“Two Blue Doors Series III”
by Lodge Hillary Manton 2016
Life surprises you in all the ways you can, or cannot, imagine
Juliette D’Alisa, once a food writer, realizes her restaurant aspirations by opening a restaurant with her brother Nico. After the death of her grandmother, Juliette discovers an antique photograph of a man who resembles her brother in every manner. While Juliette starts to look into her grandmother’s past, she finds a kindred spirit in Neil McLaren, a handsome immunologist based in Memphis online. She falls for Neil almost instantly despite their short encounter but life back home presents a long-distance relationship and an uncertain future. What is the whole story behind her grandmother’s old picture? Is there a way for Juliette and Neil to work it out when Neil is living so far away? Would the unfolded family history help show and guide Juliette the way for her love life and culinary career?
Book III — Together at the Table
Emergency has its silver lining when you get to know your true heart…
Chapter 18
“Ma’am? Is there someone you can call? You can’t stay here tonight.”
I tossed the words around in my head for a few moments before a response began to formulate. “Call? Yes. I should make calls. I need to call my brother — he’s the chef. And my dad.” I raised my phone, not sure where to begin. [toss sth around: mention ideas, suggestions, or phrases and discuss them with other people]
My head didn’t, but my fingers dialed of their own accord.
My fingers dialed Neil.
“Juliette?” he answered. I must have woken him. “Juliette, what’s going on?”
“There was a fire at the restaurant. I’m fine, Clementine and Gigi are fine, but, but I –”
“Are you there?”
“I’m outside, yes.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t go anywhere.”
I gave a short laugh. “I don’t know that I can.”
I hung up and realized that I was shivering — which made sense, because it was nearing midnight in December.
……
The slam of a car door, the sound of my name being called.
I turned to see Neil striding toward us, already slipping off his overcoat. “You look like you’re freezing.”
Neil introduced himself to the officer while I took in his appearance. His hair was disheveled, his eyes creases with worry. He wore a sweatshirt and rumpled jeans; the overcoat was now draped over my shoulders. [disheveled: very untidy /dɪˈʃevəld/] [rumple: to make something become creased or untidy /ˈrʌm.pəl/]
One of the firefighters called out the officer with us, and with a nod to let us know he’d return, he strode away, leaving Neil and me to ourselves.
“Your coat is warm,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Are you okay? Were you inside?”
“I’m okay. And no, I was driving home from a family dinner, and I came home to this.” I shook my head in disbelief. “I pulled over for the emergency vehicles. I had no idea they were going to my home.”
“They don’t know about the damage yet?”
“They don’t want us going in tonight.” I hugged my arms tighter. “Neil — the letters, the physical letters were in there. The letters, and my computer, and…and the Christmas decorations my mom gave me…”
Neil folded me into his arms as I began, finally, to cry.
“I know they’re just things,” I said against the soft fabric of his sweatshirt. “But they were my mom’s and my grandmother’s, and I know,” I repeated, “that they’re just things. But without the people, I was fond of having the things. Now all I have are the memories.”
“Never discount your memories.”
“My memories feel threadbare after a while. I need the reminders.” [threadbare: become thin or damaged /ˈθredbeə(r)/]
His hold tightened. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“Thank you for coming.”
“Of course,” he said, leaning back far enough to look down into my eyes. “Always. I…I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Nico’s on his way,” I told him. “But — you were my first call.”
Neil slipped his hand into my hair, cradling my head. [cradle: to hold something or someone gently, especially by supporting with the arms /ˈkreɪdəl/]
I lifted my face to his. “I’m not over you, Neil. It’s important that you know that.”
A smile flickered over his face, but my eyes slid shut before I could fully appreciate it. His kiss began tenderly, carefully, but deepened as we remembered each other. The familiarity of his scent, the feel of his nearness. I raised my hands to his face, needing the feel of his skin beneath my fingers.
Neil’s embrace turned fierce, and I could taste the fear, the anxiety that had driven him here. I met every new caress with one of my own, a reminder that I was there, we were together, we were safe. We created our own haven in each other’s arms, shutting out the melee outside. [caress: to touch or kiss someone in a gentle and loving way /kəˈres/] [melee: a large noisy uncontrolled crowd /ˈmeleɪ/]
Shutting most of it out.
A car door slammed, footsteps approached. “Hey, Juliette!” my brother’s voice called out. “Glad to see something good’s come of this.”
Chapter 19
Dad and Alex returned to bed shortly as well, leaving Neil and me alone together downstairs.
I looked down at Gigi, curled into my lap and back up at Neil. “We kissed tonight.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “We did.”
