Love & Loss (The Austin Series)

by C. J. Fallowfield

  ‘Mia?’ he groaned. ‘What time is it?’

  ‘Six thirty, happy birthday baby.’ I giggled with a smile as he opened his eyes to look at me in amazement.

  ‘You woke me up at six thirty? On holiday? After a seriously late night?’

  ‘Yes,’ I nodded with another giggle. I’d taken him for dinner up the Eiffel Tower and we’d gone up to the viewing platform after to see the sparkling city mapped out below us, there was a reason it was called “The City of Lights.” After we’d come back and had sex in the lounge, then the bathroom and finally the bedroom, twice. ‘It’s your birthday, I’m all excited to give you your presents.’

  ‘I don’t need any presents, I have everything I’ve ever wished for lying right here in front of me,’ he smiled as he squeezed my fingers.

  ‘I told you, old smoothie. O my God, I’m not dating a teenager anymore, you’re a man.’

  ‘All man baby, you thought you felt dizzy at the top of the tower last night? Well wait until you’re on top of my cock.’

  ‘So coarse,’ I laughed with a slap to his arm.

  ‘Are you saying you don’t want to make an old man happy on his birthday?’

  ‘But presents,’ I objected as he scrambled up, pushed me on my back and settled himself between my legs.

  ‘I told you, you’re the best present I ever had, last birthday when I first saw you and now every birthday for the rest of my life,’ he whispered sincerely and I felt my eyes fill up as I nodded permission for him to sink into me as I grabbed his face and kissed him.

  I laughed as I caught him looking at his new watch again and he grinned at me over the cheese fondue we were sharing for lunch, outside on the busy pedestrian street. He passed me a mouthful of the delicious cheese, wine and garlic mixture on crusty bread, dangling from the end of the long fork.

  ‘I love it baby.’

  ‘You’re not just saying that?’ I asked, he had a thing about watches and had a collection already, but this designer black leather and stainless steel skeleton watch just looked so masculine and … Gabe.

  ‘I’m not, I love how you can see all the mechanisms.’

  ‘Good,’ I grinned and passed him a forkful of food back. ‘So how are you liking France Mr Austin?’

  ‘Well I don’t know about the rest of France, but Paris is just amazing. I can’t believe Dad and I have never been here before. What’s on the itinerary for tonight?’

  ‘That would be telling,’ I smiled. I’d booked us a dinner cruise on board the luxurious Don Juan II yacht, which only seated 12 people and served gourmet cuisine and wines as it cruised up the Seine. I’d planned it months ago. I’d packed my white and gold feather dress and gold Jimmy Choo accessories, with a new white lace Basque and matching tiny lace shorts to surprise him with. He leaned over and offered me the last of the fondue. ‘You do realise that we’ve not actually eaten a bite ourselves?’

  ‘I do,’ he laughed. ‘It seemed more romantic to feed each other.’

  ‘It is. We’re going to get even more romantic in a while and go up to the Sacre Couer and wander the artists streets so you can chose a piece for the wall between the sash windows in the bedroom, above my mirror.’

  ‘You’re very in charge this holiday baby,’ he observed as he sat back and dropped his sexy mirrored aviators back down off the top of his head. I was sure it was so I couldn’t see him roll his eyes as I paid the bill. He wasn’t amused that I’d insisted the whole trip was on me. We’d done some of the usual touristy things, the open top bus, the Louvre, Notre Dame and tomorrow we were going shopping on the Champs-Elysees, where I was sure he wouldn’t let me pay for anything. I stood and dragged him up and flung my arms around his neck and kissed him.

  ‘I am in charge, but I still love you old man.’

  ‘I love you too baby, but less of the old,’ he laughed. ‘You’ll be leaving the teens to join me in a few months. Do we have to go sightseeing? Your tits look amazing in that maxi dress, I’m feeling horny as hell.’

  ‘You’re always horny as hell,’ I laughed as I pulled my sunglasses on. ‘We can have sex when we get back later, you can’t come to Paris and not see all of the sights.’

