with mischief. ‘It’s been a long while since I had a bath.’ Which was a flat-out lie. Unless she meant it had been a long time since she’d taken one on her own. Feeling decided stirrings, and his jeans getting tighter, he peered past her at the old style Victorian bath.

  ‘Or there’s another room across the hall.’ Laurie sounded repressive and for a moment Jason considered her. A lot more buttoned up than Siena, except when Cam touched her and then she softened. She wasn’t at all like any of Cam’s previous girlfriends. Now, he had been into high maintenance girlfriends. Jason closed his eyes recalling Cam’s brief, train-wreck marriage. Sylvie had been a lot like Siena. In fact, in those days Siena would have been much more Cam’s type, which was why Jason was so surprised that he seemed so wary around her.

  ‘No, this is lovely. The bed looks extremely comfortable. I can see you’ve gone for high quality.’ Rustling feather duvets on the beds and great big plump pillows. Had he developed a bed obsession?

  Laurie laughed, a light gurgle, very different from Siena’s infectious whole-hearted laughter. ‘You’re so like Cam. Is it comfortable? Is the bed big enough? Do the curtains shut out enough light? Are the towels big ones, not scratchy? Does the shower have decent power? And yes to all of those things, because he made me write it all down and has tested,’ she blushed a fiery red, ‘most things.’

  Siena giggled, not the least bit interested in sparing her sister’s blushes. ‘Men never notice the details. Like 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton. These sheets are divine.’ She lifted the duvet, feeling the fabric in her hand. ‘It’s so soft but still lovely and crisp. I love good bed sheets. At home they’re changed every couple of days, it’s bliss.’

  ‘Cam nearly had a heart attack when I told him how much they cost.’

  ‘What are they? Frette?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And the curtains, Designers Guild?

  ‘You’re like a walking luxury brand encyclopaedia,’ commented Laurie.

  Like a cloud scudding across the sun, a slight sense of unease rattled Jason. She’d written the book on luxury. Standing in the large, light room with all its expensive accoutrements, she looked utterly at home.

  When Laurie finally left, he kicked the door shut, dropped his bag and rugby tackled Siena onto the bed, where they landed with a pfft in the deep feathered duvet.

  After a prolonged few moments of kissing and tussling, she giggled up at him. ‘Isn’t this bed wonderful? I could get used to this.’

  She’d have to wait a long while for this sort of luxury if she stuck with him. The thought punched him in the gut, like a physical blow. How long would it be before she decided she wanted her old life back? He’d been worried he might hurt her but it was more likely she’d be the one hurting him.

  ‘Another bottle of amazing wine.’ Siena’s taste buds were ready to leap up and dance in gratitude as she cringed at the bottle of inexpensive New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc she’d brought with flowers for Laurie. A classic wine from the Marlborough region, but not quite in the same price bracket as this one.

  ‘Uncle Miles’ cellar. He had an incredible collection but obviously we don’t drink wine like this every day, just in your honour.’

  ‘I feel very honoured, this is lovely.’

  ‘Tomorrow you’ll be getting bog standard Sainsbury’s Aussie Chardonnay,’ chipped in Cam with an affectionate glance at Laurie, ‘tempting as it is, we can’t drink all the good stuff. We need it for the punters and our grand plan. Not,’ he gave Siena a self-deprecating grin, ‘that I can tell my Chablis from my Chardonnay. Your sister’s the real expert.’ He said the later with quiet pride.

  ‘I’m not an expert, not yet. I’m working on it. Doing some wine qualifications so that we can keep the cellar topped up with lots of interesting wines.’

  ‘That’s great; you’ll have to come out and visit Harry’s vineyards.’

  ‘Vineyards, plural?’ Laurie looked very interested.

  ‘Yes he comes from a very old French family and they own pockets of land all over the place. He has a vineyard in Epernay, one outside Bordeaux and another one. I can’t remember exactly where.’ Siena’s smile faded with the realisation that Harry probably wouldn’t want much more to do with her.

  ‘I might take you up on that. Perhaps phase two if our business takes off. We decided, when I inherited Merryview—’ she bit her lip and looked warily at Siena.

