The Sweet Tooth

by Margot Larson

  CHAPTER 30

  At breakfast on their final morning in Woolacombe they didn’t bump into the couple from the day before and for that Mathieu was very thankful. Jeremiah had made a special breakfast of Belgian waffles (made with his rarely used waffle maker), scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and coffee for Solomon and tea for Mathieu. The special breakfast made Mathieu feel especially good about giving Jeremiah the signed sketch of the surfers. Jeremiah said he loved it and promised to have it framed and hung in the sitting room where they could see it when they came to visit again.

  Jeremiah stood at the front door and waved good-bye to the couple as they drove away. They were not happy to be leaving after the great time they had but they had purchased a lot of souvenirs, kept their brochures and would put the pictures they took into an album so they could remember their first holiday together.

  The weather on their holiday had been perfect, not too hot or too cold, until they arrived in Bristol. The sky went dark and the rain poured down just as Solomon found a parking spot three blocks from where they were staying, The Bristol Marriott City Centre. They sat in the car for a good half hour (neither man thought to bring an umbrella) hoping that the rain would stop but it didn’t. Solomon decided to see if he could get a closer spot but he couldn’t and when he returned to the original spot someone else has already parked there. The next spot he found was five blocks away from the hotel. The blonde wanted to keep driving around to see if he could get closer but he was afraid he’d only wind up farther away.

  They would make a dash for it but Solomon didn’t want the cameras to get wet and there was no way he was going to leave them in the car unattended. After weighing their options they agreed that Solomon would drop Mathieu off at the hotel with the cameras then find a place to park, hopefully close by, and make a run for it using Mathieu’s jacket as a shield from the rain.

  After dropping Mathieu off Solomon got lucky when he spotted someone getting into their car a block from the hotel. He maneuvered the car easily into the newly vacant spot, arranged Mathieu’s jacket over his head, opened the car door, stepped out into the rain, pressed the remote lock and dashed up the street to the hotel. Solomon found his partner pacing nervously in the lobby, “Alright?” Solomon took the jacket from off his head and shook it, sending water droplets flying in all directions.

  Mathieu leaned away from the water spray, “Yeah, now. That was fast.”

  “Got lucky with a spot up the block.”

  Mathieu didn’t respond only slumped his shoulders causing Solomon to ask again, “Alright?”

  “Just need to sit for a moment. I feel so tired all of a sudden. It’s just that I didn’t think it would happen so soon.”

  Solomon knelt on the cold, marble floor resting his hands on Mathieu’s thighs, “Didn’t think what would happen so soon?”

  “We need to find a drugstore.”

  “Why? Why do we need to find a drug store?” Solomon was on the verge of hysteria, “Baby, what’s wrong?”

  Mathieu hung his head and placed his hands on top of Solomon’s, “I knocked my pill bottle off the sink and into the toilet this morning. The top must not have been on right and they all spilled out.”

  “How could you be so careless? Why didn’t you say something this morning?” Solomon stood, looked down at the brunette and ran his fingers through his hair, “I’ll check us in and ask where the nearest pharmacy is. Are you good here?”

  “’M fine,” Mathieu picked the camera bag up from the floor hugging it to his chest, letting his head fall forward to use it as a pillow.

  The attendant behind the desk checked him in in record time before giving him the address and directions to the nearest drug store. She even went as far as to lend him her extra-large umbrella. The blonde returned to his snoozing partner, “Mathieu, are you ready?”

  Mathieu’s head snapped up when Solomon touched his shoulder and shook him gently, “Huh? Oh.”

  “I know where the pharmacy is. Will you be able to make it or do you want to go up and lie down while I go?”

  “I’ll be alright besides I will probably have to call Elise from the pharmacy to verify the prescription," Mathieu gingerly got up from the chair still clutching the camera bag.

  “Come on; let’s get you your drugs. It’s not that far and the receptionist lent us her umbrella,” he took Mathieu by the arm to help him stay upright.

