Reunion

Chapter fifteen

Madame Leblanc laughed as well. "I'll leave you two to enjoy your evening together. Please let me know if there's anything you need. The apartment has been cleaned and dusted yesterday, so everything should be in order."

Ranveer nodded and kissed her cheek again. "Thank you, Madame. We'll see you soon." He picked up his and Deepika's suitcases while she took the smaller bags. 

They made their way to the entrance of the apartment. The building was close to a hundred and fifty years old, made of cream-coloured stone that had been carved and embellished. It had three stories and an attic with a gently sloped tiled roof. It had been lovingly tended over the generations and had been fitted with insulation, heating and air conditioning along with modern plumbing. The only thing it didn't have was an elevator. "My apartment's in the attic," Ranveer said as they lugged their bags up the narrow stairs. 

The last set of stairs were wooden and ended in a landing with a small window. The single door leading off it was painted a cheerful yellow that glowed in the warm light of an antique lamp. Deepika looked out of the window and realised that she could see the river gleaming just a short distance away.

Ranveer opened the door and turned on the lights inside the apartment. She followed him into a cozy space lit by wall sconces, strewn with colourful shag carpets and comfortable sofas and beanbags. The roof was high in the centre and sloped down on the sides to three feet above the floor. There were large bay windows that opened outwards. As she looked around, Ranveer unlatched them and let the evening breeze in. Muted sounds from the city floated in, traffic, laughter, music, a dog barking somewhere nearby. The sound of running water. 

"Come on, let's put our bags in the bedroom and I'll show you the rest of the house." Ranveer picked up the suitcases and Deepika followed him carrying the other bags. The bedroom occupied a corner of the apartment and had sloping windows on two sides. A large fluffy bed covered in white sheets and colourful cushions stood against one wall and a closet spanned another. Deepika recognised some of the prints and posters on the walls. She dumped the bags she was carrying in a corner and walked around, opening the windows as she did. On one side she could see the courtyard that they'd walked through. On the other, the roofs of other classical buildings curved away towards the river. 

"Is that Notre Dame?" She pointed to a lit-up facade that seemed to rise out of the water in the distance. Ranveer had come to curve his arm around her waist where she stood at the window. 

"Yes, it is." He kissed her cheek and she leaned against him. 

"This is a lovely place, Ranveer. I know you told me that you were living in a nice apartment, but the pictures really don't do it justice." 

He laughed, the sound pure happiness. "Come on, I'll show you the rest of it." He gave her a tour of the apartment, pointing out the kitchen and the study that could be turned into a guest room and the master bath that had a large claw-footed tub and a window with a view of the city. They ended up in the kitchen after having decided that they were too tired to go out. They found that the fridge had cheese and a couple of different bottled sauces. A quick search of the cupboards yielded a box of dried pasta and they settled on having that for dinner. 

Once the pasta was boiled and drenched in sauce and dusted with cheese, Ranveer picked up his plate and took Deepika's hand. "Let me show you my favourite place in this apartment." She picked up her plate in her free hand and followed him. He pulled her to the living room and to the window he'd opened when they first came in. He let go of her hand and pushed the window open wider, then set his plate down on the ledge. He sat on the ledge and stepped over it. "Come on," he said, holding out his hand to her. She set her plate down, as well, then climbed over it and found that she was on a section of the gently sloping roof that was bordered by a small fence.

They picked up their plates and climbed around the window and up the slope until they reached the flat top. She saw that there was a small wrought iron table with a couple of wrought iron chairs next to an enormous chimney. They had an almost three hundred and sixty degree view of the city. She could see the Eiffel Tower sparkling with lights in the distance, the bridges over the Seine, and the lights of the river boats. "This is incredible," she whispered, drinking it all in. She turned to Ranveer, who had set the plates down on the table and was smiling at her. "Thank you so much for inviting me to come with you. This is absolutely beautiful."

He walked over to her and took her hand in his. He pulled her close and she settled against him with a sigh. Strains of soft music and the sound of laughter and conversation floated up from the restaurant below. The night air was balmy. A half moon and the glow of the city illumined her face just enough so he could see the love in her eyes. He knew that as long as he lived, he'd remember this moment as one where he'd been completely, perfectly happy.

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Author's note: What can I say? I'm sentimental. Sorry for the cheese.