Disclaimer: Again, they don't belong to me, wish they did. I'm really sorry about the delay between updates, but I got writer's block something shocking until a fortnight ago. Thanks must go again to GillyLee for beta reading for me, I appreciate it greatly. The song used in this fic is 'Everything I do' by Bryan Adams. Please, read and review and enjoy. Mouse, March 2003.
Holiday of a Lifetime 4: Paris and other parts.
By Angel Mouse.
John stood against the back wall, watching with a small smile on his face. His blue eyes were watching Penny constantly, marvelling at how lovely she looked this afternoon. He gave a quick glance around the to the other half a dozen good-looking, young, wealthy bachelors that were lined up against the back wall with him. When they had arrived at the fashion show Penny had run into some old school friends, so John had told her to enjoy herself, catch up with her friends and he'd watch the show from out of the way. So, he found himself up against the back wall with other young men like himself, whose partners were down the front, watching the fashion show eagerly.
He was hard pressed to keep a smirk off his face when a few of them had bothered to introduce themselves. They had started out by saying their name and who their father's or companies were and how much they were worth. But that had all stopped suddenly when John had just smiled softly as he shook one pompous little idiots hand and said.
"John Tracy, Tracy Industries." The total wealth of Tracy Industries outweighed the combined wealth of the other try hard playboys standing next to him, so that ended that topic of who had more money rather quickly, much to John's amusement.
They had been here almost two hours, watching the best and brightest of Paris fashion designer's strut their stuff. A couple of Penny's favourite designers were featured and she was jotting down notes on some of the clothes that she really liked.
And then came the bridal section.
This year it had been saved until last, as traditional white weddings had become all the rage again. John's eyes studied each gown and his mind began to imagine what Penny would look like in some of those dresses. He smiled softly to himself, finding himself glancing at Penny. To his surprise, she was looking at him, her eyes mysterious and warm. A small smile played on her lips and then her attention was drawn back to something her friend said. John wondered what the look was about, and also wondered at the mental image he got of Penny in a wedding dress. He shouldn't be thinking of things like that, should he?
That evening they were seated in the hotel's dining room, enjoying their dinner. They hadn't spoken about the events of last evening yet, and John didn't know how to broach it to Penny. They had spent a lovely day together, the fashion show had been a great hit and Penny had been enthusiastic about some of the designs, even going so far as to arrange an appointment in four weeks time with one of the designers.
The waiter cleared their table and John found Penny studying him over the top of her glass of red wine. He grinned at her.
"What?" She smiled.
"I'm just sitting here, wondering how to broach the topic of what happened last night." John smiled slightly.
"I was thinking the same thing." The silence stretched out for a moment and then John gave a small sigh.
"This is hard, isn't it?"
"Yes. It is." Penny grinned at him, not making it easy on him. John grinned back, enjoying the familiarity of the banter between them.
"Your enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Yes. I am." He laughed and reached across the table, taking her hand in his.
"You know, besides Gordon, your about the only person I would let get away with teasing me like that." Penny smiled warmly at him, holding his hand tight in hers.
"I'm honoured to be in such worthwhile company." The nervousness John had been feeling disappeared with her words and he smiled warmly back at her.
"Pen, I'll be totally honest with you. I think I'm falling head over heels in love with you." John stared her in the eyes; his blue one's totally serious. "I don't know how it happened, or when it did. But I realised the other day that I just love being with you. When I'm with you I can be myself, I don't have to look after anyone but you and I find that all I can think about is you. How much I love being with you, listening to you, speaking with you and just being around you. I have found myself wondering in the last day or so if we have a future together, as a couple I mean. I found myself thinking we could do it. But… but I'm unsure on how you feel. That kiss we shared last nice was the most fantastic thing that's ever happened to me. You're the most fantastic thing that's ever happened to me and I don't want to do anything to jeopardise that. So, I was wondering how you felt."
Penny was taken slightly aback at John's frankness and honesty. It was the most she had ever heard him speak in one go; usually he kept his sentences short and to the point, saying only what needed to be said. She smiled warmly at him and squeezed his hand. At least now she knew where he stood, but she was still unsure of her own feelings. But one thing she knew was that she didn't want to loose him. And she wasn't about to let that happen any time soon.
"I must admit that I would be lying if I didn't say I was thinking the same things as yourself. I think I'm falling in love with you to. I don't have to put on airs, or pretend to be something I know I'm not when around you. You take me, as I am, not as what people expect me to be. You are the most kind, wonderful, loving man I know, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather be with than yourself. So, what ever this is that's going on between us, I think we should see how far it takes us, shouldn't we?" John nodded.
