Chapter 6: Enchanted
i.
She's turning 18 today.
His little Rachel, his beautiful Lolita. This Rachel, his Rachel, is turning into a woman. She'll be flying away, like a bird, and there's nothing he can do to stop it.
ii.
His 1946 Harley & Davidson "Knucklehead" takes him to the destination on time.
Rachel's house is the perfect symbol for the life her fathers are having. It takes him almost an hour ride, but he guesses the time is worth it, because he has to admit, the mansion is exquisite. Located on the rolling hills of Westchester County, it seems to be the perfect getaway for high – profile residents like the Berries themselves. The wide front yard is sparkling with lights hanging above, trying to intimidate the shining stars. There are bushes of roses, African blue lilies, some scented white rose – tinted flowers that he can't remember their names. People wearing formal, expensive, elegant suits and dresses are everywhere, and he couldn't help but feel lost in the sea of unfamiliar places (the fact that he's towering almost everyone is not helping for his situation).
"Excuse me, sir? Your name is…?" – A young man dressed in a grey suit politely asks him with a cold look in his eyes.
"Uh, Hudson, Finn Hudson."
The young man looks at the guest list for a moment then shakes his head:
"I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid I don't see your name on the list."
"Rachel personally invited me here, can you please check again?"
"I'm sorry, but since you're not on the list, I'm afraid you'd have to leave."
"Finn!"
He turns around as soon as he hears the familiar angelic voice calling his name.
Rachel's standing not so far in front of him, beautiful as a vision. Her long, shiny hair is curled into waves falling on her bare shoulders, a pair of teardrop diamond earrings sparkles. On her body is a shimmering silver floor – length dress, and he's certain she takes his breath away.
This, he thinks to himself, is Rachel.
He sees her walking towards him, her eyebrows furrow as she talks to the young man. He hears her saying something that involves his name; he sees her linking their hands together as she leads him inside the house. He watches as she leans her head on his shoulder while animatedly talks to him about the paintings her fathers display on their walls – Roy Lichtenstein's, mostly.
He watches as he basks in the beauty of her and fights back the wrenching of his heart.
His Rachel is no longer his Rachel.
"Why are you so quite?" – She tilts her head to look at him – "Are you not comfortable?"
"I'm just a little tired, that's all."
"Rachel, honey, come here for a second. Leroy wants you to…"
He turns around to see Hiram Berry standing in front of him, with a surprised and confused look on his face.
"Dad, you remember Finn, don't you?"
"I'm sorry, sir, where have we met?" – Hiram extends his hand to Finn.
"I lived in the same building with you years ago."
"Oh… Right, it's…. wow…It's lovely to see you. Would you excuse us for a moment, Mister…?"
"Hudson, Finn Hudson."
"Right, Finn Hudson. Rachel?"
"I'll be right back." – She doesn't have to stand on her tip-toes to plant a kiss on his cheek this time.
He doesn't miss the look of disgust and annoyance Hiram sends to him as they walk away.
iii.
The party drifts by slowly and dully. Finn spends most of his time drinking wine while standing in the corner of the room and observing the world of the rich through his writer's eyes(the wine is simply marvelous, Louis Roeder's Cristal Champagne) . "Exquis!" – Finn says to himself before having another sip. Rachel tries to spend most of her time with him, but it seems to be an impossible mission as her Dads keep calling her every 30 seconds she spends with him, "I'd like you to meet Mr. Alex Cameron from Boies, Schiller and Flexner."; "Sweetie, this is Mrs. Helena Dawson, the belle of Wall Street, may I say it", etc. Names of important New Yorkers keep adding up to the list: lawyers, bankers, investors – he can't help but feeling lost and alienated.
"This is her world" – he tells himself as he gets another glass of wine – "This is where she belongs."
He decides to step outside and stands at the balcony looking across the river and lets the August air calm his mind. He holds his glass of wine in on hand and puts his elbows on the concrete space and watches the slow movements of the dark water as the moon shines as bright as ever above.
He taps his fingers on the surface, mimicking a rhythm of an old song his father used to sing; the light orchestral music echoing from the crowded room behind him.
"Do you have a light?" – A voice of a woman breaks through the humidity of an August night.
He turns to his right to see an elegant woman – whom he guesses is possibly in her 50s – wearing a glamorous bordeux floor –length dress, with a cigarette and a glass of wine in her hand.
"No, sorry, I don't smoke."
She curses under her breath and he realizes the familiar Paris accent.
"Parisien(Parisian)?" – He asks while keeping looking at the view in front of him.
"Est – ce qu'on se connait(Do we know each other)?"
"J'habitais à Paris, quand j'é tais petit(I lived in Paris, when I was a child."
"Vraiment(Really)?"
"Qui(Yes)."
