Page 27 of In the Net
HARPER
Iarrived at our hotel tired and annoyed.
But after I checked in and dropped my bags off in my room, and decided to step outside and take a moment to walk a couple minutes from the hotel down to the Seine River, I immediately came to life.
I’d planned to go back to my room and take a little nap to recharge my batteries before exploring, but the waters of the Seine twinkling in the sunlight, the towers of Notre Dame rising just a slight distance away, and the early morning bustle of the city coming to life, filled me with such a thrill of excitement that going back to sleep was out of the question.
I’ve just been walking around for hours, taking in the city with a feeling of wonder thrumming through me.
For breakfast, I had a coffee and a croissant with jam at the cutest café. I sat on the terrace and just fell into a daze people watching on the side of a busy street lined with beautiful buildings. The customer next to me lit up a cigarette, and though I’d normally wrinkle my nose and move away as his tobacco smoke wafted over, here, it didn’t even bother me. It just felt extra Parisian, you know?
For lunch, I had an amazing sandwich of ham, butter, and brie cheese served on a freshly baked baguette, which I ate on a bench with a view of the Eiffel Tower.
I walked all around the Latin Quarter, stood in awe at the façade of Notre Dame, walked past the Louvre (actually visiting it will be an entire day itself) and through the Tuileries Garden, stood at the feet of the Eiffel Tower, went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for an amazing panoramic view of the city, took the metro—which puts public transportation in America to shame—to the Montmartre neighborhood.
Before I know it, the sun is starting to dip toward the horizon, and the exhaustion that my excitement has held at arm’s length is finally crashing down on me. My eyelids feel heavy as I stroll along the bank of the Seine to my hotel.
As appealing as the idea of exploring more of Paris at night is, seeing the city bathed in warm streetlights but teeming with excitement and adventure, I think I’ll have to experience that tomorrow. Right now, I don’t think I can hold off the need to take a shower, collapse into bed, and sleep for about twelve hours.
I’m walking along the river, just about five minutes away from the hotel, when I spot something that catches my attention.
On the banks of the river, there’s a lower walkway running along that you can walk down to from the street-level sidewalks. I look down and see none other than Sebastian strolling along this lower level, right next to the river. And he’s not alone.
He’s strolling with a girl by his side. She’s wearing a corset top and a knee-length skirt, looking very stylish. When she throws her head back with a laugh at something Sebastian said, the whole scene just looks so picturesque, two young people on a romantic walk right next to the smooth waters of the Seine.
Boy, wouldn’t it be too bad if someone ruined it for him?
It sure would be. A real tragedy, to have a budding romance crushed on his very first day in Paris.
Of course, if such a thing were to happen to poor Sebastian, it would only be karma.
“Sebastian!” I call out, hopping down the stairway that leads to the lower level they’re walking on.
I don’t even have a plan when Sebastian turns around, apprehension splashing over his expression when he sees me. The girl beside him turns toward me, too. She’s just as gorgeous as she is stylish. Is it immature that that makes me even more eager to ruin this fling for him, like he ruined mine?
Maybe. But what goes around comes around.
“There you are,” I say as I come to a stop in front of them, using the empty words just to buy myself time to figure out how exactly I’m going to torpedo this for Sebastian.
“Uh, yeah, here I am,” he answers, eyeing me cautiously.
The idea of pretending to be Sebastian’s girlfriend—again—pops into my mind. Pretending to be hysterical over seeing him with another woman. But I don’t think I can commit to that bit.
But maybe I can commit to a slightly less dramatic bit …
“I’m glad I found you,” I say. “Is there something wrong with your phone?”
Sebastian lifts an eyebrow, feeling for his phone in his pocket.
“No, my phone is fine …” he says, radiating confusion. He still doesn’t know what I have in mind, and that fact has me biting back a smug smile.
“Oh, really?” I ask, tilting my head, putting a suspicious look in my eyes. “Because Diane’s been trying to call you.”
“Diane?” Sebastian asks.
“Diane?” the girl next to him asks, looking up at him. I notice some suspicion creep into her gaze, and again I have to bite back that grin.
“Right,” I continue, “you know how she gets. Especially since she hasn’t heard from you today yet, and it being your anniversary and all …”
