Love, Simply - Chapter 17：Les amis de France

**Warning** Mature

“True love is respect and admiration, compassion and kindness, freely given by a healthy unafraid human being,” Dan Barker.

***

After the funeral

~~~

“You haven’t been spending much time with your family because of me,” Cyrus said. He felt sorry that he had taken so much of Louise’s time in the past few months.

“It’s okay,” Louise smiled, “I should be here for you when you need me.”

“I am okay. I’ll pay more attention to you now, okay?”

“I know,” she nodded. “How do you feel—about everything?”

“I don’t know. It’s just so—it’s silly. In the past, I got dumped for not having money,” Cyrus laughed. “Now, I feel like I got so much money. I don’t even know what to do with it. I’ve never had that much money in my life.”

“But, I still cannot compare to you.”

Louise grimaced. “Does that matter? Does it bother you that…”

“It’s not like that, Cahir. I don’t care about it. Really.”

“Stop calling me by my name!” Louise pouted.

“What should I call you?”

“I don’t know. You can call me Louise. It’s just that it feels too formal when you call me like that.”

“Baby?”

Louise blushed.

“That’s too common. How about sweetie?”

She coughed, turning her face away to hide the smiles.

“Anything is fine. Just don’t call me by my first name.”

“Okay!” He said, pulling her to him. His face was so close that she could smell his after shaved cream.

~~~

“Loulou, tu dois venir nous chercher a l’aeroport demain,” Allain said, one of Louise’s closest friends from France. (Loulou, you have to pick us up at the airport tomorrow).

“L’aeroport? Tu Viens avec qui?” Louise asked, slapping the strawberry out of Cyrus’s hand. (The airport? Who are you coming with)?

“Jacques, Bertrand, et les Autres.” (—and the others).

“Quoi? Je ne suis pas malade,” Louise said, still trying to get the tray from Cyrus. (What? I am not sick). “Pourquoi Venez-Vous?” (Why are you coming)?

“To see you, of course,” Allain said in a French accent.

“Alright! I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Louise said, “Okay, bye-bye.”

~~~

“If you want to die, wait for me to die first,” Louise said, angrily.

“It’s not going to kill me. My tongue itches after I eat it, that’s it,” Cyrus said and stopped eating.

“Don’t eat it!”

“Alright! I know you’re worried about me. Nothing’s going to happen,” he smiled.

“Don’t smile!” She said, her face serious and concerned. “My guy friends are coming to see me tomorrow.”

“Okay!” Cyrus nodded. “Should I be concerned?”

“No, they are only friends,” she said and kissed his faded-pink lips. “Luscious!” Louise licked her lips.

“I trust you,” he said. “You’re a tease.”

“Only for you,” she whispered in his ear, lightly nibbling on his neck, “Why do you smell so good?” She pulled Cyrus closer as she started to kiss above his collarbone.

“Ah!” Escaped his mouth, his eyes closed as Louise continue to nibble on his neck.

‘Found it,’ she smirked in satisfaction, seeing the red marks on his neck. “I am leaving,” she said, brushing his skin with her lips. “Button up tomorrow.”

“Cahir!”

“What? You loved it,” she laughed.

“I didn’t—”

“Oh? That thing is up,” Louise said, looking down at his—

“Shit!” Cyrus said, hurriedly turned away in shyness.

“I can help,” she offered.

“Weren’t you leaving? Leave. I’ll take care of it.”

Louise winked at him, “I am leaving.”

———

Cyrus was about to get off the sofa to take care of his business when someone abruptly pushed him down.

“I can’t do that to you.”

“Cahir? Didn’t you leave? Stop playing!” Cyrus said, trying to get up.

“Stay down!” She ordered. Louise unzipped his pants, and her hand slowly traveled down to his— “It’s my first time.”

Louise was calm and seemed to know what she was doing. She held it before leisurely and smoothly starting to move it in her hand.

She bit her lips, feeling the size of his disco stick in her hand, ‘Damn, what a gun!’

“Mmh!” Cyrus moaned. “Wait, what if they come back. Stop!” Louise paid no attention to him as she continued to move her hand, up and down.

“Tell me what you want.”

“Faster!”

“What?” She purposedly slowed down.

“Move your hand faster!” And she did. She touche his parted lips.

Louise stroke his penis at the edge of ejaculation then withdrew completely.

She began to slowly masturbate him again, increasing the speed of her hand movement.

“Mmh!” Cyrus groaned, swinging his head back. “Ah!” Then, she felt something warm dripped on her hand, and his muscles relaxed. Cyrus pulled Louise down and kissed her. “Thanks!”

“No big deal,” she said, getting up. She pulled out a handkerchief, wiped her hand. “I am leaving,” Louise said, feeling her face burning up.

‘Damn!’ she cussed, ‘How did I get turn on with this?”