  ‘Is that what you were worrying about earlier?’ Siena could see Cam’s grave face and the way he’d taken hold of Laurie’s hand. ‘Seriously?’ She would have laughed but nausea rolled in the pit of her stomach. ‘Look,’ she said urgently, ‘I know Maman made a huge fuss. Miles was her brother and she thought she should get something.’ Siena snorted. ‘Although it’s hardly as if she would suffer financially. She has plenty. But me, I don’t even remember Miles. Why shouldn’t you have this house? Or the cars.’ She stopped and then added in a small voice, ‘Did you really think I’d come up here looking for a hand-out or a share?’

  ‘No, not at all,’ said Laurie briskly. ‘You’re always welcome, although once we’ve opened up our boutique bed and breakfast specialising in fine wine tastings and classic cars, you might have to sleep in the servant quarters. The aim is to attract real enthusiasts for private tastings down in Miles’ cellar and offer viewings of the cars and a test drive on the track.’

  ‘You’ve got your own track?’

  ‘Track’s a bit of a stretch,’ said Cam. ‘We’re not talking Silverstone or anything. An old disused airfield. Miles bought it years ago. Private property, so we can drive there. He re-tarmacked the runway, so it’s a lovely smooth ride.’ Looking over at Jason, he added, ‘If it wasn’t for the snow I’d take you for a spin tomorrow. But you can come over to the garage to see the cars.’

  ‘Ahem.’ Laurie tapped her plate with a knife.

  ‘You can see them anytime,’ Cam said.

  ‘I meant Siena. She might like to see them too.’

  ‘Oh God, please don’t tell me Miles had her driving the track when she was five or something?’ He groaned. ‘The first time I took Laurie, she didn’t bother to mention that her uncle taught her to drive a two hundred horsepower car when she was only fourteen. Scared the bejesus out of me when she took off like a rocket.’

  Laurie grinned unrepentantly. ‘Served you right for being patronising, with your, “this is a very powerful car, nothing like anything you’ve driven before” blah, blah, blah.’ She beamed at Jason and Siena. ‘You should have seen his face when I floored it.’

  ‘Took several years off my life.’ Cam turned to Siena. ‘Anything you want to tell me, now?’

  ‘No, you’re fine. The most exotic thing I’ve driven is my Mercedes coupé. It’s only a two litre.’

  ‘Nice car. Got plenty of poke.’

  ‘I didn’t know you had a Merc.’ Jason sounded accusing.

  Ignoring his tone, she said in a deliberately sultry voice. ‘There’s a lot you don’t know about me.’

  ‘Hell on petrol.’ He scowled. ‘Not like my Land Rover. Now there’s a proper vehicle.’

  ‘Nothing’s like your Land Rover,’ she teased. ‘But now that I’ve cleaned it out, I think it’s rather wonderful too.’

  Her comment seemed to mollify him
. ‘Did you know seventy percent of all Land Rovers are still on the road?’

  Cam nodded, chipping in with, ‘Did you know the prototype Land Rover had its steering wheel in the middle?’

  ‘Eyes glazing over to the left here,’ said Laurie. ‘Top Gear alert.’

  ‘Sorry babe.’

  As the evening progressed, Siena couldn’t remember a night she’d enjoyed more. Not in company anyway. Recent evenings at the house in Brook Street held some very vivid memories. They retired from the lavish but slightly faded dining room with its heavy oak furniture and red flock wallpaper to a vast salon with cream sofas, pale walls and floral rugs in pastel hues. Elegant and formal, it contrasted starkly with the cosy drawing room where they’d spent the afternoon. Jason and Cam were deep in conversation, comparing notes on who they were still in touch with from university days.

  ‘So, are you enjoying living in the house?’ asked Laurie. ‘It’s very small after what you’re used to.’

  ‘Yes, it took a while. More for Jason than me. He didn’t like having to share a bathroom at first.’

  ‘He didn’t? I thought you’d find it harder. Aren’t there wall-to-wall en-suites at the Chateau?’ Laurie frowned. ‘I was quite surprised he’d agreed you could stay.’

  Siena squirmed slightly in her seat, hoping Jason hadn’t heard any of that. She hadn’t reckoned on his bat-ears.

