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“Parker is wanting us to go to the mountains for the weekend, but I hate leaving Mr. Whiskers alone.” She scrunches her nose. “Would you be able to come check in on him, make sure he’s alright, the food dispensers working etc.?”
I smile. “I’d be happy to, or at least Rhence will. He can handle kitty litter duty.”
She laughs. “Thank you so much, Rache. It’ll be such a load off my mind to know he’s in good hands.”
“Think no more of it. Just have a good relaxing time while you’re there.”
The waiter brings over our dishes of penne pasta.
“Oh, my god, this is so freaking good,” Eliza says, “The extra hour at the gym will be worth it.”
“Ah, you look great, one bowl of pasta won’t hurt you.”
She chuckles. “You should’ve seen me in high school. I was a pudgy little thing.”
I frown. “You, really? I had you pegged for one of those girls who looked that way since birth.”
“Nope, believe me, I have to work at it. Especially if I’m going to keep the likes of Parker.”
I look askance at her. “Come on, he’s crazy about you. I’d like to think he’s not that shallow.”
She shrugs. “All I know is that I was invisible in high school, now I’m beating them off with a stick. Face it, our outer appearance is like a book cover, it’s what determines whether or not a person decides to read your synopsis and check you out.”
I consider it a moment. “Maybe it’s true to some extent, but it just sounds so damned cynical, you know?”
She lifts her glass to me. “Spoken like a person who’s been beautiful all her life.”
Was that a little bitterness she heard in her voice? “I’ve always been athletic, playing tennis, softball and volleyball. So, I stayed fit for those reasons.”
A wry smile touches her lips. “Oh, come on now. Parker told me you were also a cheerleader all four years of high school.” She points her fork at me. “Which means you probably rolled with the beauty queen squad.”
Rachel couldn’t deny a word of it. “Maybe.”
“Oh, come on, lighten up,” Eliza chuckles. “I’m just messing with you.”
“I know,” I say laughing it off. “It’s fine. So, when are you and Parker leaving? What time should we come over to check on Mr. Whiskers?” I say, reminding her that I’m doing her this favor and not to view me as some evil beauty queen type.
She swallows down her food. “We’re leaving Friday night, you can come by at some point Saturday afternoon. We should be back by noon Sunday.”
“We’re on it.” I say with a jaunty salute. “You kids go enjoy those mountains.”
***
I’ve been to Paris before with my parents and friends but being in the most romantic city in the world with Rhence is a dream come true. And I love the way he surprised me with the trip. I thought he was taking me out to dinner, but he drove past the exit and didn’t stop until we reached the airport, where a private jet awaited us.
I’m embarrassed to admit, but I may have actually squealed with delight when he explained where we were going and that he’d conspired with my mother to pack a bag for me. Of course, I could buy whatever my heart desired while at the world’s fashion Mecca.
As we stand atop the Eiffel Tower, Rhence holds me in his arms and tells me that offering me the world like this is his dream come true. I smile and tell him that he could have stopped at offering me his heart, and I’d have been the wealthiest woman in the world.
We run all around the city, visiting the Louvre, Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur, and a host of other iconic landmarks. Rhence insists we spend a day shopping the Haussmann-Opera-Saint-Larzre fashion district and have all our things shipped back home. On our final day, we take a private tour of one of my absolute favorite sites, the Palace de Versailles. I feel like the queen of the world as we dined on the verandah overlooking the magnificent gardens.
I’m enjoying the temperate spring weather as we chat amicably about the inspirational beauty of Paris, the exquisite art and architecture, not to mention the best food in the world.
In the midst of our discussion, Rhence casually rises from his chair and sinks down to one knee before me. A soft smile graces his lips and his eyes are warm with emotion.
My eyes go wide with untold bliss when he withdraws the Tiffany’s jewelry box from his breast pocket. I clasp my hands over my face. Though I knew this was where we were headed, to do it in this manner, in this fashion, at this location exceeded my fondest dreams.
Does my man know me or what?
