by Glynis Astie
I sighed. “You’re right. Thank you for protecting my modesty.”
Louis laughed and grabbed his bags. He opened the door and music spilled out into the hallway. Crap. Jean was home. My plans didn’t involve having Louis’ roommate in the immediate vicinity.
“Louis! How was your flight?” You had to hand it to Jean. He had amazing manners. He always insisted on speaking English to Louis when I was present.
“Long. I am glad to finally be back.” He rubbed his eyes for emphasis.
Jean smirked. “I am sure you are.”
Louis held up his bags. “I am going to put these down and rest. See you later, man.”
“Enjoy your nap, Sydney.” Jean winked suggestively.
My face no doubt turned a new shade of red, but this wasn’t going to stop me. “Thanks, Jean. See you later.”
Louis walked into his bedroom and put his bags down. I followed him in and closed the door. He turned to me and grinned. I launched myself at him and he fell backwards on the bed and laughed.
“You missed me quite a lot, didn’t you?”
“That’s an understatement.” I could contain myself no longer. I kissed him like my life depended on it. Louis responded and our hands started to wander. As I tried to reach the button of his jeans, deep laughter rumbled from his chest.
“I have missed you too, mon coeur. Just remember these walls are pretty thin.” He sat up and regarded me with amusement.
“Are you worried Jean will hear something?” I smirked. “I seem to remember a few times when Jean was fairly loud with total strangers he’d brought home from a bar. Maybe it’s time he got some payback.”
“I was merely concerned for your virtue – as you call it.” He couldn’t get through his comment with a straight face.
“Hey! I’m perfectly virtuous.” As I said this, I realized before Louis, the perception of my “virtue” would have been a real concern for me. For some reason, it used to really matter to me what other people thought. After Louis, it didn’t seem important. At this moment, I knew I wanted him, and I didn’t care who else knew.
I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him back on top of me and into a slow kiss. My hands made their way back to his jeans and opened the button. Then I slowly worked the zipper down and began to pull his jeans off. I had worked them down to just below the waistband of his underwear when I felt...skin. My eyes jerked open. Louis started to laugh uncontrollably. I was totally confused. I peered over his shoulder and started to giggle. He was wearing a thong!
“I thought you might enjoy this.” He had tears streaming out of his eyes from laughing so hard. “You should see the look on your face. You Americans are so uptight!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You did that on purpose to shock me?”
“Of course not. I do not like my panty lines to show.” He fell into another fit of giggles and I jumped on top of him.
“Ha, ha. You’ve had your fun. Now come here.” It wasn’t too hard to get Louis to stop laughing.
A few magical hours later, Louis and I were lying in bed talking. Apparently, Louis had a lot of decisions to make in the next couple of weeks regarding his living arrangements.
“Now that I have been transferred to the US, I can no longer stay in the corporate housing or drive the rental car. I need to find an apartment and buy a car. So many decisions!” He eyed me thoughtfully. “Wait a minute...don’t you help people with this kind of stuff for your job?”
“Why yes, Louis, I do. Is there something I can do to help you?” I giggled. “My fee is pretty steep.”
“I think I can make it worth your while, Miss Bennett.” With that, he drew me close to him and gave me a reason to want to do everything possible for him, whether there was something wrong with him or not. I was finally starting to let go. This man was a miracle worker in order to make a slightly sane woman out of me.
Chapter Twelve
Louis and I didn’t get very much sleep his first night back, though we both agreed it was worth being exhausted the next day. I knew I should have gone home last night, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave him. After being without him for far too long, my system was blissfully happy to be on overload. I was completely enchanted.
When I opened my eyes in the morning, the sky was bright. In fact, it appeared to be a lot brighter than it normally was when I got up for work. I rolled over and gawked at the clock. It was flashing twelve o’clock. Something wasn’t right. I got up and found my watch. Crap! It was eight o’clock in the morning! I had to be at work in thirty minutes. There was no way this was going to happen.
I ran over to Louis and gently shook him awake. “Bluey, wake up. It’s eight o’clock.”
His eyes snapped open. “No! I am very late.” He rubbed his eyes and got out of bed quickly. “Why didn’t the alarm go off?”
“Something must have happened to your clock.” I pointed to the flashing numbers and then continued to collect my clothing which was strewn about the room.
“Damn it. Jean must have blown a fuse again.” He seemed irritated as he ran to his bathroom and began to brush his teeth.
“Is this something he does often?” I quickly got dressed.
Louis spat out a mouthful of toothpaste. “He has these late night cooking sessions and sometimes uses too many appliances at the same time. This is an old building, so it does not take too much.”
“Maybe he was lonely. For once you were responsible for providing the noisy entertainment.” I chuckled.
He beamed as he dressed rapidly. “I rather enjoy the sounds you make.”
I blushed. “On that note, I have to run. I’m going to be totally late.” I wrapped my arms around Louis and kissed him. “Have a good day.”
Louis held me for a moment. “You too. I will call you when I can. Today will be a busy day of debriefs.”
