by Glynis Astie
I rolled my eyes at him.
He laughed. “I saw that! You are quite....what is the word...sassy? Are you not?”
I broke into a grin. For the umpteenth time since I had met Louis (a whole twenty hours ago), I thought, “Is he for real?” He seemed too good to be true. This man had to have flaws.
“Enough hiding, Sydney. I want to hear more about you.”
I sighed. “Well, after all the tales you’ve told me, my life is going to seem pretty boring. Besides, I gave you quite a bit of information last night.”
“Not possible and we barely scratched the surface last night. Please start from the beginning.” He waited patiently.
I took a deep breath. Here’s the basic rundown I gave Louis: I grew up in New York as the youngest of three children. My parents got divorced when I was six and my mom, Lyn, remarried two years later. I consider my stepfather, Ted, to be my real father as he loved and raised my siblings and me as his own after my biological father left us for his secretary. (Is it any wonder I have issues with trusting men?) He even went so far as to adopt us, which was a huge deal considering he had already raised three daughters of his own. We, in turn, adopted his last name, Bennett. My brother, Charlie, and sister, Kate, were my favorite people in the world other than my parents. I was the salutatorian of my high school class, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northwestern University and loved my job in Human Resources at a small biotech firm in Mountain View.
After we finished our desserts, Louis took my hand. “Sydney.”
A shiver ran down my spine. “Louis?”
“Where shall we go next?”
I felt butterflies in the pit of my stomach. I was having a great time, but I wasn’t sure how much longer I could go without making a complete ass of myself.
“What about a walk down University Avenue? It’s rather lovely at night.” Was it possible for me NOT to sound like a dork?
His face lit up. “Wonderful. Let us go. I do not want to say goodnight to you yet.”
As we walked out of the restaurant, he took my hand. I had to suppress a gasp because I was easily startled. I turned to him and smiled. He smiled back at me and suddenly stopped.
“Is something wrong?” I peeked over at him, puzzled.
“No, not at all. I wondered...if it would be OK to kiss you?” He eyed me uncertainly.
My stomach turned to jelly. “Um, that would be...nice.” Way to be definitive, Syd. You seem thrilled.
He took a step closer to me and caressed the side of my face. Then he gazed deeply into my eyes and I felt I might expire on the spot. His face was mere inches from mine, his beautiful blue eyes searching mine. He was so intense, so sexy, so close to me and he smelled so good. Just when I thought I was going to hyperventilate from anticipation, he closed his eyes and pulled my face gently towards him. His lips brushed mine and it was absolute heaven. He kissed me softly a few more times and then gently released my face from his hands. He gazed down at me and took my hand.
“You are extraordinary, Sydney. And you don’t even know it.”
I stared up at him in a daze and nodded. I knew he had said something, but I couldn’t process it. I was having trouble remembering how to walk.
After a few moments of strolling down the beautiful tree-lit street, I regained my composure and was able to engage in somewhat intelligent conversation. Before long, we walked into a bookstore and started browsing the latest titles. Somehow we ended up in the star sign section and I asked Louis when his birthday was so I could read about his personality quirks.
He scoffed. “I do not have any personality quirks, but my birthday is July 22nd.”
I gasped. “That’s a week from today!”
He seemed confused. “Yes, I know. Is something wrong?”
I touched his arm and smiled. “No, it’s just, you’ll be here instead of in France, right?”
“Yes, I will be here. Is that a bad thing?” He took a step closer to me.
I shook my head. “It’s a shame; you won’t be with your family.”
He pulled me close to him and whispered in my ear, “Well, I guess it will be up to you to help me celebrate.”
I giggled nervously. “How old are you going to be?”
He seemed puzzled for a minute. “I never remember how old I am. I know you will think me ridiculous. I will be...twenty-four years old.”
The smile froze on my face. I was nearly four years older than Louis. Holy crap! Wait a minute...why did this matter to me? I had been totally fine…OK, sort of fine…before I knew his age. This is so not a big deal. Just let it go. I had dated guys who were years older than I was and they still sucked. Stop finding things to disqualify him! Louis is perfect. At least that’s what I’m going to believe for now.