  After the most romantic meal I’d ever had, cruising up the Seine on the yacht and seeing all the glittering lights, Gabe took my hand to help me down the gangway and we strolled along the embankment back to the apartment hand in hand, surrounded by other couples doing the same. It took us ages as he kept stopping to hold me close and kiss me and I kept catching him smiling at me as I looked up at him from under my fringe.

  ‘Why are you so smiley?’ I asked as he grabbed me and dipped me for an old fashioned romantic Hollywood kiss.

  ‘Because I’ve had the most amazing birthday ever and you look so beautiful tonight you make my chest hurt.’

  ‘You’ve really enjoyed it?’

  ‘I have,’ he nodded as he planted another kiss on my lips and turned to put the key in the door to the inner hall of the building. ‘I’m really going to have to step up with the romance factor for yours.’

  ‘No you don’t, you already do romance like no one else Gabe. This was special as it was my first birthday with you, that I remember,’ I added quickly. He grinned and led me to the lift. As we stood outside the entrance to the apartment, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the silk blindfold. I looked at him and bit my lip, excitedly. He hadn’t used the blindfold in sex for a while, and when he did it usually meant a long few hours of pleasure for me. I eagerly turned and he chuckled as he did it up then took my hand and led me inside. I sniffed the air, it smelled different, I was sure I could smell some burning and … roses. I heard him opening a set of French doors and heard some beeping. I wobbled on my heels as he suddenly spun me around. ‘Gabe,’ I giggled.

  ‘Ok, eyes closed while I remove the blindfold,’ he ordered.

  ‘Ok,’ I nodded and squeezed them shut, wondering what he was up to. I shivered as he brushed his lips over my neck as he leaned forwards and undid the silk and pulled it away, then it went all quiet. ‘Gabe?’

  ‘You can open them baby,’ he said, quietly. I did and blinked a few times to readjust to the light and smiled, I was facing the Eiffel Tower in all its lit up glory, but I suddenly gasped and turned my head to look around the apartment. It was full of white roses, hundreds of them on every surface with sparkling fairy lights entwined all around the displays and tea lights flickering on the remaining surfaces. I was so stunned, wondering when he’d organised all of this, that it took me a moment to realise that Gabe was in front of me, down on one knee. He grabbed my left hand before it had a chance to join my right one, which had flown up to mouth as my eyes filled with tears. I’d secretly been hoping he’d propose in Paris, but when he hadn’t on top of the Eiffel Tower last night, I’d assumed it wasn’t going to happen, so I was completely shocked.

  ‘Mia Page, you fill my life with indescribable happiness, you made me fall in love and open my heart again, when I didn’t believe it was possible. I want to go to sleep with you every night and wake up with you every morning, because every day with you is an adventure and I fall even more in love. I’ll never love anyone the way that I love you baby, you’re my best friend, soul mate and the love of my life. Please will you do me the honour of agreeing to be my wife?’

  ‘Yes,’ I nodded without hesitation and dropped to my knees in front of him. ‘Yes, yes, yes,’ I whispered as I clasped his face and kissed him between each word. ‘Everything you just said I feel too Gabe and I’d be honoured to have you as my fiancé and husband.’

  ‘O God Mia, you’ve no idea how happy I am right now,’ he sighed. I sniffed through my tears as he slipped my ring onto my finger and raised my hand to kiss it, tears streaming down his face as he pulled me to him and our lips locked in a passionate embrace. This time the ring didn’t feel like a weight around my neck, it felt it was back where it belonged and I couldn’t be happier. I felt all the love he had for me in that kiss and gave hi
m all of mine back, before he stood and pulled me up and carried me through to the bedroom, which was decked out just like the lounge.

  ‘How did you do all of this?’ I uttered as he gently lay me down on the bed and lifted my foot to undo the ankle strap on my sandal.

  ‘I found a wedding organiser and arranged for them to sort this all out with the landlord.’

  ‘But how? We only arrived a few days ago.’ I asked, then giggled as he tossed my sandal and kissed the sole of my foot.

  ‘I knew we were coming away for my birthday, so as soon as we got back from America, when you gave me the ring back, I told Lexi that I wanted to propose tonight and made her tell me your plans.’ He grinned as I looked at him shocked while he moved to my second sandal.

  ‘You broke her?’ I gasped. I’d sworn her to secrecy.

