IF...116: Love and cheap shampoo
"I was waiting for you." He told her, his heart beating rapidly.
He saw a shadow pass over her face, and her eyes began to glisten.
"But you didn't wait," she said softly.
His heart rate slowed, and he looked at her questioningly.
"When I went to look for you after we had spent the night together, you were with someone else."
He lowered his eyes for a minute and then looking back at her, saw that hers were filled with tears.
"But I saw you with Kyle," he said, his voice steady.
She exhaled sharply. "Kyle? When? Where?"
"The night after we were together. You were outside that French restaurant on Princess Street.
You were kissing him," he said, his voice sounding heavy even to his own ears.
It was hard even now for him to remember how awful he had felt.
But she was shaking her head. "No. No. I wasn't kissing him. He kissed me!" She said her voice trembling.
"After you and I were together I knew, I knew what I had probably known for a long time, that it was you that I wanted to be with."
Marco caught his breath. His heart started to hammer.
The tears were sliding down her cheeks now and her voice trembled as she continued.
"After you wouldn't return my calls, I went to look for you that first day to tell you that I just needed to speak to Kyle to end it with him once and for all, face to face. But you weren't home, and then Kyle arrived and we went out to dinner because I didn't want him in my apartment."
Marco felt as though all the air had been knocked out of his lungs. He wasn't sure if he could bear to hear what she was going to say next.
"At the restaurant I told him that I didn't love him enough to stay with him. That I wished him well. That he couldn't make me happy and that I was actually happier without him," she continued between small sobs.
Marco felt paralyzed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wanted to jam his fists into his ears.
"I...I...didn't...I...didn't tell him about you because I know how competitive he can be and I didn't want to confuse the issue. He begged..."
"...I said...no......and...and I went home...alone.
It was...late...and...so...in the morning...I..went...I...went..." The tears were streaming down her face, taking her eyeliner with them, but she made no move to wipe them away.
"I went to look for you, to tell you..." she looked down at the floor. "To tell you again that I loved you," she said softly.
"Again?" he asked, his voice cracking. His head was swimming.
She looked up at him. "I...I...told you...I told you that night that I loved you..."
"...but you had fallen asleep," she whispered.
Marco's heart was trying to tear its away out of his chest.
He felt his legs go weak and he placed his hand on the piano to keep from falling. He took a deep breath.
"So...I...went, I went to you...to tell you that I loved you. That I had loved you for a long time I just hadn't admitted it to myself. I went to ask you to take me with you wherever you were going because I didn't want to be apart from you any...anymore." She was crying now but she didn't stop talking, her words tumbling out between her sobs.
"But you were with someone else..."
"And you sent me away..."
"I...I...I thought...I..thought...that our night together had not meant the same thing to you, as it d...did to me. I...thought...that like a lot of...men that for you...it had been about the chase, and once...o...once...you had gotten what you wanted...." she trailed off.
Marco's head was swimming.
Then she took a deep breath and brushed at the tears spilling down her cheeks.
"When I got back to my flat Kyle was waiting for me."
"He asked me let him prove that he could make...me happy. He asked...he asked...me to m...m...marry him..."
"And I was so...so...gutted that I didn't care anymore...and I thought...I thought that you had...that...you didn't want me...that I was just a fling...and Kyle...K...Kyle...even...even for all his faults...I believed he loved me and so...I said...I said, 'yes,'" she whispered.
Marco was sure his heart would explode and he could feel the tears coursing down his cheeks.
She looked down at the floor again. "I picked you Marco. But you didn't wait for me. You told me to tell you when I decided what I wanted, but you didn't wait for me...I loved you...I still do," she said so softly he could barely hear her.
Carolyn dropped onto a chair and buried her face in her hands sobbing.
In two strides he was at her side. He pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her.
He felt the heat of her body radiate into him, as he buried his face in her hair.
"But I did wait for you. Don't you see?" He pulled away, and looked into her eyes. "I never wanted to be with anyone but you. That's why I never got married."
She caught her breath and blinked rapidly smiling through her tears.
"I love you Carolyn."
Marco felt as though his heart would burst with joy. He had waited for over twenty five years to say those words, and it felt glorious. He felt like he was flying.
"Say it again," she whispered.
"I love you Carolyn."
"I love you too Marco."