I regained my composure and grinned at Louis. “You’re a baby!”
He pretended to look affronted. “French men mature faster. Why, how old are you?”
I laughed at him. “Don’t you know it’s rude to ask a woman her age?”
He winked at me. “I am French. We are known for being rude. Now, please answer my question.”
I pouted at him. “I’m twenty-seven...soon to be twenty-eight.”
He pretended to be shocked. “Oh! You are ancient. I cannot believe you have fooled me for this long.”
I swatted at him and laughed. “You suck! I was going to ask you to dinner for your birthday, but now I’m not sure you deserve the invitation.”
He pulled me close to him. “I would love to go to dinner with you for my birthday, but only if you let me take you out again tomorrow night.”
Whoa! Tomorrow night? I started to panic. How long could I keep up the charade of normalcy for Louis?
“Make it Tuesday and you have a deal. I promised my sister I would hang out with her tomorrow night.” It was a total lie, but I needed a little breathing room.
“OK. Tuesday it is.” He let me go and took my hand. “It is getting late; I should walk you back to your car.”
I nodded and we set off towards the parking garage. When we got to my car, he took my face in this hands. “I had a wonderful time with you tonight, Sydney. I will call you tomorrow.”
I smiled up into his face. I was about to tell him I had a wonderful time too when he pulled me in and kissed me in such a way which would make my face turn a startling shade of crimson if I were to describe it to you. Suffice it to say, it was the most sensual, enthralling, stomach-flipping kiss I’ve ever experienced.
After what seemed like hours, Louis swept me into a tender hug and held me for a long moment. He reluctantly opened my car door and helped me gently inside. “Drive safely, Sydney.”
I nodded, closed the door and started the car. I waved to him as I drove away. When I reached the corner, I had to stop at a red light. As I sat there waiting for the light to change, I watched Louis cross the street to his rental car. I simply stared at this remarkable man and thought, “What is wrong with him?”
Chapter Six
My alarm clock woke me from the most enjoyable dream of Louis. It was Monday morning and I had to get ready for work. I had snoozed through my morning workout (exercise was necessary to maintain my figure now that I was a bit...older) since I had been up extremely late last night filling in Kate and Maya over the phone. They wanted every, single detail. So after going on the date and then reliving it twice over the phone, my head was completely full of Louis. How was I going to concentrate on work?
Thankfully, the day went by rather quickly. Monday was the day I gave orientation for new employees and introduced them around the building. By the time this was done and their paperwork had been completed, it was the end of the day. I shut down my computer and called Kate. She picked up on the first ring.
“Hey, Syd!” I love caller ID.
“Hi! I’m on my way. Do you need me to pick up anything for dinner?” I had decided I had to make last night’s statement to Louis true. I felt terrible for lying to him. Besides, it was always nice to see
Kate and Nick.
“No, thanks. Plan B. We’re going out.”
I chuckled. “What happened to ‘barbeque night’?”
She sighed. “Nick had a little trouble putting the grill together.”
“Shut up! Mr. Perfect had trouble with something?” I couldn’t control my laughter.
“Be nice, Syd. I keep telling you that Nick isn’t perfect. DO NOT make fun of him when you get here. He feels bad enough as it is.”
I suppressed another chuckle. “Of course I won’t make fun of him. You know I love Nick. I would never do anything to diminish his masculinity.”
“You’d better not. I’ll always be your big sister, Sydney! I know how to get to you...”
“Yikes! I’m petrified.” Kate didn’t have a threatening bone in her body. She tried, but she just couldn’t pull it off. “I’ll see you in half an hour, my scary sister.”
“Wait, Syd! Have you talked to Mom lately?”
I thought for a moment. “Not since last week. The store is always busy. And even when it’s not open, she’s doing inventory or sales projections.”
