Chapter 17 A Proposal in Paris
The plane thumped onto the Charles de Gaulle Airport runway and my heart thumped along with it. Finally, we would reunite. Customs would not be a problem, as I brought only one carry-on suitcase barely filled with clothes and toiletries. Jake arrived earlier this morning and probably already checked into the hotel. What our sleeping arrangements would be like made me curious after what had happened our last night together. It would be an awful waste of money to get two rooms, but I knew that if we only had one room, I would not be able to resist him. We’d been apart for too long. My body now longed for him almost as much as my heart did. My willpower would crumble. I would let him choose what he thought best for us, and I would not fight his decision.
Walking out of customs, I saw the love of my life smiling with his arms wide open. I ran into his arms and hugged him like I hadn’t seen him in years. These twelve days felt longer than the five months we were separated. Even with the webcam, I missed him very much. How different it was to feel his secure arms around me.
“Hello, my love. Did you have a good flight over here?” Jake asked.
I looked up at him and responded by pressing my lips against his. I kissed him more longingly than I had ever done. My body desired his touch, his warmth, his passion. Jake appeared to be a bit taken aback, more befuddled than anything else. I’d never displayed such an inappropriate public display of affection. His kiss grew more sensuous as he realized how much I wanted him and our embrace continued. I didn’t care that onlookers were gawking. All I wanted was to love Jake.
It was Jake who pulled away for the first time. Caressing the back of my head he chuckled. “Maybe I can undo the second room?”
I didn’t quite understand what he was saying but I held his hand out of the airport to a huge limousine that awaited us.
“This is not our car, is it? You got us a driver too?” I seriously hoped not.
“Yes, it is, and yes, I did.” Jake declared.
“You have got to be kidding me. We cannot ride around Paris in this limo. How embarrassing. We’re not rock stars,” I complained.
“Get in,” he said rolling his eyes.
We got to the Hotel Ritz, and opulent was the only word I could think to describe this hotel. Located on the Place Vendome, in the first arrondissement, Hotel Ritz was surrounded by haute couture. Stores like Christian Dior, Chanel, and Bulgari, surrounded this architectural jewel commissioned by Louis XIV. If I remembered correctly from my last trip here, Palaise de l’Elysee, where the French president resides, was nearby, as well as the Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries. There was only one way in to this exclusive square and one way out. This was definitely not the kind of place Sarah and I had stayed in when we were in Europe.
Extravagant and unnecessary, but a nice way to travel, I had to admit.
Jake had already checked us in and took me up to my room. With a mixture of relief and disappointment, we had two adjoining rooms. Waiting for me in my room was a bathtub filled with rose petals with lavender scented candles lit all around it. Water fell from the mouth of a gold swan as Jake added more hot water to my bath.
“Why don’t you unwind a bit and we’ll start our trip after your bath,” he offered.
“Thank you, Jake. You know, you’re spoiling me. I can really get used to this,” I answered in a dreamy way.
A girl could really get used to living in such luxury with the man of her dreams.
“It can all be yours if you like, my love. No one is stopping you.”
While I thought about those words, Jake started toward the door.
“Where are you going?” I asked, waking from my thoughts.
“Um, out to give you some privacy. Do you want me to stay?” he mused.
Tempted, but resisting the urge, I asked, “No, I mean where will you be while I’m taking a bath?”
“I need to stop by Boucheron. I’ll be right back.”
“What is Boucheron?”
“It’s a jewelry shop,” he said quickly shutting the door behind him.
Jewelry shop? Why would he be going to a jewelry shop? Maybe he was going to propose to me in Paris? I could only dream, but we had just gotten back together. It was too soon to dream. Having been so adamant about marriage being too soon for us, I probably scared him off that idea. A proposal—no, two proposals—was what separated us to begin with. I wanted to shoot myself for turning down his proposal the first time.
We would’ve been engaged or even married by now. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Emily, you can be so stupid! But…a jewelry shop? Why? Naw…he already has an engagement ring for me; he wouldn’t be going there for that purpose. Great! He’s got me all wound up when this bath was supposed to relax me.