And he lowered his mouth to hers and drank in its sweetness...and she kissed him back...hungrily...his whole body was on fire, and he felt as though he had never kissed anyone else before. These were the lips that were meant to be his.
Suddenly she pulled away...gently...just enough to look into his eyes.
"You've never called me that before," she said softly, her tear-stained face glowing with the flush of passion.
"You've never called me by my first name before."
"I was waiting until I could say 'I love you' in front of it," he said brushing her cheek gently.
"Besides, it just wouldn't do for me to be calling my wife by her last name."
She caught her breath. "Your...w...w...wife?"
He gently let her go and got down on one knee. He looked up at her flushed face, her lips swollen from his passionate kisses and his heart sang. Marco had never wanted anything more in his life.
"I've got the scar and the broken nose. So I was wondering...Will you marry me Carolyn?"
She burst into tears and fell into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yes! Yes! I will! I love you so much I feel like my heart will explode!"
And they kissed again, deeply and more urgently than before...his hands explored her body and hers his...
And then suddenly the door swung open.
"Oh dear Lord, the children!" He thought pulling away from the embrace.
Carolyn gasped softly, straightening her dress.
Standing in the doorway was their daughter Maya, her eyebrows raised and a big smirk plastered across her face.
Marco ran his hand through his hair, and smiled at her sheepishly. "Maya." He put his arm around Carolyn's shoulders. She was smiling too.
"I've just asked your mother to marry me. If that's alright with you," he said his voice shaking a bit.
"It took you long enough," she said grinning cheekily. "Did you guys finally tell each other that you loved each other then?" She asked.
They nodded, smiling broadly at their daughter.
"Good stuff! Now Mom...'Pop'...may I call you Pop?"
He felt the tears rush to his eyes. He nodded not trusting himself to say anything without breaking down.
Mom, 'Pop'...everyone has left now except Gabriele. I'm going to walk him to the car, and I'm probably going to kiss him for a bit. Don't worry, I will not get into the car. No clothing will be removed. I promise to be back in the house within about...say half an hour."
They both nodded.
She grinned at them and Marco saw that her eyes were glistening. "Now if you two are going to do salacious things to each other, please take it to the bedroom," she told them trying to look stern.
She turned to the door and as she walked out of the room said, "And for gawd's sake it you ARE going to do something salacious to each other, use protection. Remember what happened the last time you two got together...and look at how that turned out!"
Marco and Carolyn burst out laughing.
He still held her hand in his. He was afraid to let it go. He couldn't believe what was happening. What was actually happening!
He pulled her to him holding her close, reveling in the sensation of feeling her energy flowing into him.
He gestured with his head towards the door. "As I have every intention of doing salacious things to you, we should probably..."
Her face was flushed and she nodded smiling. He led her down the corridor to her bedroom walking backwards so he could keep looking at that striking face that had danced through his dreams for the past twenty five years.
He opened the bedroom door and drew her in with him.
"And by the way, as I am going to be your husband, I have absolutely no intention of using protection," he said with a wink.
"And another thing...just so you know, I plan to do salacious things to you as often as I can for the rest of my life," he said huskily, lowering his mouth to her waiting lips.
Carolyn kicked the door shut with her foot, pressed her body against his and wrapping her arms around his neck.
Hours later, they lay in the semi darkness of the early morning. Carolyn had never ever felt such joy or such contentment in her life.
"You still smell of peaches."
"Do you know that shampoo is still only 2.99 at Walmart."
The End?
Not by a long shot!
Carolyn and Marco have finally found each other...for real this time...but...there's so much more drama unfolding in Christophe Harbour.
If you're interesting in say...
Finding out how Kyle reacts to the news of Carolyn and Marco getting together...
Or which one of Carolyn's kids is having a rough time with her new relationship.
Or hearing all about the Maya and Charlie scandal..."The Maya and Charlie what?" I hear you ask anxiously.
Well stay tuned, because starting in the next few days will be the next generation of the Christophe Harbour follies...launching as "The Harbour" right here at this LJ!
Oh, and if you're interested in downloading Carolyn and Marco for your own game, I'm mucking about with another question that I can toss out there...with the first to get it right getting the link to download them. Can you stand the excitement?! :D
Hope you enjoyed Part I and that you'll come back for Part II
Ciao for now....Toni
He saw a shadow pass over her face, and her eyes began to glisten.
