Rachel, Je t'aime (4/?)
Title: Rachel, Je t'aime (4/?)
Author: manictympanic
Rating: NC-17
Length: ~4,300
Spoilers: None
Summary: Quinn goes to Paris on a culinary apprenticeship. She stumbles upon a bakery and becomes obsessed with their pastries. She meets Rachel who works at a small bakery and soon becomes smitten with her. Cue whirlwind romance and lots of fluffiness, with a pinch of angst and a dash of sexy!times. Will they get their happy ending?
A/N: This took me forever to update. I blame it on consecutive weeks of overtime. But I had some time to myself and finally put out an update. This chapter is extra fluffy to make up for leaving this untouched for so long. I'm anticipating that there are 2 more chapters to go.
A/N 2: This is unedited. Please forgive grammar and all other mistakes.
A/N 3: Dedicated to the one and only pleasure_chest , apologies for slacking...at this rate, this belated birthday present will last until your next birthday! Thank you so much to everyone that read this and commented. You all are fantastic.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
-----------------------------
The two walked hand in hand around the city, enjoying the beautiful weather as they made their way to the bakery.
“I wonder what Frenchie has in store for me today.” Quinn wondered aloud.
“Well, I think he likes you, so maybe he’ll give away some of his other secrets.”
“There are more?!” Quinn asked excitedly, her eyes growing wide.
“Oh yeah, he learned from the best and he buys from the best. It’s why his small little shop is always so busy.” Rachel explained. “You should ask him about the chocolate. He gets really excited about chocolate.”
“Or I could just ask you…” Quinn pulled Rachel closer towards her and gave her a peck on the cheek.
“Nice try. But, you’re not getting anything out of me.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve told you, I am a woman of honor. And I will not break the trust of a kind old man.”
“Pfft, You just like watching me beg for it.”
“That too.”
-----
Philippe had arrived a little earlier than usual. He wanted to make sure they had enough supplies for the day. He had just turned on the lights when he saw Quinn and Rachel making their way towards the shop. He observed the smaller girl, noting that while she was generally a happy person, there was a new spark in her eyes. She walked with a little more pep and her smile was a little wider. He surmised Rachel’s subtle transformation was due to Quinn. He had to admit he liked the girl. She showed heart, dedication, and most importantly love; love for food, for life, and for a certain brunette. He hoped that Rachel would open up more but although she was always friendly, Philippe always felt like she kept everyone an arm’s length away. Perhaps, he thought, she just needs a little nudge.
And just like that the Frenchman devised a plan to bring those two girls together.
The bell on the door dinged, and Quinn and Rachel entered, hanging their coats on the rack next to the counter.
“Bonjour, mademoiselles.” He greeted as he approached them.
“Good morning, Philippe.” Rachel replied, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Quinn lifted her hand for a high five. “Hey, Frenchie.” She said with a smile.
“Frenchie? Let me guess the little one here told you that one.” Philippe quipped as he nodded towards Rachel.
“First of all, I am NOT that little. Second, you know you like it when I call you that.” Rachel teased, pinching his cheek.
Philippe swatted her hand away. “I do not! It is a horrible nickname. So unoriginal and boring.” He complained, the three of them heading back to the kitchen.
“Fine, we can come up with a new one then.”
“How about Phil or Philly?” Quinn suggested, giggling as she put on her apron.
“Ooooo Philly!” Rachel concurred, clapping her hands in agreement.
“No! No! No Philly.” Philippe vehemently protested. “I am a grown man, not a little boy. I want a strong one…like eh…like maître.”
Both girls scoffed rolled their eyes. “You would want to be called that.” Quinn said.
Philippe put his arm around the blonde. “It is fitting. See, I am the master and you, my grasshopper, are my poor misguided student.” He said, giving Quinn’s rear a strong pat before turning to the dough bins.
“I’m not misguided.” Quinn retorted, sticking her tongue out in defiance while she dusted the countertops with flour.
