Another Paradise | T Shelby

TWENTY TWO - PARIS

"The sunshine feels different here. The air, too. Everything is lighter, even you."

Thomas smiled at Blair from across the table. They were sat outside a small wine bar on a side street of Paris, sun creeping between the buildings with iron railings and pale coloured bricks.

Blair was right in her observation. Their trip abroad had given the couple a new lease of life, upheld tension from within was released as soon as they stepped onto French soil, cool wine refreshed their lips and stuck smiles on their faces that weren't wiped away by a few dull moments when the sun disappeared behind a cloud.

"Even me, ey?"

Thomas was sat with one leg crossed over the other, his hand gently grasping the stem of a glass of rosé wine. He wore grey suit trousers with a blazer that was hung over the back of his chair, a simple white cotton shirt clung to his body while a pair of black sunglasses were tucked between the top buttons.

Blair pulled her eyes away from gentlemen riding past on bikes to look at Tommy. She couldn't help but grin as she did so, admiring the way the sun reflected against his skin, his hair gently tousled from a light breeze that had followed them around their walk in the city that day.

His eyes seemed paler in that moment, perhaps it was because the sky seemed bluer in Paris than it did in Birmingham, or because Tommy's mind was truly free from torment, stripping the darkness away from him.

"Even you," she smiled, raising the glass to her lips and taking a small sip of wine, "Shall we get another bottle?"

Blair was slightly tipsy, Tommy could tell by the slight sheen in her eyes and the way she looked at him with devilish intent for their evening, anything innocent had been drowned in wine.

They'd woken up early that day and had toured a lot of the city on foot, Blair deciding that walking was the best way to take the culture in. Thomas didn't mind, of course, happy to do anything that put a smile on her face.

They'd tasted fresh pastries and hot coffee, shared a bottle of champagne on the grass in front of the Eiffel Tower and walked arm in arm along the Seine, Blair pointing out things like pretty flowers and clouds shaped like hearts.

"Why don't we walk for a while instead, find somewhere else?"

Blair nodded, pulling a white blazer across her shoulders and grabbing her bag while Tommy settled the bill.

She clung to his arm as they walked together, the mindless chatter in beautiful Parisian accents added a perfect soundtrack to their early evening stroll.

The air was warm even though the sun was just starting to set and the breeze had calmed, leaving the petals on flowers still and Blair's blonde hair perfectly waved down her back.

"How many girls have you taken to Paris, Tom?" She asked with a small smile.

Tommy scoffed, shaking his head, "Oh, hundreds. So many I can't remember who I was last here with."

Blair scowled playfully, lightly slapping his arm at his sarcastic words. She kept her hands on him while they walked, feeling safe so long as they were touching. His teasing didn't bother her, but insecurities played on her mind all hours of the day, making it impossible to escape them, even on holiday.

"Seriously though," Blair said, glancing up at him quickly, "Have you ever been here with anybody else?"

Thomas had an inkling that Blair would ask that question at one point or another and so when planning to take her away, her purposely picked a destination that was new to him. He'd been overseas with Grace a handful of times, but didn't want to tread anywhere with Blair he'd been with anybody else, and knew that she wouldn't want to, either.