French Connections Ch. 02

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Needless to say, on the day in question, I was not in Lyon. Tom, the handsome American stranger, was visiting Paris after attending a conference in Germany that same week. On his first day in Paris, he got horribly lost and wandered across a bistro, where he found me, sitting outside drinking wine, missing Jean-Luc and feeling sorry for myself. I was supposed to be rescuing him, but actually I think it was he who rescued me. For a brief time, Tom helped me forget about Jean-Luc and my broken heart. I felt a strange connection with him, and despite only having known him for a few hours, invited him back to my apartment. I don't know what it was about him that made me want him so badly. It probably had something to do with his devastatingly handsome good looks, his boyish charm, his sexy smile, his quick wit, his caring nature... and possibly also his 6'5" toned and muscular physique may have helped heighten his appeal!

Certainly, his height and muscles proved advantageous when he picked me up in the elevator of my apartment building, pinned me against the wall and fucked me senseless! I came hard on his big cock before going down on my knees and sucking that beautiful cock until he came in my mouth. Even after we both came, neither of us was even close to satisfied. I wanted to take him over and over again, every which way imaginable. And he promised to fuck me over and over again, anywhere or anyway that I wanted him too. It was a promise I fully intended to hold him to! That is, as soon as I got him into my apartment. Reluctantly I pulled myself off him long enough to fix my skirt and put my t-shirt back on. Tom 'stole' my underwear, he had already removed my panties in the street (seriously, in the street!) and displayed them in the front pocket of his jeans. As if that wasn't enough, he took my bra and dangled it out over the back of his jeans, just for fun! Actually, it was kind of funny. And I really didn't expect that anybody but me would see it, so I let him 'steal' my underwear. I planned a thorough strip search the second I got him home anyway!

Things didn't quite go according to plan though. Just as we exited the elevator and turned the corner, the last person in the world I ever expected to see showed up on my doorstep...

"Jean-Luc" I said with a sad sigh, finally releasing the breath I had unconsciously held as my whole world, for a split second there, seemed to come to a grinding halt as I heard Jean-Luc call my name.

I was standing outside my apartment, staring in disbelief at the sight of my ex-boyfriend sitting outside my door -- his face and eyes red from crying, and the suit that he should've been married in earlier that day looking as ragged and out of place on his body as he did outside my door. Although, considering my present state of disarray, I was hardly one to comment on the state of someone else's apparel.

I was a mess! My hair was all over the place, my skin was flushed and sweaty. My crumpled skirt and t-shirt clung to my glistening flesh - my erect nipples protruding underneath, unencumbered by a bra. The smell was another matter. The musky odours of sex and sweat lingered in the air. And Tom was hardly the picture of modesty either with my underwear displayed in his pants; my panties at the front and my bra at the back. Aside from Tom's sweaty shirt clinging to his broad shoulders and muscular torso, he looked annoyingly perfect still. His cheeks were a little flushed, but his hair was rocking that 'messy bad boy look'... still so sexy! I still wanted him so badly and I was nowhere near done with him for the evening! But Jean-Luc's arrival did sort of throw a bit of a spanner in the works.

As I took a step closer to Jean-Luc, the smell of alcohol stung my nostrils. That's when I noticed the brown bag in the corner. I covered my nose and turned my face away from him.

"Are you drunk?" I asked with disgust.

He just ignored my question. "Cherie, I am so happy to see you, I have to talk with you. I have to tell you! I am an idiot..." I wasn't in any particular hurry to disagree with him on that score. "You deserved better. I am so sorry. I just want to tell you, to ask you... to beg you... I'm begging you Cherie." He moved to his knees, although a little shakily... He was definitely hammered!

"Stop! Just stop! What...? How...? What...?" I was completely dumbfounded! I mean, what do you say to a drunk guy, in a wedding suit on your doorstep?

"Cherie, please..." he begged.

"Don't call me 'Cherie' -- you can't just... No! Jean-Luc, no! No to whatever it is you're about to say, no to whatever you're going to ask me! I don't want to hear you out and I don't care what you have to say. Just go away Jean-Luc, just leave me alone!" I was breathing heavily, getting angrier and more upset the longer I looked at him. I picked up my keys and tried to move past him, I wanted to get inside my apartment and away from Jean-Luc. I planned to call his brother to come and deal with him.