“Great, now I have to look after TWO giant babies.” Rachel commented before picking up the trays of silverware and heading out of the kitchen.
“We’re not babies!” They both yelled back, sharing a glance and a laugh before returning their attention back to baking.
“So…maître, I was thinking maybe later if you had time, you could show me how to make those chocolate truffles everyone seems to love.”
“Hmm. I don’t know…I already gave too much away, if I tell you everything, I’ll have no secrets left!” Philippe responded.
She turned to look at Philippe “Well, I think there should be a new rule.” Quinn proposed. “Rule three. No secrets in the kitchen.”
“No, I don’t like that.”
“Why not?!”
“Because I already have a rule three and I can’t change my rule three to your rule three.”
“What? what’s your third rule?” Quinn inquired.
“You must always eat what you make.” Philippe replied with a smile, popping a madeleine into his mouth.
The two of them dissolved into laughter and continued to work. With an extra person in the kitchen, the bakery was full of delicious cakes and pastries in record time. Even Philippe was impressed.
The two walked out with the last tray of croissants and paused to assess the array of baked goods laid out next to the front counter.
“We have an hour before the shop opens…” Philippe announced. “This has not happened since the first week I opened this shop.” He chuckled and gave Quinn a firm pat on the back.
“What now?” Quinn asked, moving to undo her apron.
“I guess…we wait.” Philippe replied, pouring himself a hot cup of coffee and headed towards the back. “Call me when it’s time to open.”
“Ok” Rachel answered before turning towards Quinn and wrapping her arms around her. “You two are like baking machines. I’ve never seen him work so fast.”
Quinn giggled, her own hands resting on Rachel’s hips. “It’s because he was trying to show off. You know, show the new kid how it’s done.”
“Well, you certainly held your own.”
“Why, thank you.” Quinn said as she gave a little bow.
“You are such a dork.”
“I’m NOT a dork. And even if I was I would be a COOL dork.” Quinn replied with a goofy grin on her face.
“Cool? No. Cute….maybe.” Rachel said, standing up on her tiptoes to place a chaste kiss on Quinn’s lips.
“Ooooh. I get a kiss for all that hard work?”
“Mhmm.”
“Can I have another one?” Quinn asked, her grin growing even wider.
Rachel rolled her eyes playfully and kissed her again.
“More.” Quinn said before attacking her with a frenzy of little kisses on her cheeks, her nose, and finally her lips.
Quinn sent Rachel into a fit of giggles and the two began playfully kissing each other until they heard someone clear their throat.
“Ahem!”
Philippe cleared his throat another time, hoping to get the girls’ attention. His cheeks had a light pink blush to them; he hadn’t expected to walk in on their moment.
The two girls broke apart, each looking sheepishly at one another.
He walked up to them and gently nudged them away from the display cases.
“I have a new rule. No kissing around the pastries.” He announced. “Unless you are kissing the pastries.”
Rachel snorted. “Who would kiss a pastry?” she said, chuckling at the old man’s silliness.
Quinn immediately stiffened and her shifty eyes and nervous laugh caught Rachel’s attention.
“Oh my god. Don’t tell me…” She said, before both her and Philippe were overcome with laughter.
“I really love food okay?!” Quinn shouted, embarrassment evident as her blush deepened. “It was one time! It happens ONE time, and of course old Frenchie here had to catch me.” She grumbled.
Rachel patted her back gently. “It’s ok Quinn, we understand. We won’t bother you when you’re eating, so you can have some alone time.”
Philippe was now doubled over, laughing so hard, he was gasping for breath.
“Oh, mon dieu, I can’t breathe.” He said, wiping the happy tears from his eyes.
Quinn crossed her arms and frowned. “I’m glad you two find this hilarious. Go ahead laugh away.”
“Aww, don’t be sad. We’re just making fun.” Rachel scooted closer towards the blonde and puckered her lips. “Kiss to make you feel better?”