"But you didn't wait," she said softly.
His heart rate slowed, and he looked at her questioningly.
"When I went to look for you after we had spent the night together, you were with someone else."
He lowered his eyes for a minute and then looking back at her, saw that hers were filled with tears.
"But I saw you with Kyle," he said, his voice steady.
She exhaled sharply. "Kyle? When? Where?"
"The night after we were together. You were outside that French restaurant on Princess Street.
You were kissing him," he said, his voice sounding heavy even to his own ears.
It was hard even now for him to remember how awful he had felt.
But she was shaking her head. "No. No. I wasn't kissing him. He kissed me!" She said her voice trembling.
"After you and I were together I knew, I knew what I had probably known for a long time, that it was you that I wanted to be with."
Marco caught his breath. His heart started to hammer.
The tears were sliding down her cheeks now and her voice trembled as she continued.
"After you wouldn't return my calls, I went to look for you that first day to tell you that I just needed to speak to Kyle to end it with him once and for all, face to face. But you weren't home, and then Kyle arrived and we went out to dinner because I didn't want him in my apartment."
Marco felt as though all the air had been knocked out of his lungs. He wasn't sure if he could bear to hear what she was going to say next.
"At the restaurant I told him that I didn't love him enough to stay with him. That I wished him well. That he couldn't make me happy and that I was actually happier without him," she continued between small sobs.
Marco felt paralyzed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wanted to jam his fists into his ears.
"I...I...didn't...I...didn't tell him about you because I know how competitive he can be and I didn't want to confuse the issue. He begged..."
"...I said...no......and...and I went home...alone.
It was...late...and...so...in the morning...I..went...I...went..." The tears were streaming down her face, taking her eyeliner with them, but she made no move to wipe them away.
"I went to look for you, to tell you..." she looked down at the floor. "To tell you again that I loved you," she said softly.
"Again?" he asked, his voice cracking. His head was swimming.
She looked up at him. "I...I...told you...I told you that night that I loved you..."
"...but you had fallen asleep," she whispered.
Marco's heart was trying to tear its away out of his chest.
He felt his legs go weak and he placed his hand on the piano to keep from falling. He took a deep breath.
"So...I...went, I went to you...to tell you that I loved you. That I had loved you for a long time I just hadn't admitted it to myself. I went to ask you to take me with you wherever you were going because I didn't want to be apart from you any...anymore." She was crying now but she didn't stop talking, her words tumbling out between her sobs.
"But you were with someone else..."
"And you sent me away..."
"I...I...I thought...I..thought...that our night together had not meant the same thing to you, as it d...did to me. I...thought...that like a lot of...men that for you...it had been about the chase, and once...o...once...you had gotten what you wanted...." she trailed off.
Marco's head was swimming.
Then she took a deep breath and brushed at the tears spilling down her cheeks.
"When I got back to my flat Kyle was waiting for me."
"He asked me let him prove that he could make...me happy. He asked...he asked...me to m...m...marry him..."
"And I was so...so...gutted that I didn't care anymore...and I thought...I thought that you had...that...you didn't want me...that I was just a fling...and Kyle...K...Kyle...even...even for all his faults...I believed he loved me and so...I said...I said, 'yes,'" she whispered.
Marco was sure his heart would explode and he could feel the tears coursing down his cheeks.
She looked down at the floor again. "I picked you Marco. But you didn't wait for me. You told me to tell you when I decided what I wanted, but you didn't wait for me...I loved you...I still do," she said so softly he could barely hear her.
Carolyn dropped onto a chair and buried her face in her hands sobbing.
In two strides he was at her side. He pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her.
He felt the heat of her body radiate into him, as he buried his face in her hair.
"But I did wait for you. Don't you see?" He pulled away, and looked into her eyes. "I never wanted to be with anyone but you. That's why I never got married."
She caught her breath and blinked rapidly smiling through her tears.
"I love you Carolyn."
Marco felt as though his heart would burst with joy. He had waited for over twenty five years to say those words, and it felt glorious. He felt like he was flying.
"Say it again," she whispered.
"I love you Carolyn."
"I love you too Marco."