He blocked my way, kneeling directly in front of my door so that I couldn't get inside. I could feel the tears welling up, and I just wanted to get home. He stood up, or tried to; he stumbled a little bit against my door. I took a step back.

"Jean-Luc, get out my way." I tried to remain calm, but it wasn't easy.

"Jane just hear me out, please." He took a step forward and grabbed my upper arms, harder than I believe he intended to; hard enough that he was hurting me.

"Jean-Luc let go of me." I tried to pull myself away but I couldn't, he was too strong for me. He just moved closer to me and gripped me even harder. Now, he was really hurting me.

"You're hurting me!" I cried out, pushing him away from me as hard as I could, or trying to. It still wasn't enough to get through to him in his drunken state. Tom, until this moment, had stood on the sidelines -- staying out of things that were not his business. That all changed as soon as he realised I was in pain. He stepped in and pulled Jean-Luc off me, casually pushing him aside and standing between us. With one hand he held Jean-Luc back, with the other he gently ushered me behind him. I rubbed by arms, examining Jean-Luc's handprints on them -- being fair-skinned, I tend to bruise easily and I was sure I would have a least of few unwanted 'souvenirs' from this encounter.

Jean-Luc would not be easily put off though. He continued, "I love you, Jane... please. I made a horrible mistake. I need another chance Jane, please... I need you Jane..." he took another step towards me, clearly oblivious to my hunky bodyguard standing between us.

Jean-Luc was not physically a weak man, but he was clearly outmatched by Tom. Jean-Luc was 5'11 to Tom's impressive 6'5, and although Jean-Luc was in good shape he was not quite the gym rat that Tom apparently was. This was a battle that Jean-Luc could not win. In every way I could imagine, Tom was clearly Jean-Luc's superior. Given the choice between Tom and Jean-Luc, which admittedly I was at that moment, there really was no choice to make. It was Tom all the way. Although, if I'm being completely honest, I did still have some feelings for Jean-Luc. That traitorous corner of my heart came alive when I saw him again. I did pity him and the obvious pain he was in. But he was no longer my responsibility and I had moved on, even if I wasn't entirely over him.

As Jean-Luc stepped forward, Tom took half a step to the side, blocking his path. Tom didn't raise a hand to him or try to hurt him in any way, he just stood there... with his arms crossed in front of his chest, his sweaty t-shirt struggling to contain his bulging biceps.

"I believe the lady just asked you to leave," he said in his thick American accent. My knight in shining... denim? The scenario would've been a lot more stressful if at that moment my eyes hadn't settled on the bra protruding from my knight's jeans... some heroes wear their underwear over the pants, but not mine it seems - he just hangs mine from them instead!

"This is not your concern!" Jean-Luc told Tom, finally acknowledging his presence. "I am not here to talk to you, I want my Jane. You stupid Americans, always sticking your noses in where you're not wanted! Just let me talk to my Jane." Tom took another step forward, eyeing Jean-Luc up.

The desired effect was achieved. Jean-Luc, clearly intimidated by Tom's approach, took a step back... and then another. Unfortunately, he was not looking where he was going, and tripped over the large plant pot holder belonging to my neighbour; falling on his ass and knocking the pot over, smashing it in the process!

The commotion was enough to bring my elderly neighbour, Mme. Bilhaut, to her door. I didn't understand everything that she said; her accent was unusually thick and very difficult for me to understand at the best of times. At that moment she was standing in her nightgown yelling about her broken plant pot and probably giving out about the noise. Like I said, I'm not completely sure what she was saying. She was generally a cranky old biddy who just loved to complain in general. She was probably also telling me off for my current state of disarray and having two guys argue over me in front of her door. I did my best to reassure her that we were sorry, we would clean up the mess and that I would buy her a new plant pot holder. Jean-Luc was talking to her as well, telling her goodness knows what. He leaned on the broken pieces of the pot as he tried to get up, cutting his hand badly as he did so. There was blood, muck and broken plant pot pieces everywhere. I was at my wits end, between the mess and the yelling... and I felt so sorry for Tom, some vacation this was turning out to be!

"Can you help me get him inside please?" I asked Tom quietly, "I'll clean up his cuts and call him a cab. I'm really sorry about all of this." I said apologetically.

