Louise

by Diana Nixon

  “I will. Do you know what time I should be at Pierre’s club? Wait a second, I don’t even know its name.”

  “The Crimson Moon opens at noon, but your show starts at ten tonight, so you will have plenty of time to get there and get ready for the show. Would you like to go sightseeing before you go to work?”

  “With you?”

  He laughed quietly into the handset, I swear, I could feel his laughter vibrating on my skin, as if he were there with me now¸ and not miles away.

  “Yes, I’ll go with you, but not in a traditional way.”

  Oh, I knew exactly what he was talking about. I rolled my eyes, sighing. “Don’t you think it’s a little too late to talk about keeping distance from me, especially after what happened last night?”

  I knew I wasn’t playing fair, but blackmailing him was the only weapon I had in the war we had going, which I felt I would never win.

  He sighed too. “Did you read the letter I left for you?”

  “I did…”

  “It didn’t change your mind about being with me, did it?”

  “If you hoped you would be able to get rid of me that easily, you were so wrong about me.”

  He laughed again. “Then I can’t wait to see you tonight.”

  “We are having a dinner, aren’t we?”

  “Anything you want, mon trésor — my treasure.”

  The words seeped through my skin and right into the center of my heart, warming it pleasantly. It was unbelievable, how a few words from a handsome man could melt a girl’s stupid heart, and maybe not just her heart…

  “Be careful with your words, Mr. Secret. You never know how they can be used against you.”

  “I’m looking forward to the moment I can see you again, Louise.”

  “Same here. Though everything would have been so much easier if you had just stayed…”

  “I will. One day.”

  “Then I guess I don’t have anything else to do, but take a shower and get dressed for the day.”

  He groaned into my ear. “Don’t remind me about the shower, I still have a very important meeting to live through.”

  “Well, good luck with that.” An idea came to mind, but I was not going to say a word about it, at least not right now. “See you later, Will.” I hung up the phone and smiled at the screen, already knowing there was no way I would let him live through the meeting without driving him insane first.

  My eyes traveled to the letter lying on the blanket. I picked it up and put it back into the envelope, hiding it in my bedside table’s drawer. No matter how sad it made me feel, there was something about it that gave me hope — hope for a better future with Will.

  At about ten in the morning I got a call from the receptionist, saying there was a car waiting for me downstairs. I didn’t ask anyone to prepare a car for me, but I guess Will did.

  “Thank you,” I said, grabbing my jacket, a purse, and a bag with my costume for the show. I wasn’t going to come back to the hotel before the show started.

  “Good morning, Miss,” the driver said, nodding and opening the door for me. He was the same driver that picked me up from the airport last night.

  “What’s your name?” I asked, hoping for a little small talk.

  “It’s Patrick, Miss.” He said with a slight French accent, so I figured the man was not a native of France, maybe an immigrant from Britain or the US.

  “Okay. So Patrick, do you know where we should go first?”

  “Mr. William told me to take you the Eiffel Tower. He’ll be waiting for you there in an hour.”

  No, really? I bet it was going to be another ‘blind date’ or something. But it was still better than traveling around one of the most beautiful cities in the world alone.

  I took my cellphone and started typing a message.

  “Hope your meeting is going well. Though I, personally, can’t even imagine talking about business… Now that my thoughts keep taking me back to the bath, full of hot water and your hands all over me…”

  Send.

  “Keep your fantasies for later, Sweetheart. I really need to work.”

  Right…

  “I thought you liked me sharing my fantasies with you…”

  “You will tell me everything about them tonight.”

  “How about I tell you a little right now? Do you even know how much I wanted to wake up with your arms around me, and not just a blanket keeping me warm?”

  “Louise, I’m working…”

  “I asked you to stay with me last night, but you left. I hope you are not going to do the same tonight? Otherwise, I swear, I will make you regret keeping so many secrets from me.”

  “Tonight I will stay with you, I promise.”

  Okay, that was something, but there was one more thing I wanted to be sure about…

  “Will you make love to me?” I asked, feeling my hands shake, waiting for his unpredictable response.

  “Louise, please…”

  “Will you?” I didn’t know Will well, but one thing I knew for sure — if I wanted to get anything from him, I needed to make him promise it to me. Ugh, did he always have to be so hard to deal with?

  “I will…” Was his short reply.

  I smiled, self-satisfied. “Can’t wait…”

  I had about forty minutes to walk to the Eiffel Tower, buy some souvenirs and take a few pictures. Patrick was there with me, he didn’t come too close, always staying a few feet away from me, but here and there, I could see his face among the endless amount of tourists walking around me.

  “It’s time to go to the elevators,” he said some time later.

  I nodded and followed him to the Tower.

  “This elevator will take you right to the top of the Tower,” he said, handing a ticket to one of the ticket takers.

  “Aren’t you going with me?” I asked, a little terrified. I had always been afraid of heights, and now, looking up at the top of the Tower, I felt like I was about to pass out, before I could even get all the way up there.

  “You will have a companion,” Patrick said, smiling politely.

