A/N: This was inspired by the episode "People Auction" where wardrobe chose an interesting shirt for Logan in beginning sequence. The show did nothing with it, of course, but it spurred my imagination.
This is take place at Charles de Gaulle airport just outside Paris. I did my research, finding out everything I could about the place I've never been all the way down to the color of the chairs. Fun fact about the airport: part of U2's video for "Beautiful Day" was filmed there.
Warning: This is considerably long, but still good in my opinion.
Logan's POV:
I have a t-shirt to remember my night in Paris. It says "I spent one night in Pairs." I try not to wear it too much to try and avoid thinking about it, but with or without it on it always seems to be streaming through my mind…
My dad was on location with one of the films he was producing, he was in Paris. Late one Thursday in mid March he called me and said he had some important news and he wanted me to come see him. He had already arranged it all. I would leave after classes Friday at 5 pm Pacific Standard Time and when I got to Paris it would be 4 pm Saturday. I agreed to go. A weekend in Paris, I would be an idiot to refuse, no matter what my father's motives would turn out to be.
At the first mention of Paris, there was a thought that crossed my mind, a thought about someone. It was rather strange. It's not like I ever give a girl a second thought or want to see one again after she's left my life. But as I packed a bag I found myself hoping that on my weekend in Paris I might run into her. She would look just as hot as always and I'm just looking better and better so she'll swoon at the sight of me. And when I ask my usual question she'll jump at the chance to make out with me regretting that she never had before. Or maybe she'll just be glad to see me, because since I was told about going to Paris I keep thinking about her, and I think that means I'll be glad to see her.
Reality set in though on the flight. Paris is a big city (I'm pretty sure) and I'm not going to see her. And I don't want to see her, of course I don't. She's just a girl and one who was clearly insane since she never succumbed to my many charms.
My flight was delayed about an hour so I left around 6 pm Friday and got to Paris 5 pm Saturday.
I had been searching for the car my dad supposedly sent for me for about a half hour and right as I was about to call him I saw her.
She climbed out of a taxi and met the taxi driver at the trunk. He gave her, her suitcase and she gave him the fare and said something to him in French. Her curls bounced with every step as she entered the airport.
I tried to follow her, the girl in the short denim skirt and white t-shirt. I watched and waited for her to check in with her flight and leave her bag with them. The woman at the check in point told her something, she didn't look pleased. She left the desk dialing her phone and seemed pretty peeved when she hung up.
I decided to approach her. I wiped at my mouth as I walked over, just to make sure I wasn't drooling because damn, I thought I looked hotter, but she's like…wow.
I tried to approach casually, normally, despite the fact that I was oddly nervous. I was about a foot behind her when I asked, "So Danger when's your flight, have time for a little make out session with the guy of your dreams?"
She seemed ridged for the briefest second and then replied before turning around, "Chase is that you?"
"What! You like Chase?" I screamed shocked as she turned around.
She shook her head smiling slightly, "You're still so easy Logan, in more ways than one."
Face to face with her my eyes immediately scanned her body, but not that briefly. Knowing that Dana at least used to be the type of girl that didn't appreciate a guy blatantly ogling her I managed to find something to say by reading her t-shirt which said, "I am not fluent in idiot so please speak very slowly to me." That was so typically Dana, I knew she hadn't changed, but there was something in her eyes. She's changed, she's the same except more stunning, and yet something, something I don't know is different. Right, I've been staring for far too long. I finally responded, "And I see you've moved past personalizing insults and now anyone who dare reads your shirt has to incur your wrath."
She smirked; I think I may have just fed gas to a flame. She retorted easily, "Well any guy who squints and stares hard enough at my chest to read the fine print deserves an insult. And squinting was exactly what you did after your wide eyes finished their travel over the bottom ninety percent of my body. Guess what? I'm talking and my face is in that ten percent you're still avoiding. You know for a supposed smooth operator you're completely tactless."
Yeah, while she was talking my eyes had drifted downward again. Damn, she's having a very weird effect on me. I used to be able to control my urges to rack her body with my eyes. Talking back again, right, um? "My brazenness is part of my charm," I finally said with a smirk and making sure I concentrated on her face, which seems to be a rather nice place to let my eyes rest. Talk more you idiot or she's going to realize her confusing effect! We're in Paris, in an airport, okay, conversation shouldn't be hard. "So where are you headed?" I began.
