Chapter 21 - A New Beginning
Everything was silent when Camille arrived at the bungalow. A shoebox in one hand and a neatly wrapped giftbox in the other, she walked around the little house to access the veranda. The sight she was presented there took her by surprise… Richard – still wearing his smart suit trousers and his dress shirt (though the sleeves were rolled up, and he had taken off the tie) - sat there in one of the new, high-backed chairs, fast asleep – and at his feet, Elvis – of course on an old towel - had rolled up to a ball, snoring faintly. Richard's head had rolled to one side, his face was relaxed and looked surprisingly young, and Elvis was snuggled up to his master's feet.
It was a sight for sore eyes, Camille thought and considered taking a photo of the scene. But then she decided against it and tiptoed into the open house, carefully avoiding making any noise. The giftbox went on the dining table, then she lifted the shoebox to her ear and tried to figure out if there was any sound – yes, there was! Reassured, she put the shoebox next to the gift and looked around.
Richard had already put his stamp on the place – the tea tins were on display, she spotted some kitchen utensils from his old place… and there was his 'fruit bowl', filled with bananas, and there even was a mango!
Camille smiled. The 'bowl' didn't fit in at all – she had made a point of finding items that matched the general atmosphere and ambiance of the house, and this dish definitely didn't fulfil any of those criteria… but he had kept it and already put it to good use.
Somehow, she was glad about that.
She remembered how he had protested when she had cooked her pasta dish in it – it seemed hard to believe that this had only been a little over a week ago… Amazing how things had panned out since then…
At the far end of the room, where the French doors opened to the patio, she saw the chaos that was Elvis's bed – the battered cushion, a blanket and several towels. So obviously, Elvis had already chosen where he would take his naps.
Richard's jacket was hanging neatly over one of the chairs' backrest, his tie was draped over one shoulder, the briefcase was sitting on the floor next to the chair.
She took a peek into the other rooms and was satisfied with what she saw. There were several boxes labeled 'BOOKS & PUZZLES' and a wrapped up bulky item labeled 'LUCY' in the spare room, and she saw a box labeled 'BEDWARE' in the bedroom.
The sliding door to the closet wasn't entirely shut so she could see a sleeve of a woollen suit. Why he still insisted on wearing his suits was beyond her, but well, it was his decision. Heaven knew they had all tried everything to make him reconsider, but to no avail… At least he seemed to wear lighter stuff during his time off these days. The chinos and short-sleeved shirts she had seen on him during her evening visits looked good on him… so much less uptight!
Her eyes fell on the sky blue curtains framing the French doors, and with a dissatisfied wrinkle of her nose, she saw that the fall of the folds wasn't accurate – she'd have to fix that later on.
But before she'd do that, she'd have to take care of another important task…
She returned to the kitchen area, took the mango from the 'fruit bowl', cut it up and put the pieces on a saucer she angled out of her totebag, squishing them with a fork and adding the contents of a manila envelope - that she had also retrieved from her bag - to the mix. Honestly, it was gross to carry around dead flies and bugs in an envelope, she thought when she looked down on the saucer – but well... sometimes you had to do weird things in life.
Then she tiptoed out of the house again, the saucer in one hand, the shoebox in the other. She looked around, scanning the veranda for a good spot, and then placed the saucer there. The shoebox was put down next to it, then she returned to the sitting area and gently touched Richard's shoulder. He stirred, but didn't wake up. She bent down, touched his shoulder again and whispered "Richard, wake up…"
"Hmmm…" he murmured, turning his head and rubbing his cheek at the back of her hand. His skin felt a little rough against hers – there wasn't any visible stubble, but it was clear that his last shave had been early in the morning. Somehow the feeling was bewildering, but it wasn't unpleasant.
On an impulse, she turned her hand to touch his face with her fingertips, then she smiled gently, reluctantly pulled her hand away, and said a little louder "Richard…"
With a start, he sat up and looked at her in confusion. "Ca… Camille…" he stuttered. "What are you doing here?"
She replied, a little defensively, "I promised to come round tonight, didn't I? So, here I am…"
He nodded, still a bit sleepy, and she continued, pointing at the shoebox at the far end of the veranda, "Look, I've brought you something…"
"What… what is it?" he asked, and she said playfully "Come and see!"
With a little groan, he moved to get up – Elvis wasn't bothered in the least, he just grunted, but didn't make any attempts at changing his position.
"A shoebox with holes, upside down," Richard stated when he had reached the other end of the veranda. He bent down and said "And a dish with mango… and bugs…" He looked up to Camille, a huge question mark on his face.
She prompted him impatiently "Open it – but be careful!"
