spirit | c.l.

10. tip-toe

***

May 25, 2024 - Monaco

Antoinette waved Charles goodbye as his car disappeared down the hill. She had requested that he drop her off right in front of the villa's gate, not wanting her parents to see him. When they woke up earlier that day, the first thing that met them was a nasty hangover.

The two laughed amongst themselves as Charles struggled to look for hangover medicine. "I swear it was right here." He said, tip-toeing as he was searching in the cabinet above. The gray shirt he put on was riding up, exposing a part of his toned back.

Antoinette, wearing her wrinkled silk dress, couldn't help but dread the inevitable conversation with Julien. She knew he would tease her mercilessly about the night before. She observed Charles rummaging through three different cabinets before finally locating the medicine, a triumphant smile as he presented it to her.

Antoinette decided to change the topic. "You want to go out for coffee later?" she asked, to which Charles nodded eagerly. "I'll have to train with Andrea at noon. I can bring you home afterward," he offered.

They did just that. They didn't talk about the night prior - opting to do that on their afternoon coffee date. Antoinette walked up the cobblestone path to the front door, waving at the maids having their noon break.

She took extra care to open the door slowly, avoiding any unwanted attention she might attract. She slipped off her heels and tip-toed on the hardwood floor as she made her way up to her room. Antoinette shut the door behind her, letting out a sigh of relief as she set her heels down on the ground.

"Quel dommage que je n'aie pas pu voir ta marche de la honte."(It's a shame I couldn't see your walk of shame.) A teasing voice came from Antoinette's walk-in closet making her jump in shock. Her mother walked out with a hand on her hip and gave her a knowing look.
"I didn't know you were here, maman," Antoinette said, looking up at her mother through her eyelashes.

The older woman winked at her, "I was looking for the purse you borrowed from me for the New Year's Eve party we attended." She then looked her daughter up and down, "Where did you sleep last night?"

Antoinette looked away from her mother's intent gaze and walked into her closet, "I slept at a friend's house." She said. It wasn't a lie, "Where's Matteo?"

"He hasn't come home yet," Evangeline said, the sound of her sandals indicating that she was coming towards her. Antoinette giggled at that, knowing what it meant. The older woman grabbed the pink brush on Antoinette's vanity and began fixing her daughter's hair.

As her mother brushed out the tangles in Antoinette's hair, she hummed a soft tune, creating a soothing atmosphere. "You know, I tip-toed around your papa for a long time," Evangeline began, her voice carrying a nostalgic tone. "I modeled for Bellissima Elysia, and I just wanted a professional relationship with him. We were both attracted to each other, no doubt. I rejected him over and over again, though. Giovanni was persistent." She continued her gentle hair-brushing.

Evangeline went on, reminiscing about the courtship of Antoinette's father. "He used to send flowers to my hotel, no matter where I traveled. Whenever I visited Italy, he would bring me out to dinner. Sometimes, he'd take me on a ride in this charming Ferrari 330 GTS he used to own. God, I loved sportscars..." She paused briefly, lost in her own memories. "Anyways, your papa would try his best to win me over - he even met my parents before I could introduce them to him. They absolutely adored him. I only accepted his advances about a year after flirting with him because that was the only time my schedule opened up."

Antoinette observed her mother's reflections through the mirror and couldn't help but ask, "What are you trying to say?" She inquired, amused by her mother's smile.