Casey loved this time of year. The beautiful changing of the leaves, the crisp, cold air, and the frequent rain were all things the redhead found solace in. Paris was no different. After they showered together, Casey took her time getting dressed, as she always did. She playfully insisted on privacy, and even locked Olivia out of the bathroom. The goal was to tease her, which was Casey's specialty.
As she dried off, Casey dressed in a lace bra and pantie set. Then, she dressed in the Ali Ro belted ruffle dress she had bought a week before. Completing the look with a pair of black suede heels from Brian Atwood, Casey made sure nothing was bunched or riding up. The attorney finished her make-up, deciding to allow her natural curls to frame her shoulders. Dusting her pale skin with a hint of her favorite body glitter, Casey smiled softly at her reflection and opened the bathroom door. "How do I look?" she asked, striking a pose.
Olivia, who had been dressed within fifteen minutes, stood up from the bed and walked over to her. "Oh la la, baby girl. You look...how do the French say amazing?"
Casey giggled, her pale skin flushing to match her crimson locks. "Well, you could say c'est magnifique. Of course, oh la la works too." The redhead looked into Olivia's beautiful chocolate brown eyes and smiled at the woman she loved with all her heart. "You look very hot, babe," the attorney observed, noting Olivia's black slacks and red blouse, which was barely peeking out from underneath the detective's signature black blazer. She couldn't help but notice how much the outfit emphasized the older woman's naturally large chest. "Now will you tell me where we are going?" Casey asked hopefully, wondering if she could catch Olivia off guard and get a confession out of her.
Sadly, Olivia was too smart for this attempt. The detective smiled and replied "Sorry, sweetheart. You are just going to have to wait to find out. As sexy as you look, and as adorable as you batting your eyelashes is, you cannot coerce a confession out of me. I promise you will enjoy the surprise." Having proved her point, Olivia walked over to the coat rack in the corner of the room and retrieved Casey's favorite Steve Madden coat. Helping the younger woman into it, she watched as Casey tied it, and smiled. "I can honestly say I am married to the most beautiful woman in the world," Olivia remarked.
Casey shook her head. "You know, if this is what it takes to get you to be so romantic...we have got to get away from the city more often." Of course, she knew part of the reason behind their inability to be constantly affectionate in public, and the necessity to be on guard, was due to two large reasons: the fact that they were lesbians in a largely homophobic world, and the fact that they had to be mindful of their careers and their marriage at the same time. The latter was a rather difficult feat at times. Casey found herself depressed on occasion, especially when a man and a woman would walk down the street holding hands, or be happily groping each other in an elevator. Sometimes she could not help but wish she and Olivia could demonstrate that degree of careless, unrestrained on an entirely different continent was a sort of relief, in and of itself. That, however, was something the young attorney had little desire to dwell on, as she wanted to enjoy their public displays of affection while they lasted. And, while she had not forgotten about her father's betrayal, the trip had done much to ease her depression, and it felt safe to be happy, for the first time in months.
"Casey?" Olivia asked. Casey pulled out of her thoughts, startled. When she saw the look Olivia was giving her, she realized she had completely blanked out, and immediately apologized. Olivia smiled. "Come on, beautiful. We have a date to keep."
As the detective held out her hand, Casey smiled and took it, intertwining their fingers. Her love for the older woman once more consumed her, making her heart swell like a balloon. Hand in hand, the happy couple exited the hotel room, setting out for their special day.
"Okay, close your eyes. And do not open." Olivia's firm order came from behind her, and Casey, though reluctantly, and with a pout, obeyed. Feeling the detective's hands over her eyes, Casey gently squeezed her wife's hand, and stepped carefully as Olivia led her out of the car and walked her blindly forward. "Okay. Open," Olivia said suddenly.
Casey had kept her head resting on the older woman's shoulder on the car ride here, as the detective had booked a special limo. Olivia had been very insistent about refusing to allow her to look out the window, and without knowing where they were going, Casey wondered if it was possible to go truly insane. Just when she thought she would lose it, the brunette had instructed her to close her eyes once more. Now, having reached their destination, Casey looked up at the monument in front of her.
It would be inaccurate to say the attorney had never seen the wonder that was the Eiffel Tower. In fact, she had been to Paris several times in her life, for various reasons: her father's military relocations, her family's numerous vacations, etc. But this was different. This was with her wife, the woman she loved with all her heart. The difference in occasion seemed to distort the view of the enormous monument, making it appear larger, and more special. And without warning, Casey felt the tears spring to her eyes. Of course, it did not help that she was extremely sensitive on the best of days. Wrapping her arms around Olivia's neck, she kissed her passionately, before pulling back and gazing into the older woman's beautiful chocolate brown eyes. "Olivia, it's perfect," she murmured. "It's-" The redhead surveyed the crowd mulling around the outside of the tower, and then the object itself, which seemed to penetrate the very sky. "I can't think of a better place to be together."