My mom and dad had opened a pottery painting studio a couple of years ago and though it had taken time to get off the ground, it had become very popular. Charlie, Kate and I were very happy for them, but because of the store’s success, my mom was harder and harder to get on the phone.
“I know it’s hard to catch her, but she really misses you. Why don’t you try giving her a call tomorrow? Maybe you could tell her about Louis.”
“Kate! I’m not ready to tell her. Let’s see how tomorrow night goes, OK? I want to get know him a little better first.”
“She just wants to you to be happy, Syd.”
“I know. I don’t want her to be disappointed if she doesn’t have to be. She has enough to worry about with the store. I don’t want her to worry about me too.”
Kate laughed. “She’ll worry anyway, but I get what you’re saying.”
“Good. I’m on my way, Kate. See you soon!”
I pulled up to Kate and Nick’s house exactly thirty minutes later to find Nick outside with the grill and a toolbox.
“Hey, Nick!”
He glanced up and grinned. “Hi, Syd. How’s it going with Louis? Kate says you’re totally into this guy.”
I blushed. “Nice, Nick. You just set a new record. I love that your favorite game is to see how quickly you can embarrass me.”
“You’re my little sister now, you know. It’s my job to make you uncomfortable.” He smirked.
“Gee. Thanks. I feel so loved.” I gave him a big hug. “You’re a total pain in the ass, but I love you anyway.”
He messed up my hair, put his arm around my shoulder and walked me inside.
Kate beamed when we walked in. “Hey, Syd! Ready for some margaritas?”
“Definitely.” I rubbed my hands together in anticipation. “Are you guys ready to go?”
“Let’s go!” Nick and Kate spoke in unison. Sometimes perfection is genuinely nauseating.
Dinner at Casa de Maria was delicious, as usual. Carlos, the owner of the restaurant, loved Kate and was constantly sending over special dishes for us to try for free. Honestly, the way people adored Kate was astounding. It was a great side benefit of being her sister.
After dinner, Kate and Nick walked me to my car. “Thanks for dinner, you guys. It was absolutely scrumptious.”
Nick pulled me into a hug. “You’re welcome, Syd. We’re always happy to see you.”
When he released me, Kate took my hands. “We love you very much, Syd. Please give yourself a break and enjoy Louis. Stop second guessing everything. It must be exhausting!”
How right she was! “Thanks, Kate. You always know what to say.” I gave her a huge hug and got into my car. She and Nick waved as I drove down Main Street.
I was still enormously full when I got home. I put on my pajamas and had just finished brushing my teeth, when I bumped into Jess in the hallway.
“Hey, Syd! You have a message on the answering machine. Louis sounds sexy!”
I practically ran to the kitchen and pushed the play button on the answering machine. “Hello, Sydney. I am sorry to miss you, mon coeur. I hope you are having a good time with Kate this evening. Please know I am thinking of you and look forward to seeing you tomorrow. I will pick you up at six o’clock. Ciao.”
Wow. I had to listen to the message again. That man is SEXY. Simply hearing his voice made me weak in the knees.
Much to Kate’s great delight, I had agreed to let Louis pick me up for dinner this time. Since he had chosen the restaurant for our last date, I chose tonight’s restaurant. I opted for something more casual and fun. We were going to a pub down the street from my apartment. I was a regular there and hoped Louis would appreciate the food and crazy clientele as much as I did. Our conversations certainly led me to believe he enjoyed the unexpected.
I raced home from work and took a quick shower. Kate and I had already chosen my “casual” ensemble for this evening during our dinner last night. It had only taken us thirty minutes and four outfit choices! Nick was thrilled. We settled on a pair of dark jeans, a green satin camisole with cream lace trim and low cream sling back heels (we would be walking a lot after all.) I wrapped a soft cream sweater around my shoulders and added silver chandelier earrings for a little dazzle. Kate advised me to wear my hair up in order to show off my shoulders and the beautiful earrings she had let me borrow.