When Richard cautiously lifted the box from the lid that sat on the floor, something moved – and out came… Harry the lizard! He seemed a little surprised with the unfamiliar environment, but otherwise appeared to be unfazed. With quick movements, he skittered away – clearly not impressed with the two humans who seemed keen on watching him eat. He'd return later for his meal… after he had explored his new surroundings…
Answering Richard's unasked question, Camille explained "I thought that you might like having him around, so I caught him for you. It was quite a challenge, but as you see… I succeeded in the end!"
Richard was touched - although he and Harry had always had a bit of an ambiguous relationship, he knew he would have missed him. Hopefully, Harry would accept the new place!
He knew that Camille expected – and deserved – a sincere 'thank you'. Not only for bringing Harry, but also for everything else she had done. Whether or not it was because she cared – she had helped to make this place homely and personal, and he should let her know that he appreciated it.
But for the life of him, he couldn't think of anything intelligent to say – his brain still was a bit foggy, and so he let the moment slip by. A little disappointed, Camille turned around to go back inside, saying over her shoulder "I have also brought you a more tangible housewarming gift, if you're interested…"
He followed her inside, eager to make amends for his previous slowness, and saw the wrapped item on the table. The sound of the rustling paper as he unwrapped it made Elvis appear on the scene – his curiosity had been piqued, and also, he had missed Richard's presence. He was all awake now and burning for action, so he came closer and scuttled around the dining area, taking turns at scurrying around Richard's feet and smarming over Camille. Sadly, neither she nor Richard reacted to his presence… He wasn't too happy with how they ignored him, but he hoped his time would come eventually, so he decided to keep it up for a little longer.
"Ah, thank you, Camille," Richard said – a little unsure what he was holding in his hands. It looked like a big wooden coaster in the shape of a spiralled apple.
She sighed exasperatedly and took it out of his hands, turning it upside down, folding the top end of the spiral and hooking her finger into it. The whole thing unravelled, she fixed something at the bottom side, and – putting it down on the table - she said "Voilà – it's a fruit basket."
Richard blushed, feeling a little dumb, and stuttered a "thank you" again, but Camille had already bent down to pet Elvis – who was happy that he had finally got the attention he had been craving for. He liked Camille – he loved her almost as much as he loved Richard, and he wanted her to know this, so he jumped up her legs and let out a huge wheeze. If that didn't impress her, he didn't know what else would…
She uttered a heartfelt "Good boy" and petted him - however, much to the little dog's disappointment, she stood up again quickly and said "I'm sorry – you're tired. I shouldn't have invaded your place like this. I won't stay long, but I thought I'd see how you have settled in."
She looked around appreciatevely and said "I'm sure you'll feel at home very quickly – it's a nice place, isn't it?"
Richard hastened to explain that he really liked the house and that he appreciated all the amenities it had. His brain had started to function again, and he finally found the right words to thank her for all the work and efforts she had put into this. She tilted her head to one side and said with what sounded like a slightly flirtatious undertone "You are welcome… It actually was fun!"
That was more than he could handle, and he blushed again. She saw him going beetroot and felt self-conscious about it… this all was a little weird. Since she wasn't quite sure what to do, she decided it was best to disappear soon… She'd better give him space, and she'd have to think a little more about her own feelings, too…
After a slightly awkward pause, she added "But I have skimped here and there – the curtains in your bedroom aren't as accurate as they should be, so let me fix this – and then I'll leave you alone… in your new monastic cell… so you can get adjusted…"
Without listening to his feeble protests, she snatched a chair and carried it into the bedroom, not waiting for him to take out the little stepladder he had stored away in the spare room. Richard rushed after her, and Elvis followed, curious what would happen now. His two most favourite humans were acting very strangely this evening… He had to see if he could do anything to rectify this situation.
Camille kicked off her shoes and climbed on the chair, re-arranging the folds of the curtains while Richard watched her, slightly bemused and trying not to stare at the well-shaped long legs of the woman in front of him, the firm round bottom, the slim waist and the toned arms that were lifted over her head. And, of course, the curve of her breast that he saw in profile…
It was impossible not to ogle, and in an attempt to come back to his senses, he squeezed his eyes shut – it was all because she had surprised him so he had woken up abruptly. He had had such a nice dream – admittedly, she had played a part in it, but that didn't signify, did it? - and he was still a bit sleepy now, he thought a little defiantly.
And somehow, it irked him that she referred to this place as his 'new monastic cell'… he had never claimed he was a monk, or a saint, for that matter… and he didn't really want to be either, to be honest.
While he was still trying to figure out why he was so befuddled and what he was actually feeling, Camille had finished her work and made ready to get off the chair.
Elvis, however, determined to be where the action was, had approached the chair without her – or Richard – noticing, and so she almost tripped over him when she climbed down. She noticed just in the nick of time, tried to adjust her movements accordingly, but lost her balance and gave a startled noise – and Richard – who had just opened his eyes again – saw her falling in slow motion. With two big steps, he was there to catch her while Elvis weaseled out of the scenario, with strangely slinky movements that nobody would have expected of a plump little dog like him.
