His Paris Affair (The Albury Affairs)

by Christina OW

  He always said he didn’t want what happened to the Larson girl to happen to her. It was only recently she found out the Larson girl was Loraine. Her new best friend was under the impression that no one except her immediate family knew what had happened to her, but somehow Melody’s brother found out too. But then again Allan always found things out no matter how well people thought they had hidden them. It served him well in business negotiations, especially when he took over or bought a company. He never told Melody what really happened to Loraine, just that she was alone in Paris with no one to help her when she got attacked. It only clicked that it was Loraine he was talking about when she told Melody of her ordeal—what she called her nightmare in Paris.

  Once in front of the church Ruiz turned to her. “Forgive me yet?”

  She nodded. “I’ve always wondered how much attention if any at all you paid to me when I spoke. Now I know that dazed look is you paying intent attention. Thank you.”

  He chuckled. “That and your brother called me this morning and told me to make sure I bring you here but you’re still welcome.”

  Melody went on her toes, pulling him down to meet her half way so that she could kiss his cheek. “A lesser man would have taken credit for it.” Then once fully on her feet she pinched the back of his neck.

  Ruiz jumped away from her. “Ouch! And what was that for?”

  “For admitting you do tune me out when I speak.”

  He swept her up in his arms and Melody squealed when he spun her around then placed her back on her feet a step higher than him and yet she was still shorter. Her laugh got caught in her throat when she saw the change from amusement to desire in his eyes as he stared at her lips.

  “Your lips drive me to distraction. You can’t blame me for being mesmerized by them, imagining when I get to kiss you next.”

  She licked the said dried lips and swallowed hard when he leaned down to brush his against hers. “Especially when you do that. Total distraction,” he breathed seductively against her lips.

  “Ruiz…” she gasped, quietly begging him to kiss her already.

  “All the travel magazines say to fully appreciate the stained glass windows. They are magical on a sunny day.”

  “Aha,” she responded absently reaching higher on her toes when it hit her. “Wait, did you just quote me to me?”

  He pressed a quick kiss on her lips and released her. “See, I do pay attention!”

  They rushed up the steps and into the church to the lower chapel. They then climbed the narrow winding staircase off to one side of the lower room to the upper chapel—there wasn’t much to see in the lower chapel except for the low ceiling and it wasn’t all that interesting in the dark. The upper chapel had the richest decorations from the floor to the ceiling and strong vertical emphasis that gave it a sense of weightlessness. And even though it wasn’t as sunny as she hoped, it was sunny enough to see the magic as the light played against the stained glass windows.

  “Now that is mesmerizing,” she muttered, moving to stand under the reflection of the glass so that the colors would fall onto her white winter jacket.

  Ruiz came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her mid-section and kissing her cheek. “Come on, there is a lot more to see.”

  There were a number of tourists taking photos and Ruiz, thank goodness, had remembered to carry a camera. He looked exactly how Melody would describe a tourist taking photos and paying attention to the discussions about the Holy Chapel.

  “Hey, come hear this,” he whispered, waving her over to a plump guy speaking in French accented English about the church.

  He wasn’t saying anything Melody didn’t already know, but Ruiz was such an excited tourist she didn’t want to ruin it for him. So with a pleasant smile she joined him on the unsanctioned tour.

  “…it is considered among the highest achievements of the Rayonnant period of Gothic architecture. It was built under the commission of Louis the ninth to store over thirty items including his collection of the Passion Relics that included the image of Edessa and the Crown of Thorns laced on Jesus Christ’s head on the day of his crucifixion. The crown of Thorns is considered to be the most important relic from medieval Christendom and Louis bought it and other relics like it from the Latin emperor Baldwin the second.”

  “He doesn’t mean Aleck Baldwin and no they are not related,” she whispered to Ruiz and he answered with an elbow to her side when those around them who heard chuckled.

  The wannabe tour guide glared at her for the interruption and she smiled back at him. “Veuillez continuer—continue please.”

  With a toss of his head he kept on walking and talking and like a herd of sheep they followed him. “The Sainte-Chapelle is one of the surviving buildings of the Capetian royal palace on the Ile de la Cité, and though it was restored in the nineteenth century after it sustained damages during the French revolution, it still has one of the most extensive in-situ collections of the thirteenth century stained glass anywhere in the world.”

  “This guy knows his stuff,” Ruiz whispered down to her.

  “Pft! Please, he’s just regurgitating what he read on Wikipedia before he came here. I bet he doesn’t even know what in-situ means—ouch!” she yelped, rubbing her arm. “That hurt!”

  He smiled an indulgent smile that made her stomach clench. “Be nice.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him as she rubbed more gently to her throbbing arm. “How did you get to my skin through a thick layer of cotton?”

  He leaned closer and whispered seductively in her ear, “The same way I got to your heart. Through your skin, flesh, and bones.”

  Melody rolled her eyes. “Oh Romeo, you weaken me with your sweet, sweet words of love. Where have you been all my life?”

  “Come on,” he chuckled. “We are missing out on the history lesson.”

