Beyond Chance (6 page)

As we sat at a light, I looked up to the
building across the street and sat in quiet awe. The building was
imposing in its beauty with uniquely perpendicular rooflines that
almost looked like they disappeared into the sky with the way they
sat on the building. The trapezoid shape allowed for a few dormer
windows dotting the boxy mansard roof to invite the imagination to
wander. Were there people in the attic? Was there a family down
below claiming it? I immediately fell in love with this style of
architecture. It was different from the baroque style only a few
buildings before.

“Absolutely whimsical,” I said, sliding back
against Aaron once the car accelerated again.

“It is,” Aaron agreed. “That’s from the
famed Second Empire. Good old Napoleon III wanted to glam up the
city.”

“Well, it worked.”

As the car continued to carry us through the
streets, my worries from back home slipped away. Not only did I
feel a million miles from the fears that threatened my sanity, I
felt invigorated and alive with hope. Hope was something I hadn’t
felt in a long time. I’d managed to let it slip away along with my
dreams somewhere between the accident and recovery.

Being in a city that crackled with life made
me realize how numb I’d become since the accident. The things I
usually took pleasure in skidded away from me as my life looped in
an uncontrolled game of chance. If it hadn’t been for Aaron over
these last several months, I didn’t know where I’d be.

“You okay, baby?” Aaron whispered, running
his hand along my leg.

I smiled and sank the back of my head into
his shoulder. “I am now.”

He kissed my head and slipped both arms
around me as I settled into him. “We’re close to our apartment. I
think you’ll like it. The view is sensational.”

I let out a deep breath and allowed myself
to enjoy these few minutes of peace before the night’s
activities.

“I’ll try not to get you in trouble,” I
whispered.

“Trouble?” he asked. “What kind of trouble
could you possibly get me in?”

I ran my hand along his thigh, and he let
out a low groan as he leaned into the seat. “That’s not playing
fair, Brandy Rhodes.”

“When have I ever?”

The car slowed, and I turned my attention to
the building that our driver parked in front of, but rather than
Aaron letting me go, he unbuckled our belts and slid me onto his
lap. The driver exited the vehicle and Aaron exploited that
opportunity. He slid his hand along my cheek and sealed his mouth
over mine. The greed behind each kiss sent a feverish desire
through me as his lips slowly parted from mine.

“Welcome home,” he murmured, his lips still
pressed against mine, muffling his words.

“It’s good to be home,” I whispered,
offering one last kiss while the driver slammed the trunk.

Aaron let a little groan out, and I opened
my eyes to see him smiling as he slid his hand to the door
handle.

“Absence makes the heart grow stronger,” I
said, dropping my hand to his lap, noticing just how insane I must
have made him. My job was done.

He grinned, and I scooted off his lap as he
shoved the door open. I attempted to smooth over my clothes, but
there was no point. We were going upstairs to our apartment. I
stepped onto the sidewalk and was immediately hit with the sweet
smell of butter and sugar. I scoped the area and saw a sign
dangling from two small chains, La Crêperies Parfaites.

“That place will be the death of me,” Aaron
said, standing next to me on the sidewalk. “And our apartment is
right above it. Poor planning on my part.”

“Excellent planning on your part,” I
laughed, my eyes falling to a red door tucked in between the café
and a bookstore.

Ducking back into the car, I strapped my
purse over my shoulder and grabbed the three large bouquets of
roses and held them tightly as I glanced up at the cream-colored
limestone building and noticed it was like the ones I’d admired
along the way. Wrought iron cresting tipped the boxy roof, and
dormered windows sprinkled the top of the building, along with
several balconies overflowing in flowers.

Aaron paid the driver and took the bags from
the sidewalk as I drew in another breath filled with the aroma of
sugary goodness. Aaron managed to balance all the bags as I tried
to keep up with his swift stride as he walked right to the red
door.

“No way. This is the entrance to our
apartment? It’s so cute.”