Quinn tapped her chin in mock contemplation. “You better make it good.”
“I’m always good.” Rachel said before pulling Quinn in for a deep and passionate kiss.
“Hey. Hey! I said NO kissing around the pastries! Girls!” Philippe shouted.
Rachel waved him off, her lips still firmly planted on Quinn’s.
He threw his arms up in defeat and walked towards the kitchen. As he reached the entryway, he turned around, “I guess I’m going to start working on my truffles without you then, Quinn!”
In an instant, Quinn broke the kiss and grabbed her apron. “Sorry babe, duty calls!” She was halfway towards the kitchen before she ran back and kissed Rachel once more. “You ARE really good at this.” She said with a wink, before running off again.
----
Rachel and Quinn didn’t get to spend that much time together for the rest of the day. As soon as the store opened, both girls were busy trying to keep up with the steady stream of customers coming in and out of the shop.
Quinn spent the whole day in the kitchen picking up little tricks from the Frenchman; lessons she was glad to learn.
As usual, Rachel was right. Philippe was a master of chocolate. He showed her how to temper the chocolate, how to tell if it was ready, and helped her with her piping skills.
Quinn noticed he was moving a little slower than usual. The fatigue and his back injury taking its toll as the day went on. By the time the late afternoon crowd thinned out, he settled onto his counter stool and let Quinn try her hand on a more complicated recipe.
“Okay. So, you know how to make profiteroles and caramel. You just saw me make a chocolate hazelnut filling and a ganache. Now, it’s time to put it all together.”
He grabbed 2 clean sheet pans and clicked the oven on to 400 degrees. “The final test to see if you are really capable of being a pastry check like moi. You are to make me a croquembouche!”
“Wait, what? Philippe, are you sure? I mean I barely got the chocolate thing down.”
Quinn knew that assembling a croquembouche that met Philippe’s standards would not be an easy task. It took planning, timing, and perfect technique. She wasn’t sure she was ready and doubts began to settle in.
She had no problems making the choux pastry dough for the cream puffs. The hazelnut filling was fairly easy to put together (although she did want to cheat and throw in some nutella when he wasn’t looking). For Quinn, her biggest obstacle was the caramel. It was often a hit or miss with her. It seemed so simple, just sugar and water, but the margin for error was large.
“Just remember. The caramel must be at the perfect temperature. Any hotter and it will burn. If you go lower, it will start to set and lose its sheen.” Philippe lectured.
“Okay.”
Quinn checked the candy thermometer resting at the edge of the metal saucier and when it reached the right temperature, she took it off the heat and grabbed a fork.
“I think it’s ready.”
“Are you sure?”
“Umm….yes?” Quinn replied hesitantly, she still was unsure of her technique.
“You don’t sound so sure.”
Beads of sweat began to form around Quinn’s collar. She wanted to impress him and her nerves were starting to crack under his intense scrutiny.
Philippe rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers. “Did you check the temperature?”
“Yeah.”
“And you checked the consistency.”
“Mhmm”
“And you checked the color.”
“Yes.”
“So, why aren’t you sure?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do your instincts say?”
“What?”
“I said, what do your instincts say? What is your gut feeling?”
Quinn paused and took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”
“You keep saying that and yet, I know for a fact that you do know.”
Quinn sighed deeply and buried her face in her hands. “Will you just stop being so philosophical and tell me what I’m doing wrong.”
“You’re not doing anything wrong.”
Quinn threw her arms up in exasperation. “Then why did you make me do it over and over again?”
“Because you never tell me it’s right.”
“How am I supposed to know it’s right if you don’t tell me?”
“Trust your instincts. A true pastry artist knows without being told. I’m here to teach you technique, everything else is up to you.” He plucked a cream puff from the tray and held it up to her. “So, tell me if it’s ready.”
