Not the One
Chapter 14
Tina and I walked around Paris, holding hands. To others, we probably looked like the happiest couple in the city. We were having a really good time going to parks, eating at fancy restaurants, and visiting museums. Some little kid even asked if he could take our picture together. We didn’t really understand him, but we believed he was trying to tell us it was for his scrapbook because he had one opened next to him on the ground.
It was getting late. The sun was setting and the sky was changing its color from light blue to orange to dark blue all in a couple of minutes.
“Leo, it’s time. Let’s head to the Eiffel Tower!” We followed directions taped all over the street lamp posts that would take us to the Eiffel Tower. It was like finding a hidden treasure and the whole city was the map.
In a short while, we were there. The massive structure was everything I expected it to be. I felt like an ant next to it.
“Let’s go over there.” Tina pointed to the area underneath the tower. We were standing right under the Eiffel Tower. I told myself I was going to be courageous, so I leaned down and kissed Tina. I had to. We were standing under the Eiffel Tower. I still couldn’t believe I was here. Out of all places, I was in Paris, the city of love with someone I love.
For the rest of the night, Tina and I took pictures of each other standing next to the tower. After hours of fun, Tina checked her phone.
“It’s getting late. Should we go back to the hotel?” She asked.
“Sure. We can always come back here again.”
We left the tower and caught a cab to drive us back to the hotel.
“Today was fun,” Tina said, yawning. I wrapped my arms around her shoulder as we walked inside the hotel.
“It really was. I want to do it again tomorrow.”
“Oh, I can’t, Leo. My mom wants me to go see her. You can come with me, but she told me I had to stay with her for the whole day. She wants my opinions on the designs.”
“Okay, I’ll go with you.”
Tina pressed the up button for the elevator. Both of the elevators looked like they were going up, so it was going to be a long wait.
“Wanna take the stairs?” I joked.
She gave me a “are you serious?” look.
“I’m kidding,” I laughed.
“Let’s go sit down over there.” Tina pointed to two chairs in the middle of the lobby. We were walking there, and then suddenly two people took the seats. I could not believe my eyes. The girl sitting there was Jane. My Jane. The one who left me to go to Paris, where I was at right now. I didn’t think I would see her this soon. She and the guy sitting next to her were talking, but I couldn’t exactly hear what they were saying. I was just standing there, staring at her.
“Leo?” Tina asked. She must have been telling me something, but I drowned her out. “Are you okay? I said, we can just stand.” I was still staring at Jane. Tina went and stood in front of me and waved her hands in front of my face. “Leo McNelly, I asked you if you were okay.”
“Oh. Um, yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
“You don’t look like it.”
“No, I’m good.” I was about to turn around and go back to the elevator, but I saw Jane glance up. She must have seen me because she looked confused.
The elevator doors opened and we went inside. I saw Jane get up and stood there. I didn’t say anything because I couldn’t. The doors closed.
Up in our room, Tina went inside the bathroom without a word. I really needed to relax, so I turned on the hot tub. I stripped down to my underwear and got in. The warm water and bubbles put me in some other world. I closed my eyes and leaned back on a towel folded up to use as a pillow.
I heard Tina come out of the shower. I opened my eyes.
“Hey,” I said.
She ignored me and got in bed. Was she mad at me? What was up with her and her moodiness at night?
Her phone rang. She picked it up. “Hello? Damien?”
I should be mad at her too. She was going to get together with her ex. I pretended to be asleep, but I was actually listening to their conversation.
“No, tomorrow’s not a good time. Maybe the day after? Okay, sure. I’ll meet you there at noon. Ciao.” Tina hung up and fell asleep in a few minutes. She didn’t even tell me good night.
It was getting late. The sun was setting and the sky was changing its color from light blue to orange to dark blue all in a couple of minutes.
“Leo, it’s time. Let’s head to the Eiffel Tower!” We followed directions taped all over the street lamp posts that would take us to the Eiffel Tower. It was like finding a hidden treasure and the whole city was the map.
In a short while, we were there. The massive structure was everything I expected it to be. I felt like an ant next to it.
“Let’s go over there.” Tina pointed to the area underneath the tower. We were standing right under the Eiffel Tower. I told myself I was going to be courageous, so I leaned down and kissed Tina. I had to. We were standing under the Eiffel Tower. I still couldn’t believe I was here. Out of all places, I was in Paris, the city of love with someone I love.
For the rest of the night, Tina and I took pictures of each other standing next to the tower. After hours of fun, Tina checked her phone.
“It’s getting late. Should we go back to the hotel?” She asked.
“Sure. We can always come back here again.”
We left the tower and caught a cab to drive us back to the hotel.
“Today was fun,” Tina said, yawning. I wrapped my arms around her shoulder as we walked inside the hotel.
“It really was. I want to do it again tomorrow.”
“Oh, I can’t, Leo. My mom wants me to go see her. You can come with me, but she told me I had to stay with her for the whole day. She wants my opinions on the designs.”
“Okay, I’ll go with you.”
Tina pressed the up button for the elevator. Both of the elevators looked like they were going up, so it was going to be a long wait.
“Wanna take the stairs?” I joked.
She gave me a “are you serious?” look.
“I’m kidding,” I laughed.
“Let’s go sit down over there.” Tina pointed to two chairs in the middle of the lobby. We were walking there, and then suddenly two people took the seats. I could not believe my eyes. The girl sitting there was Jane. My Jane. The one who left me to go to Paris, where I was at right now. I didn’t think I would see her this soon. She and the guy sitting next to her were talking, but I couldn’t exactly hear what they were saying. I was just standing there, staring at her.
“Leo?” Tina asked. She must have been telling me something, but I drowned her out. “Are you okay? I said, we can just stand.” I was still staring at Jane. Tina went and stood in front of me and waved her hands in front of my face. “Leo McNelly, I asked you if you were okay.”
“Oh. Um, yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
“You don’t look like it.”
“No, I’m good.” I was about to turn around and go back to the elevator, but I saw Jane glance up. She must have seen me because she looked confused.
The elevator doors opened and we went inside. I saw Jane get up and stood there. I didn’t say anything because I couldn’t. The doors closed.
Up in our room, Tina went inside the bathroom without a word. I really needed to relax, so I turned on the hot tub. I stripped down to my underwear and got in. The warm water and bubbles put me in some other world. I closed my eyes and leaned back on a towel folded up to use as a pillow.
I heard Tina come out of the shower. I opened my eyes.
“Hey,” I said.
She ignored me and got in bed. Was she mad at me? What was up with her and her moodiness at night?
Her phone rang. She picked it up. “Hello? Damien?”
I should be mad at her too. She was going to get together with her ex. I pretended to be asleep, but I was actually listening to their conversation.
“No, tomorrow’s not a good time. Maybe the day after? Okay, sure. I’ll meet you there at noon. Ciao.” Tina hung up and fell asleep in a few minutes. She didn’t even tell me good night.