  ‘I did,’ he nodded with a proud smile.

  ‘So she knew you were going to propose all along?’

  ‘Yes. I asked Gerry and your Mum too and they gave me their blessing.’ He nipped my toe as he removed my shoe.

  ‘You thought of everything,’ I smiled and wiped my eyes. ‘Mum was really ok with this?’ She hadn’t been overly impressed in February when I’d told her we were already living together, saying we were moving too fast.

  ‘She said anyone brave enough to take on the stubbornness of Mia Page for life had her complete blessing,’ he laughed. He yanked me up off the bed and pulled me into his arms and tilted my chin up to look into my eyes. ‘She loves me,’ he shrugged.

  ‘I love you,’ I smiled. ‘Fiancé.’

  ‘Fiancée,’ he whispered back as the smile reached his eyes. ‘So I’d like to get married at Christmas, on your birthday.’

  ‘This Christmas?’ I gasped, totally taken aback.

  ‘Yes. Why are you looking so shocked? I told you that from the start. I said when you agreed to get engaged we were getting married, no stalling.’

  ‘I’m not stalling, but I thought we’d wait a year or two until we’re older and we’ve finished Uni.’

  ‘Why wait? We both want it, being married won’t affect our studies.’

  ‘I just … it’s too soon Gabe, I mean there would be things to plan, to organise. We haven’t even discussed what sort of wedding either of us would want.’

  ‘I want whatever you want baby, it’s your day, you tell me what you want and I’ll make it happen.’

  ‘I don’t know what I want Gabe. I’ve never imagined having a wedding day.’

  ‘So start imagining.’

  ‘I need time Gabe, all I can tell you now is I wouldn’t want some big elaborate display. I’d just want something quiet and intimate with all my loved ones around me. I don’t need some big flashy extravagant day.’

  ‘Then that’s what I’ll organise.’

  ‘Please can we leave it until we finish Uni?’ I pleaded. I’d just taken a massive step by not only agreeing to marry him and to wearing an engagement ring, but in wanting to. I just wanted to take it one step at a time to not panic myself.

  ‘We don’t have to discuss it now. Right now I’m too distracted by how beautiful you look and I’d like to make love to my fiancée right now.’

  ‘That I have absolutely no problem with,’ I smiled as I turned and lifted my hair for him to unzip my dress. He held it for me as I stepped out of it.

  ‘O baby, what did you do?’ he groaned as he ran his hands down my ribs and waist over my new Basque.

  ‘You want to unwrap your last present?’ I winked over my shoulder.

  ‘Hell yeah,’ he enthused as he pulled me back against him and kissed my neck as his hand cupped my throbbing breasts and I let out the most contented sigh of my life.

  ‘Why couldn’t we stay in?’ I asked as we got in the lift. We’d only got back from Paris this afternoon and I hadn’t even had a chance to go and see Lexi.

  ‘Because we need to see how the interior alterations are going at the club and I thought it would be nice to have our first meal out as an engaged couple back home.’ He bent down to adjust the bottom of my silver sequin bandeau cocktail dress he’d purchased for me in Paris. I was also wearing the silver Jimmy Choo sandals and silver Choo bag too, my engagement presents from him. I’d protested that my engagement ring was enough, but he wouldn’t have it. I sighed and nodded as he pressed button 26.

  ‘I thought we were going to see the club?’ I asked.

  ‘We can do that after,’ he smiled and lifted my hand to his lips.

  ‘I hope you’ve booked that booth with the light curtain. I’m feeling rather frisky seeing you in that three piece suit again.’

  ‘Are you now? Well now we’re engaged and I’ve finally won you I don’t need to impress you anymore with my sexual prowess. I was planning on only doing it on special occasions from now on.’

  ‘Well the hot sex is the only reason I agreed to marry you Gabe, so I’d better break this off now.’

  ‘You wouldn’t dare,’ he muttered as he hauled me against his chest. ‘You’re mine now, for life.’

  ‘I was yours for life the minute I spotted that delicious backside across the English room,’ I laughed.