And he lowered his mouth to hers and drank in its sweetness...and she kissed him back...hungrily...his whole body was on fire, and he felt as though he had never kissed anyone else before. These were the lips that were meant to be his.
Suddenly she pulled away...gently...just enough to look into his eyes.
"You've never called me that before," she said softly, her tear-stained face glowing with the flush of passion.
"You've never called me by my first name before."
"I was waiting until I could say 'I love you' in front of it," he said brushing her cheek gently.
"Besides, it just wouldn't do for me to be calling my wife by her last name."
She caught her breath. "Your...w...w...wife?"
He gently let her go and got down on one knee. He looked up at her flushed face, her lips swollen from his passionate kisses and his heart sang. Marco had never wanted anything more in his life.
"I've got the scar and the broken nose. So I was wondering...Will you marry me Carolyn?"
She burst into tears and fell into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yes! Yes! I will! I love you so much I feel like my heart will explode!"
And they kissed again, deeply and more urgently than before...his hands explored her body and hers his...
And then suddenly the door swung open.
"Oh dear Lord, the children!" He thought pulling away from the embrace.
Carolyn gasped softly, straightening her dress.
Standing in the doorway was their daughter Maya, her eyebrows raised and a big smirk plastered across her face.
Marco ran his hand through his hair, and smiled at her sheepishly. "Maya." He put his arm around Carolyn's shoulders. She was smiling too.
"I've just asked your mother to marry me. If that's alright with you," he said his voice shaking a bit.
"It took you long enough," she said grinning cheekily. "Did you guys finally tell each other that you loved each other then?" She asked.
They nodded, smiling broadly at their daughter.
"Good stuff! Now Mom...'Pop'...may I call you Pop?"
He felt the tears rush to his eyes. He nodded not trusting himself to say anything without breaking down.
Mom, 'Pop'...everyone has left now except Gabriele. I'm going to walk him to the car, and I'm probably going to kiss him for a bit. Don't worry, I will not get into the car. No clothing will be removed. I promise to be back in the house within about...say half an hour."
They both nodded.
She grinned at them and Marco saw that her eyes were glistening. "Now if you two are going to do salacious things to each other, please take it to the bedroom," she told them trying to look stern.
She turned to the door and as she walked out of the room said, "And for gawd's sake it you ARE going to do something salacious to each other, use protection. Remember what happened the last time you two got together...and look at how that turned out!"
Marco and Carolyn burst out laughing.
He still held her hand in his. He was afraid to let it go. He couldn't believe what was happening. What was actually happening!
He pulled her to him holding her close, reveling in the sensation of feeling her energy flowing into him.
He gestured with his head towards the door. "As I have every intention of doing salacious things to you, we should probably..."
Her face was flushed and she nodded smiling. He led her down the corridor to her bedroom walking backwards so he could keep looking at that striking face that had danced through his dreams for the past twenty five years.
He opened the bedroom door and drew her in with him.
"And by the way, as I am going to be your husband, I have absolutely no intention of using protection," he said with a wink.
"And another thing...just so you know, I plan to do salacious things to you as often as I can for the rest of my life," he said huskily, lowering his mouth to her waiting lips.
Carolyn kicked the door shut with her foot, pressed her body against his and wrapping her arms around his neck.
Hours later, they lay in the semi darkness of the early morning. Carolyn had never ever felt such joy or such contentment in her life.
"You still smell of peaches."
"Do you know that shampoo is still only 2.99 at Walmart."
The End?
Not by a long shot!
Carolyn and Marco have finally found each other...for real this time...but...there's so much more drama unfolding in Christophe Harbour.
If you're interesting in say...
Finding out how Kyle reacts to the news of Carolyn and Marco getting together...
Or which one of Carolyn's kids is having a rough time with her new relationship.
Or hearing all about the Maya and Charlie scandal..."The Maya and Charlie what?" I hear you ask anxiously.
Well stay tuned, because starting in the next few days will be the next generation of the Christophe Harbour follies...launching as "The Harbour" right here at this LJ!
Oh, and if you're interested in downloading Carolyn and Marco for your own game, I'm mucking about with another question that I can toss out there...with the first to get it right getting the link to download them. Can you stand the excitement?! :D
Hope you enjoyed Part I and that you'll come back for Part II
Ciao for now....Toni