"I'm surprised not to see a young man like you inside of that room, impressing the faces of New York" – Somehow she has lit her cigarette; circles of smoke are flowing in the air.
"I don't really have any business here." – He chuckles bitterly – "I'm just here for someone, that's all."
"Ah, another lover of the rebellious Rachel Berry." – She speaks with a certain tone of bitterness in her voice which is still carrying the taste of Paris.
"No, not lover." – He can't help but feel the coldness of jealousy in his heart as he hears the word "another".
"That girl is quite something, une magnifigue créature(a magnificent creature)! Un oiseau dans un cage(A bird in a cage). I met her when she studied in Paris – the girl refused to follow any etiquette I tried to teach her to help her "behave" in her world. She's quite a fire, don't you think?"
He smiles as he recalls the memory in his mind – a vivid lively picture of a girl with deep brown eyes, of olive skin as smooth as silk, playful alacrity and slight vulgarity.
"Don't let yourself catch fire." – The woman says before walking back into the crowded room.
"Why were you talking to Miss Valerie?" – Familiar arms wrapping around his torso from behind.
"I don't know her" – She moves to stand next to him this time, then leans her head on his shoulder, trying to stay close as possible.
"Hmm…" – His darling lets out a content sigh, as the cool wind of the river caresses her bare skin.
"Are you cold?" – He asks, barely more than a whisper.
"A bit."
He wraps his arms around her body this time. He doesn't know if it was the wine or the undying need of being close to her that makes him bolder in this moment.
"Much better" – She lets out another sigh as she's in his tender embrace.
A late night boat tooting its horn; the resonant sound in the quietness of the night brings them back to a time, long ago and far away time.
"See the boat go round the bend
Goodbye, my lover, goodbye
All loaded down with boys and men
Goodbye, my lover, goodbye
Bye ,oh bye, my baby…"
Another tooting from the now far away boat – it seems no more than a dot just around the river bend.
"Do I know that song?" – She asks as he finishes singing.
"No, kid. It was an old song, way back from the 1920s."
"Oh, when you were born." – She giggles quietly – "Sing it again, please?"
He sings for her again, his voice beautifully fills the air as the light music still echoes from the room full of strangers behind them.
Their dark silhouettes print to the ground as the pale moon covers everything in a sad silver color.
He would die a million times just to be with her like this – just Finn and Rachel and a moon waning to crescent above.
iv.
They stood together for what seems to be forever before she whispered in his ear some words about "le jardin."
He remembers her hand in his as she led him through a secluded part of the mansion – the path was filled with white pebbles and carefully trimmed bushes of colorful flowers, the dimming yellow light brings a magical feeling to the night.
He's sitting next to her in a small "outside room", as she calls it, which is basically a perfectly lit open – spaced room with no doors whatsoever, just 4 columns withstanding a concrete top – surrounded by blue lilies bushes. On the ground are comfortable pillows and blankets, Finn thinks he sees a vinyl record player behind the pillow case.
"Here is my absolute favorite place in the mansion. My Dads rarely go here, they don't even remember this place. This is my secret hideaway." – She says as she wraps a blanket around her tiny frame.
He takes off his vest, loosens his bow – tie and lies down, closing his eyes.
Soon, he feels the warmth of her body next to his as she puts her head on his chest, one hand on his heart. He wraps an arm around her and kisses the top of her head then strokes her hair.
"Music feels much better from afar." – She tells him as they lie in silence with the soothing sound of the music from inside the house.
Crickets are playing their own symphony now – the chirping sounds and her light breathing pour sweet, sweet melodies into his ears.
A cluster of stars glow between the dark silhouettes of the thin leaves; the soft breezes sing a lullaby to the two lovers lying peacefully under the shy lightning of a far away moon.
He feels her hand slowly pulls his sleeve up and feels slender fingers tracing, caressing the expanse of skin. Tentatively, slowly, surely.
She sits up slightly and starts to plants kisses on his arm, then his face, and his neck. Her hair falls over her shoulder.
He tries to stop her, he tries to stop himself from needing her.
"Make love to me." – She whispers in his ear as she rests her forehead against his.
tbc
A/N:
So sorry for the wait! I got back from my holiday and felt a little bit lazy, but I'm back now!
The scene with Finn and Rachel and the boat tooting is inspired by "The loss of a teardrop diamond".
I can't tell you how thankful I am for all of your support and reviews. I have to share with you guys something, there's a particular Glee fanfiction writer that I utterly adore and love, that is the lovely CJ, dharkephoenyx – I love, love, love her! She's one of the reasons I started to write(^v^). So, if you guys can, maybe you can recommend my story to her, if I get a review from her, it would mean the world to me! Please please! (v)
Thank you again for all the reviews, I truly appreciate every of them!
Til next time!