13. New Year in London – Champions Renaissance

ACT I - CHAPTER 13

NEW YEAR IN LONDON

Sunday December 24, 2017

London England

A week after the last philosophical meeting, Alexandre was back in England to spend Christmas in Cambridge with Victoria and her family. Next to her he completely forgot about Francisca and felt happy and protected. He realized that she had regained much of her strength. It was Christmas Eve and they were both sitting at her parents’ table having Christmas dinner.

“We are happy that France has qualified for the World Cup and is selected, although we want England to win,” said Victoria’s mother.

“Cheers to whoever wins!” his father said.

They opened the gifts under the Christmas pine tree whose silhouette stood out against the window that showed the snowflakes that fell like musical notes accompanying the sweet Christmas carols.

After dinner, at that warm table, they said goodbye and when they left, in an uncontrollable impulse mixed between love and hate, she wanted to throw a snowball at him to break his face, but she restrained herself and threw him a soft ball, in a mischievous act. She had started a war of mischief, attacking the enemy she loved from behind him and launching a snow missile into the back of his neck. Turning, he saw her mischievous laugh, still mixed with some sadness. He chose to respond to her smile and accepted her clear declaration of war. He reached down and grabbed some snow with his gloves, just as another of her missiles hit his pants.

He turned and launched a low-missile to her knees and at the same time saw another in the air moving towards his forehead. The enemy’s missile did not explode on target thanks to its “glove” type anti-missile system that managed to stop it. She watched it explode into the air in a white explosion of fireworks. When they got into the car to go to the hotel, like two sadistic oligarchs contemplating their fallen soldiers on the battlefield, they did not stop laughing when they saw the footprints in the snow, like faithful witnesses of the massacre of love mixed with sadness, rage, anguish and joy of living.

They had lit the fireplace, and sitting and embracing on the sofa they watched the dance of the fire, free, untamed. They both silently enjoyed the soft purring of the flames whose heat had invaded their bodies that led them to the suite. The fire had burned out, but something was wrong, and it had been noticeable in the bed. They fell asleep.

“Good morning my love” Victoria woke him up with a delicious breakfast that she took on a tray to the bedroom.

They would spend the whole week together and receive the new year on the River Thames. He had rented a private boat with some of his dressing room friends.

“You don’t need to lie to me. I’m not interested in what you do. I will always be with you,” Victoria told him, taking him by surprise.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“You didn’t go to Barcelona after the last game you played in London,” she said.

He remained still and silent, looking ahead.

“Three of my woman friends saw you running that night. You kissed a redhead and walked into a building hugging her. They took photos of you and I saw them. Why did you lie to me?” she said, there was a long silence and added, “It’s the same redhead from the funeral who bumped into you,” she said and there was a second longer silence.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Victoria. You’ve asked me too many questions and I can’t answer them together.”

“Then answer them one by one.”

“First yes, I lied to you and I didn’t go to Barcelona. Secondly, I stayed in a building in central London, but I cannot tell you why. Thirdly, it’s true, I helped a drunk redhead who recognized me because my hood had fallen off and that crazy woman kissed me. I helped her enter the building where she lived

Fourth, it wasn’t the same redhead from the funeral, but it was almost identical. Fifth, I spent the night in that building, but on another floor and I did not sleep with her at any time. Any other question?

Victoria was tempted to ask him about the note with the kiss, but she refrained.

“No more questions,” she said.

Alexandre still couldn’t feel calm.

“If you didn’t stay the night with her, why did you stay in London?” she asked.

“I cannot tell you. I’m not going to put your life in danger. The less you know, the better for everyone.”

“All? Who are everyone? Why would my life be in danger?”

“I cannot tell you. I need to protect you because I love you.”

“Protect me from what?”

“Dangerous information that can harm you.”

“I trust you. Why don’t you trust me?”

“But of course I trust you!”

“If we are in danger, why don’t we go to the police?”

“I don’t trust the police! They made Ronald’s car disappear and there is no more evidence.”

“Are you suggesting that perhaps it wasn’t an accident?”

“Please Victoria! Finish with your questions! I won’t continue answering them!” Alexandre exclaimed, remembering the bomb that had exploded on Mr. Walker’s plane.

“And if you don’t trust the police, what will we do to protect ourselves?”

“We will keep this conversation absolutely secret. Don’t tell any of your friends about this and don’t even think about searching for anything on the Internet. They could be spying on you.”