  She twisted her face in disgust. “I hated history in school and not much has changed now. Too much to remember, too many dead people to know even though there is no way they’ll ever be coming back to life—”

  He elbowed her again. “Shh!”

  She made a face at him then crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lips shut.

  “…the king himself carried the relics, barefoot and dressed as a penitent to this very chapel. A scene depicted here in the south side of the chapel,” he pointed at the stained window of a man, “the Relics of the Passion window. It’s something non?”

  “Something doesn’t even begin to describe it,” she whispered in admiration as she moved closer to the window. As the rest of the crowd moved on, Melody just stood there basking in the beauty of the depiction of penitent Louis. She wanted to touch it and yet she was so afraid she would taint it somehow. Seeing this for herself, was a true gift from history. It was beyond beautiful. It was…

  “Now that’s magical,” Ruiz spoke behind her.

  Magical…That was exactly what it was. She turned to face the other magical gift in her life. “I’m glad I got to see this with you and not Allan. He has no taste for the arts and wouldn’t have given it the appreciation it deserves.”

  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Neither do I—have an appreciation for the arts that is. That’s Riana’s thing. But I’m glad too that we got to experience this together. Why don’t we head to the Les Invalides next?”

  She nodded, giving the Relics of the Passion window one more look of admiration before she let him lead her out through the eastern apse. Les Invalides was basically a large Army museum and a church with Napoleon’s tomb. The church was beautiful and Napoleon somehow grew in his death because the tomb was huge—and that was all the interest it held for Melody. Ruiz however loved all the rooms filled with armor, weapons and military clothing. Room after room after room of the same stuff and yet he went ‘that’s so cool’, ‘no way, that’s epic’ several times in each room. Instead of getting bored and ruining it for him, she got her kicks off taking pictures of him doing the silliest things. The pictures would make
for great memories, and one day when they were old and grey or telling their kids the story of how they fell in love, they would re-live them all over again as they traveled down memory lane together.

  Kids, old and grey…yeah she was thinking of the future; had been dreaming about it since she met the man. And truth be told, she couldn’t wait to start on it. All she had to do now was get him to propose and what better place than the city of love, Paris.

  “What are you smiling about?” he asked, the corner of his eyes crinkling as he narrowed them at her. There was something so dangerously sexy about him when he did that.

  She smiled at him. “Nothing. How about a late lunch at the hotel then we get dressed up for dinner at Les Fines Gueules?”

  He took her hand and as always led her out—sometimes he reminded her of her bodyguards. A bodyguard who also loved her—not like psycho Jeb!

  * * * *

  Melody walked the aisles of the boutique store completely in the dumps. Whoever said retail therapy was the best therapy had no idea what they were talking about. Everything looked so bland and unappealing to her after the uneventful night she’d had. Things hadn’t gone as she thought they would at lunch or at dinner the day before. At lunch she’d laid out the groundwork, made all sorts of hints including dragging him to the hotel boutique after where they had a jewelry selection that included engagement and wedding rings. Of course she didn’t want a ring from a hotel boutique and she much preferred to wear her mother’s. Allan had given Riana both their mother’s wedding and engagement rings but she decided they should both have a blessing, a good omen of their parents’ great love so she gave Melody the engagement ring. It was nothing fashionable but priceless in sentiment. The ring now sat lonely and cold in her jewelry box giving up hope of ever been wore like Melody was giving up hope of ever wearing it. But she did wear it the night before and was ecstatic when Ruiz noticed it. She told him one of her favorite fairytale stories in the world, the story of her parents’ love, and how they wouldn’t let anything, even death separate them. Ruiz told her he thought it was heartwarming, then changed the subject to how great Les Fines Gueules, the wine bar they ate at was. She knew it was great; she’d picked it!

  Melody walked out of the boutique empty handed. The street of Les Champs Elysées held no allure for her anymore. But it might again if Ruiz proposed already! She wandered the street not interested much in the sites because she’d seen them already, she just wanted to clear her head and decide what her next move would be. She wasn’t giving up that easy!

  “A penny for your thoughts.”

  She jumped, her hands pressed to her chest as if she was blocking her heart from leaping out. “Ruiz! You scared me!”

  His lips spread in a large grin. “Yeah, I can see I took a few years off you. Your hair is already turning white.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him as she brushed off the snow from her head before she picked up her cap that fell off when Ruiz frightened her. “Very funny. Do you know that childish prank has caused a number of deaths by heart attack?”

  A skeptical brow went up. “Let me guess, doctor internet told you that? What exactly were you researching that you landed on that?”

  She nibbled on her lower lip wondering if Ruiz would think her silly if she told him.

  Ruiz pulled on her chin, effectively pulling her lip out of her mouth. “You keep doing that I’ll have nothing left to kiss. Come on tell me.”

  “I hope you don’t think I’m dumb. Allan thought it was just a childish fantasy when I tried to explain it to him.”

  He drew her into his arms until they touched from hip to knee. “I won’t.”