She looked completely comfortable, not at all affected by my sudden presence as she replied, "Home. Or at least I was supposed to be heading home, my spring break started yesterday, but my flight has been delayed indefinitely so I'm just here, stuck in the airport for a while." Silence. Well, not silence, we're in a very busy airport, but silence between us. But what do I say? Something about Ohio? She is from Ohio, right? Well, I don't know anything about Ohio. She cut off my thoughts thankfully speaking again, "What are you doing in Paris?"
Oh, good, an easy question. Now I could flirt with her, say something cocky, say something that isn't true, but the first thing out of my mouth was actually the truth. Just honestly and easily, it was weird. I replied without hesitation, "My dad's here, on location with some movie he's producing and he called the other day and wanted me here. He probably wants me to meet his newest future wife."
"Does he remarry a lot?" She asked actually interested and without our usually banter tone, but with a normal, friend like tone.
"Depends on what you consider a lot. If he has brought me here to meet someone new then it would be his forth wife in seven years," I told her honestly, again. Why am I telling her this?
"Wow," she said flatly. "I had no idea. You know I was actually just thinking not that long ago how I never really knew that much about you," she was thinking about me? I think I'm going to like where she's going with this. "Except that you're vain, selfish, spoiled, and always disagree with everything I say," back to our bantering manner.
"No, you disagree with everything I say," I retorted, playing along, because this I can definitely do.
"Oh, right, I forgot immature," she added still going along with our normal way of communicating. Then she got serious on me again. She was obviously uncomfortable at us being serious, but she seemed determined to say, "But really, our friends forced us to be hanging out together for like a year and…it's just weird…that I don't really know anything about you."
I can't think of anything serious, so I resorted to cocky banter, "So how often do you think about me? Almost always or always?" I smirked too, because this is what I would normally do and she's just a girl and there shouldn't be anything not normal about this.
"Never," she quickly retorted looking a little confused at the question.
So easily she forgets the things that she doesn't want to admit, the things that I really want to be true. "You just said you had been thinking recently how you didn't really know me, so you think about me. How often?" I said reminding her.
"Oh, right," she said almost looking caught off guard, but then she quickly continued, "well, I was only thinking about you the one recent time because a guy asked me the question I've come to identify with you."
A guy asked her to make out. Hmm…I think I might be getting sick or something; there's a lump in my throat and it's suddenly difficult to swallow. Banter, banter, right, "And you rejected him with some cleaver, but rude remark as well?"
Say yes.
Wait, what? No, um…I didn't mean that.
"No actually I made out with him; he was much too hot to refuse. He was gorgeous, he had the sexiest accent…he was a good kisser too…" she said trailing off reminiscing about the guy she didn't reject, a hint of a smirk playing on her lips.
I think that illness is coming on fast. There's this odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. Maybe it's indigestion from the food that was served on the flight over.
She's not talking. I should talk, "Oh,…so um when's your flight?"
She gave me this odd look and said, "It's delayed indefinitely, remember?" Right. I guess I forgot there for a second. I nodded my head and started looking around. It's like this sinking feeling; I just don't feel very good anymore. "I was joking and made up the stuff about the guy," she said suddenly. I looked back at her, meeting her eyes, and all the bad feelings melted away, forgotten completely. She looked down and then around for a second looking uncomfortable and then she said a little quickly, "So, what are you doing now? Do you want to go somewhere and catch me up on what's going on at PCA?"
Yes, I actually want to go hang out with her. It's too soon for goodbye. My dad is expecting me though and I like seeing my dad, we get along great. Oh well, he blows me off sometimes for work or a woman, besides it will only be for a little while. "Sure, my dad forgot to send a car for me so I have lots of time." Lots of time? Where did that come from? "I can tell you about how Chase and Zoey are still…
"…just friends," she said at the same time I did.
"Jinx!" she immediately yelled. Jinx? Is she serious? That doesn't really seem like us. Though it is something that according to the rules I wouldn't be allowed to talk so yeah, I guess I could see how it's something she would want to do around me. "You have to buy me dinner," she ordered.
Momentarily forgetting that I wasn't supposed to talk I had to say, "No the rules of jinx say I have to buy you a coke or something, not a meal."
