chapter 3

When Carolyn came walking down the stairs about forty minutes later, I almost choked on nothing! I have often heard the expression "taking my breath away" but in that moment, I actually experienced the feeling. She had put a lot of her hair into a long plait which was wound into a bun at the back of her head, but left enough at the sides to keep her face framed perfectly. This was clearly a conscious decision as, when she saw my reaction, she smiled coyly and began playing with one of the strands by her ear.

"Do I look alright?" she asked. I could not even speak to answer her; I just nodded dumbly as I looked at her. Carolyn was wearing a tight fitting blue dress. It came down past her knees, but was cut so that the smooth curves of her bottom and the gentle curves of her breasts instantly drew the eye.

"I was worried that this dress would make me look fat," said Carolyn as she reached the bottom of the staircase and posed for me. "What do you think?"
Well, she don't look fat and she certainly wasn't overweight, but her belly was not flat either. It had a slight curve to it; barely noticeable, but that just added to her attractiveness.

"Don't be silly," I muttered, not really knowing how to react in my stunned state. "You look amazing!" Carolyn smiled, linked her arm through mine, and I noticed that, in her black stiletto heels, she was a clear two inches taller than me.

"I used to be bigger," she told me as we walked along the drive, "but the stress of the separation made me stop eating. I just could not face food." She laughed and added, "It was the best diet ever!"

"Well, I hope you are feeling better now," I said, smiling. "I want to take you to my favourite restaurant in the city, so you need to bring an appetite!"

As we sat in the taxi travelling through the West End of London, Carolyn took my hand and moved closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder. Instinctively, I found myself rubbing my cheek on the top of her head. Was Paul right about me being careful? Was I allowing myself to get too involved?

We arrived at Le Chateau Fleur and I could tell Carolyn was impressed by the decoration and menu with no prices. If you had to ask, you couldn't afford it! She was even more impressed when the Maitre D' recognised me and took me directly to my usual table. Carolyn browsed the options while I ordered champagne, and as I looked at her smiling face, I again remembered Paul's warning. Carolyn seemed to pick up on my concern and asked if I were alright.

"I am just struggling," I confessed. "I know we have only just met, but..." I was not used to talking about my emotions, being both English and a man.
My sentence stumbled into nothingness, but Carolyn just smiled at me, picked up her glass of champagne and took a sip.

"I know it's hard," she said. "We have both come out of relationships recently. We WILL be together, but we just need time to process the new feelings." I thought back to the look on her face when she first met me and how her attitude had changed in a few short hours. All I could do was grin like a maniac.

The first course arrived; some sort of duck pate with toast. Obviously, the restaurant called it something much more exotic to justify the price! This was followed by a thick, creamy soup. For the main course, Carolyn had ordered lobster which arrived dripping with butter and a large bed of rice and sweetcorn, drizzled with lemon. I thought Carolyn was going to struggle with the amount she had been served, but she cleared her plate.

"Three courses down," I said, "and barely a crumb wasted! You did bring your appetite!"

She sat back and sighed contentedly. I could clearly see that the figure hugging dress she wore was stretching slightly from her full stomach.

"I am just going outside for a minute, to let that settle, and when I come back, perhaps we can order dessert?" Carolyn said. She drained her champagne glass and I refilled it as I watched her go into the seated area at the rear of the restaurant and light a cigarette. I followed her out with her drink, and sat next to her.

"It's not good for you," I said and for a second the expression I saw the airport crossed her face, but then she seemed to remember herself and she gave that amazing smile.

"I know," she replied, "but I enjoy it; and I like the champagne too. Life is all about doing what you enjoy as much as you can." As if to prove the point, she drained her glass in one go. "I like to smoke and drink and that is not going to change!"

"I'm not asking you to change," I said. "I just want to make sure you are happy."

Carolyn grinned. "You just keep giving me what I want, and I will be happy forever." That was my cue to order dessert, so as we returned to our table, I asked for the sweet trolley to be bought over. There was a wide selection of cakes and pastries, and I could see that Carolyn was struggling to decide what to have.

"It's between the lemon cheesecake and the chocolate orange gateaux," she told me.

The answer seemed simple: "Have both," I said with a shrug. "After all, you want to 'enjoy as much as you can!' " I did air quotes round the last bit and tried to mimic her accent, which made Carolyn laugh, but she took my suggestion and did indeed have a large slice of each. I know the cakes at Le Chateau Fleur are the best, and I could tell that Carolyn thought this too. After the first taste, it seemed she could not get the next piece into her mouth fast enough; an expression of ecstasy on her face. Carolyn was determined to enjoy every bite and although she did slow down towards the end, she managed to finish both of the deserts, but I could tell she regretted it!

Carolyn looked as though she wanted to be sick. She fidgeted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable from the way her stomach had been over-filled, but as I said, the Maitre D' knew me and had a separate room ready for these occasions. Gently, he helped Carolyn to her feet and led her through a door marked "Private" into the room, which had a long settee in the centre.

"It helps if you lie down," he told her quietly. "This is a discrete service we offer to our clients who enjoy a particular lifestyle." Carolyn was too full to question what he meant; she just laid on the settee and groaned.

"There is no rush," I said. "Just relax until you feel better. I am going to have a cup of tea anyway."
We stayed there in silence for about twenty minutes, and then Carolyn seemed ready to talk again, although she didn't feel as though she could sit up yet.

"I wish I hadn't eaten so much," she said to me, and she seemed genuinely embarrassed. "I just can't seem to help myself - If I like something, I want it - and I want as much of it as possible, and I want it straight away."

I smiled at her. "Whatever makes you happy," I said again. "Let me know when you are ready to move and I'll get you home. I think you should go straight to bed and let that meal settle. We have a big day planned tomorrow."