He nodded and leaned the luggage against the
doorframe. Quickly pushing in a security code, the door buzzed
open, and I immediately felt like it was Christmas morning as I
stepped inside. The hallway was divine and filled with old-world
charm. A line of brass post office boxes lined the right wall, and
straight ahead were three marble steps, leading to a tiny elevator.
Possibly the smallest elevator I’d ever seen.

“We might need to do two trips. The
elevator’s a tight one,” he said.

“You don’t say,” I teased, still taking in
the lobby when I glanced up and saw a beautiful mural painted on
the ceiling. An angel appeared pulling back a curtain of clouds to
reveal a white horse drawing a carriage, which glistened in
gold.

“Wow. Is there no surface left untouched?” I
asked.

His eyes connected with mine, and I felt
that familiar sensation run through me as he watched me carefully.
“It’s really nice to have you here. I never looked up.”

“Are you serious? You didn’t see that?” I
smiled at the revelation.

He pressed his lips together and shook his
head. “I didn’t. You seem to point out the beauty in
everything.”

Whether that was true or not, I appreciated
the compliment—especially with everything that had been going on
recently that made me feel like negative Nancy. Aaron pressed the
call button, and the elevator slowly hummed its way to our floor.
He slid the large, brass gates to the side and slid the suitcases
to the back wall and stepped forward. “I think there’s enough room
for you too.”

I chuckled at the sight in front of me as
Aaron stood as straight as he could, pressing himself to the side
of the elevator.

“Maybe,” I replied. “But a few roses might
not make it.”

I stepped into the tiny carriage and felt it
lower slightly. “Is there a weight limit?” I asked, glancing around
for signage.

“Probably,” Aaron said, attempting to
maneuver around me as he reached for the brass gate to lock in
place. “And with all the crepes I’ve been eating, I probably
ensured that we just went over it.”

Pressing my body as far into the carriage as
I could go, I sucked in my stomach and squeezed the roses to my
chest. The click of the gate locking into place, and the sound of
the gears shifting meant liftoff had commenced, but we seemed to be
going nowhere fast as the motor churned.

“Should I hop off?” I asked. “Is this
normal?”

Aaron shook his head. “Believe it or not,
the elevator sounds this promising every time I’ve used it.”

“Are there stairs? You know in case there’s
a fire or something?” I asked, feeling the elevator finally begin
to grind its way to the appropriate floor.

“There are. I usually use them. It’s
actually faster even though we’re six floors up.”

“Oh, I believe it,” I chuckled, just as the
elevator bounced into place.

We did the dance again as Aaron reached
across my shoulders to unlatch the gate, and I was never more
excited to get off an elevator as I was this second. I’d definitely
be getting friendly with the stairs.

Aaron shoved the gate to the side and I
stepped into the hallway, amazed at the sight. The wide-planked
wood floors were dull with wear but added a sense of history to the
hallway. There were only two doors, one to the immediate left and
one directly in front of us at the end of the hallway. I looked
behind me as Aaron rolled the suitcases out of the elevator and I
chuckled aloud realizing what little help I’d been.

“Sorry. I think I’m on Paris overload.” I
touched the plaster walls, shaking my head as I felt the roughness
under my fingertips. “Imagine how many people have lived here and
walked through these very halls.”

Aaron flashed a huge smile and pointed
toward the door at the end of the hallway. “Wait until you see
inside.”

Giddiness pulsed through me as he tossed a
ring of keys toward me. I caught them with a jangle and started
toward the door, analyzing all the odd shaped keys. “Even the keys
are fanciful.”

Arriving at the door, I saw four different
shaped locks spaced inches apart. I propped my roses against the
wall just when Aaron came up behind me, and my body trembled with
the closeness.

“I’ll show you which key goes with which
lock.” His deep, seductive voice made my knees weak, and I wasn’t
sure how we’d ever get to the dinner on time.

“You do that,” I whispered, far more
breathily than I anticipated.

He reached his arms around me and held my
hands that were holding the keys. Maneuvering a large brass key
with his fingers, he held our hands to the top lock.

“This one is the first lock you have to
unlock or the others won’t come undone. It’s a pressure lock of
sorts.”

My body sank back into his as he clicked the
lock open. Aaron pinched another key, this one small and silver,
and brought it down to the lock below. “And this one fits in here
just like that.”