Camille fell hard against him, the two of them swayed a little, and Richard's arms were tightening around her body as he tried to regain his balance. "Are you okay?" he asked breathlessly, and Camille nodded and responded with a little gasp "I think so, yes… thank you…"
Neither of them moved, though, and in a flash, Camille realised that this was precisely what she had wanted for so long… she was exactly where she had longed to be all the time… and she suddenly knew…
It all made sense now - she wanted him – lock, stock and barrel! - and all he had to give…
Sod friendship! Sod 'taking it slowly'. And sod 'thinking about one's feelings'…
His face was very close, his eyes were dark and soft… the way he was holding her felt very promising… She remembered how his skin had felt under her fingertips, and her heart skipped a beat.
He couldn't be that dense… now he'd surely…
But no…
For a moment, he didn't show the slightest inclination to let her go, but then his grip loosened a little, and she felt that he'd release her in a second.
Determined not to let this chance go by, she moved to close the gap…
She whispered "Richard…"
Their eyes locked again for a moment… then he looked away.
Richard began to mumble something incoherent about propriety and decorum, and Camille almost screamed with frustration as she felt him moving away from her.
But then Richard felt a sudden, unexpected shove from behind, like something was being pushed into his legs. The hard punch made him lose his balance again, his knees gave way, and instinctively, he clung to Camille for purchase. She faltered, though, and together, they fell on the bed. Instinctively, Camille had lowered her head and pressed her face in the crook of his neck during their fall, and Richard had firmly pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her to protect her.
They lay there together, both breathing heavily, and as he tried to catch his breath, Richard felt something snap inside. He hadn't only physically lost balance, as it suddenly seemed to him!
He had been able to control himself when she had fallen down from the chair, but now that her smooth body was pressed firmly against him and he felt the soft puffs of her breath on his neck, he couldn't keep his cool any more.
And it all fell into place somehow…
He had always said that he didn't 'do' change, and he had believed it - but it was time for a change in his life: He realised that he was more than tired of living a quasi-monastic and celibate life. He wanted a companion, a partner, a friend… and yes, he also wanted a lover… all in one… and there was only one person who could be all that for him.
In one word, he wanted Camille. Completely, absolutely, totally… as a whole.
Before his brain had processed and formulated what exactly this meant, his body had communicated his most urgent, immediate and pressing wishes very clearly. His arms tightened around her again, and one of his hands began to wander over her back, to her waist, over her bottom… and his voice was hoarse when he whispered "Camille… oh Camille… please…"
He wasn't even aware of what he was saying, but he felt her breath on his face when she responded softly and earnestly "Mais oui, bien sûr, mon chou…"
Her voice was barely audible... but the physical response to his actions was more than clear and quite forthright – and he felt a sudden wave of intense arousal washing over him.
Pressing herself against him, she added – still in a low voice (but definitely in a more lascivious tone now – and with a very French accent!) - "You know what, you told me the truth… when you talked about your body parts being all in the right places… considering what I can feel right now clearly indicates that you haven't exaggerated…" – and before he could say something, she moved to face him, her hands suddenly were in his hair – and as one of her long legs was winding around his body, he found himself participating in a breathtaking, passionate, all-consuming kiss.
He suddenly understood that this was precisely what he had wanted to happen all the time – but he hadn't known until now. He couldn't think any more, but somehow that didn't seem to matter – long forgotten and sorely denied instincts set in automatically, and it felt entirely right to give his brain a break and let his hands and mouth take over…
Camille didn't complain – quite the opposite, actually, judging from the encouraging sounds she made when his hands slowly moved under her top and touched her bare skin! - so she seemed to feel the same way!
Lost in each other, neither of them noticed Elvis scurrying out of the room…
Elvis pricked his ears as it got all quiet in the bedroom, but he wasn't alarmed for long as soon he heard all sorts of little noises emerging from the room – sighs, moans, little squeaks of surprise, fragments of words… and all of them sounded happy. Some even sounded ecstatic…
He was quite proud of himself as he was sure that these two would never have got their act together if he hadn't given them a push – literally. It had taken them way too long to get together, as far as he could see it. He, of course, had always known that they were a perfect match. Humans could be so dumb…
Since he was confident that the couple in the bedroom would be totally wrapped up in one another for a while, he lay down on his bed near the French windows and put his head on his paws.
He might not get taken for walkies tonight, he knew that – but he didn't mind. The door was open, and he could always go outside if he felt the need to do so. He knew for sure that there would be more walks with Richard – and Camille – in the future…
With a little grunt, he got more comfortable on his cushion – he had done his stint for today, so could take a little nap now – or maybe even a longer one, come to think about it… These two next door would keep themselves busy for a while, he reckoned.
He was at home, and he had all the time in the world now.
Today marked a new beginning for them – as a family.