“A beautiful girl should not be alone in Paris, Rory. It’s not safe,” he said.
I sighed as I walked to the kitchen and took the vegetables from the refrigerator. Since it was Adalynn’s last night in Paris, she wanted to stay in and the three of us cooked an amazing dinner.
Chapter 25
Adalynn had been gone two days already and, as promised, Andre hung around. The thing I found a little strange about him was that he didn’t try to hit on me. In fact, he was just being more of a friend than anything. He came over after he closed up the fruit stand and we cooked dinner together. I didn’t have romantic feelings for him. I was still not over Ian, and it wasn’t getting easier. Everyone said that time heals all wounds, but this wound wasn’t healing with time. It was just as open as it was when I’d left. I had talked about Ian to Andre. Maybe that was why he wasn’t hitting on me, he didn’t want to push me.
“You know, Rory, you’re always sad. I’ve noticed that about you. You’re terrible at faking happiness.”
“Thanks, Andre,” I said.
“Sorry, my beautiful American girl, but it’s the truth.” He smiled as he touched my chin.
“Have you ever been in love, Andre? I mean really, deep in your bones, you can’t live without the person, love?”
“No, not to that extent. I’ve had many girlfriends, and I have loved some, but not to that extent. I’m still looking for her.” He winked.
I hoped to God that wink wasn’t directed at me. That was the last thing I needed.
“Rory, you came to Paris to forget about that man. So why do you keep focusing on him?”
I set the salad bowl on the table. “I don’t know. We’re connected somehow, and I can’t let go of that connection.”
“You can’t or you don’t want to?” he asked. “There’s a difference. We as humans can do anything we want.”
I pondered what he said as I took the chicken out of the oven. “I’ve been thinking about moving here.”
“What?!” he exclaimed.
“Of course, I’ll need to find a job first and then look for my own apartment. But I think it will be good for me, and then I can look into psychiatric hospitals and move Stephen here.”
“That’s a major decision, Rory.”
“I know it is, and I’ve been thinking about it since I came here.”
“If you need any help finding an apartment, let me know.” He smiled. “What are your plans for Christmas? It’s coming next week.”
“I’m going to stay here, cook myself something, and watch Christmas movies.”
“That’s boring. You’re more than welcome to come with me to Germany and spend the holiday with me and my family.”
“That’s very sweet of you, Andre, but I’m afraid I won’t be good company. I’d rather just stay here.”
“And wallow in self-pity, right?”
I smiled as I cut into my chicken. After dinner, we finished off the bottle of wine and Andre gathered his things to leave.
“Good night, my beautiful American girl.” He smiled as he kissed my cheek.
“Good night, my amazing French boy.”
Andre winked and walked out the door.
The next morning, I got up early and went for my morning run. As I ran by the fruit stand, Andre yelled out to me.
“Me and you tonight, Eiffel Tower. I’ll text you.”
I gave him a thumbs up as I ran by. I hadn’t been to see the Eiffel Tower yet and it was only fifteen minutes away from the apartment. As I ran, my mind kept thinking about what Ian was doing for Christmas. I was sure he’d spend it with his father and Andrew. For once, I was glad I wasn’t in Malibu.
I stopped at the bakery on my way back and picked up some French pastries. When I got back to the apartment, there was a tall – okay, it was about four feet tall – thing wrapped in paper. I called it a thing because I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I opened the apartment door and set my box of pastries down. I propped the door open with a chair and dragged inside what seemed to be a plant. “What the hell?” I said out loud. I looked around for a card and there wasn’t one on the outside. As I carefully ripped the paper from the plant, I gasped when standing before me was a four-foot tree made entirely out of fresh pink and purple roses and white carnations. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Tears filled my eyes as I stared at the beauty of it. I searched around the flowers to find a card, but there wasn’t one. I was positive this was delivered to the wrong apartment. Either that or Andre sent it. I took my phone from my pocket and sent him a text message.
“Did you send me a tree made of flowers?”
“Huh?”
I took a picture of it and sent it to him.
“That’s pretty, but no, I didn’t send it. There’s no card again?”
“No, and I’m worried that these things are being delivered to the wrong apartment.”
“Oh well, then the delivery people should be more careful. Enjoy it. By the way, meet me at the Eiffel Tower tonight at eight o’clock. You mentioned you wanted to see it, so I think tonight is a good night since I’m leaving tomorrow. I have to restock the fruit after the stand closes, so I’ll just meet you there.”
“Sounds good. See you then.”
I couldn’t stop staring at the tree as I sat at the table drinking my coffee and eating my French pastries. I felt bad because if it was meant for someone else, they were missing out, so I went around to all the apartments on my floor and asked them if they knew anything about it. Everyone said no, except for the people that lived next door; they weren’t home. I looked at the clock and had some time to take a nap before I had to get ready and meet Andre. I was excited because I’d always dreamed of seeing the Eiffel Tower, and now, I was finally going to get to. I set the alarm on my phone and drifted off to sleep. I had another dream about Ian, and when I woke up, my heart was racing and my eyes were wet. Was I ever going to get over him?
****
The cab was beeping his horn outside my window. “Okay, okay, I’m coming.” I locked the apartment and flew down four flights of stairs so the impatient cab driver would stop beeping his horn. I opened the door and climbed in the back.
“I heard you the first twenty times you beeped the horn,” I said.
“I’m sorry, Madame, but the horn was stuck.”
“Oh,” I said in embarrassment. “I need you to take me to the Eiffel Tower, please.”