His breath feathered over my scalp, and my
entire body trembled. How he made opening a door sexy, I’d never
know.

“This is my favorite key. It looks a bit
like a heart and unlocks this one.” My hands were completely limp
in his as he continued turning the lock, and all I could think
about was those same fingers running along the curves of my
body.

“Hurry up and open the last lock. I’ll learn
the keys later,” I said.

He chuckled and lowered his chin next to my
ear and whispered, “What’s the hurry?” The deep timber of his voice
did me in as his hips pressed into me. Whatever his plan, I was
falling right into it.

The last click of the lock signaled my time
to move, but I couldn’t. Aaron removed his hands from mine as I
still held the ring of keys. His fingers slowly caressed up my arms
before moving my hair to the side. He brushed his lips behind my
ear, and I let out a small moan as he pushed open the door to our
Parisian apartment.

“Welcome home.”

I drew in a breath and attempted to gather
my bearings as I looked around the beautiful space in front of me.
The apartment was flooded with light from the large, open windows.
The sheer curtains blew gently from the breeze, and the bright
white walls showed off the beautiful, architectural details.

I bent down and picked up the roses,
glancing quickly behind me at Aaron who seemed to be gauging my
reaction to our new surroundings. I stepped onto the tiled mosaic
entry, only to be left more awestruck. An ornate, crystal
chandelier hung in the center of the room. Blue Velvet couches were
centered in the room and a chenille throw hung from a blanket rack.
Worn wood floors began in the living area and ran into the other
rooms. A pale grey rug anchored the room and surpassed my Parisian
expectations with its exquisite pattern.

I looked up to see ornamental frieze
detailing wrapped around the entire room, which made the entire
space feel more regal and far more sophisticated than any apartment
I’d ever lived in. I set my roses on the cherry table that ran
along the wall and took another step forward as Aaron closed the
door behind us, clicking each lock into place.

“This is beyond my expectations.” I walked
farther into the living room and saw an elaborate doorway leading
into another large room and another beyond that.

“Through there is the dining room and then
the sitting room. It’s not that easy to find an apartment with
abundant natural light, but we certainly lucked out. The flat is an
L-shape so we get sun exposure from all sides at some point.”

I followed Aaron through the living area,
hearing the wood floors creak below with each step. When I entered
the dining room, my jaw dropped at the silk taffeta curtains, which
pooled into grey puddles on the wooden floors. This apartment
really was gorgeous. Another chandelier hung over the table and
several paintings hung on the wall.

“Check this out,” Aaron said, walking toward
the back wall. He pressed on a door that I’d completely overlooked,
which was flush with the surrounding wall. The chair rails
continued from the wall and across the door as if to disguise the
opening. “This leads upstairs to the studio. I was told that’s
where the help used to live.”

I walked quickly over to Aaron and popped my
head into the opening. A dark hallway led to a wooden staircase.
“So cool.”

I turned to face Aaron who was grinning.
“You think you’ll be okay over here?”

“Okay? I think I’ll be more than okay. Gabby
and Lily said I wouldn’t want to come back and I thought they were
full of it. Now I’m not so sure.” I slid a kiss across his cheek as
he shut the door.

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” He walked me
into the sitting room, where a chaise and small table were tucked
in a corner. I turned to my right and saw the kitchen. It was
small, but larger than I imagined. The whole flat was larger than I
expected. To make the room appear larger, the cabinet doors were
paneled in glass and soft grey tiles covered the back walls and
floor.

“If we make our way through the kitchen,
we’ll find the two bedrooms. What I think was supposed to be the
master suite, I left as the guest bedroom. It’s bigger, but when
you open the shutters you stare directly at a wall from the other
building and it’s pretty dark.”

I nodded and followed him through the
kitchen and into the bedroom. It was cozy, but I could understand
why he chose it. The white shutters were open and the sheer
curtains moved slightly with the breeze. The bed was centered in
the room and covered with a large white duvet. Two chairs were
positioned in front of the window, and I made my way over to look
at the view of the bustling Parisian street below.