Quinn took the profiterole and dipped it into the caramel. It glistened in the light and almost sparkled when the sugar began to harden as it cooled. She dipped another puff and inspected it. She got the same result. A large grin creeped onto her face and she turned to her teacher. “It’s ready.” She held it up for Philippe to see and he nodded in agreement.
“Good.” And plucked the cream puff from Quinn’s fingers and popped it in his mouth. “Mmmm, still not as good as mine, but tres bien!”
Quinn, in her moment of overwhelming joy, wrapped her arms around Philippe and gave him the biggest hug she could give.
“Thank you.” She said softly, her eyes welling up with tears of happiness and accomplishment.
“No, thank you.”
“Me? For what?”
“For reminding me that anything made with love and passion is worth sharing with other people.”
-----
When the last customer left the shop, Rachel locked up and wiped down the counters. She had just placed the last plate in the bin when Quinn bounded out of the kitchen, giddy and practically bursting with pride.
She tackled Rachel and lifted her up over her shoulder.
“Aaah! Quinn! What are you doing? Let me down!”
“I have something to show you!”
“Wait, Quinn!”
“Calm down, woman!” Quinn ordered as she set the smaller girl down and gave her a light smack on her derrière.
“Hey. You watch it, missy. Or that’s all the touching you get to do tonight.”
Quinn put her hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright. No more, I promise.”
Rachel huffed and readjusted her bunched up clothes. “Now what is so important that you…had…to….Oh. my. God.”
“Isn’t it amazing?” Quinn said, pointing to the tall conical structure made up of cream puffs, chocolate and wisps of caramel.
“Is that why the two of you were holed up in here?”
Philippe and Quinn nodded, obviously pleased with themselves.
Rachel picked a cream puff off the tray and took a cautious bite. “Mmmm. I can’t believe you made this, Quinn.”
“So you like it?”
“Like it? I love it. It’s perfectly sweet.”
“Just like me.” Quinn added.
Rachel giggled and kissed her on the nose. “Mhmmm.”
Philippe grabbed several puffs off of the cone and began throwing them at the girls.
“What did I say about kissing?!”
“Oh hush,” Rachel teasingly scolded, “If you don’t like it you can look away.”
“Seriously Quinn, this looks really good. I’m extremely impressed by your skills.”
“Well, I had a liiiittle help.” Quinn answered, nudging Philippe. “So? Did I pass your test?”
“Oui. You passed all of them with flying colors.”
Quinn jumped up and fist pumped. “YES! I passed all your tests..I passed all your tests…” She sang, while she did her celebratory cabbage patch dance.
She was in the midst of tush pushing against Rachel before she realized something Philippe said. “Wait, what do you mean ALL of your tests?”
Philippe smiled knowingly and shrugged his shoulders. “Eh, you’ll figure it out.”
Quinn furrowed her brown in confusion. “Figure what out?”
“How about what we’re going to be doing with this massive thing?” Rachel suggested.
“We’re going to eat it, of course!”
“We can’t eat all of that.”
“But of course we can! My wife told me to bring you two for dinner. So, we will just take it home. Trust me, with my family, it’ll be gone by the end of the night.”
----
The three of them cleaned up and closed down the shop before heading out to Philippe’s car. Quinn and Philippe disassembled the pastry layers and brought it out to his car.
Philippe took the scenic route, wanting to show Quinn the hidden parts of the city. The girls enjoyed their little private tour and the city views at night were absolutely breathtaking. Soon the urban landscapes turned into open fields and Quinn began to wonder where the Frenchman actually lived.
Quinn was in awe when they turned into an off beaten path and approached a quaint and humble chateau. “This is where you live?”
“Oui. My great great grandfather built it as an offering to win my great great grandmother’s hand in marriage.”
“What a stud.” Quinn said, thoroughly impressed with the genius and romantic gesture.
“If you think this is amazing, you should see the back.” Rachel said, pointing outside the window as the car was parked.