  The two huddled close together under the oversized umbrella while they walked the few blocks to the drug store. Mathieu leaned into Solomon for support to walk and stay awake. The Irishman was right when he thought that the chemist would want to talk to his doctor and thankfully Elise called Mathieu back quickly after he left an emergency message with her receptionist. She got the pharmacy information from the chemist and had her assistant fax over a copy of Mathieu’s prescription. Five minutes later Mathieu popped a pill into his mouth. Before they left the store they bought their own umbrellas so Solomon could return the one they were using to the hotel desk attendant and still be able to go out if they wished.

  They have to pass the hotel on the way to the car to collect the luggage so Solomon ran into the hotel first to return the borrowed umbrella. But then Mathieu didn’t have Solomon to lean into for support and it was slow going to get the luggage and get back to the hotel. The Irishman managed to hold on until they got into their room but as soon as he put his bag down he collapsed diagonally onto the bed.

  Solomon unpacked the few things they’d need for their one-night stay before placing the bags into the closet. Solomon knelt on the bed next to his lounging love, “Mathieu,” he brushed a stray lock of hair away from the brunette’s eye and tucked it behind his ear.

  Mathieu groaned, “Solomon, please, I know what you’re going to say but don’t say it, okay? I know I messed up and I’m sorry. But please don’t say it.”

  Solomon laid down to rest his head on Mathieu’s back, “I won’t say it then. How are you feeling now?”

  “I have a bit of a headache and I could use a nap but otherwise I’m fine.”

  “Do you want to rest or start the ring hunt?”

  “Anxious are we?”

  “No,” Solomon fibbed, “I know that it’s important to you and you were looking forward to doing it and you know how much I want to make you happy so…...”

  “Uh-huh. Five minutes, okay?” Mathieu crossed his arms under his head and closed his eyes.

  “Okay, Baby.”

  Five minutes turned into thirty which turned into sixty before Mathieu started to stir. Solomon was curled on his side reading a book, using Mathieu’s hip as a bookrest. “Has it been five minutes?”

  “It’s been twelve of them,” Solomon replied cryptically.

  The artist scrunched his eyes and thought about what Solomon just said for a few seconds, “What?”

  Solomon grinned, “It’s been twelve segments at five minutes each.”

  “I’m still asleep, Solomon.”

  “It’s been an hour, Matt.”

  “Oh,” the Irishman muttered sleepily, laying his head back down. His head popped back up, “Oh. Why did you let me sleep so long?”

  “You looked like you needed it and aside from that we’re on holiday. There’s no schedule to keep; nap if you need too.”

  Mathieu turned on his side to face the blonde next to him, “You’re so good to me.” The Irishman ran his fingers through his love’s hair and gently cupped his cheek.

  “I know,” Solomon leaned in for a deep kiss.

  The sparkle returned to Mathieu’s eyes, “Let’s go find you a diamond.”

  “And maybe get some lunch, I’m starved.”

  ***

  Once he was fully awake Mathieu took a look around the hotel room. They were staying in an executive king room; he guessed that it was a king room because it has a king sized bed (which was very comfortable) though it didn’t look any larger than other hotel rooms he had been in. Other than that it held what any other hotel room would, dr
esser, closet, desk, two chairs, table, nightstands and TV. The en suite had marble floors and walls, walk-in shower (no bathtub), double sinks, toilet and bidet. The bedroom had muted, beige striped wallpaper and the bathroom was painted a tasteful, neutral beige. The room was sterile-cold but comfortable. The lobby of the hotel was more cold marble and lots of medium-dark wood and gold trim and light fixtures. The artist decided he much preferred Jeremiah’s cozy B&B to this modern, sterile hotel.

  Picnic in the Park Café was highly recommended by the concierge and was within walking distance from the hotel so Solomon and Mathieu decided to give it a try. The café looked very new and very trendy. The wall behind the counter was brick, the front wall all windows, the other walls painted ivory. Glass display cases held a variety of bottled beverages and ready-made sandwiches and sides for people to grab and go and there were a few tables for those lucky enough to get one. The rain had let up and people were making their way out of shops back into the streets quashing Solomon’s worry that they wouldn’t be able to get a table. Their luck held out as they grabbed the last one free. Solomon ordered the honey-roast ham, cheese and tomato Panini for Mathieu and a caramelized onion, brie and spinach Panini for himself and bottles of water for both of them.

