A Rainy Night in Paris Ch. 05

"How many people do you know?"

"Me? Oh, a couple-of-a-dozen I suppose, but they all seem to be well connected."

"OK, I will see what I can do and I will call you if I get stuck. Deal?"

"Fair enough. OK, is this the last dish?" Alex asked as he finished soaping the champagne flute, looking around at the various surfaces.

"That is the last we have to do. The rest are in the dishwasher and I will start that after the dessert dishes are put in. Can you get the wine out of the refrigerator and I will slice the cake and then we can rejoin the ladies.

"Alex, do you know what Monique does?" Samantha asked as they came into the room a few minutes later, Alex carrying a tray of glasses filled with the thick sweet wine while Greg carried a tray with four plates of chocolate cake, napkins and silverware.

"What does Monique do?" Alex asked, putting the tray on a side table and picking up two glasses, passing one to Monique and the other to Samantha.

"She's a fashion designer!" Samantha practically screamed at him giddy with her new found knowledge, practically bouncing where she sat on her chair.

"She is? Monique, you old fraud, you told me you made dresses," Alex said with a smile.

"Well, I do make dresses. I just get to sell them for millions of dollars." Monique's response was so off-hand that Alex could not help but laugh at her antics.

"Alex! You knew this."

"Of course I did. What of it?"

"You didn't think it could help me?"

"I was unaware that you needed help Samantha. Actually, in the last few hours, you seemed to be holding your own quite nicely, so I figured you didn't need any help at all. Now if you feel you need help, please, ask for it and I am sure I can put you in touch with someone that might be of service. For example, I have a friend who designs for Channel and Fendi, at least when she isn't trying to keep Karl from buying up all her designs, that is, who might have a lead or two that you could use to find something that might work in those little shops you are looking to fill. Should I introduce her to you?" Everyone in the room was trying hard not to laugh when he finished talking and even he found it difficult to keep a straight face.

Samantha put down her plate and glass and stood up, walked over to where Alex was sitting, took his plate out of his hand and put it on the table beside him and kissed him where he sat, hard and deep and with passion, her weight balanced on the armrests of his chair. Alex cupped her face with one hand while resting his other against her side.

"I take it that is a yes?" he asked when she let him breathe again.

"Yes!"

"OK. Monique, have you met my friend Samantha? I think the two of you might be able to horse trade?"

Monique broke up laughing and even Greg was chuckling while tears of mirth rolled down Samantha's face.

"Thank you," Samantha said simply, kissing him again.

"For what? You were the one who walked into me and called me some nasty names if I recall correctly." That set the room off again and the evening passed with much merriment, a discussion of women's hemlines, and why a size 6 is never just a size 6. It was all surreal in some respects and Greg and Alex did their best to keep their opinions of women's fashions to themselves. The conversation rolled around and back and forth for several hours before Alex called a halt to the discussions. It would take a while to get home and it was already late. Greg took them to the train station where they waited quietly on the platform with the other late night passengers for the train.

"Well, Samantha, did you enjoy your day?" Alex asked her slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to himself.

"Hmm...," she began drowsily, "it was wonderful, Alex. Thank you and thank you for introducing me to Monique. She said I should call on her tomorrow and she would tell me who I should go and talk to after I told her who I had appointments with. She said I should keep my morning appointment though. She thought I might find some things that would suit."

"Good. Well, we will be back in Paris in 30 minutes or so and I will help you get to your hotel and you can curl up and get some sleep so you will be rested for tomorrow's meeting."

"I have a better idea," she said wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her and kissing him soundly. She could feel him stirring against her body as she felt her own body responding to his presence and the kiss. There was no question in her mind what she wanted to do. She was hoping that convincing him would not be a tough issue.

"And what would that be," he asked as she pulled back slightly, nibbling his chin and jaw.

"Take me to my hotel, let me collect a change of clothes, then take me to your bed and make love with me," she whispered into his ear. "Make love with me until we have to get up tomorrow morning."

"You make a compelling offer," he said, kissing her back, feeling the softness of her skin and nibbling on her earlobe. Her breath came in short gasps as he rimmed her ear with his tongue.

"So is that a yes," she sighed.

"Yes," he said as the train pulled into the station while they continued to kiss.