"Men get to be a mixture of the charming mannerism of the women they have known."
-F. Scott Fitzgerald-
***
Warm ray of sunlight welcomed her at the exit, she still had some time before lunch, and thought that she might be able to visit one more place, picking up her guide book, she flipped through the pages and searched for the most popular places in the neighborhood.
As she was reading around Clara approached by a teenage boy, who was probably around sixteen, had brown hair and freckled face. No one had ever taught her that she had to be cautious when talking to strangers on the street, while it was supposed to be a common sense, Clara had been a bit too naive.
She should have listened to her gut feeling because soon she would learn all lesson she would never forget. In short, he asked her if she needed any help around since she looked like she was searching for something, Clara tucked a strand of her hair behind he
"One of the greatest gifts you can gift to anyone is the gift of attention" -Jim Rohn- *** After exploring Saint Germain des Pres, Clara went back to Raphael's house by taxi. She mostly only had time to explore a few smaller boutiques and souvenir shops where she bought a few vintage items she found interesting, which would compliment her new room. When she entered the gate, she saw Raphael's white Porsche which he used for work parked inside the garage. She entered the house and found Raphael seated casually on the couch in the living room, his fingers moved as he typed things into his phone. The sound of her step clanked on the marble floor and it announced her presence. Raphael lifted his head, the moment he saw her, he immediately stood up and approached her. "Where have you been?" His facial expression showed concern. He crossed his arms with his fingers facing outside in a semi interrogating manner. Clara told h
"Whoever said that money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping." -Bo Derek- *** Clara had wondered for a while at the car regarding wherehe would take her, she should have guessed when he mentioned somethingabout transformation. Raphael had thought things through and although Clara had been looking so much better ever since she left Bordeaux, there were still room for some improvement. She told him the story about cutting her own hair, and she did a decent job, but it could still be fixed. Not only that, he felt like buying her a few gifts. Her closet was still rather empty and he did not want his woman to be seen wearing the same outfit over and over again, he liked variety and he knew she would look good in pretty much anything. He brought to the golden triangle of Paris,Champs Elysees, Montaigne, and George V. Their first destination wasthe beauty salon, Clara had sligh
"There's always a side of a woman that likes a man from the other side of the track." -Laura Dern- *** Before long, the chicken was ready to be served served along with the soup. They took their seat while the cook who had been standing away from them returned to do the dishes. Clara took a piece of the chicken and placed it in her plate. She took a spoonful of the soup and blew it gently before shoving it into her mouth. It warmed her body and she stared at him with a kind expression. Clara had started to feel a little bit more comfortable around him. There was a little bus of hope in her heart that wished her moment together with him would never end the way it did. Raphael could sense Clara began to relax around him as well, and he felt slightly relieved. All the efforts he had made for her did not come to waste. Before they managed to get into their main dish, the doorbell rang and the housekeeper rushed from the l
"Our greatest joy and our greatest pain come in relationship with others." -Stephen R. Covey- *** Clara had been avoiding Raphael's gaze the next day, she still felt hurt from what had happened the previous day and he was fully aware of it too. She would not come out for breakfast although the housekeeper had tried knocking on her door several times on Raphael's order. Sometimes when she was out of her room and he was also home, he would try making conversations with her but she always tried to find excuse for something else. Most of the time she would just lock herself in the art room, her cold attitude drove him insane. He felt hurt and rejected at the same time and it was not even entirely his fault. He thought he was starting to lose his mind. Raphael knew he messed up, he should n
"Sisterly love, of all sentiments, the most abstract. Nature does not grant it any functions." -Ugo Betti- *** A week had passed since she avoided Raphael, although Raphael still tried to talk to her, she just had not forgiven him yet, it was one of her bad habit, she was not an all forgiving woman, especially if that person is someone who she trusted a lot, but considering what had happened to her recently, she found that she had every right to be upset. Many would say her behavior was rather childish, but when one looked at things from her perspective, it should be clear why she acted that way. Raphael himself had been busy with work and did not come home as often as he should, perhaps he was still feeling guilty for his attitude that night. Other than that, because Clara kept on ignoring him, he decided that he would let her be for a moment until she would calm down on her own. Life had been quiet, Clara pret
"The best gifts come from the heart, not the store." -Sarah Dessen- *** Clara curled up in her bed with the blanket going all the way to her head, she constantly squirmed around and shifted her body to find a comfortable position, that was when her feet accidentally kicked the edge and she felt something round and cushiony on bed end sofa. Still half asleep, she pushed away her blanket and found a round white box with blue ribbon and a bouquet of white lilies above the cushion. Is it another gift? She rubbed her eyes and opened it up to find a gown. Pulling it out from the box, she stood up and laid it on the bed to get a better look at it. It was a cerulean blue open back gown with marshmallow white ombre at the bottom with white flowers embroidery vertically on top. It was a rather simple yet stunning design. Clara had never said it out loud but blue was actually one of her favorite color, as an artist, she was not supposed
"In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine." -Maya Angelou- *** They arrived at Shangri La hotel Paris, which was a former residence of Prince Roland Bonaparte. Clara had always imagined what it would be like to enter one of those extravagant building, she had been to several huge parties in Bordeaux, but none of the were as lavish as what she witnessed that night. as they entered the main hall, those who knew Raphael had their eyes fixated on Clara. They began to wonder who the woman he brought along with him was. After all, it was known that Raphael had never brought any women with him to parties before. It was definitely going to be a hot topic in their circle the next day. Clara was well aware of the stares, there were a few times when she would feel uncomfortable with them, but after everything she has been through so far, it was the least of her concern.
"Whatever spiteful fools may say, each jealous ranting yelper. No women ever went astray without a man to help her." -Abraham Lincoln- *** Everyone on the table had their eyes on Clara for an obvious reason. It came as a shock to nearly everyone who was personally familiar with Raphael, even Corentin who never bothered much withpeople'sliveswas aware of Raphael's clean reputation regarding women. His eyes went down to herhand andhe saw the engagement ring on Clara's hand. He was a bit unsure why but he was not truly pleased with the truth. "Isthat true? Congratulations, I am happy for you two." Corentin spoke with a hint of sarcasm. For whatever reason it might be, he felt a bit disappointed, he had hoped she was single and available, but something inside of him simply could not let her go despite Raphael's declaration. Yes, he had only met her once before that but that short