Page 74 of Love In Provence
‘I agree. Now the harvest is over, the pickers are leaving. We can spend time together, just us.’
We laugh, and then slowly lean in to each other and kiss, and I know these are the only lips I want to taste again. Our bodies mould together and we turn towards the house and climb up the stairs, still kissing.
There’s a cough.
‘Bonjour,’ says Carine, with a smile and a knowing look. ‘I’m glad to see you two have made up.’
I blush. ‘Carine!’ My body is on high alert right now,but I pull my silk dressing-gown around myself. ‘You’re early.’
‘I wanted to see you before I went to the office. I came last night, but you were otherwise engaged.’ I think back to our argument and the despair it stirred up. I want that to be behind us now. I want us to move on together. I hold Fabien’s hand and he holds mine tightly. It feels so good.
‘Café?’ says Fabien, leaning towards her and kissing her on both cheeks.
‘Non,’ she says. ‘How was your trip?’
‘Tiring.’ He smiles. ‘I’m not as young as I was.’
‘How was Monique?’
I smart at Carine’s boldness.
‘Still wishing she could get you down the aisle?’
He laughs. ‘Yes, but there’s only one person I want to be with,’ he says, making me feel that everything I ever wanted is here with me. My world is back on its axis.
Carine raises an eyebrow as if that’s not a concept she’s familiar with.
‘So …’ says Fabien, as Carine lights a cigarette and blows the smoke out towards the fields. ‘Is there something you wanted?’ He wants to hurry this along. Our bed is calling to us.
Carine blows out smoke and takes her time.
I’m like a cat on a hot tin roof.
‘I thought you’d want to know …’
Know what?I’m yelling in my head. Despite my frustration, I let her take her time.
‘Zacharie …’
His name throws cold water over us and my excitement melts away.
‘What about him?’ I frown.
Fabien drops my hand, reaches for his coffee and takes a restorative sip.
‘He’s selling,’ she says flatly.
‘What?’
‘He’s going to sell l’expérience. The building too.’
I reach for a chair and sit on it.
‘Wh-what? Why? I thought he wanted to make a name for himself around here.’
‘And he has,’ she says, stubbing out the cigarette. ‘And now he feels he has made a name for himself, for the brand, he can expand and move to bigger premises.’
‘So …’ I slowly process what she has said, ‘… he’s selling.’