  After lunch they stopped in at several jewelers Solomon found with his phone but none of them had what Mathieu wanted to get for his fiancé. Solomon liked a lot of what they did see but Mathieu had a picture of what he wanted in his head and he wouldn’t settle for less. They even went into a store that sold jewelry made with fossils which kinda creeped them out and they left quickly. But Mathieu had at least learned Solomon’s ring size so if he had to special order a ring or find one online he knew what size to get. The brunette felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders with the knowledge and he eased the pressure had he put on himself to get Solomon a ring in Bristol. Solomon sensed Mathieu’s lightened mood when the Irishman swung his partner’s hand back and forth as they strolled back to the hotel.

  Back at the hotel they tried out the walk-in shower when they came to the realization that it was big enough to fit both of them comfortably. When they discovered the shower’s steam feature which would keep both of them warm (instead of just the one under the hot, running water) they were both very, very, very happy indeed.

  They had each packed one ‘good’ outfit in case they were in the mood to go to a ‘fine dining establishment’ for dinner one night. Since that night was the last night of their official holiday they made that night 'the' night. Mathieu wore the dark, red dress shirt he first wore when they had their first date at Anders’ Steakhouse (before he changed into white and blue). The color set off Mathieu’s naturally, tan skin, dark hair and golden-brown eyes. Solomon told him that even though he looked amazing in it he could hardly wait to take it off the artist again. The comment caused a bit of a delay in their leaving the room because Mathieu made a comment of his own, “Why put off until later what you can do right now?”

  They chose to go to Piccolino, an Italian restaurant around the corner from the hotel which they had passed on their way back from shopping. They noticed that the restaurant had a large, outdoor seating area but they didn’t think they’d be able to sit there due to the rain that afternoon. When they finally get to the restaurant there were a few people sitting outside because the restaurant staff had toweled off the tables and chairs but Mathieu asked if they could sit inside. A wall of glass separated the kitchen from the dining room and the hostess seated the couple near it. The angle at which they sat let them watch the goings on in the dessert prep area.

  The Italian restaurant’s colors were dark reds and varying shades of brown with bright green napkin, flower vase and candle accents. The table tops were white marble and the chairs and benches were upholstered in brown leather. The restaurant reminded Mathieu of the hotel; it was modern, sterile and cold. It lacked the warmth he felt at Anders’ steakhouse with its brick, dark wood and cloth covered tables.

  For starters they went with the minestrone a la Genovese (spring vegetable soup). As their entrées they chose rigatoni con agnello (slow braised lamb, mint and pecorino cheese) and spaghetti carbonara (crispy pancetta, parmesan cream and a soft poached egg). To them they were the only two in the restaurant. They shared each other’s entrées; feeding each other while staring into each other’s eyes. Mathieu would have liked nothing more than to have a glass of wine but he knew he couldn’t and Solomon, out of respect for him, didn’t have one either. It was just one more little thing Solomon did that made Mathieu love him even more. They shared a torta di fragula (strawberry cheesecake and passion fruit compote) for dessert. They couldn’t pay their bill and get out of there fast enough for Mathieu.

  They begin kissing on the way up to their floor when Solomon pinned Mathieu to the mirrored elevator wall and didn’t stop until they fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.

  ***

  The next morning the couple has a lazy morning, ordering room service instead of going down for breakfast. Solomon stayed in bed while Mathieu slipped on one of the hotel-provided dressing gowns to open the door for the trolley. They would have liked to breakfast in bed but there weren’t any trays so they had to eat at the table. The artist uncovered each plate with dramatic flair before placing the lid on the table. There was a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, a plate of chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream and a smaller plate of bacon. There were also small pots of coffee and hot water for tea, a box of assorted tea bags, a syrup dispenser, a small box of sugar packets, a small carafe of cream, a metal stand holding buttered pieces of white toast and another small box containing sealed, plastic pots of assorted flavored jellies.