"They also state that you're not supposed to talk until said coke has been received by the person who did the jinxing. And I'm not settling for a coke. I missed my train, had to take a cab which used up most of my money because I thought I was just flying home and didn't actually bring a lot of money. Do you know how much it cost to get here from school? Technically only twenty five miles away, but thanks to traffic it took me an hour to get here. Anyway, I'm hungry, you're rich, you buy me dinner. Let's go," she explained and turned around motioning me to follow her to a directory map of the airport.
I guess I could buy her dinner; I do have plenty of money. Yet, I can't just let her order me around. Before I even glanced at the airport directory I said, "Fine, but I get to choose where I'm buying you dinner."
She looked like she was biting back a smile and said, "Okay."
I looked at the directory and now I see why she's smiling; the directory is in French. I don't know any French. Furthermore I don't think I should randomly pick some restaurant that is in French because I would have no idea what I would be getting myself into. Okay only a few places are in English. Salmon House, somehow fish and flying doesn't seem like a good combination. Upper Crust and Pizza Hut, and I'm only guessing that Upper Crust is a pizza place, but I'm a little tired of pizza and I know Dana was never really that excited about pizza. There are three bars in English, but they might not serve food. Hippopotamus, Paul, Greenwich, Farman, Café Corner New York, Café Corner, and France Café, but anything Café could just be a coffee shop because I think café actually means coffee here, maybe, I have no idea, and the titles really don't indicate what kind of food might be served. Somehow Hippopotamus and Paul really don't sound appetizing. What do they serve hippopotamus and some guy named Paul? Two things left; McDonalds and Quick Burger, and I've never heard of or been to a Quick Burger and I don't want to seem like I'm picking the only thing I know so I guess that means we're going to Quick Burger. I looked over the location, how to get there, and said, "Okay, I feel like a burger so let's go to Quick Burger."
She nodded and said, "Quick Burger is fine with me, although I was a little curious as to what Hippopotamus serves." I made some kind of grunting noise of agreement which spurred her to say, "What are you chicken to try the mystery restaurant?"
I am not afraid of anything so I said, "Fine, I was just going to go to Quick Burger because I figured you're a girl who actually eats and I wanted to get off easy, but money isn't actually an issue so yeah, let's go to Hippopotamus."
"Sure, I'm game," she said and started walking away weaving in and out of the crowds down pathway after pathway. She seems to know where she's going.
Something seems fishy and we're not walking by the Salmon House. "You know where it is?" I accused.
"Oh, yeah, I've been by it a few times before, always smells really good," and suddenly she came to a stop, we had arrived, "but it also looks expensive and I can't afford to eat here on my own budget, it's a really nice steak house." She used me, we were never going to go where I wanted, she completely manipulated me into going exactly where she had planned all along. Oh well, steak does sound good and she's right this place smells delicious.
She's smiling proud of her tactics and I like her smiling so I commented, "Nicely played." Silence. Awkward silence, again. She's smiling, I'm looking at her tempted to smile also. Right um, "Let's eat."
We got a table for two and sat down across from each other because we're kind of friends and to sit next to her would have meant something more.
Big surprise, the menu is in French. This led her to comment, "Steak et frites is steak and fries."
"Yeah, I actually managed to break that cryptic code," I said bitterly. I'm not an idiot.
She didn't even flinch at my slightly nasty tone. She just said back to me as she continued to look down at her menu, "And just so you know pouple cru is raw octopus. Don't order it, fishy smells make me nauseous. Côtelettes de porc smoked du bois de cerise is cherry wood smoked pork chops. Anything that has poulet in it is chicken. I don't know what saumons and cailles are so I wouldn't advise ordering them. And langoustine is lobster, but again please don't order anything fishy smelling."
Okay maybe she doesn't think I'm an idiot, but maybe it would have been a good call because she just read me the menu, from top to bottom, and I reacted like an ass. I am an idiot! I should start trying to make that up to her. I made normal conversation, "Raw octopus at a steak house? That's unusual. Don't worry I don't think fish and flying mix anyway and it's only a short forty hours before I have to be heading back." She glanced back up at me very briefly and looked back down at her menu and continued to scan it. I guess I'm going to have to try harder.
As I was trying to come up with something to continue with she asked, "You're only here for the weekend then? PCA isn't on spring break too?"
