The Weakness In Me

Gail sat in her living room the next day. She had called into work faking the flu; She was in no mood to deal with work. 80’s power ballads played on her radio as she sat there in her gloom. What could she do now? She was alone and stabbed her sister in the back. She could barely look at herself anymore.

The phone rang and Gail let the machine pick it up, feeling too pathetic to lift her herself from where she sat.

“Bonjour… It’s me Markus… I don’t know if you remember me, but you me Van and Johnny went to dinner a few weeks ago? Well I am in Paris and well I was wondering if perhaps you wanted to meet up for a drink? Though I am sure you are busy with your job and all… Uh… Maybe… uh maybe call me back some time? Umm I’m staying at the Sheraton hotel room 456… The number of the Hotel is 555-7698… I guess I’ll hear from you soon maybe… Okay bye.”

Gail was surprised by the call. Markus had been a sweet guy… A little needy, but he was genuinely kind. She started thinking about him and felt a glimmer of hope inside. He might not be Johnny, but what if this was a sign? What if Markus was sent to give me another chance at love?

She picked up the phone and held it for a moment, a little scared to call him. Finally she dialed the hotel and asked for his room. Finally after a few minutes he picked up.

Gail felt suddenly nervous at the sound of his voice. “Hey… Sorry I wasn’t able to get your call before… I was out… How are you?”


Markus seemed to brighten despite the things he was saying. “Pretty boring… Lunches and meetings… How was yours?”

“Oh same, same.” She lied. “So you are in town?”

“Yup… Had a conference… nothing too exciting, though I do love Paris so any excuse to come here.”

Gail laughed and decided to go for it. “ Well when in Paris you really should have a real Parisian to guide you around… It is only right.”

Gail heard Markus chuckle before he spoke, his tone mischievous. “Oh yeah? And where would I find someone who would be so kind?”

Gail took a deep breath, her heart not really into the whole idea of going out. “Me of course… That is if you still want to meet me?”

That seemed to be exactly what Markus had been waiting for. He sounded very excited as he answered. “Of course! What time is good for you?”

[i]Never[/i]. “Are you free now?”

Gail heard some shuffling before he answered. “How about in half an hour… I need to finish something up here… Just some forms and things.”

Gail tried to sound happy, though she felt nauseated. “Wonderful… How about we meet at the Arc De Triumph?” She felt a stab at her heart remembering the last time she had met someone there. She knew though that it was the only way to erase Johnny from her memory.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you there in half an hour.”

Gail held back a sigh. “Okay. A-Good-bye.”

Markus chuckled at her accent. “Good bye mon chere.”

Gail hung up and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and let out a loud groan with her breath. The last thing she wanted to do was go out with this man, but she forced herself up and off the couch. She needed a shower and to get dressed. She could do this, she thought. It might be fun after all.
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Just as they had planned, met at the Arc de Triumph. Markus had given Gail a beautiful rose and kissed her chastely on the cheek. After they took a long walk around and Gail gave him a short history lesson on some areas. After he drove them to the Ritz Hotel where they were currently enjoying an intimate dinner.

Markus sat close beside Gail, telling her a story about some Hollywood star she had never heard of. She smiled and giggled at some of the funny parts and realized she was actually enjoying herself. She rested her hand cautiously on top of his, wondering what he would do. To her pleasure he took it into his own, never breaking his sentence or stuttering. He had become increasingly braver as the night went on and the scared nervous boy seemed to be disappearing.

Markus fiddled mindlessly with her fingers as he changed topics. “So did you enjoy your visit to America?”

Gail bit the side of her mouth trying to think of the best way to answer that. “Yes it was an experience I’ll never forget.”

Markus smirked knowingly. “I sense that there is more to it then that.”

Gail chuckled sadly. “It’s nothing really…” Gail evaded Markus’s eyes. She couldn’t tell anyone what had happened.

Markus squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Your sister?”

Gail sighed and decided to tell the truth…sort of. “It was just strange… She acts so happy, but she is so scared of losing it all that there is tension… our past hasn’t really left room for that sisterly closeness… I don’t know…” She bowed her head. “I guess I was just expecting something different then it was.”

She felt Markus’s smooth fingers take hold of her chin softly. He lifted her face up to meet his. “She told me what happened between you and her.”

Gail exhaled loudly. “She did… Well I guess you understand then…”

Markus shook his head grimly. “I understand how it must have been hard.”

The two sat in silence heavy with sadness. Gail’s mind had went off into a million different places.

Markus put a smile on his face as he heard a familiar song begin to play. He stood offering one of his hands and pointed towards an empty expanse of floor in the middle of the restaurant with the other. “Danser avec lui.” [i](Dance with him)[/i]

Gail looked to the space where he pointed and saw a short stout man with graying hair and a lazy eye. She looked up innocently at him. “I don’t really think it would be appropriate to ask a complete stranger to dance… Besides I don’t really wish to dance with him…” She leaned in conspiratorially. “He’s a little too short.”

Markus looked at her dumbfounded then a look of thought crossed his features as he tried to think of what he had actually asked her. “Umm…”

Gail giggled and shook her head realizing what he had meant to say. She stood and took his hand. “Dance with me?”

Markus nodded defeated and let her lead him to the dance floor. He took her into his arms and they began to sway to the romantic tune.

Gail was suddenly taken back to another time, another dance, and another partner. Her senses filled suddenly with Johnny’s cent and she buried her head in Markus’s shoulder. She could see the look in Johnny’s eyes that night and closed her own tightly willing her treacherous mind to let him go.

“I meant dance with me you know.” Markus whispered completely unaware of the battle Gail was currently having with herself.

She looked up into his disappointed face and felt her prior feelings begin to fade away. She smiled compassionately. “Aww I am sorry… It sounded sweet though…”

He frowned. “It was supposed to be romantic…”

Gail laughed and purred. “Oh it was very romantic… quite the turn on.”

Markus liked the sound of that. He grinned and pulled her tighter to him. “Really?”

Gail could feel how his body was responding to this change in conversation and grinned seductively up at him. “Really, really.” She pushed herself even closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. She hoped this dance would replace the one with Johnny.

After a few minutes, the song ended, but Markus did not let Gail go. He moved his mouth to her ear and whispered. “Can I be completely honest?”

Gail nodded. “Yeah.”

Markus licked his lips and spoke huskily. “If you move right now the entire restaurant is going to know how much I like you…”

Gail paused and then realized what he meant. She blushed and licked her lips. She had two choices at this moment. She could laugh and suggest they go for a walk… or she could ask him to take her home. She looked up into his lust filled eyes and smiled seductively. “That is not good… I think we should leave immediately…”

He nodded and then asked. “Where do we go after that?”

In a move of complete wantonness, she smoothed her hand down his body until it rest discretely against the top of his pelvis, her fingers brushing the very top of his manhood. “ Take me home.”