Love, Leclerc (Complete)

11. Candlelit

"Joyeux Anniversaire, Joyeux Anniversaire, Joyeux Anniversaire à Charles, Joyeux Anniversaiiirrrreee!!!"

An eruption of cheers echoed throughout your favourite little resteraunt in Monaco. Your table was a volcano of excitement.

Crystal glasses filled with sparkling Dom Perignon champagne were passed around, everyone bringing them to clink with eachothers in the middle.

"Cheers! To 24!" You shouted, your glittery blue eyes catching your boyfriend's for a split second from across the table.

"To 24!" Everyone around you echoed, directed towards your Charles. You looked around at all of your friends' sparkling faces.

It had been quite a while since you had met up with everyone, everything had been so hectic lately. But everyone was here, even Marsie and Louise.

Charles had invited some of his friends as well, Pierre, and his brothers with their girlfriends.

The dinner was fancy, yet intimate with buttery silken table cloths and wizened looking candles.

Their wicks' seeming to everlastly burn on as the hours passed by. Their bright yellow flames were a smile amidst the dark lighting.

You had matched this rather formal occasion with a custom black Oscar de la Renta dress, some Manolo Blahnik heels, Hermès bag, and a diamond tennis bracelet and beautiful diamond necklace.

The roudy young people conversed politely.

"I heard it was someone's birthday over here?" Asked a friendly young waitress.

"Why yes it is!" Shouted Pierre and pointed towards your unexpecting boyfriend who was chatting away with some of his friends. The waitress winked and slinked away.

Marsie turned to you,

"Julia thank- thank you for inviting me to this. I honestly thought you would ignore me forever after what had happened," said Marsie and looked down at her half-eaten salad.

You were shocked, but not surprized at the mention of "the incident". You formulated your sentances carefully,

"No, I could never, Marsie. We have always been best friends, I knew there had to have been a reason for what you did that night. It just took a while for me to recover from what had happened."

"Oh, Julia I am so sorry. And there was a reason, Laurent was pressuring me to do so. Julia, he was saying horrible things to me."

You noticed tears pooling in Marsie's eyes, one escaping in a waterfall down her soft cheek.

"I am so glad things are over with him. As we continued to date I realized more and more what a terrible man he was. I guess I would have just never expected for things to end the way they did."

"But did you ever, I dont mean to be rude but did you ever," she hesitated.

You gently placed a hand on your best friend's shoulder.

"Did I ever truly love him? And I guess I always knew it, the answer would be no."

"No? Really?"

"It was fun when we were kids and didn't know what love was. But this," you pointed to your laughing circle of friends, "this is what I want,".

Cheers boomed from the table as the waitress arrived with a large chocolate cake. Marsie turned to you,

"And things did work out with Charles after all, I always say that everything happens for a reason."

You turned to look at your angelic  boyfriend once more, Marsie's words swimming circles in your head.

Charles caught your gaze with a smile, but it quickly twisted into a concerned expression.

You had realized tears were apparent on your face as well.

You smiled to reassure him.

You were already a bit dizzy from all the alcohol with dinner, but one last round of hard shots were passed around the table and you couldnt resist.

You clinked your glass with Marsie, "This one is to love, and friendship, and most importantly to bad descisions!"

You downed the glass of fire without hesitation and let your drunken laughter carry you throughout the night.

...

You called back the waitress for the bill, slipping your card in to cover the large sum of dinner and drinks for everyone along with a generous tip.

You had felt slightly remorseful for not paying as much attention to Charles as you would have liked tonight, but resolving things with Marsie was much needed.

You smoothed your custom Oscar de la Renta mini-dress, letting your soft brown hair drape in front of your face.

You felt a warm muscled arm drape around your shoulders.

Charles was by your side to walk you out of the resteraunt, your birthday boy looking extra handsome with a now wrinkled white button up shirt and soft brown hair. How you loved to run your fingers through his soft brown hair.

In the parking lot the crowd had dispersed and everyone said their goodbyes to depart individually into the night

"Hi Charlie," You blushed shyly being in his vicinity.

"Hi miss Ferrero. I hope you had a lot of fun tonight at dinner talking to the others," He replied jokingly.

"Oh Charles, I'm sorry, you know I wore this dress especially for you,"

"Because it is my favourite," he confidently reverted his hand to the small of your back to escort you to his Ferrari 488.

How you melted under his touch.

"And I wore this neclace as well for you, I only take it out on special occassions," you pointed to your high jewelry Harry Winston mosaic of diamonds on your neck.

"Yes, I like it. But I wonder if you wore one other thing for me tonight?" He slyly suggested, his thick French accent making a welcome appearence.

"Dont be crude Charlie," you said, swinging around to the passenger side door and climbing in.

"But it's true," his voice trailed off slightly as he shut his door, waiting for your confession.

"Alright it may be true," you gave up, your sparkling eyes connecting with his once more.

"Mmmhmm" Charles gave himself a proud nod and couldnt help but break into a grin. You moved even closer into him to combat the chilly air of the night.

The engine of the 488 Ferrari Pista roared to life, droning out your conversation about the gathering.

You both grew quiet on the short drive back to Charles' apartement.

-finishing soon once I feel like writing *this* kind of scene which is coming up-