A Blind Fall

chapter one

The music from the grandfather clock sounded rhythmically, emphasising the rapidly moving time. It was dark and quiet, the only noise and light emanating from the monitor of her computer and the keyboard as she typed her fingers away.

Her neck was stiff and ached from bending it for hours and her leg muscles were numb from crossing them for too long, all the while, typing on her MacBook, only stopping to adjust her glasses. An involuntary yawn escaped her and that was the cue for her empty stomach to growl, complaining of her neglect of it. The last she had put something in her mouth was eight in the morning -a cup of coffee- and that was about it.

Tired and hungry...and furious about her story lacking flow, she slammed her MacBook shut and let out a shaky breath. Her eyes darted around the dark room, realising it was too dark to see anything, she groaned and rolled on her side to switch on the bedside lamp.

And light finally.

Nothing, absolutely nothing was to her preference in the entire bedroom. There wasn't a thing she fancied there. From the white ceiling to the plain wallpaper and the brown rug...it was all stultifying. Nothing to inspire her to write. Perhaps it was the bed, or the windows of the... her! It was her!

She ran a hand over her face and took a deep breath. She'd made resolutions for Pete's sake! Yet, between venturing into romance writing, publishing her adventure book and contemplating going for catering classes, she'd achieved none. She hadn't changed her wardrobe, she hadn't moved far, far away from Leon Mayor, as she stayed so close to his sister, Rose, who was also her best friend, so they kept bumping into each other during his visitations!

She couldn't afford a chef, the likes of Pierre, yet. But she would soon. Something told her so, call it gut feeling, she'd get there. And there was nothing going to stop her from achieving all of it. She just had to get herself together, sooner or later it would all fall into place.

She was twenty nine for Christ's sake! What sane woman wasn't settled by that age? Perhaps she was a late bloomer. Wasn't it why she was single at twenty nine? Single and no prospects, never had there been. God, she needed to grab the reigns of her life and take absolute control. Organize herself.

And she'd start immediately. First, she needed to move houses. Yes, she'd sell her current one, compile every single cent in her name and buy herself a house. Her dream house. The kind Gabrielle Oliver would absolutely relish living in. That would also take care of the issue of constantly bumping into Leon all the time.

Then, about her new found interest for romance writing which she'd acquired since witnessing her friend fall deeply in love with a man that wasn't her first love and surprisingly they married at least a year ago and she happened to be their son's godmother, she'd find more inspiration. How, she didn't know since her own love life was nonexistent but Gabrielle liked to believe that didn't signify.

Not when there were so many different ways to experience love, live it, breath it. Somehow she had to find one and immerse herself in it, deeply and wholly until there wasn't a bone in her left unaffected. Untouched by love. Perhaps she could try friends. No, she loved her friends dearly but that hadn't aroused the desired motivation to pour in her book. Family was down and out, she had none. The closest thing to a family she had were the Mayors and that was that. She needed something replenishing, fresh and exotic. Something new she was yet to know, experience and study. Something... Perhaps she could go on a vacation. She hadn't been to one since the last time she'd gone to the Mayors in Mountain Green.

That was it! A new place with new love stories! That was what she needed. She'd always wanted to go to France. Of course! It harboured Paris, the city of love and the country prided itself for exquisite dishes and fine wine. Paris, France it was. She didn't care if she'd use every last coin in her ownership, so long as she achieved her goals. And then her book would be a bestseller -hopefully- and regain her, if not multiply her earnings.