“We should probably talk about it.”
“We could. But there was also a fire at your home and place of work.”
I nodded. “There was.”
“So you might want to get some sleep.”
“I won’t be able to sleep, I’ll need to figure out what we’re going to do, how long repairs will take — if it’s even reparable. At the very least I need to look up our OpenTable account to look at our reservations so I can cancel them. And then there’s our vendors, and I’m feeling way in over my head.” I exhaled. “And Frank. I have to call Frank.”
“Frank’s your investor, right?”
“Correct. And Aside from all of that — which is a lot,” I added, “there’s you.” I looked into his eyes, those eyes that I loved. “And that alone would keep me up all night.”
“So what are you going to do?”
I chewed on the edge of my lip. “I don’t know yet.”
“Want me to stay with you?”
“You’ve got work tomorrow.”
“So do you.”
Gigi groaned, stretched and decamped from my lap to the empty space beneath the armchair. “Your students deserve better,” I said with a rueful chuckle. [decamp: to leave suddenly and unexpectedly, usually without telling anyone /diːˈkæmp/] [rueful: feeling sorry and wishing that something had not happened /ˈruːfəl/] [chuckle: to laugh quietly /ˈtʃʌkəl/]
He shrugged. “I drink coffee.”
I leaned forward and kissed him.
Kissed him, as if it were the easiest thing. As if we hadn’t been apart for too long.
I tilted my head back, my eyes focusing on his with effort. “You should go home and sleep,” I said, “Can I see you tomorrow?”
We walked to the door. I put a hand on the latch but stopped when Neil’s hands settled around my waist.
“That day at the river?” Neil pulled me toward him, and I didn’t consider resisting. “I thought I was hallucinating. You were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Beautiful but so far out of reach.” His hand stroked my hair in small, gentle gestures, like he was trying to reassure himself that I stood in front of him. “Juliette, I love you. And if we start this again, I want us to make it forever.”
I inhaled sharply as I processed his words, but Neil shook his head. “Don’t answer. Not tonight. But if you want to know my intentions, there they are.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
More English learning points to go…
Useful expressions
Better learn them by heart not only to expand the word count in your writing but also if you are to impress others.
“My head didn’t, but my fingers dialed of their own accord.”
Of one’s own accord: do something without being asked to do it
She came of her own accord. No one asked her to come.“And then there’s our vendors, and I’m feeling way in over my head.”
Be in over one’s head: to be involved in a difficult situation that you cannot get out of
Sean tried to pay his gambling debts, but he was in over his head.
Familiar and unfamiliar
Know each of the words mean but not when they are put together? Words that you learnt as a kid may surprise you with their vast variety of meanings that you would no longer dismiss them as simple.
“Neil introduced himself to the officer while I took in his appearance.”
Take sth in: to understand completely the meaning or importance of something
I had to read the letter twice before I could take it all in.“Never discount your memories.”
Discount (v) to decide that something or someone is not worth considering or giving attention
You shouldn’t discount the possibility of him coming back.
My little thought of love
They are by far the sweetest couple! Each time they quarrel and go separate ways, yet become closer and more deeply infatuated than before to an extent that I don’t think their break-ups is anything bad at all. I like that they are not shy in confessing love, concern and missing for each other, leaving no room for misunderstanding and confusion.
I like that Neil returns Juliette’s call at once when he missed it while Juliette is still leaving a voicemail. I also love that Neil goes for Juliette regardless of circumstances and put her first in priority, be it flying over or being deprived of sleep. The more sacrifices he makes, the more precious of those promises (“Then I’ll see you there”, “I’ll see you soon”, “I’ll be right there” and “I’ll see you tomorrow”) Neil has kept. His “I told you I would. All you had to do was ask.” just send my heart fluttering. I am totally immune to men who only express effusively, accompanied by solid actions, to his girl. I think Neil has nailed it! Of course, it’s Juliette who initiate both calls that make it possible. Admitting you still have feelings for your ex-boyfriend and think of him the first person in emergency definitely lay a girl bare and vulnerable in front of a boy. I am impressed that Juliette takes the bold initiative without the fear of getting rejected. That’s why she can win her boy back twice!
Speaking of phone calls, whether it is answered soon enough, how the voice of the other side sounds and what intonations he/she uses convey a great deal of emotional messages. By overcoming the mental barrier of embarrassment and rejection, somehow, I find asking a girl out by phone is more sincere than by text, checking if a girl is back home after a date and say goodnight on the phone is a lot more heartwarming than messaging. Call me old school.