"There's no need to apologise. None of this was your fault, Jane." He looked deep into my eyes again, and gently placed his hand on my back for a moment to comfort me.

I opened my door as Tom, with what appeared to be very little effort, picked Jean-Luc up from the floor and 'escorted' him, holding the back of his jacket tightly, into my apartment. Mme. Bilhaut was still yammering on as I shut the door behind me, breathing a sigh of relief when I heard hers close too -- finally, a moment of calm. I pulled out one of the stools on the breakfast bar in my kitchen, which my front door opens into, and gestured for Tom to deposit Jean-Luc there.

I retrieved the first aid box from the top of the fridge and tended to Jean-Luc's hands. The cuts were not as bad as I had initially thought. It only took a minute or two to clean and bandage them. Jean-Luc seemed much more subdued than he had in the hallway. I don't know if it was getting inside my apartment, the attention he was finally getting from me, or the alcohol which had finally quietened him down. I didn't really care which it was, I was just grateful that he was behaving himself and that I would be rid of him soon.

As soon as I was done, I moved into the living room -- which is actually attached to the kitchen as one long room. I gestured for Tom to follow me. Jean-Luc was sitting, sleepily examining the bandages on his hands.

"That was a very kind thing for you to do, especially considering what he just did to you." Tom gently caressed the marks on my arms that Jean-Luc had left. "How are you doing?" he asked, lovingly stroking my arms.

"Me? What about you? This is hardly an idyllic vacation!" I said sympathetically. For his part, he just smiled that sexy smile of his and shrugged.

"Could be worse, at least it hasn't been boring!" he laughed softly, gently pulling me towards him and wrapping his arms around me. I squeezed him tightly, burying my face in his chest, getting lost in his arms again.

"I'm going to call his pain-in-the-butt-ship a cab, and then I'm going to get rid of him... and then... I'm going to hold you to your promise," I said with a mischievous arch of my left eyebrow and strained on my tip-toes to kiss Tom's tasty lips.

"What promise would this be again?" Tom feigned ignorance and kissed my cheek, working his way to my neck.

"You know very well what promise! The promise you made in the elevator after you fucked me," I whispered huskily into his ear.

"Oh, THAT promise." He said, kissing my ear. "Well, I am a man of my word... So if you really want me to fuck you again, all you have to do is ask." He pulled me against him harder and kissed my neck more intently.

"I thought I just did." I answered breathlessly, my knees were going weak again as he kissed that special spot on my neck. "Let me... just, call that cab." I reluctantly pulled myself away from Tom, "why don't you help yourself to a drink, there's wine, juice, beer... please go ahead." I nodded towards the fridge in the kitchen. Tom just winked at me and headed into the kitchen.

I glanced over at Jean-Luc, he was asleep, his head cradled in his arms on my kitchen counter. "Great!" I thought to myself. At least I had Tom here to help me carry him to a cab. But where would I send him? It was likely that all his close friends and family were in Lyon. Was there anyone still in Paris that I could dump him with? I picked up my phone; there were seven messages on it, mostly from Jacques and one from a number I didn't recognise. I decided it would take too long to listen to them all, so I just called Jacques instead. I gestured to Tom that I wanted to talk in private, and headed into the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind me.

The phone rang twice and was answered by a very frantic Jacques, "Allo! Jane! Finally! I'm so sorry to call you, but have you seen Jean-Luc? He ran out on his wedding this afternoon and I can't find him, no-one has seen him and he didn't take his phone..." I had never heard Jacques so panicked; he was usually the calm, together one. He was always the strong one that everyone else turned to in a crisis.

"Jacques, he's here. It's okay, he's here and he's fine. He's drunk! But he's safe." There was a long pause followed by a big sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. I had forgot that even though I didn't particularly give a shit about Jean-Luc, not that I really wanted to see him get hurt or anything, that there were still people who loved and cared about him. Truth be told, I wouldn't have forgiven myself if something really bad had happened to him because I threw him out on the street in the state that he was in.

"Oh, Jane! Thank god he's okay. I've been going out of my mind here, we all have."

"Yes, Jacques he's fine." I reassured him. "He can't stay here Jacques. I'm sorry but, there's... well..." I didn't really know how to put it delicately "I'm not alone. I have a date here with me" it was close enough to the truth. Technically Tom and I weren't 'on a date' but it was the simplest way of explaining to Jacques over the phone that I wanted to get rid of Jean-Luc so that I could have sex with another guy.

