by Krista Lakes
Curves of the French Riviera
Krista Lakes
Published by Krista Lakes
Copyright 2012 Krista Lakes
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Curves of the French Riviera
“You’re going to get tan lines Megs. Take your top off- what’s the point of going to a topless beach if you don’t go topless?” Laura chided, her own top folded neatly beside her. At least her boobs are small, thought Megan. Despite Laura’s insistence, there was no way she was going to take down her top. Megan had a cute tankini that accentuated and covered her full figure in a way that she liked, and she wasn’t about to take it off. Especially not since she felt like the biggest girl on the beach. All the French girls seemed so tiny and confident in their sex appeal; it was hard not to feel like she stuck out already and Megan just wasn’t ready to exhibit any more of herself than necessary. She gave Laura an evil glare over the tops of her sunglasses, to which Laura laughed and left her alone. Megan lay back and dozed in sunshine, listening to the waves and idly scrunching the sand under her toes.
This was their graduation present to themselves- a trip to Cannes, France for a week in the sun. They both minored in French, and Megan’s great aunt owned a house not to far out of town and kept begging for the girls to visit. For the price of a plane ticket and a bottle of wine for her aunt, they had found themselves sunbathing along the Côte d'Azur. It was a dream come true.
“More sunscreen?” Laura asked holding out the bottle. Megan looked down at her body; she liked the way she was bronzing, but she could feel her shoulders heating. She held out her hand and Laura squirted the warm white goop onto it. Megan carefully rubbed her hands together, trying to keep the sand out of it before rubbing it on her chest, shoulders, nose, and any other easily burned area she could think of.
Laura tossed the sunscreen back in her beach bag, and lay back on her elbows looking out towards the ocean. She looked like a goddess bathing in the sun. Laura was fit and thin with long blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes. If she wasn’t such a wonderful friend, Megan would have hated her for her perfect beauty. Megan often felt like a giant troll standing next to the pretty princess when they went out. Where Laura was thin and petite, Megan had curves. She had always been a little bigger. Even in elementary school she had been chunky despite being an active kid. It didn’t bother her until high school, but she made friends instead of boyfriends and focused more on AP classes, and college came quickly enough.
She tried to slim down in college and she went to the campus gym religiously with Laura. Somehow Laura managed to get skinnier while Megan never lost an ounce. Her figure made her feel either invisible or the biggest thing in the room. Most of the time she didn’t let it bother her, but when they went out together it was always Laura that got free drinks and ended up whisked away by handsome men. Megan was always the friend the wingman took so the other guy could get the pretty girl. Laura, for her part, always made sure that Megan had a good time, but sometimes it frustrated her that she was never the one being pursued. She was always second place. She was by no means virginal, but finding a willing partner wasn’t always easy for her. The wingmen who picked her up often seemed surprised to find themselves enjoying her company, and several had taken her home. It never seemed to last though.
Megan secretly hoped to meet a celebrity while she vacationed in Cannes. It was a month after the big film festival, but she was hoping that a few were sticking around enjoying the beautiful weather. TMZ was reporting that Brad Pitt’s new movie was filming just off the coast, so there was that prospect too. She sighed, knowing that there was really no way she would ever meet Brad Pitt, and that if Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston were what interested him, he wouldn’t even look twice at her. Oh well, I just want his autograph anyway, she thought to herself as she lay back onto her towel.
She woke up easily when Laura reached over and tapped Megan’s knee marking twenty minutes. Megan thanked her and rolled onto her stomach, making sure her long strawberry blonde hair was off her back. She carefully undid the ties to her top, leaving her back open to the sun. She closed her eyes and concentrated on relaxing, the sun and surf absorbing into her being. She was just thinking that she could get used to this when she heard male voices strike up a conversation with Laura. She tried to ignore them, and get back to her zen thoughts, but Laura reached over and brought her into the conversation.
“This is my friend, Megan” she introduced to the two male voices in perfect French. Megan sighed, quickly tying her top back on and sitting up to turn around. Two handsome men in their late twenties sat in the sand, obviously interested in Laura. They politely shook Megan’s hand, but the second Laura began talking their attention focused only on her. Megan felt like waving her hands in front of their faces and screaming that she was interesting too, but she knew it wouldn’t make much difference. She regretted sitting up at all; she should have just stayed sunbathing and ignored them since they weren’t interested in her at all.
“Ce soir? We could come out with you tonight. What do you think Megs? These two locals say they would like to show us around a little tonight- maybe even dancing.” Laura raised her eyebrows hopefully at Megan. Megan knew that look- Laura was interested in one of them. The two men glanced quickly at each other, trying to figure out what to say before Megan could answer.
“Sorry, not the two of you. Just you, Laura.” The first young man blushed as he turned to Megan, ”But of course, you can come if you want, but Henri already has a date and I only need one…”
“Forget it then. Find somebody else. Come on Megs, it is time for us to be going anyway.” Laura’s voice was cold enough to freeze the ocean as she threw her swimsuit cover-up on and began rolling her towel. Megan forced the hurt down, grateful that her friend wasn’t going to let them do that to her. The two men sat in the sand looking confused as Laura hastily packed up the last of her things and pulled Megan off the beach muttering under her breath about how rude the French could be.