~~~

The next day, Louise went to pick up her friends at the airport.

“Loulou, over here,” Alain called enthusiastically. He hugged and kissed her cheeks. “Nice seeing you.”

“You too!” She said, pulling away. “Bertrand, Jacques, quoi de Neuf les gars?” She nodded at her other friends. (—What’s up guys)?

They all hummed something different and bumped fist with her.

~~~

“Tu as encore un petit ami?” Bertrand asked his arm around her shoulder. (You have a boyfriend yet)? “Tu le sais depuis longtemps – oublies cela. Si tu n’as pas encore de petit ami, Je vais t’épouser.”

“Mon Frere!” Jacques patted his friend’s back. (Bro)! “Pourquoi voudrait-Elle epouser un clown comme toi?” He grinned. (Why would she want to marry a clown-like you)?

“You’re not her type,” Ben said, the French-American guy, and tallest amongst the guys.

Ben has been in love with Louise since she was young, but she didn’t have any romantic feelings for him. “Let them fool around, let’s go.”

~~~

“How long are you guys going to stay?” Louise asked, unlocking the door to let them into the house.

“Nice!” Ben said.

“We don’t know yet. I am running away from home,” Alain said. “I don’t know about them.”

“Why are you running from home?”

“That mf got two women pregnant,” Jacques answered. Just when Louise was going to answer, her phone chimed, ‘Darling’ flashing on the screen.

“You guys can go ahead. Make yourself at home. I need to answer this.”

~~~

“Hey!”

“Hey!”

———

Why was it so awkward between them?

“Are you back from work yet?” Louise asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“Yes. I am driving to your house right now.” Cyrus said. “Diane’s with me too.”

“Oh, okay! I’ll see you then?”

“Sure.”

“Be careful!”

“Mmh!”

~~~

“Cahir!” Cyrus called when he didn’t see Louise in the living room.

“Qui este Vous?” Jacques asked, coming from behind. (Who are you)?

“I am Cyrus. You must be one of my Cherie friends,” Cyrus said. Why did he suddenly call her darling? “Where is she? Sorry, my French sucks. English?”

“Oh! I am Jacques. Are you a friend of my bro?” He asked, misheard that he had called her darling.

“Bro? Who?”

“Cahir.”

“No, I am ‘The Boyfriend.” Cyrus smiled mischievously, at Jacques who had a puzzled look on his face. “It’s nice meeting you.”

“Hey bros, come here!”

~~~

“T’as perdue. Aucun d’espoir pour toi Bert,” Alain said, mocking his friend. (You lost. No hope for you Bert).

“Ca va, mais qui est-il? Il est super beau,non?” Bertrand said, eyeing Cyrus. (It’s okay, but who is he? He’s super handsome, no)?

“Alain, tell me him he wouldn’t know,” Diane said.

Louise and Ben were in the kitchen preparing dinner since they were the only two persons who could cook without setting a house on fire.

Ben was standing behind Louise, an arm around her shoulder.

Cyrus’s eyes fixed on that arm. ‘I know you are a close friend, but keep the hand to yourself,’ he cursed. He loudly cleared his throat to make his presence known.

Louise turned, making Ben’s arm dropped to his side. Cyrus smiled. “Darling,” Louise smiled brightly. “We are almost done. You’ve met my friends?”

“Yes,” he purposedly kissed her cheek. Cyrus wanted to peck Louise on the lips, but he didn’t want to be disrespectful to her friend. One look at Ben, he could tell that this guy was interested. “I am Cyrus,” he extended his arm for Ben to shake.

“I am Ben,” Ben shook his hand. “You are—?”

“Cyrus.”

“Cyrus? I didn’t know you had a friend named—”

Boyfriend? When did that happen, Ben wondered.

“We’ll talk later, Ben. Help me with this.”

He lost for sure. Ben thought that Louise would consider his feelings, but she had found someone already. Louise didn’t need to help him; Ben could see how much she liked Cyrus.

