Lie Next to Me

  We walked into the apartment that Adalynn’s father owned. It was small, but amazing. I walked over to the French doors that led out to a balcony from my bedroom. I opened the doors and gasped at the beautiful sight that was out my window.

  “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Adalynn smiled as she stood next to me.

  “It’s amazing. Thank you so much for bringing me here.”

  “I want to apologize again for yesterday. I didn’t know that Ian was going to show up, and when I went to text you, my phone died.”

  “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. We’re here in Paris now and all thoughts of Ian Braxton have left my head. It’s time to start anew and move on.”

  “High five.” She smiled as she held up her hand. “I have to get over to my meeting. Are you going to be okay here?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll go do a little sight-seeing.”

  “Stay close and don’t get lost. When I get back, I’m taking you to one of my favorite restaurants.”

  When Adalynn left, I walked around the apartment and took note of the beautiful antique furniture throughout. Adalynn said we’d be here for a week, so I unpacked my clothes and placed them in the dresser drawers. I decided to go and explore the area. It was a beautiful sunny day and I wanted to be outside. As I was walking down the street, and taking in the beautiful surroundings, I stopped at an outdoor market that displayed the best-looking fruits and vegetables. As I picked up a shiny red apple, I heard someone speak.

  “C'est une belle journée pour une belle femme. Puis-je vous aider?”

  I looked up from the shiny red apple to a French-speaking man. “I’m sorry, but I don’t speak French,” I said.

  “Ah, you’re an American. I should’ve known by your exquisite beauty.” He smiled.

  God, his accent was beautiful. He was beautiful. He wore his brown hair longish, and just the right amount of scruff sculpted his face. His hazel eyes had a brightness to them when he looked at me, and his smile was warm. He was a nice distraction.

  “I’m Andre, and you are?” He smiled.

  “Rory.” I smiled as we lightly shook hands.

  “Nice to meet you, Rory. Please take that apple.”

  “Oh no, I couldn’t. At least let me pay for it.”

  “No, no, no. It’s a gift from me. Is this your first time in Paris?”

  “Yes, it is, and thank you very much.” I smiled as I began to walk away, holding up the apple.

  “It was nice to meet you, beautiful Rory. Make sure to visit again.”

  I turned around and gave Andre a small smile and then bit into my apple and continued walking down the street. So far, I was liking my time in Paris. The bakeries were exquisite and smelled so good. On my way back to the apartment, I stopped and picked up some beautiful flowers from a flower cart on the corner. When I arrived back at the apartment, I set the flowers on the counter and looked for a vase. As I arranged the purple and pink peonies in the vase, they made me smile and that was what I needed. I set them in the center of the small dining table and then took a picture of them with my phone. I was jet lagged, so I went and lay down on the bed for a while. For the first time, I had a dream about Ian. I dreamt that we were on the beach and he was holding me in his arms, telling me that he loved me.

  “Rory, sweetie, wake up,” Adalynn said as she lightly shook me.

  I opened my eyes and I could feel the wetness of the tears on my face. I looked at her, still trying to focus on what was going on.

  “You were crying in your sleep.”

  I got up and walked into the bathroom. “I had a dream about Ian.”

  “Aw, sweetie. I’m sorry. I know it’s hard. Do you miss him?”

  “Yes, I miss him so much.”

  “Well, come on. We’re going out tonight and we’re going to show this city how two American girls have fun.”

  I smiled and started the shower. I needed to go out and have some fun. But, I secretly wished that it was Ian I was having fun with. As I let the hot water stream down me, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I wondered what he was doing, if he was with another woman, and if he was thinking of me. I was pretty sure that Andrew and Richard were happy that I was gone. I put on my little black dress, high boots, and I curled my hair. I was ready to go out and paint the town.

  The restaurant we went to had a line that was around the corner of the building. Adalynn looked at me and rolled her eyes.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” she huffed.

  “This line is obnoxious.”

  “I know, but they have the best food in all of Paris.”

  As we stood in the obnoxious long line, I saw Andre, the guy from the fruit stand, approaching us.

  “Look, it’s the beautiful American girl.” He smiled.

  “Andre, hi. What are you doing here?”

  Adalynn kept elbowing me. “Oh, Adalynn, this is Andre. Andre, this is my friend, Adalynn.”

  “Another beautiful American girl. How did I get so lucky today? Come with me.” He smiled.

  I looked at Adalynn as she twisted her face. “Go, follow him. Maybe he can get us in.”

  We followed Andre into the restaurant and were promptly seated. “How?” I smiled.

  “I have connections.” He winked.

  “Well, thank God for Andre,” Adalynn said.

  He sat and ate dinner with us. He was a funny guy and he made me and Adalynn laugh throughout dinner. For a split second, I didn’t think about Ian, but that didn’t last too long. Andre paid our bill, even though Adalynn fought him tooth and nail for it. It was nice to see her lose for once. As we were saying goodbye, Andre smiled at me and asked me for my phone number. I told him I wasn’t sure, but Adalynn grabbed his phone from his hand and programmed my number into it. He kissed her on the cheek and thanked her.