***
“Damn girl! You look good!” Laura whistled at Megan as she stepped out of the bathroom. Megan grinned. She had bought this dress at one of the shops near the airport, and it fit like a glove. Bright red and cut in classic style that reminded her of 1940’s pinup girls, she felt like a million bucks. In this dress, she felt like she could hold her own with Laura and her light blue sundress. Megan’s aunt wished them a good night as they left out the front door. The sun was setting slowly, giving a little relief from the heat of the day as the two girls made their way to the main street. They were going to go see the film festival building, then walk along the shops along the Promenade de la Croisette and then walk down by the marina to see the insanely expensive yachts docked there.
As they approached the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, they could see tourists snapping pictures on what was the red carpet during the festival. Laura pushed Megan towards the steps as she pulled out her camera. She nodded encouragingly as Megan began to walk down the steps, posing like a movie star. Laura moved around, snapping photos like a paparazzi, urging Megan to pose. She felt a little silly, but Laura kept shouting encouragement from behind the camera. When Megan got to the bottom of the stairs, Laura showed her the pictures in the viewer. Megan wanted to gasp at them. She
looked gorgeous- like a real movie star. She could feel her confidence rising, and she decided she liked it.
“Told you- you look good tonight! Holy cow Megs- you look amazing in these!” Laura praised her as she flipped through the snapshots. Megan went to grab the camera to take some of Laura coming down the stairs, but Laura danced the camera out of her reach. “Nope, just you coming down those stairs this evening. We can do me tomorrow.” Megan let her keep the camera, knowing that her friend was giving her this moment. Laura knew that Megan would compare their pictures and she wanted her friend to be the pretty one tonight, especially after the beach incident. Megan hugged her friend in a silent thank you as they started walking back towards the waterfront to a row of street vendors.
Artisans sold paintings and handmade jewelry to the tourists that walked up and down the street. There was a celebratory quality to it that both girls enjoyed. They stopped to look at a man bending wire into jewelry, easily turning names into wearable art. The man next to him was drawing animals in the shapes of letters to spell out a child’s name. English and French mixed with laughter up and down the shopping lanes as tourists enjoyed their holiday. It didn’t take long to reach the end of the sellers and head towards the docks.
Huge yachts bobbed gently on the water as they walked up the boardwalk. They laughed as they walked arm in arm, looking at the boat names, giggling about what they would name their own boat if they had one. As they came alongside one of the larger sailing vessels near the end of the dock, a man on the deck hailed them.
“Bon soir, mademoiselles!”
The two girls turned and smiled at him, stopping in front of his ship. There was no one else around on the dark pier. He walked to the railing of his boat to speak with them more easily. He was tall and well built, appearing to be in his late 20s or early 30s, his jet black hair messy from being in the wind. Even in the shadows of evening Megan thought he might be the most handsome man she had ever seen. He spoke in English, but with just enough of a French accent to betray his origins. Megan thought he sounded incredibly sexy.
“What are you two lovely ladies doing walking around without your bodyguards? The paparazzi will surely catch you,” he flirted across the water at them. Megan wasn’t sure, but it seemed as if his eyes lingered longer on her than on Laura. She quickly dismissed the thought. No one’s eyes stayed longer on her than Laura.
“We just evaded the paparazzi- they were distracted by all the tourists in town while we made our escape,” called Laura back to him. He laughed a rich hearty sound that made Megan’s knees feel weak. She thought she could listen to that sound all day.
“That is most fortunate! Are you two staying in town for long?” His dark eyes seemed to draw Megan in, even from across the railing. She felt like he was pulling her into him, and she consciously had to not step forward and she was glad her arm was still linked with Laura’s so she wouldn’t be tempted.
“We are. My aunt lives in town and we are staying with her for a few days.” Megan spoke before she even realized it. She always let Laura do the talking in these situations. Her voice sounded strangely confident in her ears.
“Magnifique! Perhaps tomorrow you two would like to ride out to sea with me? I would like to practice my English with some Americans if you have the time.” His smile was warm and welcoming.
“That sounds wonderful, but we will have to check with our Aunt,” answered Laura quickly. Megan almost hit her; she would have hopped on his boat and sailed away that moment if he had asked.
“But of course. Here is my card. If you are able, please call me. It will be a wonderful time, I promise.” He leaned out over the railing with a business card in his fingers. Megan moved before Laura could stop her, reaching up to grab it. Her hand grazed his as the card transferred, and electricity sizzled through their touch. Megan cradled the card carefully in her hand, desperately trying to convince herself that she didn’t just feel something. Laura snatched the card from her fingers, reading the name on the front. Megan grabbed it back forcefully, nearly knocking Laura over as she retrieved it.
