For more than a decade, renowned chef Alain Tiessart has been married to his restaurant, driven to make it one of the finest in Paris. But time is slipping away. Lonely and ready for a change, he packs up his bags on one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year and drives into the French countryside.<br><br>Retired Brit Simon Hastings is prepared to spend Bastille Day as he always does -- quietly and alone. When his oldest friend arrives on his doorstep prepared to spend the next few days together, Simon is surprised but welcomes him in. He’s even more surprised when Alain suggests they move their relationship to a deeper one.<br><br>Unwilling to jeopardize their friendship, Simon turns him down, a decision Alain accepts gracefully. Until a friendly bet and an eager young man cast Alain in a new light. Now, Simon doesn’t know what he wants. Or who ...

Vintage

A steady breeze kept the warm air bearable, and the garden smelled of freshly watered soil and green leaves. To Simon, the night was alive with sound—sheep and dogs and even distant music—but he was sure to Alain’s city ears, everything was oppressively silent. When he had first moved into the little house, he hadn’t been able to sleep because everything was too quiet and too dark. Above them, millions of stars blanketed the sky.


“Of course,” Simon said softly, “on nights like this, I forget for a little while that I am lonely. It’s too beautiful for those sorts of thoughts.”


“Yes,” came the quiet agreement. Darkness obscured everything but the vague outline of Alain’s aquiline nose. “We should all be so lucky to forget once in a while.”


Chapter 5