Page 52 of Closer

“Fuck the world,” I say, taking a gulp of wine.

A smile plays on her lips. “Where would we go?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. That’s the beauty of it.”

She raises her brow in challenge, as if she isn’t sure whether to take me seriously. I’m not sure either. I don’t even know where that came from. “Okay.”

Wait. “Okay you’ll come?”

“Oui.” She shrugs.

“Oui.” I nod. Yes!Fuck yes. And if I have any say in the matter, she’s gonna come all fucking night.

***

“Idon’t know” turnsout to be a vineyard just outside of Nimes, a three-hour drive from my chateau. I pull the repaired and technically-now-mine—thanks to a lengthy and expensive conversation with the rental company—Ferrari 458 Spider into the lot and look at Brie. Her long chocolate hair stands up in all directions thanks to me driving with the top down and the wind that whipped it all around us no matter how she tried to tame it back with a braid. It’s perfect.She’s perfect. And though I haven’t had a drink since lunch, I feel a little buzzed as the afternoon sun beats down on us. Buzzed and thirsty, and like I want to fuck.

“That was some drive,” she says, finally smoothing her hair down in the mirror. I wanna grab her hands and beg her not too, but I climb out of the car instead, so I won’t look like such a fucking creeper.

“Yeah, I need a drink.”

“I’m beginning to wonder why you don’t just have it inserted into your arm via an intravenous injection.”

“You think they do that here?”

She laughs and climbs out of the car. “Come,mon petit alcoolique, we will get you your precious liquor. Though I doubt they have whisky here.”

“Mon petitmeans little, right?”

“My little, oui.”

“That’s funny.”

“What is?” She turns, folding her arms against her chest. I’m beginning to think it’s not a defence mechanism, and that she just likes to push her tits up and watch me drool like a fucking puppy over a new chew toy.

“Well, you remember that time that I had a casting of my cock at the house, don’t you? And then there was the day I caught you watching my sex tape.”

“What is your point, Levi?”

“My point ...” I say, stepping closer and getting all up in her personal space. She glances up at me with those big doe eyes. I tuck a wayward hair back behind her ear and her lips part as I lean in and whisper, “Is that you know full well that there’s nothingpetitabout me.”

Her breath is shaky as it rushes from her lungs. I step back with a smirk and a challenge in my gaze. “Now, are you coming or not?”

***

“We are drunk,” Briesays, leaning her head on my shoulder as we sit at the bar. “I have not been drunk for a very long time.”

I don’t know how many wines we’ve had but we’ve tasted them all, walked the vineyards until dusk, had a little dinner, and finished off several bottles since revisiting the bar.

“You are drunk. I, on the other hand, am not buzzed, not even a little bit,” I lie, because one of us has to be the responsible adult here.

“Give me your keys. I cannot allow you to drink like this. I mean ... drive.”

I chuckle. “I am fine. I can drink and drive like a fucking pro.”

“Yes, and that is why your very expensive rental car ended up parked inside your house,” Brie slurs. She’s cute when she’s drunk—unguarded—as if she removed the stick from her arse.

“It wasn’t my house, it was my gate. And you need to quit talking to Margaux so much.” I finish off my wine and attempt to set the glass back on the bar. It takes a bit to locate the right bar through my merlot-coloured glasses because there’s more than one. Brie grabs hold of my wrist and steers it in the right direction.

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