  “It was nice to have dinner with you, my beautiful American girl. I will call you to go out,” he said as he gave me a kiss on each cheek.

  Adalynn and I climbed into the back of the cab. “Now, tell me how you met him?”

  “I met him at the fruit stand this afternoon when I was looking at the apples. I swear, if he calls me his ‘beautiful American girl’ again, I’m going to scream.”

  Adalynn laughed as she put her hand on mine. “He’s a distraction, Rory, and you need all the distractions you can get right now.”

  ****

  I spent the next few mornings jogging around the neighborhood. It was beautiful and every time I passed by the fruit stand, Andre would wave and yell, “Good morning, my beautiful American girl.” I would just give a small smile and a light wave. He came over the apartment a couple of times and brought us fruit. He was a nice guy, but I still couldn’t get my mind off of Ian. I couldn’t even say how many times I’d picked up my phone and almost called him, just so I could hear his voice. Everything I did and saw reminded me of Ian. I missed him so much and I started to wonder if I’d ever get over him.

  “Adalynn, can you do me a favor?”

  “What is it, sweetie?” she asked as she was putting on her makeup.

  I bit down on my bottom lip because I was afraid to ask her. She stopped putting on her mascara and looked at me.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Will you call Ian and put him on speakerphone?”

  “What? You’re joking, right?” She asked as she looked at me. “Oh my God, you’re serious.”

  “I just want to hear his voice. Just for a minute. Please.”

  “Rory, we’re leaving tomorrow. Maybe you should go see him.”

  “I’m not going back with you. If it’s okay, I’d like to stay here for a while longer.”

  “I don’t like the thought of you being in Paris by yourself.”

  “I’m not. I have Andre,” I said as I looked around.

  Adalynn sighed and dialed Ian’s number. “I just want you to know that I’m doing this against my will.”

  “Hello,” Ian answered.

  “Ian, darling, how are you?”
Adalynn asked.

  “I’m okay. How’s Paris?”

  “Paris is fabulous as always. What have you been up to?”

  Hearing his voice was music to my ears. As pissed as I was at him, I still found comfort in his voice.

  “Not much. I’ve been busy with work.”

  Adalynn looked at me and shrugged. “Well, Ian, I just called to say hi and that I’ll be flying home tomorrow. We should have dinner when I get back.”

  “Sounds good, Adalynn. Have a safe flight home.”

  “Thanks, darling. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  “Thank you, Adalynn,” I said as a tear fell from my eye.

  She looked at me and cocked her head. “Come here, you poor thing,” she said as she hugged me. “When I get back, I’m going to have a long talk with him.”

  “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done, and I could never be with someone like him. I just have to get over it and move on. That’s why I want to stay here a while longer.”

  “Christmas is in a couple of weeks. You’ll be back for Christmas, right?”

  I shook my head. “No, I don’t want to be anywhere near Malibu when Christmas comes.”

  “Well, you can stay here as long as you want. But, I don’t want you alone on Christmas.”

  “Don’t worry about me and Christmas. I’m a big girl, and I can take care of myself.”

  There was a knock at the door, and Adalynn and I looked at each other. I walked to the door, looked out the peephole, and saw Andre standing there, holding flowers in front of his face.

  “Hello, my beautiful American girl.” He smiled. “I wish I could take credit for these beauties, but they were just lying by the door when I walked up.”

  “Thanks, Andre. Come on in.” I smiled.

  I took the beautiful red roses from him, cut the stems, and arranged them in a vase. “There isn’t a card. Are you sure these aren’t from you?”

  “I swear, Rory. They’re not. They were propped up against the door when I walked up.”

  Adalynn walked out from her bedroom and looked at the flowers. “Oh, pretty. Who are they for?”

  “We don’t know. There wasn’t a card and Andre said they were propped up against the door when he got here.”

  “Andre, I need to have a word with you.”

  “Did I do something wrong, Adalynn?” he asked.

  “No, of course not. I’m leaving Paris tomorrow, but Rory has decided to stay for a while longer. I need you to keep an eye on her while she’s here.”

  “No problem. I will keep my beautiful American girl company every day.”

  I rolled my eyes because he was driving me crazy. “I appreciate that, Andre, but I’ll be fine.”

  “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 starin
g 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.”

  “Have you ever been, Madame?” he asked in a heavy French accent.

  “No. This is my first time.”

  “You’re not going to the Eiffel Tower alone, are you?”

  “I’m meeting someone there.”

  “Very good.” He smiled.

  As the driver drove down the street, I could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance. The cab stopped as close as he could. After paying him what I owed, I got out of the cab and walked the rest of the way until I was standing in front of the one thing I’ve always dreamed of seeing.

  “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  My heart leaped into my throat at the sound of his voice. As I slowly turned around in disbelief that it was actually him, I gasped and my eyes filled with tears as he stood there a few feet away from me with his hands in his coat pocket.

  “Ian, what are you doing here?”