The Adventure Continues

[abrightboy]

For thatsfascinating.



The villa Malcolm rented was in the Languedoc, not far from Marseilles, south of Avignon. It was a very historic region, though Malcolm was particularly not interested in visiting Marseilles again. There was a charming village nearby the villa and if they were going to go to an historic city for a day, he'd rather make the trip over to Montpellier, where he'd never been at all, much less with Dr Whitly.

The villa had six bedrooms. As the driver brought their luggage inside the bright and spacious main room, Malcolm handed him some folded Euros and thanked him and shut the door behind him.

"First choice of a room is yours," he told Edrisa with a smile. "But you might want to explore first."

Comments

[thatsfascinating]

"So are you," she replied, nuzzling his nose.

She lifted her eyebrows at his coyness. "Oh did you? I suppose we can go in." She smiled, her eyes shining with eager curiosity. "See what you have in store for me."

[abrightboy]

"Just a little pampering. A little light sheer indulgence. You know," he said, managing to get out of the pool without splashing his cast too much before offering her his hand to help her up. "France things."

[thatsfascinating]

She took his hand and climbed out of the pool, and rubbed her arms a little, really feeling the breeze now that they were out of the water. "We should have brought towels!"

[abrightboy]

He grinned. "What if we hold hands and run inside and drip all over the floor like a couple of hedonists?" he suggested, offering his good hand again and wiggling his fingers.

[thatsfascinating]

She grinned and took his hand, interlacing her fingers with his.

"Ready?" she said. "Set...go!"

And she ran for the door.

[abrightboy]

He laughed as they ran. When was the last time he laughed so much and so freely before he was with her? He couldn't remember.

Once inside, her hand still clutched in his, he lead her through to one of the bathrooms and grabbed a fluffy robe, helping her into it.

[thatsfascinating]

She laughed with him. She was so happy. Giddily, deliriously happy. Happier than she'd ever been.

She followed him to the bathroom and got into the robe with his help. It was so extremely fluffy that she couldn't help but grin all the wider. She grabbed one for him and helped him put it on, being careful with getting the cast through the sleeve.

[abrightboy]

Once she got his hand through the sleeve, he shrugged it the rest of the way on and then tugged her into his arms, wrapping them around her and resting his cheek against her temple.

[thatsfascinating]

She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, closing her eyes and breathing him in.

"I'm so happy," she whispered. "And so lucky."

[abrightboy]

He took her face in his hands and gave her a gentle, lingering kiss.

"Come to the kitchen," he said, looping his good arm around her and heading in that direction. "I have treats."

[thatsfascinating]

"Oooh, treats!"

She wrapped her own arm around his waist, leaning into him as they made their way to the kitchen.

[abrightboy]

When they got there, he helped her into a seat, then grinned at her and went to the fridge.

He took a bottle of white wine from the fridge and poured two glasses, setting one in front of her before returning to the fridge to retrieve the cheese board he'd ordered. It looked even better than he'd been expecting. He set it down with a flourish.

"Et, voila!"

[thatsfascinating]

She clapped her hands gleefully. "Très bien!" she said with a grin, her pronunciation getting a little better. "This looks wonderful!" She picked up her wine glass and sipped from it, then hummed. "That is so good."

[abrightboy]

He smiled broadly, pleased.

He picked up his own glass.

"What shall we drink to today?" he asked.

[thatsfascinating]

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, looking away, considering that. "How about..."

Then she smiled and shifted her gaze back to Malcolm, lifting her glass.

"To jumping in."

[abrightboy]

"Feet first," he agreed with a grin, tilting his glass against hers before drinking.

"Try the cheese," he said, leanin forward eagerly to see her reaction rather than to dig in.

[thatsfascinating]

She smiled as they clinked glasses and took a bigger sip, then set the glass down and rubbed her hands. "Okay! Where to start! Is this goat cheese?"

She picked up the knife and cut a circular slice from the log of cheese.

[abrightboy]

He nodded.

"Everything here pairs with this wine," he told her, tilting his head towards his glass.

[thatsfascinating]

"Mmm!" She took a careful bite of the cheese, chewing it slowly, savoring the taste. She swallowed and sipped some wine, letting the tastes mingle on her tongue. "Oh," she said after swallowing. "That is nice!"

[abrightboy]

He smiled happily and picked up a cream cracker, putting a thin piece of the goat cheese on it for himself to nibble at while he watched for her next choice.

[thatsfascinating]

"What's this one?" she asked, using the knife to cut a piece from a firmer cheese with a red rind.

[abrightboy]

"That's port salut, I think," he guessed. He cut a bit and tasted it. "Yes. Definitely."

[thatsfascinating]

She bit into her piece and chewed. "Mmm! Very nice!" She plucked a grape from a bunch and popped it into her mouth next.

"You're pretty well-versed in cheese."

[abrightboy]

He shrugged a shoulder and put his cracker down to help himself to a grape.

"I can stomach... most of them. In moderation."

[thatsfascinating]

"What's your favorite?" she asked, then took another sip of wine.