“Spying on me? Who? I feel so helpless that I can’t do anything and don’t understand what is happening.”

“It’s better that you don’t know, please trust me. But you can do something: promise me that you will make your life normal. Don’t talk about this with anyone. You promise me?”

“Yes,” she said, but she was not calm.

“Alright. Now come here and give me a kiss,” Alexandre said, they kissed for a long time, but then she spoke.

“Alexandre, I will not repeat what I am going to say. If you want to sleep with another woman, you must be able to accept that I sleep with another man. If I wanted to sleep with another man, I would never do it behind your back, so the day I want to sleep with one I will let you know beforehand, but I want you to have something very clear: I would not change you for another man in the world.

I know that I am the woman you love and that you prefer me before anyone else, but the day you want to sleep with another woman I want you to let me know beforehand. I will know what to do. Maybe I’ll leave or maybe I’ll join the party, but if it’s behind my back I’ll be gone forever,” Victoria said.

Alexandre was speechless, motionless and thought, You can’t be more exquisite! He didn’t know what to say, he just admired and respected her even more than he already did.

“Alright. Then we have a deal. I will not sleep with a woman behind your back and you will not sleep with a man behind mine. You will trust me and not ask me any more questions, especially about Ronald’s death. Do you agree?

“Yes.”

“Come here,” he said and hugged her. She felt more relieved as she hugged the man she loved, but still wasn’t calm.

In the following days, Alexandre insisted on taking a stroll through London’s most luxurious shopping streets. It was part of his plan. They went into all kinds of stores and tried on clothes. They also visited the boat he had rented with his friends where they would spend the New Year.

When the last day of December arrived, he, was wearing a black suit and light blue shirt; she, a red silk dress and high heels. It was a party of beautiful and elegant men and women, in the best moment of their lives. He hugged her from behind while everyone looked at the famous Big Ben tower. It was heard a chorus count: 9; 8; 7; 6; 5; 4; 3; 2; 1; Gong!

After the first bell, they continued to watch it, enjoying the unmistakable sound of Big Ben, the largest of the five bells, whose solemn response shook them with pleasure twelve times over, and to the bones.

Gong!

“Happy new year!” they exclaimed when the great bell gave its last response.

Alexandre and Victoria kissed for a long time. It was time for hugs, toasts and fireworks that illuminated the Thames and its surroundings for more than twenty minutes.

They celebrated on the terrace of a barge transformed into a floating dance floor that traveled along the Thames until dawn.

The next day, at the hotel where they were staying, they got up and went down to the luxurious dining room, which was full. While they were drinking coffee, he put his hand in his jacket pocket.

“I have something for you, darling.”

“What will it be?” she asked expectantly and he took out a small square box wrapped in gift paper from his pocket and placed it on the table. She knew it immediately and froze. Had to make an effort to contain her joy.

“Oh! I was not expecting this!” Victoria said when her beautiful white, porcelain-skinned hands opened the package and the box.

“Oh yes darling! Let’s get married! I want to have many children with you! It’s lovely!” she exclaimed.

After he put the ring on her, her joy was so great that she got up from its chair and walked around the neighboring tables to show the jewel she had in its hand.

Alexandre also stood up and while he hugged her, she raised one of its calves by bending its right leg.

“I want to be Victoria Duval forever,” she told and kissed him.

Suddenly, there was one applause and then another and then another, until the entire restaurant and the waiters were applauding.

One of them appeared with a giant bottle of champagne and opened it.

“Courtesy of the hotel, Mr. and Mrs. Duval,” said the waiter and when Victoria heard “Mrs. Duval”, she kissed him on the cheek and let out a cry of joy and again bent its calf.

Proud of the blush on his skin, the young man kept the kiss as a treasure from a woman whose beauty evoked the goddess Aphrodite. The young man spread his joy when he filled the glasses of the other tables that celebrated with them. It was an unforgettable moment.

He had never seen Victoria so happy and the sadness that shadowed her face had disappeared without a trace.

She called its mother to tell her.

“Welcome to the family!” her mother said when she handed him the phone, “do you have a date yet?” she asked.

“No, not yet, but it will be after the World Cup” Alexandre responded.

“It’s beautiful mom, you have to see it,” Victoria said looking at her ring.

“Dad wants to say hello!”

“You have to take care of my little girl!”

“You know I will.”

“You better!”

“You make such a beautiful couple! I wish you the best!” said a lady sitting at the next table.