Gemini Rain (15 page)

But the hush was short-lived, ‘I’m sorry,’ he said in English.

‘Ohh, for what?’ Lauren said lightly trying to sound casual.

Turning his head to look up at her but not let
ting go of his grasp he said, ‘f
or my rudeness last night, for now, I’m sorry I don’t mean to be so... so,’

‘Now who’s lost for words,’
smiling as she interrupted him.

David didn’t return the smile but got the feeling she meant well.

Lauren still held onto him knowing that when he was ready he should be the one to break the hold. But after a few minutes he didn’t so she decided to give him the hint as her arms were about to fall off, ‘Come on, we’re half way between your parent’s farm and my house, where do you want to go?’

‘Thanks,’ picking up on
he
r
pointer
slowly he released her looking down in the direction of the farm, he didn’t want to go back there not yet anyhow, ‘to my…. your house please.’

Turning to walk, Lauren linked his arm staying silent with the only words spoken by David as the rain continued to pour down on them. Everything came flooding from him never thinking twice about who he was talking to, half in French half in English he rambled on apologising time and again. At one stage Lauren slipped in the mud, embarrassingly giggling
as she tried to save herself
but he just caught her in time with his arm tightly clasping hers, continuing to let his words flow never-ending.   

When Lauren opened her door the heat in the house hit them both.

‘You like it hot in here,’ David waved his hand in front of him pretending to fan himself.

‘I think it’s the fact that we’re so cold and wet,’ Lauren quickly thought of an excuse because she forgot to turn the heating off again. ‘I’ll put the kettle on and then get some towels and a quilt you can wrap yourself in while I dry your clothes. The kitchen is down here.’

‘I know,’ he said as Laure
n looked at him puzzled, ‘i
t’s my home too, or least it was,’ the pain showed on his face again.

‘Well you charge too much rent, Mr. Landlord!’ smiling she put her hands on her hips noticing he attempted to return a smile, ‘and when are you going to shift all those motor bikes from the second garage, Keith is dying to get his hands on them,’ she joked.

David c
huckled, ‘as soon I get some
t
ype
of accommodation sorted. I promise.’

Lauren got thinking as they entered the kitchen, Gabrielle and Jean-Pierre are so kind to her and their family so friendly; she would do anything to help them. Without hesitation she made a suggestion, ‘Listen instead of getting soaking wet sitting on a hard rock, if you want to you can consider the small office I’ve set up
here
as your thinking shop… as your little bit of solace,
you know
a place if you fee
l you only need your own company,
it’s no problem really.’
Lauren
could understand the need to get away from family
and friends
every once in
a while
, from sympathetic faces, from memories. But then she hesitated, there were memories for him here; maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all, ‘I mean, it’s up to you but you’re more than welcome…’ starting to get embarrassed again.

‘Thanks I’d like that,’ he interrupted, ‘I…I may need it,’ the words came out as a sigh placing his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. Feeling comfortable admitting this to her, he understood now what Maman was trying to say when sh
e was describing Lauren to him -
Casual, understanding, patient, a listener she
seemed to ooze
these q
ualities, where did she get this talent
from and why for us?  She could easily make a person want to sit down and talk all night to her. Quickly he discovered this fact between his breakdown at the rock and the walk up to the house, he knew he was babbling but she just listened holding his arm, letting him know she was there for him.

‘But please, don’t tell anybody where or how you found me, it’s hard
enough,’ he croaked the request.

Lauren could see he was having difficulty
controlling his emotions.
‘How long have you been there?’ she asked softly. ‘Not all night I hope,’ she joked. Embarrassed he looked away, not willing to admit his foolishness. ‘Jesus Christ David. All night? You’ve got to telephone your parents and tell them you’re okay!’

‘I will, but first can we get dry?’ he picked at his wet clothes.

‘Oh yeah right, you strip off I’ll go get some towels and a quilt. Put on the kettle while you’re doing nothing, will you?’ she turned running up the stairs to get what she needed. Upon her return, she asked him would he prefer to have a shower first or some coffee, ‘There’s a shower in the main bedroom you can use, oh
,
but you already know that don’t you?’

‘Tea please,’ he was starting to strip. She turned away to get everything ready, ‘I suppose you’re hungry too.’ Finishing her little preparation she looked out the window with a bemused look on her face, her tongue moistening her lower lip, she was extremely tempted to turn around as if by accident, but thought better of that little piece of devilment. A French
hunk of a
movie star naked in my kitche
n, now that’s something to email
home and tell the office girls about. But t
hen would the office girls
bother reading your email
, she thought regretfully remembering how they always treated her as an outsider being part owner and the boss’s daughter.

‘After the shower, thanks,’ he chuckled, ‘you can turn around now,’ amused by her discreetness,
‘
I drown her shoulder in tears, blab
out my problems to her like a lunatic
, but she still sh
ows me some discretion
.
’

Bringing the tea over to the table, she noticed that with his moody brown eyes how he looked like
‘
a little boy lost
’
wrapped up in the patchwork quilt.
‘
Christ
it’s
no wonder he’s so successful in the movies, he could play anything from an action war hero to Peter Pan! But a very sultry
sexy
peter pan,
’
she thought
,
‘
oh God cop on Lauren! Just don’t go there and besides he would definitely not be interested in
plain old
you
.
’

They continued to talk for a while, well really David talked and Lauren listened as they drank their tea
and ate the croissants
.  But then
as quickly as he started he just
stopped as he rose to go up and have a shower, ‘Are you going to stay in those wet clothes forever?’ looking at her almost dry tracksuit.