She doesn't seem to be bothered or angry about how I reacted to her reading the menu. I thought she would have been. Is her not caring a trick? I guess I can only find out by answering and seeing where she's going with her questioning. I responded, "No, PCA has spring break in two weeks, so I can only be gone the weekend. I tried to convince my dad to get me out of school and let me stay longer, but he didn't really like that idea since he's seen my grades."
"So your grades then must be about the same as last year. What else besides Chase and Zoey and your grades hasn't changed?" she asked putting her menu down and relaxing in her chair.
The restaurant is lit mostly by table top candles. She looks nice in this light.
Right though, responding, "Yeah, not much has changed. Quinn's still Quinnsane. Nicole still doesn't shut up. Michael's still just cool. And Chase and Zoey are still dancing around each other, staying friends. There is a new girl, Lola that lives with Zoey and Nicole now. She's alright, into acting, into Chase for a while because somehow she didn't see that he's into Zoey, but she's over it now since she figured the two of them out."
She leaned forward resting her arms on the table and unknowingly changing the way the light hit her face. She appeared to be glowing. She spoke, "I heard about that actually. Zoey writes to me and I reply when I can, but she told me about Lola and Chase's date. She sounded jealous even over e-mail."
I have no idea where it came from, but for some reason I suddenly said, "How about we don't talk about that stuff anymore. We both know our friends, we've heard it all before. Let's try something new." Why the hell did I just suggest that? Does it seem odd or suspicious? I don't know what's going on, but I've got to try and cover my tracks, "You know just cause if we keep talking about them I'm going to get very bored."
"I know, our friends are so uninteresting," Dana said dripping with sarcasm. I laughed. I don't know why. "Fine new topic," she declared and decided to go with, "I heard you were shoved in a fountain. Is that water clean?"
Of course that's one of the things our supposed friends had to tell her. And of course she had to bring it up, though if the situation was reversed I would do the same exact thing. I think I'm going to be at a disadvantage here since I haven't tried to know anything about her all year. Again, I have no reason for why.
Banter back again, "The, smelled like sewer, water was better than it would have been to go on a date with a crazy girl who shoves people into fountains."
"And of course you didn't do anything to provoke her," she said in a mock innocent tone.
"No, never, I was my usual charming self," and I still maintain I did nothing wrong.
"Charming, chauvinistic, what's the difference?" she argued back.
"Yep, just like there doesn't seem to be a difference between bitchy and bitter," I replied and I know that this is what we always do, but it's kind of exhausting. It takes so much effort and I don't usually put my own effort into things, I have other people to do that for me.
Suddenly she's smiling wide and she said with a light laugh to her voice, "I can't think of a come back. How sad is that? It's been far too long without bantering and I can't seem to keep it up anymore."
Far too long? Hmm…somehow it almost sounds like she might have missed our bantering ways, like she might have missed me. Or maybe she means nothing by it. Maybe I just want her to miss me. Why would I want her to miss me though? I didn't miss her. Nope. Couldn't have missed her, not when there are so many girls at school who are a whole lot less,…a whole lot less…than her.
Maybe I missed her…a bit.
"Yeah, bantering is a bit exhausting when it's forced," I replied with a tone in my voice I didn't recognize.
This is getting really weird. Come on man, get it together. She's just a girl.
She's just a girl, or at least she was. As I was sitting across from her, candle light gently lighting her face, staring into her glowing eyes, I'm starting to think more and more, she's not just a girl to me anymore. Even scarier and weirder than that thought is that I'm okay with it, with the idea of wanting something more with her.
The waiter came interrupting my thoughts. We both ordered the same thing, twenty ounce cuts of prime rib. I always knew she could eat, but I'll be impressed if she finishes.
With silence returning to our table since the waiter left, I've returned to my thoughts. They're completely insane. Like I would actually ever want more with a girl, I'm not the relationship type. And a relationship with Dana, that would never work. We don't get along at all and we don't enjoy being around each other, we only are out of courtesy.
Still, as we waited for our meals I couldn't help but return to thinking about a question that's pestered me quite a bit since she's left. Maybe I should just ask her, but I don't want to seem like I actually care because I don't know if I actually care.
The fact that, in French, she asked the waiter if he spoke English so that he would take our order in English, gave me my allusive lead into the topic, "Did you know how to speak French before you came here?"