"He's really drunk, he can't be left on his own. Who's still in Paris? I can get him into a cab and send him somewhere, but where?" I asked desperately hoping there was someone who could take him. I even thought about sending him to a hotel for the night, but there are any number of dangerous things in a hotel room that a drunk person can use to injure themselves -- what if he tried to have a bath and drowned, or slipped in the shower and hit his head... or cut himself trying to shave and bled to death! As much as I didn't want him here with me (and Tom!); I didn't want any of those things to happen to him either...

"There's no-one, Jane." He said quietly, a few moments later. "Look, I know what he's put you through, and I know you owe him absolutely nothing." There was another long pause, "but whatever else his is, he's still my brother. And if he's in as bad a state as you say, and can't be left on his own... then there's only you. I have only you, Jane. I'm begging you Jane please, look after him. Just for tonight, just until I get there..."

I scrunched my eyes tightly closed, and fell back onto the bed in defeat. I knew I couldn't say no to Jacques. He was right. I would never forgive myself if something happened to Jean-Luc, something I could've prevented just by letting him sleep on my couch for one night.

"He can stay." I said quietly, momentarily wishing that I wasn't such a good person.

"Jane, thank you. Thank you so much! I will be there first thing in the morning to pick him up. You are the best!"

"Yeah, yeah... say it with jewellery!" I joked. "I'll see you in the morning." I hung up the phone and went back into the living room. Jean-Luc was lying on the couch; Tom was sitting in the armchair, drinking a beer.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." I grabbed a beer from the fridge quickly and sat on Tom's lap, wrapping one arm around him "well, so much for plan... A, B... what plan are we on now?"

"Oooh, I don't like the sound of this." Tom said, reading more from the expression on my face than my actual words.

"Yeah," I took a long pull from the bottle of beer, "we're stuck with HIM." I pointed accusingly at Jean-Luc's passed out body snoring on my couch. "Everyone he knows, apart from me, is in Lyon at the moment. And he's too drunk to be dropped off at a hotel room alone. If he woke up, or started getting sick in his sleep or something... it could be bad." I didn't want to get into any graphic details, I was sure Tom would get the gist.

Tom sighed heavily, "That's a good point. He nearly fell off the kitchen stool. I caught him and got him to the couch."

"That could've been nasty," I said, flinching at the thought.

"So, you're stuck with him until he sobers up?"

I nodded, "unfortunately."

"You're a good woman, Jane." Tom stroked my back lovingly.

"Ugh, don't remind me." I nuzzled my head into Tom's neck. I hated myself at that moment for being 'a good woman' but I hated Jean-Luc more. It was something of a mood killer to have your ex-boyfriend, drunkenly passed out on your couch, slobbering in his sleep on your first 'date' with a new guy.

There was an uncomfortable silence as we sat there, Jean-Luc's snoring notwithstanding. We each finished our beers. I was falling asleep on Tom's shoulder when he suggested that he should leave.

"Will you be okay with him by yourself if I go? I can get a good night's sleep and come back in the morning after you get rid of him, and we can pick up where we left off before he showed up. What do you think?" Tom kissed my forehead, and seductively caressed my back again.

"I think I can probably manage him on my own, and I also think that that's a very good idea," I sat up a little straighter on Tom's lap and kissed him gently on the lips. He hugged me tight and kissed me back. Our kiss intensified, and I was just about to suggest moving this into the bedroom and locking the door behind us when Jean-Luc let out a loud 'snort' and stirred in his sleep, without actually waking up. So much for that idea! Better to wait until tomorrow...

With a deep, disappointed sigh, I got up off Tom's lap and walked him to the door. "So, what time tomorrow should I expect you? Will you be able to find my place again by yourself?"

"Better give me your address, just in case. How does noon sound?" He asked.

"Noon sounds perfect." I said, scribbing my address and phone number down for him. "Can you find your way back to your hotel on your own?" I asked, a little hesitantly.

"I think so. I'll probably just end up grabbing a cab."

"Okay," I nodded, "you shouldn't have a problem finding one at this time of the night. Head right when you leave here, and there's a rank about five minutes down the road... or I can call one for you if you like."