  “Oh, will I?”

  When the elevator doors opened, I went inside, my knees trembled even more. It was made of glass, which was not helpful, considering I could already feel the buzz in my ears, indicating that my fears were growing with the incredible speed of the elevator.

  “Scared?” The familiar voice asked behind me.

  “That is not the right freaking word,” I replied, a little relieved to know that Will was there with me now.

  “Don’t be.” Carefully, he wrapped his arms around me, and inhaled deeply, as if he, himself couldn’t believe that we were so close to each other again. He kissed my hair, saying, “You smell like apples.”

  “It’s just my body wash.”

  “What a shame I wasn’t there when you were using it.”

  “Indeed. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind helping me use it.”

  “You do realize that your messages ruined my meeting, don’t you?” He didn’t sound angry, rather excited.

  “That was the plan,” I said, covering his hands with mine. Leaning back against him, I didn’t notice the elevator going up. So when the doors opened again, it was like waking up from one of the best dreams ever.

  “So you are using my own methods against me now?”

  “Teasing is the only weapon I have to use against you. So yes, I will keep teasing you, until you can no longer think about the damn rules and give up.”

  He pushed me slightly to the exit, laughing behind me. “Be careful what you wish for, Darling. What if you can’t handle me giving up?”

  But I was no longer listening to him. My breath caught at the stunning view right in front of my eyes — I took a few steps toward the transparent wall, shielding us from the beauty of Paris panorama. It felt like we were on top of the world, watching the lives of so many people so far below us.

  “Have you ever been up here before?” I asked Will.


  “Just once. But back then, you were not here with me, so it doesn’t really count.”

  He wasn’t embracing me anymore, but I could still feel that he was standing very close to me. It always felt so surreal, to feel him, but not to see him; to be with him, but not to be with him at the same time. It felt like I was talking to my imagination, sharing the most precious of my thoughts and desires with it. The good news was, at least sometimes my ‘imagination’ responded… Most people don’t have that luxury, and when they do, they are considered crazy.

  My knees were still trembling slightly, but I didn’t care about it anymore. I was so hypnotized by the unbelievably breathtaking view opening up in front of my very eyes, I didn’t even think about Will’s presence, which I had always enjoyed more than anything else.

  “I could dance here,” I said suddenly, already knowing the exact combination of moves and steps I would use in my dance. I don’t think I had ever felt more inspired in my entire life.

  “Will you dance for me tonight?”

  “Of course I will. You said you would come to the show, right?”

  “I’m talking about after the show…”

  “So this is going to be another private dance… Will you dance with me?”

  “I told you, I will do anything you want me to do. Except for one thing…”

  “I know. You won’t let me see your face,” I said, feeling a little frustrated. Who does that? Why is it such a problem for me to see his face? And why is it okay for us to touch each other, but not right for me to look at him?

  “But I will still try my best to make this night unforgettable,” he whispered into my ear, leaving a small kiss under my earlobe.

  “Will, can I ask for one more thing, please?”

  “Anything for you.”

  “Can you kiss me for real? Now…”

  “Will you behave?”

  Oh, he didn’t even know how much I hated that question.

  “I will,” I said before he could decide it was too risky to kiss me without a blindfold covering my eyes.

  “Then turn around.”

  I closed my eyes, and slowly, turned around.

  In the blink of an eye, his arm was around me, as sure and hard as the first time he was kissing me in private dance room nine. The rush of helplessness ran through me. No matter how many times I tried to deny it, he did have some invisible power over me, turning me into one hopeless mess of uncontrollable thoughts, emotions and desires.

  He ran his fingertips down my cheek and lips; the touch was so soft, it felt like I was being kissed by the clouds flying above our heads. He tangled his fingers in my hair, pulled my face closer to his; his lips brushed mine, slowly, teasingly. For a moment, I thought he was having an internal battle with himself, afraid to release and reveal his true emotions. Capturing my mouth in a kiss, he parted my lips with his tongue, possessively. The intensity of the kiss grew with every passing second, making me cling to him as if he was the only solid thing in the swaying world of my sweet weakness. His demanding mouth kept torturing my lips with the most sensual kiss ever, sending even more shivers through me, awakening the familiar need in my lower body that only he knew how to satisfy.

  I was kissing him back without hesitation, as if I knew the man was meant for me centuries ago. And even if it was just another trick of my wild imagination, I didn’t want to wake up, or break free from his hands and lips, spellbinding my body and mind. Stupid self-control… It was breaking into million small pieces, with no hope of being restored, ever again.

  Will broke the kiss unwillingly, breathing heavily.

  “You don’t even know how hard it is for me to step back now, to get into the damn elevator and say good-bye to you, Louise.”

  “Then don’t… Don’t go.”

  “I can’t stay, because if I stay, I can’t guarantee I will be able to keep my hands off of you. And we don’t want to be arrested for making love at the top of the Eiffel Tower, do we?”

  I giggled, sinking into his warm embrace. “That is probably the last thing I am worried about right now.”