  ‘I agreed you could stay?’ He grabbed one of her feet and pulled it on to his lap and tickled.

  She wriggled trying to pull away spluttering, ‘I’m sure you did.’

  ‘So what did you say to Siena?’ asked Jason, holding her foot firmly between his hands.

  Laurie laughed. ‘Can’t remember now.’

  ‘Not, “you can stay rent free for as long as you like.”’

  ‘Not those precise words, no. They might have been along the lines of, ‘if Jason doesn’t mind then of course you can stay.’’

  ‘Aha! So Sherlock Holmes here, deduces that young Siena has been telling porky pies,’ he lifted her foot, ‘and deserves to be punished.’

  Five minutes of relentless tickling, leaving her begging for mercy ensured everyone forgot what had started it.

  Waking up next to a warm body, a heavy arm snaked around your ribs anchoring you to them, had to be the best way in the world to wake up. She knew she wasn’t at home because the light had a different quality, it bled around the edges of the heavy drapes, letting her know it was daylight outside and well enough to see.

  Snuggled into the downy warmth of the bed in Laurie’s beautiful house, she gradually surfaced. This quiet time of the morning where she could study Jason’s face in repose, listen to his steady breathing and smell his musky scent, held pure magic.

  Invariably as he came to, he’d pull her to him, open his sleepy eyes, give her a slow, sweet smile and then close them again. This morning, the unguarded exchange crept into her heart and with a missed breath of wonderment, the world tilted. A flash of awareness flooded her, a thunk in her chest. She’d only gone and fallen totally and utterly in love with him.

  Dazed by the overwhelming feeling that had put out tentative roots and taken hold in seconds, she wriggled out of his hold and fled to the bathroom.

  Looking in the mirror, she was very relieved to see that she didn’t look any different. Love. That was big, grown up. Scary. Not part of the plan. In seven days’ time she was supposed to be boarding a plane back to France.

  Love wasn’t part of the timetable.

  Merde. Everything had been going perfectly. No promises. No commitments. No need to think of the future. Take each day as it came. No expectation on either side. Now she wanted something else. Promises. Forever. Things she and Jason had agreed were not part of the plan.

  ‘Hey, you OK?’ Startled, she saw his reflection in the mirror.

  Sleep dazed, he stumbled towards the loo and unselfconsciously took a pee.

  ‘Yeah, I’m fine. Woke up early that’s all.’ Mesmerised by his long lean back and the taut bum, she sighed. Even mundane as this, she couldn’t imagine a life without him.

  They showered together, made love and had to shower again. Jason rubbed her breasts with a towel, supposedly helping to dry her off. ‘Sure you’re OK? You seem a bit down.’

  ‘Probably a bit emotional. Seeing Laurie. Family stuff.’

  He looped the towel around her neck and pulled up against him, so that their noses almost touched.

  ‘Sorry, I should have realised that. If you don’t mind me saying, it’s one dysfunctional family. Surprising that Laurie is,’ he smiled and she could see the patterns in his iris, ‘so normal.’ It took a beat for the insult to sink in.

  ‘You cheeky—’

  ‘I’m joking.’ He kissed her on the nose. ‘Although you’re not normal.’

  Her face clouded but he still had that mischievous glint. ‘You’re phenomenal. Amazing. Brilliant and not normal, which I wouldn’t want anyway.’

  ‘We are definitely dysfunctional. I’d never thought of it like that before. A dad I never knew. Two step-dads. I think Laurie is disappointed that I don’t want to know more about him but he isn’t real to me. Three different dads, none of them real. That’s weird isn’t it? I feel I’m letting her down.’

  ‘You’re not letting anyone down. You’re you. A good person.’ He gave her bottom a gentle tap. ‘Now go and get dressed before I forget myself and we have to start all over again. No,’ he held up a hand and looked away, ‘none of your feminine wiles trying to entice me. I know your game Siena Browne-Martin. Minx of the parish. Go strut your stuff elsewhere and let me shave.’

  ‘You’re no fun.’ She grinned and left the bathroom. Time enough to worry about falling in love with him; for now she was going to savour these precious minutes out of normal time.