Adjacent to the house was a large vineyard extending towards a hill about a mile away. There was also a trail through the middle leading right to a clearing surrounded by tall and lush trees.
“Philippe, this place is beautiful.”
The old man stood next to her and pointed out towards the trees. “It used to all be clear. Nobody wanted this piece of land so my great great grandfather bought it and turned it into this.”
“You must have had so much fun growing up here.”
“I did. I used to hide out here until my mama came to find me. When I inherited this, I added on the right section and built the guest villa.”
Quinn turned to Rachel. “And that’s where you’re staying?”
Rachel nodded and started walking towards the main house. “Come on, we should go in, I can see Victoria waiting for us.”
“Ah, the wife should not be kept waiting.” Philippe said, “Come, come. Let’s go inside and eat.”
Quinn turned and saw a fair haired woman waving by the door. As soon as they all entered the house, a group of young children ran through the foyer, almost knocking Quinn over.
“Jean, Claudine, Francios! No running!” Philippe yelled before chasing after the young ones.
Victoria led them to the kitchen to drop off the pastries before heading to the dining room for dinner. She introduced Quinn to the entire family, which included Philippe’s mother, brother, daughters and grandchildren.
“You have a very full house, Philly.”
“Hey, don’t start or the kids will start calling me that.” Philippe warned before turning to the little ones. “Don’t listen to this American girl, she’s always being mean to grandpapa.” He gave Quinn a wink before settling into his spot at the end of the table.
The whole gang sat and enjoyed their meal. Conversation flowed freely and the entire family (kids included) shared funny stories about their lives. Once supper was finished, Philippe brought out the trays of leftover croquembouche, which, true to his word, the family devoured eagerly.
“You are quite good, Quinn. This is delicious.” Victoria complimented.
“Obviously she learned from the best!” Philippe bragged, pouring himself another glass of wine.
“Oh yes. I’m sure you remind her that all the time. Just like you remind us.” She teased before taking Quinn’s plate.
“Oh, I can help you with that.” Quinn offered, standing to help gather the tableware.
“No, no. You’re a guest. Rachel why don’t you take Quinn through the vineyard. The sky is clear tonight and the stars are waiting.”
Rachel stood from her seat and took Quinn’s hand and the two of them headed out to explore the property.
Back in the kitchen, Philippe discarded the last of the dishes in the sink, while his wife wrapped the leftovers.
“Did you see the way Rachel was looking at her all through dinner?” She asked him.
“Yes. It was hard not to notice. She was practically staring at her.”
“Do you think something will happen?”
“I hope so. It’d be a shame if it didn’t.”
The two of them watched from the window as Quinn and Rachel walked happily hand in hand, talking animatedly with each other.
“She seems really happy.”
“I know, V. Let’s hope she stays that way.”
-------
Rachel guided Quinn through the vineyard, weaving through the dense patches of vines until they reached a clearing.
The walked up the short hill and settled down on the ground next to each other.
“It’s beautiful here.” Quinn remarked, taken aback by the clear night skies and the bright stars.
“I know. I’ve been here for a while and I still am surprised every time I come out here.”
Rachel wrapped her arms around herself, a cool breeze causing her to shiver noticeably. Quinn pulled off her jacket and slung it over her shoulders.
“Now, you’re going to be cold.”
Quinn wrapped her arm around Rachel’s waist and snuggled in closer. “Well, then come here and keep me warm.” She nuzzled her neck and placed a kiss right under her jaw. “You were cute during dinner, you know that?”
“Oh really?” Rachel replied, turning to look at Quinn. “How’s that?”
“Well, for one you kept trying to play footsie with me.” Quinn teased.
“I did not! I was fidgeting and happened to accidentally kick your leg.”
“Mhmm, sure Rachel.”
“It was an accident.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
The two descended into a fit a giggles, which only intensified when Rachel started tickling the blonde.
“You better not be calling me a liar, Quinn.”