  Melody played with the buttons on his jacket and kept her eyes averted to avoid seeing the ‘you’re so cute to think that’ look people gave to pathetic romantics. “I believe…that people can die from…a broken heart,” she said hesitantly.

  “Why?”

  She signed and with a lot more hesitation she answered. “I believe…that my dad died from a broken heart because…because my mom died and left him behind.”

  “Is that what you went onto med.com to find out?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, I believe that people can die from a broken heart,” he said, so sweetly that for a moment she thought he was actually sincere.

  She punched his chest. “Don’t make fun of me!”

  “I’m not!” He placed his hand under her chin and boosted her head up so that she could look at him. “If people can die because they will themselves too, because they think there is nothing left to live for, why not death caused by a broken heart from a lost love? The will to quit living without the person you love, the will to die so you can join your soul mate in the hereafter…I believe it’s a possibility.”

  “My dad chose not to get treatment when he was diagnosed with cancer. He said he was only holding on long enough to make sure Allan could take care of himself, the company, the family investments and me. When Allan called him selfish for dying without a fight, dad said he wanted to be with the woman he loved. And until Allan had loved—and God forbid—lost, he would never understand the true meaning of living half a life.” She smiled, feeling a little less ridiculous telling Ruiz that story. “When you get back, make sure you tell Allan that.”

  With a raised brow he asked, “The same Allan who literally stopped living his life and became a zombie because he thought Riana and his daughter had died?”

  She chuckled. “I guess now he knows out of experience, huh?”

  He nodded. “One that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.”

  A cold chill rushed through Melody and she burrowed herself into Ruiz’s chest. As if he understood her deepest fear, he hugged her tight to him. She prayed to God she never got to experience the torture she watched her brother and father go through.

  “Just so you know,” he began kissing the top of her head, “I would never let you go in life or in death.”

  “I would say the same but,” she pulled away and looked up at him, “Allan was right about one thing. If there are children in the picture, they come first. He made Riana promise him that she would always put their children first no matter what happened to him.”

  Ruiz nodded. “Agreed. I do love you Mel and I hope our love story isn’t as eventful as my siblings.” He chuckled. “I’d rather not face any mad men just to keep you.”

  Melody pouted. “Yeah well, I kind of liked their love stories. They were right out of my favorite romance novels.”

  He shook his head as he chuckled. “Yeah epic love stories with too many close calls for my liking. I like Matthew and Amy’s love story better—drama free. Come on let’s go to the Lovelock Bridge.”

  She tucked herself in his side as they walked to Pont de l'Archevêché. “You see, this is why I don’t like watching romantic movies with you. You have no flair for dangerous love. I find the whole ‘it’s me and you against the world’ so incredibly sexy!”

  “Aha, right now it’s me and you against snow and human traffic. Walk a little faster.”

  Melody huffed. “Not a single romantic bone in your body!”

  “Really?” He pulled her to a jog to the bridge blanketed with padlocks. She watched laughingly as he searched for an empty spot, running up and down the bridge until he came to a sudden stop and called her over. “Found one, come here!”

  She jogged to him still laughing. “Okay, I was wrong. You do have a romantic bone—might be the smallest one in your body, but it’s still there.”

  He fake glared at her then handed her a brand new lock. “Would you Melody Sinclair take this epic romantic step with me?”

  “Yes, I will.” Together they secured the lock on the bridge but Melody noticed something was missing. “Ruiz, where is the key to the lock? We need to throw it over?”

  “Why?” he asked with a hint of a smile on his face.

  Melody rolled her eyes. “That bone is getting smaller. The lock signifies our unbreakable love and throwing t
he key so that neither of us have it says we won’t voluntarily break our love by opening the lock.” She held out her open hand, palm up to him. “Now, the key?”

  “Instead of throwing it, why don’t you keep it? Think of it as me giving you the key to my heart.”

  Melody blushed. “That bone just grew longer. Ruiz Albury, I would be honored to keep your heart and its key close to mine. And I promise to treasure both with all that’s within me.”

  Ruiz pulled his hand out of his jacket pocket and placed the key in Melody’s hand. But there was something strange about the key. She waited for him to draw his hand away and her heart stopped for what felt like a whole minute.

  “Ruiz!” she breathed, tears shimmering in her eyes.

  “You just made me a promise, and I’m going to hold you to it.”

  There, lying in her hand in the same key ring as the key was her mother’s engagement ring and now her engagement ring. It was beautiful—well it always has been beautiful, but at that moment it was magnificent.

  He took the ring from her palm and removed it from the key ring. He handed her the key. “Keep this safe until we can find a chain for it.” Then he went down on one knee, took her left hand and slid the ring home. “Just to be clear and avoid all confusions. Melody Sinclair, would you take my heart, for it is all of worth that I have to give, my soul to mate with yours in this life, the hereafter and the next life. And my body to support you as yours does mine, to hold you because having you in my arms completes my existence and to give you life because there is nothing I would love more than to see your body grow with my child inside you. Melody Sinclair, will you marry me?”