Reunion

Chapter fifteen

They walked out of the airport with their bags into the warmth of a summer evening in Paris. Though it was close to ten in the night, light still lingered in the western sky. They put the windows down in their taxi as they drove to Saint-Germain, where Ranveer had a small serviced apartment that he'd taken for the duration of the filming in Paris. 

Their taxi deposited them at a narrow gate that opened off the curb. It was flanked by a small restaurant on one side and bookshop on the other. "There's a bakery on the corner," Ranveer said with a smile as Deepika took in the graceful classical architecture. "Come on in," he said, having punched in the code on the electronic lock on the gate. 

There was a narrow corridor that led out into a small courtyard lined with trees. A small fountain played in the centre, surrounded by benches and tables. Families sat around and children laughed and splashed in the water. Ranveer nodded hello to a few people and they greeted him back. An elegant lady of an indeterminate age somewhere above forty rose from one of the tables. "Ranveer! Is this Deepika?" She rolled the r's in his name in a way that was very French. Ranveer kissed both her cheeks and hugged her with obvious affection. 

"Yes indeed, Madame Leblanc, this is my fiancee. Deepika, this is Madame Leblanc, my landlady and neighbour. She's been taking care of me while I stay here."

Deepika set her bags down and kissed the woman's cheeks in the customary greeting. "It's lovely to meet you."

"You are just as beautiful as Ranveer always says. Your pictures do you no justice." Madame Leblanc smiled and Deepika blushed. "Have you two had dinner yet?"

"No, we thought we'd drop our bags off and go out to eat." Ranveer answered. 

Madame Leblanc nodded. "Of course. How long will you stay, my dear?" She looked at Deepika. 

"Only three days this time," she replied. 

"Well then, I won't bother you two. But next time, you must have dinner with us." She nodded at the table where she'd been sitting. Deepika could see a young man and woman and two children, the youngest a baby.

The older child, a boy of maybe four, took the nod as permission and ran over to them. He held out his arms and Ranveer picked him up and tossed him in the air once. The boy giggled. "Again!" 

Madame Leblanc gave him a stern look. "Nico, you've just eaten."

Ranveer tried to put the boy down but he clung to his arm. Ranveer laughed and swung him a couple of times before he put him down and crouched next to him. Deepika watched as he whispered something in the boy's ear and the boy held out his hand, pinky finger extended. Her heart filled with warmth as Ranveer curled his own, much larger, finger around the boy's. When he turned and smiled up at her, she felt her heartbeat stutter. He was unbearably handsome like this. "Deepika, I'd like you to meet my friend Nico," he said, making the introduction with all the solemnity of introducing someone very important. 

She hid her smile and crouched down so she was face-to-face with the boy, who had moved so he stood slightly behind Ranveer. She extended her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Nico." The boy looked at his grandmother, who nodded and smiled, before placing his hand in hers. She shook it once before he giggled, kissed her cheek, and dashed back to the table where he'd been sitting with his mother and father. 

Ranveer shook his head as he stood. "I better watch out for that one or he's going to charm my fiancee away from me." 

Deepika laughed. "I guess you'll just have to work harder," she said, eyes gleaming. "Because I must say, he's a lot cuter than you."