  Check-out time was eleven so they ate fairly quickly but not too quickly that Mathieu couldn’t tease Solomon with the whipped cream from his pancakes. The Irishman made a show of getting the cream just to the side of his mouth every time he took a bite of pancake and Solomon, of course, had to kiss it off. By the time the pancakes were half eaten Solomon would have liked nothing more than to sweep all the dishes and plates onto the floor with his arm and take Mathieu right there on the table. He controlled himself and was able to sweep the Irishman up into his arms and have him on the bed instead.

  Solomon took a quick shower while Mathieu cleared the table. He’d never met anyone (not that he’d met that many people or been in hotels with them) who could replace all the items from the trolley back onto it in any kind of reasonable arrangement resembling the neat order in which they were taken off. When Mathieu showered Solomon packed away the few things they still had out and searched the room for anything he may have missed. The couple was ready to go just as the clock hit eleven. Solomon stopped at the front desk to sign the bill and turn in their key cards.

  They had plenty of time before they're scheduled to be at the black, beetle statue in Anchor Square for the pirate walk but Solomon drove to the harbor area anyway instead of walking. After finding a spot in the underground car park the couple headed over to the SS Great Britain but the ship was not allowing visitors because a couple had booked it for their wedding. Making their way back toward the beetle statue Solomon spotted a sign for the aquarium but they didn’t have as much time as they would've liked to take to explore the exhibits. They decided to come back to the aquarium after the pirate walk.

  The two sat by the beetle statue people-watching and soaking up the early afternoon sun. A few more people gathered around the statue waiting for the tour to begin. By the time the hour long tour started there was a group of about twenty people milling about the statue. The tour conducted around the harbor showed people the key areas used by the slave traders and pirates in Bristol’s past. They were shown Blackbeard’s home and Smuggler’s Cave, old pubs that were the favorite haunts of the pirates, the old tax collector’s office and even the first consulate of the United States.

  After the tour they returned to the Mud Dock Café and Cycleworks for lunch. Mathieu ordered the Mud Dock burge
r with chips and Solomon began his diet by ordering the chicken Caesar salad with croutons and parmesan dressing. Mathieu didn’t make it obvious that he spied his fiancé happily stealing chips from his plate every time he turned his head to look out the window. While they ate they talked about the rest of their day and decided to skip the aquarium and get back on the road for home.

  A little over two hours later Solomon saw the first, familiar sights of home. He slowly maneuvered through the Saturday evening traffic to drop Mathieu off with the luggage at the flat before he returned the car to the rental agency. When the taxi dropped him off a short time later the blonde practically ran up the stairs and into the flat. Mathieu was in the bedroom unpacking when Solomon came in and tackled him to the bed, “I loved being away with you but I’m so happy to be home and in our own bed.”

  “Me too,” Mathieu rested his head on his fiancé’s chest, “and I miss cooking for you and talking to Anders.”

  “You miss talking to Anders, huh?”

  “Yeah, I’ve never had a friend like him before,” Mathieu drew lazy patterns into the fabric over Solomon’s heart. “I love you, though, you know?”

  “Yes, Baby, I know. I love you too.”

  CHAPTER 31

  Monday morning Mathieu got busy getting the flat back in shape; he sent off the laundry, ordered groceries, found places to display Solomon’s lighthouse, ‘Spike’ and his ceramic brother, dusted and opened the sliders to air out the flat. Anders had been stopping by every day while the couple was away to pick-up their mail and Mathieu was expecting him for lunch. The Irishman was cutting it close with the grocery delivery or he'd have nothing to serve.

  As it turned out the grocery delivery did not arrive in time for lunch so Anders asked if Mathieu would like to go out. He didn’t really want to, having eaten out every day for the last week, but Mathieu had no choice but to agree. Anders took the artist to the Montparnasse Café on Thackery Street. Mathieu ordered the cheddar cheese soufflé and Anders has his usual ‘four season salad’. When they arrived at the café there was only one other couple sitting at one of the tables but the cafe began to fill up once peak, lunch time came around. Mathieu tried to focus on what Anders was saying and tried taking deep breaths. His mind wandered and he reprimanded himself to concentrate on Anders and to stay calm.