: ̗̀➛ part three of the
one for the road series
SNOWFALL / CL16
in which two childhood friends reunite. a formula one driver wants to learn how to snowboard and it just so happens that the daughter of his mum's be...
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✧ ˚ · . CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR . · ˚✧ your direction is on my mind
paris, february 2023
The familiar sound of Parisian traffic awakes me from a deep slumber, the brisk February chill licking at my bare ankles, the lack of a significant heat source causing my eyes to flicker open to bright light. At first, panic surged through me, afraid I might have missed my alarm, but that panic faded as soon as I realised it was Friday—my one day out of my five work day week where I set up shop in my own office instead of down at the firm's.
The mouth-watering scent of bacon met my nose and I instantly found myself wide awake, pushing the covers off my legs and reached for a t-shirt Charles had discarded at some point last night. I pulled it on, right as movement through the open doorway caught my attention— I was greeted with a stunning view of Charles cooking in my kitchen.
His tanned back was facing me, allowing me to marvel at the deep groove of his spine and the flexing muscles of his shoulders as he pulled out two plates from a cabinet. The white kitchen island with marble countertops deprived me of a full body view of my boyfriend, but I couldn't complain about the upper half, not in the slightest.
My bare feet padded across the mahogany herringbone floor, through the doorway and towards the open living area of my apartment. At this point of the day—barely noon—the kitchen was basked in sunlight, causing the gold hardware to glitter and the marble to shine. To the right, towards the beautiful, ceiling-height Parisian windows, a bouquet of pink peonies rested on a coffee table, wrapped up with a delicate silver bow. They had not been there yesterday.
"Are those for me?" I asked, gesturing towards the dazzling flower arrangement. "And this breakfast, too?"
Charles looked up at the sound of my voice, and a smile spread on his lips the second his eyes met mine. "Morning, jolie. They are, for you. They were meant to arrive yesterday, but they were delivered to the neighbours because we were both out. I picked them up just now after my run, she was incredibly surprised to see me when she had expected you. Commented something about finally," He said the last with a smug smile.
"Oh, Mrs Arquette?" I walked over towards him, wrapping my arms around his waist from beside him, basking in the warmth that radiated from his body into mine. "She's sweet. Every Saturday, she drinks rosé on the balcony with her friends, and every time I sit outside I can follow their every conversation. I'm pretty sure they've discussed murder at one point."
Charles laughed out loud, turning the electric stove off and pulling me into his arms, his lips meeting mine in a soft kiss that had heat sparking in my stomach. He gently angled me away from the stove, towards the kitchen island, my back hitting the counter. I barely noticed, entranced by the soft feeling of his lips on mine.