I twirled in front of the mirror. I had to admit I looked good and hoped Louis would agree. I smiled at the thought of him and then glanced at the clock. Holy crap! It was six-thirty. How did that happen? Wait, wasn’t Louis supposed to be here at six o’clock? I went to the kitchen to check the answering machine. No messages. Hmmm. Did I get the time wrong? I don’t think so. Wait! I hadn’t deleted his message from yesterday. I pushed the play button. I listened to Louis’ message and was almost immediately distracted by the sound of his velvety voice. Focus, Sydney. I listened intently. He did say six o’clock. I wonder what happened?
The familiar panic started to set in. Stop! He isn’t a jerk. He’s probably just running late. Call him! I dialed his cell phone number and it went straight to voicemail. This was not good. I peeked outside my window, but didn’t see his rental car in the parking lot. Where could he be? Was he stuck in a meeting at work? Did he have an accident? Or was he an asshole? Had I been completely taken in?
The phone rang and I jumped. I ran, almost upending a table, and grabbed the phone. “Hello?” I said breathlessly.
“Syd? Are you OK?” Maya sounded worried.
“I’m fine, Maya. It’s just...Louis is thirty minutes late to pick me up and I’m worried.”
“Thirty minutes? Have you tried calling him?”
Duh. “Yes, I tried calling him. It went straight to voicemail. Damn it! I’m falling into a doubt spiral.”
“Get a grip, Syd. He probably got stuck at work. I know it’s asking a lot, but why don’t you give him a few more minutes before you lose your shit?”
I rolled my eyes and exhaled. “Thanks, Maya. You’re great at talking me down from the crazy.” Knowing Maya, she completely missed the sarcasm, but at least being annoyed with her was distracting me. “What are you up to?”
“I’m on my way to the gym. I was planning on leaving a message to see if you were free for a drink tomorrow night. You’ve been a bit busy lately…”
I sighed. “Indeed, I have. I’d love to. Seven at Charlie’s?”
“You read my mind. Call me later and tell me how your date went. All the men I’ve met lately simply aren’t up to par. I need to live vicariously through you.”
“If I’m not home too late!” I laughed.
“You realize you owe me big time since I dragged your ass out that night.”
“I know, I know. Drinks are on me tomorrow night.”
“It’s a start, my friend.”
The doorbell rang. “I have to run, Maya. Be good!”
“You too, Syd.” Maya had the ability to make anything sound wicked.
I practically sprinted to the door. Slow down, Syd. You don’t need to seem desperate.
I opened the door to find a very worried Louis. “Sydney! I am sorry to be late. I got stuck in a last minute meeting and could not get out to call you. I was going to call you on the way, but my phone is out of battery. I hope you can forgive me.” He handed me another beautiful bouquet of flowers.
I threw my arms around him in relief. “I understand, Louis. Work comes first. Thank you for the beautiful flowers. This florist must love you!”
He pulled me close to him. “I have missed you, Sydney.” As he buried his nose in my hair, he sighed and said, “You smell wonderful.”
I smiled. I certainly knew the power his scent had over me. “You’re making me blush, Louis. By the way, what does ‘mon coeur’ mean?”
He laughed and pulled back from me. “Ah yes, my pet name for you. It means ‘my heart’ in French.”
My stomach flipped. “What a beautiful name! You’re living up to your reputation as a romantic French man.”
He grinned. “Are you ready to go? I am famished. I had to work through lunch today.”
I grabbed my purse. “All set. We can walk. The pub is only a few blocks down the street.”
He took my hand and kissed it softly as we walked out the door. “My day has just gotten much better, Sydney.”
That was the beginning of another magical night with Louis. We had a fantastic time at dinner. We talked and laughed for hours without a break. When he walked me home, I felt pure joy from finding this man. Why did he have to go back to France? I had avoided this subject like the plague, but the more time I spent with him, the more it pushed to the forefront of my mind. What was I going to do? The other nagging question was right beside it...what was wrong with Louis? He couldn’t actually be this perfect...
Chapter Seven
The phone woke me with a start. I glanced at the clock. Six-thirty in the morning??? Who the hell was calling me this early? Granted, it was a work day, but still!