“Well, Monsieur Gabriel Aubert, we will hopefully see you tomorrow.” Laura called up to him, carefully guiding Megan back towards the brightly lit town center. He called a good evening after them, leaning on the railing to watch them walk away. Megan made sure to walk her best, hoping he was looking at her and not Laura. She couldn’t understand why Laura was pulling her away so vehemently. The idea of jealousy floated through her mind, but Megan disregarded it. Who would be jealous of her? But she remembered the way his eyes smoldered at her from across the railing and she wondered. When they reached the glow of a restaurant just off the pier, Laura finally stopped dragging Megan forward and turned to face her.
“What were you thinking? You don’t know him and there wasn’t anyone nearby! You don’t know if he owns that boat or what he was doing there!” Laura growled at Megan. Megan stopped for a moment, the idea that he might have been dangerous never even really entered her mind. She paled a little, but just clutched the card tighter in her hands. All she could remember was the electric spark of his touch.
“What if he does own the boat though, Laura? What if we got to go out with him? We’ll Google him and see what Auntie says. She knows everyone around here anyways. Besides, all he did was give us his card.” She hoped she sounded calm, because in her head she felt torn between screaming or singing. Something about him triggered a primal desire in her. She prayed that he could deliver on his promise. She prayed that he was all that her imagination was making him into.
“You liked him, didn’t you?” Laura’s whole demeanor suddenly changed as she figured it out. A conspiratorial smile took control of her features. When Megan didn’t answer right away, she knew the answer. “You like him! And I think he liked you- he barely even glanced at me.” Megan rolled her eyes at her friend.
“Barely glanced? No one barely glances at you. Especially not because they are looking at me,” said Megan.
“Don’t sell yourself short! I have experience in when men are looking at me and when they aren’t. He was looking at you like a starving man at a buffet.”
“Really?” Megan let herself hope for a moment.
“Really. Let’s go home and ask Auntie right now before she goes to bed. I want to get you that date tomorrow!” Laura grabbed Megan’s hand and began towing her towards home. Megan felt a silly smile fill her face as she let herself hope.
***
Gabriel Aubert, according to the internet entry, was a self-made billionaire. He was the owner of the famed Fortune Inc television and media company, as well as several other smaller companies. He vacationed frequently in the French Riviera, was known for his love of sailing, and was considered one of France’s most eligible bachelors. The picture on the website was somehow more handsome than Megan remembered meeting. His black hair was smoothed back, a chiseled jaw, and intense green eyes. She hadn’t been able to see the color of his eyes in the dark, and now they seemed to stare into her soul from the computer screen.
“Gabriel Aubert? I met him last year at a charity fundraiser. He donated over a million dollars to the children’s fund that year. I remember thinking he was very intense. Very good looking, but very intense. You two girls met him and he offered you a ride on his yacht? Did I mention the good looking part? I would ride on his boat in a second, if you know what I mean…” Auntie trailed off with a wink. Megan turned to stare at her aunt, Laura laughing as she scrolled down the computer screen. Auntie stood up and kissed each girl on the head, turning out the kitchen light as she left the room. She called out a good night as she headed off to bed, the two girls still giggling
“Did you bring that blue dress- the one with the low scoop neck?” Laura asked Megan, her face intent on the glowing screen.
“Only because you made me. I still don’t know how you convinced me to buy it.” Megan replied as she flopped onto the couch, chewing on a fingernail.
“Well, it says here is favorit
e color is blue. So, you are wearing that tomorrow. Hand me the phone, will you?” said Laura holding her hand out towards Megan .
“You are serious about this, aren’t you? I really think you are crazy. A billionaire Laura. He could have anyone he wants- supermodels, regular models, hand models- literally anyone. Why would he be interested in me?” replied Megan handing her the home phone. Laura picked up his business card and began dialing.
“Because he sees what I see. You sell yourself short Megs…. Yes,” she straightened up, obviously not expecting a person to pick up. “Is this Mr. Aubert?” she said, going pale a little bit. Before her pause became too awkward, she regained her senses and began talking. “This is Laura and Megan from the dock this evening. We were hoping your offer to go out tomorrow evening was still available? Yes- 7pm on the docks. We will be there, thank you so much. Have a wonderful evening.” She set the phone down with a small click. “I just spoke to a billionaire on his personal line. He gave us his personal line, Megs- I feel like someone out of a movie!” Laura spun her chair around to face Megan, her face suddenly stern. “Now get to bed young lady- I need you to be your best tomorrow!”
***
Laura and Megan sat down at a little restaurant overlooking the town square, a fountain gurgling pleasantly in the background. They were taking a break from shopping for that evening, the restaurant not yet busy with the lunch crowd. Megan ordered a white wine while they looked over the lunch menu, a refreshing breeze ruffling the patio umbrellas. The waiter took their order quickly in French, leaving them to enjoy the warm summer day.
“Salut, Mademoiselles! I did not expect to see you before tonight,” a deep voice greeted them. Megan felt herself turn a deep scarlet and she considered hiding behind her menu as Gabriel greeted them. He looked even more handsome in the daylight; his black hair was windblown around his chiseled face, his green eyes intense on her.