He walked me to the door and gave me a very sweet kiss. “I am so happy to be with you again, mon coeur. I missed you terribly.”
“I missed you too.” I smiled and walked out the door before I decided to call in sick in order to catch up on my sleep.
As I ran to my car, I left a message for my boss letting her know my alarm didn’t go off and I would be there as soon as I could. There was certainly no need to include my quick stop at home to find appropriate clothing for the workday. Nice, Sydney. What a great example you set.
I made it to work an hour late, but thankfully hadn’t missed anything important. I didn’t have any new hires for orientation, so it was only a matter of digging into what was sitting on my desk from Friday. No matter how much I worked, the pile didn’t seem to go down. It usually bothered me, despite my boss’ reminders that this is how it was supposed to be, but not today. I was on such a high, nothing could bring me down.
I started to relive some particularly memorable moments from early this morning when my phone rang and startled me back to reality.
“Sydney Bennett, how may I help you?” I lacked my usual perky tone, but this was understandable after two hours of sleep.
“You can spill all the gory details of your night of passion.” Maya was not one to wait to be informed.
“Good morning to you too, sunshine.” I giggled.
“So, Syd, you sound kind of tired. Were you up to anything special last night?” I knew she had an enormous smirk on her face. I also knew she was going to embarrass me within an inch of my life.
I sighed dramatically. “No, nothing special. It was actually kind of boring.”
“Really? Then you’re not having any trouble walking today?”
“Maya!” My face was now the most ridiculous shade of crimson possible. I hadn’t expected her to pull such a high level of vulgarity so fast. I was incredibly thankful I had closed my office door when I came in, which muffled the volume of the shock which came out in my voice.
“Oh, don’t be such a prude. You know you had an...active reunion last night.”
“I’m thrilled to provide such lively e
ntertainment for you, perv.”
Maya laughed. “You know you love me. Who else would push you so far out of your comfort zone?”
“I would say you throw me out of my comfort zone. Repeatedly. Unwillingly. But I do love you. You get a great discount at Bloomingdales.”
Maya snorted. “Seriously, how was last night?” She was clearly eager for details.
“Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Being with him is just...heavenly.”
“Wow. You’re totally high.”
“Exactly! I’m…distracted. It’s embarrassing!” I closed my eyes for a moment. “I need...sleep...and Louis.”
“Honey, it doesn’t sound like those two things go too well together.” She couldn’t control the huge cackle which escaped her.
Wow. I walked right into that one. I desperately needed sleep.
Maya was still laughing. “I guess you’re going to have to decide which one you need more.”
“Alright, Missy. You’ve said quite enough! I have to go and try to make some sense out of the mess on my desk.” Then I’ll try to sort out the mess in my head.
“Sounds good, Syd. Then you can start on your head.”
I shuddered. Sometimes Maya knew me a little too well. “Bye, Maya. I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
“You’d better! Or I’ll have to start stalking you. And if I don’t get enough information, I’m sure I can track down Louis...”
I hung up before she said anything else. Maya was crazy enough to do something like that. Just thinking about it ran shivers down my spine.
The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully, except for Louis’ phone call right after lunch.
“Sydney Bennett, how may I help you?”
“I can think of a few things....” His voice was so sensual. I swear, I felt a tingling sensation all the way to my toes.
“I’m still recovering from last night.” I smiled.
“It was only a warm up, mon coeur.”
“As amazing as you are, I’m so tired I don’t think I’m going to be of much use to you tonight.”
“Do you think I am using you?” He immediately sounded on edge.
“Of course not! I’m sorry; it’s an expression. I only meant I’m so tired, I’ll probably fall asleep very early.”
“Oh.” He sounded relieved. “The English language is very odd. I am afraid you will have to continue to explain these ‘expressions’ to me for some time.”
“I’m happy to provide the service.” That sounded bad. What do I have to do to get my brain working properly again? “Um....when are you going to start teaching me French?”
“You would like to learn? Wonderful! You will love it. It makes a lot more sense as a language than English. The rules of grammar are consistent.”
“Sounds good to me. Consistency is helpful. Just don’t put your expectations of my ability to master a French accent too high.”
“Do not worry, Syd. With me as your tutor, you will sound perfect.” He cleared his throat. “I know you are tired, but I must see you this evening. Why don’t I come to your apartment after work and we can order some dinner. If you don’t mind, I will bring an overnight bag and stay with you.”
I hugged myself. “I would love nothing more. But you must keep your hands to yourself. I need some sleep tonight.”
He laughed. “I cannot promise anything. And I do not think you can keep your hands off me.”
I giggled. “You French men are pretty full of yourselves, aren’t you?”
“Full of honesty, mon coeur. I have to run. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Bye, Bluey.”
I hung up the phone and put my head on my desk for a minute. Even in my exhausted state I could feel myself starting to relax with Louis. I was actually starting to trust him. It was thrilling. Maybe things were finally going to work out in my love life. Maybe I would truly be happy and spend my life with an amazing man. I was starting to like those maybes a little bit more...
When I dragged myself home from work at the end of the day, I found a message from Kate waiting for me.