“I would never!” Quinn replied, trying to protect herself from Rachel’s attack.
“Well then what are you calling me then, huh?” Rachel asked, her hands poised to send another barrage of tickles.
“Beautiful.” Quinn answered.
Quinn’s sudden and serious answer caught Rachel off guard. Quinn always seemed to have that effect on her. Every time she thought she knew what to expect, Quinn would always do something to surprise her.
Rachel’s silence was unnerving her. When Rachel stopped talking, it usually wasn’t a good sign. “Rachel?...Is something wrong?”
“N-no. No...nothing’s wrong…I just…”
“What?” Quinn asked, her concern growing by the second.
“You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever known.”
“Is…that a good thing?”
Rachel smiled and reached to stroke Quinn’s check. “It’s a very good thing.” She said, before leaning in and kissing her. Quinn pulled Rachel on top of her until the girl was straddling her lap, her legs wrapped around Quinn’s waist.
As their kisses grew more passionate and intense, Quinn’s hands strayed from Rachel’s hips and glided further down to firmly grasp her ass. Rachel moaned into Quinn’s mouth as she ground her hips down unto Quinn’s. She gently nudged Quinn down onto her back and removed her own jacket and shirt.
Her fingers tugged at the buttons of Quinn’s shirt, fumbling in her eagerness to remove the garment. Quinn, sensing her struggle, shifted and pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it behind her, before returning to her previous position.
Rachel leaned forward and kissed her hard, their lips smashed together with such force that there was bound to be some bruising when all was said and done. Her lips left a trail of open-mouthed kisses from Quinn’s jaw, down her neck and towards her shoulder. She gently bit down eliciting a long moan from the girl beneath her. Her hands traveled down the blonde’s torso until they met the top of her jeans. She quickly undid the button and her hand disappeared under the denim and fabric of her panties. Her fingers were met with the girl’s wetness and the knowledge that she was the reason for Quinn’s arousal only incited her own.
“Oh god, Rachel…” Quinn gasped, “Please…”
“Please what?” Rachel whispered breathily, her fingers teasing Quinn’s entrance.
“Just….pleaseee…” Quinn pleaded, desperate to feel Rachel inside her. “I just need you.”
The two shared a fleeting glance before Rachel captured Quinn’s lips again. “I need you too, Quinn, more than you know.” Rachel admitted, before plunging two fingers deep into Quinn’s center.
The blonde cried out in pleasure, her grip on Rachel tightening as the girl thrusted into her over and over again. She clenched her eyes shut, losing herself in ecstasy.
Rachel watched as her lover’s face contorted with pleasure…mouth agape and soft mewling sounds escaping her lips. Every movement, every little twitch and moan stoked the desire within her. She wanted to feel Quinn come apart underneath her. She wanted to be the one to take her there.
Meanwhile, Quinn was trying desperately to hold back her impending orgasm. Her head thrown back, her back arched. Her body was slowly losing control and white-hot heat was consuming every part of her body. She was teetering on the edge when she felt droplets of cold rain fall onto her face.
She laid there enrapt in pleasure as the rain soaked her skin. The steady rhythm of the raindrops only served to heighten the sensations already coursing through her. She reached out and pulled Rachel to her, their lips meeting for just a moment before the blonde pulled back and cried out the singers name as she came unraveled.
Rachel felt Quinn’s wall clench around her fingers, drawing them deeper into her center. She watched as the girl spasmed and convulsed as her orgasm washed over her. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.
"God, you are so beautiful Quinn." Rachel whispered before kissing her, tasting the sweet mixture of her lips and the rain. "You are so so beautiful."
Quinn wrapped the girl up in her arms and looked deep into her eyes. "Nothing compared to you."
They laid there for a while holding each other, even though the rain was pouring down, drenching them both. It wasn’t until Rachel began to shiver that they collected their discarded clothing and raced for sanctuary.