Chapter Ten
Falcon stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He proceeded to enter the bedroom leaving a trail of wet footprints on the floor. It drove Carla crazy each time he did it, but it made him laugh. Often, he would do it on purpose just to irritate her. She would leave his room in a huff and not speak to him for a couple of hours. He loved pissing her off because the make-up sex was always mind blowing.
Carla had taken the jeep earlier with Jacques in tow. She wanted to canvass local materials in the nearby villages.
Falcon missed her when she made those daily excursions. The house felt emptier somehow. Even with the sound of hammers banging and the endless chatter of the men that drifted through the open window, he felt alone.
I don’t have to be, the thought occurred to him.
Their relationship had blossomed along with the progress of the house. Falcon figured in a few more weeks, the house would be ready for completion. It was all thanks to her. Carla was tenacious and hardworking, arguing with the men when she saw the slightest imperfection in the work done. Her team of laborers, carpenters, masons, and painters had learned to comply with her demands because she was always proven correct in the end.
It was that same spirit she brought along in bed with him. Carla was pliant and acceded to his leadings. She would have orgasms that left her limp and wanting more. She gave just as much as she got. Falcon felt all his energy extinguished each time he got off her and plopped exhausted beside her in bed.
He would awake to see her naked body beside him, still lost in a deep sleep, her hair a curtain around her face. A sense of contentment would envelope him. It felt right having her there in his bed.
She caught him staring at her one time as she awoke. “You’re freaking me out,” he remembered her mumbling.
“You’re so beautiful,” he replied, running a finger along the side of her thigh.
“Stop,” she complained. “I’m still exhausted from last night, you animal.”
Just remembering her now gave him a hard-on. Falcon stood to get clothes from the closet when he cellphone rung.
Thinking it was Carla calling, he answered.
It was different voice that went through the line, a voice he recognized.
“Hello Falcon, this is Lindsay. Are you here in New York?”
“No, I’m out of the country. What do you want,” Lindsay? He asked abruptly.
“Hans and I broke up. Things just weren’t working between us. I missed you terribly while I was with him. I’m so lonely Falcon. I’d like to see you again, please.”
A sharp intake of breath followed her announcement. Falcon was momentarily speechless.
Lindsay’s voice filtered yet again. “I’m sorry for breaking up with you. It was the worst decision I ever made,” she confessed.
“You broke up with me because you thought you found someone better. That’s all there is to it,” Falcon replied curtly, then added, “I’m sorry to hear things didn’t work out for you. But I’m with someone else now. I’m sorry.”
There was momentary silence on the other end.
“Who?” Lindsay asked.
Falcon wanted to end the conversation. He didn’t want to spend another minute talking to Lindsay unless it was absolutely necessary. But after two years of being together, he also knew how tenacious she could be when she wanted something. Besides, he didn’t want to keep Carla a secret from anyone, specially Lindsay. And if telling her would send across the message that they were really over, then she had to know who it was.
“I don’t think it’s really any of your business. But if you must know, it’s Carla.”
“Carla?” Falcon heard the shock in her voice.
“Yes, Carla. Actually, she’s here with me in France. I hired her to oversee the construction and renovation of a house I bought.” Falcon hoped the information would confirm that he was over her. He knew the two girls were friends.
A few seconds passed.
“How-how long have you been together?” Lindsay asked.
“Since construction began weeks ago,” Falcon admitted, not that it was any of her business really. “Look Lindsay, we had fun together. But those days are over. I hope you wish me well just as I am hoping you’ll find someone else to be happy with,” Falcon declared firmly.
Lindsay spoke again and Falcon sensed a change. The voice became sharper, meaner somehow. All the meekness was suddenly gone.
“Did Carla mention that we ran into each other in Paris?” Lindsay asked.
“You run into Carla in Paris?” Falcon asked.
He was confused. Carla hadn’t mentioned anything about it. The last time they were there was when he brought her to the Palais Garnier and the Louvre. They were together the whole day. He would never forget that. He always thought of that day as the day their romance began.
“She hasn’t mentioned it?” Lindsay insisted. “She told me she was staying in some cheap hotel somewhere.”
“The last time Carla and I were together in Paris, we stayed at the Athenee,” Falcon informed her.
“See,” Lindsay reacted quickly. “She never mentioned running into me. She lied about staying in some cheap hotel. Don’t you ever wonder what other secrets she might be keeping,” Lindsay insinuated. “Be at the Four Seasons on Saturday. I’ll be there. I’ll tell you all about it.”
The line went dead.
“Shit,” Falcon muttered angrily.
Lindsay was like a dark cloud that rolled in on an otherwise sunny day. An unwanted plant that sprouted in a neat row of grapevines. The one that needed to be pruned and tossed into the fire before she could take over the whole vineyard.
He didn’t want to believe any of her insinuations. Carla would never deliberately lie to him, he knew that. But if what Lindsay claimed was true and they did bump into each other, she merely withheld the information from him. But why? And when did that happen?
He racked his brain remembering the event of that short trip. He couldn’t remember them not being together. The next morning, Carla was in the shower when he woke up and said she wanted to return to Riquewihr. He was surprised. He thought another day in Paris would make her happy. Could she have sneaked out while he was sleeping and run into Lindsay by accident? And why was Carla in such a sudden rush to leave Paris?
Falcon’s mood had turned dark as he stared out the window. He hated it that Lindsay could plant seeds of doubt in his mind. He felt it was a betrayal to Carla. He wanted to erase Lindsay out of his mind and out of their lives.
“To hell with her. She can wait in Paris till the sun freezes over,” Falcon decided even as he resented the seed of doubt that Lindsay planted.