~~~

After dinner, Ben pulled Louise to the side to ask her about Cyrus.

“Why him?” Ben asked.

“I don’t know,” Louise forced a smile. She wanted to tell Ben that he wasn’t Cyrus that he didn’t get to ask her that question, but he was someone important to her. One of her best friends, she couldn’t. “I don’t honestly know. I love him, that’s why it is him,” she smiled, seeing Cyrus’s smiling face laughing at something her friends told him.

“You don’t have feelings for me at all?” Ben asked, his eyes fixed on Louise, hoping—

“No. You are one of my best friends. I cherish and love you a lot. At first, I did consider to have a relationship with you, but—”

“You didn’t want to lose a friend in case our relationship went bad?” Louise nodded.

“I don’t have feelings—”

“S’il Vous plait, ne dis pas plus,” Ben laughed. (Please, say no more).

“Je suis desole,” Louise said, feeling hurt, seeing her friend like this. (I am sorry).

“It’s not your fault,” Ben smiled. “Are you happy?” He held her hand in a friendly manner.

“Yes, so I hope you find the person who’ll make you happy,” she said, hugging him as she used in the past.

Cyrus looked out of the window and saw them, he didn’t like that Ben was so close to Louise, but they were close friends, giving the atmosphere, they must have had talked about something important.

“I love you, bro,” Ben sniffled.

“I know,” Louise patted his back. “Please, hurry up! Find someone nice and get over me.”

“I will. I will find someone prettier and kinder than you,” Ben laughed.

“Oh? Louise pushed him away. “We’re good, right?”

“We’re good, man.” Louise stared at him. “What!”

“I don’t know. I feel like you love Cahir, not Louise.”

“I like women!”

“I didn’t say anything!”

~~~

“Are you okay?” Cyrus asked Louise.

“I am fine.”

“Did you argue with your friends?”

“No, but Alain—”

“Give him more time!”

“But, he isn’t listening—he’s so unreasonable,” Louise sighed.

“I know, but he can’t decide without thinking about things through,” Cyrus reasoned.

“But, he can’t also leave two pregnant women in France worrying about him.”

“Alain doesn’t want to hurt any of them. You know what happened with the second woman was an accident. Though, I blamed him for getting himself drunk, to the point he couldn’t even recognize people.”

“You get him. I am so happy that you got along with my friends,” Louise smiled.

“I feel comfortable around them.”

“It’s great!”

~~~

“I am sorry about the other day,” Cyrus said.

“What happened the other day? Did you do something?” Louise asked, pretending not to know what she did.

“That thing on the sofa,” he blushed. Louise peeked at him and silently laughed. ‘He’s so cute.’

“Oh! That thing. Don’t worry about it,” she winked. “You want to do it again?”

“I am fine today. Thank you!” Cyrus quickly said. “You know what, we should sit. Let’s get off the bed.”

“I won’t do anything. Let me hug you,” Louise surrendered. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” ‘Think I won’t have my way with you.’

Louise kissed him, her hand going under his shirt, down to his pants— “Loulou cherie!”

Her hand froze in place.

“Repeat that!”

“Baby?”

“No.”

“Loulou cherie.” Louise withdrew her hand under his shirt and punched the pillow in joy. ‘How can it sound so sexy coming out of his mouth? My lord!’ (Loulou darling).

“One more time,” she smiled.

“Loulou cherie,” Cyrus said, oblivious why Louise wanted him to repeat it.

“Call me that!” Louise said, feeling jubilant. “From now on,” she added.

“Loulou—” Cyrus realized it and wanted to tease her. “Loulou cherie. Loulou ma cherie.” (Loulou my darling).

“I am leaving—”

“Where are you going? You like to tease me, right?” Cyrus asked, flipping her on her back. He slipped a hand inside her shirt and cupped her breast, gently pinching her nipple.

“Cyrus!” Louise gasped.