  His palms traveled up and down my back, pressing me closer to his chest. “Just wait for a few more hours. And then, you will be all mine, and I will all yours. For as long as you wish…”

  “How about forever?” I asked without thinking. Seriously, the question just slipped out of my lips before I could stop it. Every inch of me tensed, waiting for Will’s unpredictable reaction. Is was almost the same as saying I loved him, but I knew neither of us was ready for the words like that. Neither to say, nor to hear them.

  “I don’t mind spending the rest of my forever with you, Louise. In fact, I would give up everything I have to make it happen.” His voice became very quiet. I could barely hear his words, mixed with the wind, blowing around us.

  “We can make it happen, can’t we?” My eyes were no longer closed, but I still couldn’t look up at Will. No matter how much I wanted to.

  “We can do anything we want,” he said, kissing my hair. “But right now, we need to go back to the reality of our lives.”

  I sighed. “Damn it…”

  He smirked, turning me forcefully away from him.

  “It’s just a matter of a couple hours that we need to spend apart. But then, I promise you Louise, I won’t leave an inch of your body kissless.”

  Tremors ran through me. I felt Will’s hands slipping off of me, and the next second, he was gone, leaving me at the top of the Eiffel Tower, lost and alone.

  I waited for the elevator to return and let it take me down to where Patrick had already been waiting for me.

  “What’s next?” I asked, trying to switch my disarrayed thoughts back to my sightseeing tour, which was far from being easy to do.

  “How about a short walk? You could stop by one of the cafes and have lunch.”

  “Sounds good,” I said absently, following him.

  We walked down the beautiful road of fountains, and headed for Champs Elysees.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about my upcoming night with Will. I didn’t care about the show or my solo dance, that I somehow knew would be perfect. I just couldn’t wait for the moment to be with him again. It was going to be a special night, for both of us.

  Was I afraid of being so close to him again? No, far from it. Rather on the contrary, I was dying to know what it was like to feel him inside me, with his lips and hands studying my body… Teaching me, pleasing me. I didn’t know much about pleasing him, but something was telling me that I didn’t need to. Will would never make me feel embarrassed about it, and he would show me how.

  Patrick said something about the café we stopped by, but I hardly listened. I let him order for me and went to take a seat at one of the tables on the terrace.

  “How long have you known Will?” I asked when he returned with two cups of coffee, croissants and a chocolate ice cream for me.

  “For more than five years, Miss. Why?”

  “Tell me more about William.”

  “I’m not sure I’m allowed to talk about him with you, Miss.”

  I smiled. “I won’t tell him, I promise.”

  The sound of my cellphone ringing announced a new message received.

  “Don’t try to bribe Patrick with your beautiful smile. He’s playing for my team.”

  My eyes widened at the words. “Can Will see or hear us now?” I asked, incredulously.

  Patrick smiled slightly. “It wouldn’t be surprising.” Then he took a sip of his coffee, apparently thinking he had already said too much.

  “Unbelievable…” I muttered, typing a new message to Will.

  “Stop being so bossy, people need to breathe freely, at least sometimes!”

  Send.

  “Then stop trying to break the rules behind my back!”

  “I hate your stupid rules and games…”

  “All of them?”

  Smartass.

  “Some I like a lot…”

  “So I thought…”
/>
  I shook my head and got back to my lunch. Thank God, at least food was not in my list of Will’s restrictions.

  The rest of the day went by in a blur. Patrick told me a few interesting things about the city where he had been living for more than ten years. He had a family, with a wife and two kids about my age. They studied literature at the Sorbonne, and hoped one day they would be able to see New York and Hollywood.

  As it turned out, Will was a permanent visitor of Paris. He lived here for a couple of years, and that’s all I managed to get from Patrick. Will was right, there was no way to make the man speak. Well, at least my smiles didn’t help much, but I was not going to give up. I needed to find out everything about Mr. Secret, one way or another. Besides, he promised to answer all of my questions one day. I only hoped that day would come sooner rather than later.

  Chapter 14

  The Crimson Moon wasn’t anything like Le Papillon. For the first time in my entire life I was embarrassed to be in a place like that, not to mention dancing or talking to one of the club’s visitors. I had only a few minutes to familiarize myself with the show room, but it was more than enough to kill my desire to come back here, ever again.

  Men and women of different ages were everywhere. Some were just talking and laughing, others were making out, and some, well… Some were about to have sex right on the tables right next to them.

  “You must be Louise,” said a woman with a rich American accent.

  “Yes, and you are…”

  “Julia. I’m the manager of the club and one of the trainers. Welcome aboard, Sweetie. Let’s go find you a spare room to get changed.”

  No time to take a breath or look around, okay…

  I followed Julia down the long hall, full of doors of different colors.

  “Why are they painted differently?” I asked, curious. But, of course, I expected anything but what Julia said in response.

  “They are entertainment rooms. The color of the door indicates the limits for the clients, if you know what I mean.” She turned around briefly and winked at me. “If you want to become one of the entertainers, we need to discuss the details.”