‘I’ll shower in the main bathroom,’ she felt herself start to blush again.

‘No we’ll swap,’ swinging his arm in the direction of the stairs in a gentlemanly manner, ‘after you,’ he smiled. 

Finishing her shower Lauren quickly got dressed in the en suite. Walking out into h
er bedroom,
still trying to put her hair into a ponytail
she suddenly stopped
, ‘I don’t believe it!’

David was on her bed stretched out with his back to her.

‘Now I
think that’s taking my kind
ness a bit too far, mister!’ He didn’t move, ‘David?’ waiting for a response she walked over to him, he was fast asleep.  Looking relaxed for the first time since she met him last night Lauren decided not to disturb him, a peaceful sleep may help him think
a bit clearer
.

A half-hour later she telephoned Gabrielle.

‘What do you mean
he’s asleep in your
house?
How did he get there?’ Gabrielle was annoyed and gob-smacked once more at David’s rudeness.

Lauren assured her it was okay telling her a little white lie of how they bumped into each other in the forest while she was
out
jogging
this morning
, deliberately skipping the details. She hated lying
even if it was
a
small
white lie
but she promised David, what could she to do?
‘
Never again,
’
she promised herself.

They agreed to leave him sleeping and if need be Gabrielle would call up later in the day to allow Lauren to go and collect
Emma
and Keith. Gabrielle then had the task of telephoni
ng the family’s different cell phone
s to tell them the news and stop the search.

Lauren checked on him a few times, but he didn’t move from his original position. On her fourth visit and as she left his dried clothes at the end of the bed she heard the doorbell, afraid it might wake him if it chimed a second time she quickly ran down the stairs.  It was Gabrielle and Jean-Pierre.

‘Come in, come in please. Is it that time already?’ she asked them checking her watch.

‘No we’re a little bit early, we hope you don’t mind,’ they looked uncomfortable as they huddled together at the doorstep.

‘Of course I don’t,’ Lauren attempted one of her brightest smiles so they would relax a little, ‘would you like some tea or coffee, he’s still not awake.’

‘Coffee
please,’ they
both chorused together.

‘Or
whatever you’re having,’ Gabrielle said as she kissed Lauren on each cheek, ‘and thank you,’ clasping Lauren’s hands.

They sat in the kitchen for a while whispering, then Lauren heard movement on the stairs gently nudging Gabrielle’s arm to inform her of her son’s arrival.

Scratching his head as he walked in he looked surprised to see his parents there and stopped at the doorway quickly glancing at Lauren.

‘Do you want something to eat or drink?’ Lauren got up and with her back to Gabrielle and Jean-Pierre she g
ave him a reassuring wink
.

Turning to his parents, ‘Maman, Papa I’m so sorry,’ he was trying to control his emotions once more, they
both
rose rushing over to him, the three hugged together.

Again Lauren looked out the kitchen window, but this time she didn’t want to turn
around
.  A rush of regret formed inside her as she thought of her own family, she longed for the Corvasieur’s closeness, openness and their love for each other.  Never having the experience of such emotions with her own parents espec
ially her mother, Daddy she admitted
held a special piece of her heart but he
only
showed his true feelings when there was too much drink taken, when she was young she just took it as normal but now she knew better.  F
eeling uncomfortable watching such openness
now,
‘
Emma
and Keith will never
feel this way,
’
she determined. 
As a hand gently touched her shoulder, she turned to face David.

‘Thank you for everything,’ speaking in English he winked back at her as he kissed her on each cheek, ‘and I’ll take you up on your invitation, I promise you’ll regret your suggestion!’

She laughed, ‘You’ll probably evict me if I change my mind.’

Checking the time and noticing that Gabrielle was still recovering from crying, Lauren asked would all three like to stay in the house to talk privately afterwards they could lock up with the spare keys, she took them from a drawer placing them on the counter top.

‘Decide what you want to do, but I’ve got to leave to collect
Emma
and Keith,’ leaving the kitchen to get her jacket and hat, she was putting them on when all three entered the hallway. 

‘We’ll leave with you Lauren but thank you for your kind invitation,’ Jean-Pierre said.

‘And I’ll hold on to your spare keys, just in case you forget or lose your originals,’ David dangled them on his finger smiling.

‘Oh no you won’t, you’re never here,’ Gabrielle snapped them from him, which quickly wiped the smile from his
face;
‘We will kee
p them in the house, if you want us to
Lauren.’

‘Good idea Gabrielle, I should have asked you ages ago. Thanks,’ Lauren responded with her face beginning to blush again.
‘
Stop it!
’
she screamed to herself.

All four left the house together, Lauren beeping and waving as she drove away.

‘You have found us an excellent new neighbour and friend my son,’ Jean-Pierre emphasized the word
friend
as he placed his hand on David’s shoulder.

David looked at him fully comprehending, ‘I know Papa and believe me when I say, the way I feel at the moment
friend
is the only thing on my mind,’ both men smiled to each other but Gabrielle grunted. She didn’t want to lose Lauren and knew that if David tried anything and it failed, Lauren would
probably
leave.