"I agree. Let's see where we end up." Penny smiled and they stared into each other's eyes, enjoying the moment. Just then the music started playing and John grinned at her. "Shall we dance Pen?"
"Yes." John released her hand and then pulled her chair out for her. He took her hand and escorted her to the dance floor.
They whirled around the dance floor for a little while, laughing and talking softly. They made such a lovely, striking couple that most eyes were on them. The strapping handsome blonde haired man with the merry blue eyes and the beautiful blonde woman with the charming smile. The pianist finished up the current song and began another, this time, he spoke softly.
"This next song is an old one from the late twentieth century. It's from Canadian artist Bryan Adams, and it's called Everything I do." He began the introduction and softly began to sing.
Look into my eyes - you will see,
What you mean to me.
Search your heart - search your soul,
And when you find me there, you'll search no more.
Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for.
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for.
You know it's true,
Everything I do - I do it for you.
Look into my heart - you will find,
There's nothin' there to hide.
Take me as I am - take my life,
I would give it all - I would sacrifice.
Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for.
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more.
Ya know it's true,
Everything I do - I do it for you.
There's no love - like your love.
And no other - could give more love.
There's nowhere - unless you're there.
All the time - all the way.
Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for.
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more,
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you.
Walk the wire for you - ya I'd die for you.
Ya know it's true.
Everything I do - I do it for you.
John stared into Penny's eyes, unable to believe luck that he was standing here with the most perfect woman in the world. It was only natural that he pulled her closer and their lips meet in a sweetly gentle kiss. Penny responded to his tender kiss with a passion that caught him slightly off guard, but nether the less, he responded to it with his own passion.
The next morning found them checking out of the hotel and heading towards the airport. John was driving and Penny was snugly leaning against him, smiling softly as she hummed along to a copy of that song that the pianist had played last night. Penny had liked it so much he had quickly given her a copy of it when she had expressed her delight in it.
They quickly departed the airport and winged their way to Egypt. After a short two-hour flight, where they continued Penny's Italian lessons, they arrived in Cairo. A car from the hotel picked them up and John wasn't that impressed, he'd seen taxis in worse conditions than this car.
The hotel wasn't much better and as he helped Penny out of the car his frown deepened. Penny saw this expression and turned to him.
"John, what is it?" John just gestured at the run down looking smallish hotel that they had been brought to.
"I'm not so sure about this place Pen, really not." Penny just smiled gently as she chided him gently in her soft, cultured tones.
"Never let appearance's deceive you." John smiled slightly at her veiled reference to their occupations.
"Alright then Pen, come on, let's check the rooms out and then we'll decide what to do."
They went inside, the aged porter following with their luggage and quickly checked in. The desk clerk assured them that they had been given the best room in the hotel and led them up to the fifth floor. The porter left their luggage in their rooms with them and then they left. John hadn't looked at his yet; he wanted to be with Penny when she went through hers.
To say the rooms were dirty and dishevelled was an understatement. They were filthy, disgusting and rotten to the core. The wallpaper was peeling off the walls, paint off the ceiling. The carpet was mouldy and ripped off the floors, and their was a terrible smell permeating the room. Penny wordlessly followed John into his room and his was worse than hers was. They shared a glance and John raised a blonde eyebrow and Penny gave him a rueful grin.
"Alright smarty pants, we'll go." Laughing he picked up their cases and they made their way back down to the lobby. Over the protests of the manager and desk clerk, they proceeded to check out and head back to the airport. Thirty minutes later found them back in the air bound for India.
Penny came into the cockpit, handing John a mug of coffee.
"Well, Edward is not going to be pleased about my report regarding the status of that hotel." John snorted softly.
"I know. Well, it means we'll have a few extra days up our sleeves now. That is, if you don't mind spending them with me?" Penny smiled gently and reached over, putting her hand on his knee.
"I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend time with than you." John returned her warm smile and they sat in companionable silence for the rest of the hour's plane flight.
Unfortunately, they found much the same in the Indian resort, but ten times worse. After an hour they back at the airport again, sitting in the plane, working out their next move. Their next destination was Darwin, Australia. But it was a sixteen-hour flight, something John wasn't prepared to do at the moment. So they were trying to decide what to do. The solution they came up with was to do the flight in stages. Now, they were just trying to decide where to stop overnight. In the end they had decided to stop overnight in Johannesburg, and fly direct to Darwin the next day. That way, the sixteen-hour flight would be cut down to four hours to South Africa and then twelve to Darwin. John felt comfortable with that length of time; anyway, they would have to stop for refuelling half way there so they could take another break then. So, they left India on their journey, enjoying the time they were spending together.
Tbc in part five…