  Maybe the weather contributed, the bright sunshine and blue sky was especially brilliant on the horizon against the snow covered fields, maybe it was the company, the idyllic setting or being in love, but the start of the day slid to the very top of the scale of perfection.

  ‘Cam, will you let them finish breakfast?’ Laurie rolled her eyes at his incessant tapping of a teaspoon against the sugar bowl. ‘The cars aren’t going anywhere, darling.’

  Cam stopped tapping for a few minutes before flicking his fingers against the wood of the table. Siena could tell he was totally oblivious and that it wound Laurie up even more.

  She nudged Jason, who was on his last mouthful of sausage. ‘Bring your coffee. We need to avert World War Three or at the very least, potential divorce.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Bring your coffee.’ Siena nodded apologetically at Laurie, ‘That’s OK isn’t it.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s fine. Just get Cam out of here. I’ll tidy up and meet you over there.’

  ‘Do you want some help?’ Her half-hearted offer made Laurie raise an eyebrow.

  ‘No, you carry on. I can tell you’re itching to see the cars, probably more than Jason.’

  ‘I’m keen.’ Jason scraped up the last mushroom and wiped it in the egg yolk with relish. ‘I like food too.’

  With Cam leading the way, jangling a large set of keys, they crossed the paved courtyard to the hi-tech stable conversion.

  Alarms beeped and lights flashed as they entered, quickly silenced. Siena stared across the hangar-like rooms which ran into each other. There must have been at least twenty cars in here. Glamorous two-seater little numbers, with high gloss paint-jobs and polished chrome trim, convertibles with hard and soft tops, classics and coupés.

  Even Siena who knew very little about cars could tell this collection was something special.

  Prouder than any new mother, Cam walked them through the collection, passion and enthusiasm in every word.

  ‘That’s my favourite,’ said Siena pointing to a flashy E-Type Jag.

  ‘Hmm.’ Cam’s dismissal told her she was a complete philistine.

  ‘I like this one.’ Jason pointed to a scarlet Ferrari, the
stallion on the front stamping its brand. Cam shook his head. ‘Stick with Siena, her taste is much better than yours.’

  ‘But this is a Ferrari, you always said they were the best.’ Jason looked disgruntled and Siena took the chance to poke her tongue out at him.

  ‘In my opinion, they had a glitch during the Seventies. This one is too fur coat and no knickers. No finesse. Look at the GT 250 California Spyder.’ He drew them over to the car which occupied centre stage in the room. ‘Look at the curves on this. The sinuous design. That, my friend, is an orgasm on wheels.’

  ‘I know this one. You drove it to the Chateau in. I recognise it.’

  Cam seemed lost in thought for a minute. ‘It’s a very special car indeed.’

  ‘Worth a fortune?’ suggested Jason, walking round the car, admiring it from every angle.

  ‘More than that.’ Cam’s eyes darkened as if he carried a secret. ‘It’s worth everything.’

  Laurie had entered, at this she slipped her arms around his waist. The searing look they exchange was so intense, Siena had to look away.

  With a hollow ache, she wondered if Jason might ever look at her that way one day.

  Siena felt pleased for her sister and a little bit proud.

  Laurie actually relented when they returned and let Siena help her bring the spread of cheeses, hams and bread through to the little sitting room, where they sat and ate lunch in happy accord.

  A loud jangling bell interrupted Siena’s second bite of the lovely cracker she’d just loaded up with cheddar. Laurie frowned. ‘We’re not expecting any builders or deliveries today are we?’

  ‘No, the plumbers for the bathrooms in the east corridor aren’t due until Tuesday. That’s the only contractor booked in for the week.’

  ‘It could be the sample roll of wallpaper,’ Laurie rose to her feet and was already half way out of the door, as she threw over her shoulder, ‘I ordered.’

  The bell jangled again. Loud and peremptory. Siena’s hairs rose on her arms. Foreboding rattling at the edge of her conscious.

  A shrill complaint rent the air, carrying down the corridor. Shutting her eyes tight, as if that were going to help, she responded to the familiar voice by stupidly shrinking back into the chair, her breath bound tight in her lungs.