One Winter Weekend

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

E mily stood before a vista looking out at a city twinkling in snow and lights.

It was breath-taking, almost surreal.

Paris lay at her feet, or so it seemed she thought as she gazed out from the second floor vantage point of none other than the Eiffel tower. The Jules Verne restaurant was one of five places to dine in the tower, but equally spectacular as all the others.

Every table had a great view, but the table that Patrick requested was situated beside one of the large glass walls overlooking the city.

Emily couldn’t bring herself to sit just yet though. “It’s like you can see all of France from here,” she commented, as Patrick stood beside her.

“Not France, but definitely all of Paris,” he chuckled. “I’m so glad you like it.”

“Like it? I love it! I can’t believe they were able to accommodate us at such short notice, especially so close to Christmas.”

“Usually you’d have to wait sometimes as long as two weeks for a reservation,” Patrick informed her, “but my company uses this place for business lunches a lot, so they usually find some way to accommodate us.”

“So you’re a man about town too?” she mused, causing him to blush slightly.

“I’m no man about town, Emily, I just happen to know the right people. They’re the ones who are the men about town. I just work for them.”

She sighed. “Could you ever have imagined that us two kids from Oxfordshire would wind up in big cities like we are now?”

“Never in a million years,” he said. “I thought I’d stay in Kingham all my life, but it wasn’t meant to be.” He turned to her. “But I’m glad for it.”

“You are?”

“I got to see you again, didn’t I? All those years in England and we never saw each other. A day in Paris and here we are.”

The look on his face was indescribable, and so sweet, it made her remember all the half glances and smiles across the classroom when they were in school. Were those feelings alive again? How long would they last this time? She was only going to be in the city for a long weekend, then she had to go home.

“We better take our table before they give it away,” he joked then.

Emily nodded, and allowed him to escort her to their table, where he pulled out her seat and made sure she was settled before taking his.

Their meal was superb, the best eight courses she’d ever had in her life, and the first time for it.

“That was so delicious. I wish I could rewind the night and do it all again,” she mused, sipping her glass of wine.

“It was good, wasn’t it?” Patrick agreed. His eyes had hovered between her and his plate the entire night, except for the moments when Emily had pulled his attention to the sights below.

She’d attempted to identify what she was seeing, and had done miserably at it. Patrick on the other hand, seemed to have all parts of the city committed to memory.

“What’re you doing tomorrow night?” he asked, leaning on his elbows as he spoke.

“Nothing, actually. I suppose I’ll wander around a bit more and then eat at the hotel. Why?”

“Would you like to come over to my place for dinner?”

Her heart gave a little flip. “I’d love that. Thank you.”

“Not to sound like a song, but what about the day after? You’ll still be here, yes?”

“Yes, but nothing planned either,” she said with a smile, guessing that another invitation was imminent.

“My boss has a special Christmas party every year for us who don’t have family in the city,” he informed. “It’s at his house in La Muette. I go by myself usually,” he informed her. “And I’d rather not this year. Go by myself I mean.”

“You asking me to go with you?” Emily asked, her surprise clear.

“Would you?”

“I don’t know Patrick, it’s a big business party with everyone you know, and your boss. What would they think if you showed up with me?” she questioned.

“They’d think that you’re someone special to me,” he countered. “And they’d be right.”