  ‘I can’t believe it’s nearly our anniversary,’ he uttered as he ran a finger down my cheek. One week tonight, we’d been together for a year. It was hard to believe. Even more amazing was that we’d made it to this point after the months of crap we’d been through, but these last seven months had been perfect. Other than the odd argument over Gabe’s bossy domineering side interfering with my plans now and then, we’d hardly argued at all. In fact our relationship seemed to be … perfect. I just kept waiting for that storm on the horizon, like it was all too good to be true. ‘Serious face.’ He frowned at me as he said it. ‘Ok?’

  ‘Better than ok. I’m engaged to the most handsome man in the Universe and I love him more than words can say.’

  ‘I love you too baby. You make me so happy.’ He kissed me and took my hand as the lift announced our arrival. We walked down the granite steps and I felt more relaxed knowing that Chelsea no longer worked here. I stopped suddenly and covered my mouth in shock. Standing at the bar were Robert, Sofia, Lexi, Doug, Sarah, Mum, Gerry, Nana and Granddad Page, Georgie and her boyfriend Justin, Lexi’s fuck buddy Dan, then Milo, Cindy and Max. Also there were my best friends from home Jess, Mandy and Lizzie and their boyfriends too, some of the swim team and Mr Clarke and his wife, Lexi’s step mum.

  ‘Surprise,’ they all shouted. I just nodded and looked up at Gabe as my eyes filled with tears.

  ‘It’s our engagement party. I tried not to make it too over the top and extravagant,’ he shrugged. ‘Ok?’

  ‘Definitely ok, thank you,’ I nodded as I clasped his face and kissed him, then ran to give Mum a hug first.

  Halloween

  I sat at my dressing table putting the finishing touches to my makeup for the party and smiled as I looked up at the black and white photograph I’d taken of the Eiffel Tower from the apartment balcony. I couldn’t help looking over my shoulder at the large black and white canvas Doug had made us for our engagement present. Gabe had set the digital camera on sports mode to take loads of consecutive pictures of the moment he proposed and Doug had chosen the best one to have blown up. Gabe was kneeling in front of me holding my hand, as the fingers of my other hand covered my lips and you could see the emotion on both of our faces, even at a side profile.

  We’d had an amazing engagement party and had been showered with money. Lexi had set up a “Wedding Fund” donation page, so everyone had put some money in for us which was so sweet, but the most amazing present had come from Robert and Sofia and I could hardly believe it. Gabe had told them how amazing Paris was, Sofia already loved it there, so when he’d mentioned how romantic the apartment in Paris was, and that it was for sale, they’d made an offer on it as their gift to us, on the proviso that they could schedule vacations there as well. I’d actually screamed with joy when they’d told us, the thought of being able to fly over fo
r a weekend of bliss, somewhere that we had so many happy memories in, whenever we wanted was just incredible.

  The restructure of the interior of the club was nearly completed and I’d done interviews for the dancers and bar staff and hostesses with Lexi. Gabe and Doug had done interviews for the security team and cleaners. Robert had already helped with filling a bank of prepaid members on the basis of artists impressions of how the club would look, so we were already making money. By charging a flat annual fee, we had a guaranteed income stream from a high end clientele, then the mark up on drinks too. Robert had even struck up a deal with 26 to provide light bites to eat on order with a cut of the profit coming to us. Mum had rolled her eyes when I’d sat her and Gerry down to tell them and shown them the drawings, then she’d slapped Gerry around the back of the head when he asked if he could come to the opening night, which had made me laugh.

  The only blip had been yet another murder, the sixth by the Campus killer who was still sticking to his pattern and it was just as gruesome as the last, her body having been horrendously defiled. To make matters worse it was a girl who was in my History lecture. I didn’t really know her, other than having recognised her face when it was in the papers, but it was just that too close to home. Now Lexi wasn’t attending Uni with me, Gabe had gone over protective crazy again and went out of his way to make sure that he or Doug dropped me off to Uni and came to collect me from outside the lecture hall when I was done. We’d had a big argument again about me still wanting to attend the gym and Pilates with Milo, which I’d flatly refused to cease, which hadn’t impressed him at all. I’d noticed at our engagement party that he’d kept me as far away from Milo as possible and wondered why he’d even invited him in the first place. I smiled as the bedroom door opened and Lexi walked in.