"There's more, honey," Olivia said, smiling. "But you are going to have to wait and see. Come, and I'll show you." Taking Casey's hand once more, Olivia kissed her, then led her to the South pillar. Once they were in the elevator, Casey felt her heart beat a thousand beats per second, as if it were trying to escape her chest.
Finally, they reached their destination, one hundred and twenty five meters up. Casey soon discovered that Olivia had booked them reservations at Le Jules Verne, a restaurant on the second floor. The gesture had a multitude of incredible sentimentality behind it. First of all, it was one of the most romantic restaurants in the world. Furthermore, it was the very restaurant Casey had once spoken to Olivia about, more than six years before, and the fact that the brunette remembered that it was her favorite restaurant was amazing to the redhead. Olivia signed them in and they were led to their table, and Casey smiled as Olivia pulled out her chair for her. Once Casey was seated, the detective took her own seat across from her. "Do you like your surprise?" Olivia asked.
Casey nodded mutely, still too stunned to speak. She had always known Olivia loved her, but this was too much to handle all at once. And a large part of the attorney felt guilty, as if she hadn't done enough to show her love in turn. It was not about the material things, but Casey was determined to prove how much she loved the older woman. That thought in mind, Casey mentally vowed that she was going to give Olivia an extra steamy evening, with a horny lawyer as the main course.
Forty five minutes later, the couple was served their dinner. Casey had ordered a tuna nicoise, one of her favorite salads. For her main dish, she had opted for roasted lemon rosemary chicken. Her drink of choice was chateau de boursault. Olivia, on the other hand, had skipped the salad, as she usually did. Instead, she ordered two main courses: ratatouille and coq au vin. The latter option was at Casey's insistence, as she knew the brunette would love it. And, for a drink, Olivia had opted for billecart-salmon. Once their food was served and they were alone once more, Casey looked at Olivia and smiled. "Try the coq au vin, babe. I promise you'll like it."
Olivia nodded and lifted one of her forks, taking a rather large bite of the food in front of her. "This is good," she agreed once she was done chewing, and had swallowed. "What is it?"
"Chicken stewed in wine. It's sort of like beef stew, except with chicken. And as you can see, it comes with a variety of vegetables, among them potatos and carrots. Personally, I hate Americanized coq au vin...it is often badly botched, especially when ordered at knock off French restaurants." Casey smiled and took a sip of her drink, which was the perfect shade of pink. Playfully, she nudged Olivia's foot under the table, and feigned innocence by gazing out the window at the structure of the tower's frame. However, Olivia's response sent a shiver throughout the redhead, as the detective ever so gently nudged her back. It was gentle, but the firmness in it was not missed on Casey. She turned her head once more, and she and Olivia shared a soft smile before finishing their meals.
Dinner was full of aimless small talk, plus other more important conversations: some romantic, some concerning their baby, and even a discussion about Casey's father, as being across the ocean pulled Casey out of her funk, but it did not get rid of the problem, by any means. Then, after dinner, Olivia paid and took Casey to the top of the tower, where they shared a passionate kiss. Casey snuggled in Olivia's arms as they gazed down at the city of love before them, which twinkled with beautiful lights, the perfect contrast against the pitch black sky.
It was now after ten thirty. As it was after September first, the hours had switched to nine thirty AM to eleven PM. Casey had translated the information pamphlet for Olivia, who spoke minimal French. If they had been in Spain, Casey would have needed Olivia's help, as then she would have been the one needing language assistance. The cold was beginning to turn nippy, and the couple rode the elevator to the ground floor. Instead of immediately returning to the hotel, however, the two women decided to take a walk down the Quai Branly, the closest street to the Eiffel Tower. The walk was peaceful, and romantic, and Casey loved the smell of fresh air, something New York City locked. This was particularly true about Manhattan, of course. As they continued to walk, they chatted, and Casey had never been happier. It was near one in the morning when they returned to the hotel. Olivia led Casey inside and kissed her passionately, closing the door behind her. "Go lay down, beautiful," she whispered.
Casey did as she was told, propping herself up in bed. As Olivia came over and sat down beside her, Casey seized her opportunity, and without warning, pounced on the detective, kissing her as hard as she could. "I call top," she purred. It was time to show the older woman just how much she loved her.
Author's note: I would like to give credit to my writing, and say that these are not random French locations or food, or language. My mom's family is French, and I grew up with my grandma, who speaks French fluently. She also taught me much culture and locations around France. So I am not a fraud, I promise. Anyway, I do have a sort of review question. Who knows what Olivia and Samantha have in common? You need to know to read the upcoming chapters. Hint: think back to Chance and Casey. Now think about Olivia's childhood. Trust me, this is a very important connection to know for the next few pieces of the story. Also, thanks for reading, and as always, please review.