VALENTINES GETAWAY FOR TWO
The journey to Spain was as ordinary as Étienne expected. The flight had been easy and uneventful in the best possible way. And with the private car waiting on the runway had spared them the usual airport chaos. He had made sure of that because no one ever truly enjoyed the mess of arrival. The drive along the coast toward Akelarre had been quiet but not awkward, as the ocean views in the late afternoon light offered them something to divert the silence between them, the silence which was welcoming, at least in his eyes.
Once they arrived, he insisted she take the first hour to settle in. The spa had been discreet and blissfully silent, thus they hadn’t lingered together there. But when they reconvened later, dressed properly for dinner, there had been something subtly different in the air, as if less tension in his shoulders, less weight behind his eyes.
Reserving the entire restaurant had not been about extravagance. It had been only about privacy. About allowing her, or any other date, to exist somewhere without being watched, without being measured against expectations of strangers. It was purposely an evening to be away from all that. The staff had moved quietly around them throughout the courses, pouring wine, explaining dishes, then disappearing and leaving them to their conversation without hovering. Exactly the way Étienne had asked them to be.
Now, as they finished the dessert, Étienne let his spoon rest against the plate and leaned back slightly in his chair, taking in the atmosphere which he and his guest curated. He didn’t even realise how many hours had passed, as he was truly enjoying her company.
“I believe that the desert may have been the best decision of the evening." He smiled. "There is something about the sweetness after all this wine and food that makes the evening… Honest?" He was trying to find the right words in English to describe their evening. "Perhaps it’s the time where you really relax with a full belly and can let the conversation flow in various directions.” He finally said, his tone thoughtful rather than intimidating.
His gaze shifted back to her, studying her expression with the kind of attentiveness he usually reserved for his close friends. “You handled today well.” He smiled. “Traveling, settling in, allowing yourself to actually relax.” His eyes focused on Alexis as he spoke. “Many people pretend to unwind. You didn’t.” It was a sort of statement to imply that he had been paying attention to her.
He reached for his wine, taking a slow sip before continuing. “And I must ask; does it feel different? Leaving for even a short while now that there are two small people at home instead of one?” His brow lifted slightly in curiosity, watching to see if she was going to take offence at his questions or not. “I imagine there must be some chaos back at home, non?” There was a trace of light humor there, as he was not unfamiliar with responsibility. After all, he himself had a kid, albeit Eliott was with his mother in Paris now, leaving him feeling lonelier than he thought he’d feel.
“I hope that tonight will feel like something you took for yourself, rather than something you will need to justify.” The last bit he said more quietly. “And if, by chance, you find yourself enjoying our little get together, I promise not to report back to London that you survived an evening without a baby monitor.” Étienne grinned, as the faintest teasing note could be heard in his voice.
@alexislarsson