“You are so on my list, Syd. Why have I not heard from you all day? I’m sure there are ridiculous amounts of details I need to hear from last night and you’re leaving me hanging. Call me the moment you hear this message, even if Mr. Wonderful is there. I will not wait until tomorrow!”
If I valued my life, I would call her. I picked up the phone and dialed, hoping she would be home and I could give her enough details to hold her off until tomorrow. Louis was going to be here soon and I had absolutely no desire to discuss any of this in front of him.
“Where have you been?” Uh oh. Stern Kate has picked up the phone.
“Hi, Kate. It’s nice to talk to you too. How was your day?”
“Cut the crap. Tell me about last night. You sound totally exhausted. It must have been awesome!” Sweet! Stern Kate had now been replaced by Excited Kate. She’s much more fun!
I beamed. “It was...astounding. I’m really falling for him.”
She squealed. “I’m so happy for you, Syd. You deserve to have a wonderful man in your life.”
I started to squirm. “I’m afraid to get too comfortable with the idea, Kate. What if he turns out to be horrible, like all the others?”
“Syd, we’ve been through this. You can’t lock yourself away from the world because you don’t want to get hurt. You have to stop thinking that every guy is going to be an asshole.”
“Can you blame me for having issues?”
She hesitated. “Admittedly, you’ve had some rather...interesting experiences in your past.”
“That’s a nice way of putting it.”
“The point is the past is the past. You’re so smitten with this guy and it warms my heart to see you this way.”
I laughed. “Did you just use the word ‘smitten’? Are you from a different era?”
“Oh, shut up. You know what I mean. Please let yourself be happy.”
“Fine, but if he breaks my heart, I’m blaming you.”
“Nice, Syd. I’m pleased to hear that you’re behaving like a grown up.” She paused. I knew that something else was coming. “So....when will Nick and I get to meet him?”
My heart stopped. “Have you been talking to Charlie?”
Kate sighed. “Syd, even if I hadn’t spoken with him, I would still ask to meet Louis. Come on! Are you embarrassed by us?”
“Of course not. You guys are two of my favorite people in the whole world. That doesn’t mean I trust you not to embarrass me. And it certainly doesn’t mean Charlie and Nick haven’t concocted some scheme to evaluate Louis.” I knew them all too well.
“I promise not to embarrass you. Do you really think I would put you through that? I know how happy you are with Louis and I can’t tell you how overjoyed I am to see the effect he has on you. The last thing I want to do is to make you uncomfortable. I’d like to get to know the man who’s brought the smile back to your eyes.”
Crap. She was so sincere. How could I possibly say no?
I sighed. “You don’t play fair, my sister.” I was about to agree when another thought occurred to me just in time. “Kate, before I answer, you have to tell me one thing. Have Nick and Charlie come up with a plan for Louis?”
“They might have...discussed something the other day.” She sounded uncomfortable.
I knew it! “The answer is hell no.”
“Sydney Julia Bennett, don’t make me get Mom and Dad involved.”
I scoffed. “What are they going to do from three thousand miles away?”
“Guilt is a pretty powerful weapon, sweetie. Dad has it perfected to an art form.”
She had me there. Dad had heaped mountains of guilt on me over the course of my lifetime. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold out for long. “Fine. I give up. But give me a little more time. How about we have dinner next weekend?”
“Great. I’ll make your favorite.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Ple
ase make your husband promise not to embarrass me. I’m trying to convince Louis I’m normal.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make Nick promise. If he doesn’t listen, I’ll have lots of wine for you to console yourself with.” Kate knew I tended to drink a little too much when I was nervous. I had a sinking feeling this would not end well.
“Not funny. You have to be on your best behavior too.”
She sounded affronted. “What would I do to embarrass you?”
“Are you kidding me? Once you have a couple of glasses of wine in you, which is a given when you host dinner parties, you start in with the stories from when we were kids. Somehow I’m the one who always ends up sounding like an idiot.”
“I can guarantee this won’t happen.” She paused. “And even if it did, I’m sure Louis would find it charming.”
“I’m hanging up now. Louis will be here soon and I need a moment to collect myself.”
“Ha, ha. I love you. Have fun tonight and CALL ME tomorrow. I’m not letting you off the hook for dinner.”
“Bye, Kate. I love you too.” I hung up the phone and frowned. Kate and Nick were already asking to meet Louis. I loved them immensely, but the thought made me quite nervous. Maybe I was afraid I had been living in this amazing delusion and if I let anyone else in, everything would come crashing down. I couldn’t sustain this forever, so I guess I was going to have to deal with having them meet Louis. The only good thing was that for once my focus was on how to hide what was wrong with me and my family instead of my continuous quest to find out what was wrong with Louis. It was a refreshing change…
Chapter Thirteen
The next week and a half flew by. Louis and I spent every possible moment together and I was on cloud nine. Never in my life had a man made me feel so special, so sexy and so cherished. I was in a perpetual state of shock that this remarkable man appeared to be so enamored with me. Every woman should get to feel this good at some point in her life.