"Nope," she replied. "I was supposed to be able to in order to get into the program, but I lied," she explained a playful glint in her eyes.
"So are you just faking it or do you actually speak French now?" I asked still working up to my real question.
She started twirling her knife between her fingers. She rolled it from finger to finger easily, without needing to concentrate on it at all as she replied, "I've picked it up pretty well, but the program requires that I take three other language classes at the same time and I'm not very good at keeping the languages straight. I'll say something in German when I'm supposed to be speaking Russian."
Keeping on track with my objective I asked, "So what was the appeal of the program?"
The knife still flowing seamlessly from finger to finger she replied asking me, "Why did you come to Paris Logan?"
Suddenly that doesn't seem like the easiest question to answer, but I replied with what I said to the gang when they asked me why I was coming here, "My dad wanted me here and I'd be an idiot to pass up a trip to Paris."
"Exactly," she said, but I'm not sure I get it. "My parents thought that this program would be good for me. They thought it would be a great opportunity and they applied for me without me knowing. And getting in, it was an offer to live in Paris for a year; I would have to be an idiot to pass it up."
There's no more delaying it, now or never. I asked her the question I've wondered about far more than I ever thought I would, "Why didn't you say goodbye?"
The knife faltered in her fingers, almost slipping from them completely. I guess she wasn't expecting me to ask her that. She recovered quickly though and responded, "Well, first, I didn't find out I wasn't coming back until about the middle of the summer. Secondly, I said 'see you later' and wasn't that true? If I had said goodbye it wouldn't have been true, it wouldn't have really been goodbye. See, I said 'see you later' and now it's later."
Fair enough. I guess her answer is acceptable, but now it has me wondering, "Okay, so then since this was just some random coincidence that happened to make that true, what's going to happen when one of us leaves this time? Is it going to be goodbye or see you later?"
As weird as it is, I know what answer I want, but it's just because she's a friend. She's kind of a friend so yeah; it's okay that I don't want it to be goodbye.
She put the knife down and said with a coy smile, "You'll just have to wait and find out."
Whoa. There was something different about her voice when she said that, it was…flirty? Sultry, maybe? Could she actually be flirting with me? She is still smiling slightly, but we don't flirt. I mean, we kind of do, but not exactly. We banter, but it's usually more mean but playful, but I guess, on my part, it's still flirting sort of. Then again, when am I not flirting when talking to a girl? But her, why would she flirt with me? She's made it abundantly clear that she doesn't like me. Maybe she didn't mean to flirt with me. Or maybe she's changed her mind.
Our food arrived and I tried to stop thinking completely, because I don't think I've ever been more confused and it's driving me insane. Damn her and the effect she's having on me.
What is that? There's something…holy crap! Okay, now I really have no idea what's going on. Under the table her ankle is suddenly resting against mine. Looking at her, she doesn't look different at all. It's like absolutely nothing is happening. Maybe it isn't maybe it's an accident. Or maybe she's been doing all of this flirting type stuff just to mess with me. Yes. That has to be it. It even sounds like her. Okay, relax, nothing's different, nothing's changed. Except maybe me, because I think I'd like her to mean it, to actually be flirting with me, for her to like me.
Her ankle remained next to mine for the rest of dinner. Once she was finished, and she did actually finish the entire thing to my amazement, she relaxed in her chair, leaning back and moving her ankle back as well.
Everything is normal, everything is the same, so I commented as I normally would, "See Cruz this is why you don't get asked out," I said gesturing to her empty plate. I explained, "Most girls don't eat but you eat a ton and most guys don't have my kind of money, they can't afford to take a girl like you out."
She leaned forward on her crossed arms on the table, her ankle moving forward again to rest against mine again as she replied, "First, who ever said I don't get asked out? And secondly I wouldn't even want to date a guy who thinks like that. If a guy is worried more about how much a date with me will cost him instead of worrying about whether or not I have a good time or whether or not I like him, then he isn't a guy who's worth my time."
I only vaguely caught the second half of what she said. Who asked her out? Did she say yes? Does she have a boyfriend? Why didn't I even consider that she might? Maybe because I'm not sure I want to know the answer.
As much as I don't even want to think about it, I had to ask, "So is there currently a guy who you've deemed worth your time?"
Say no.
"Considering that the guys in the program are pretty dull and the French guys I meet tend to remind me of you, nope, no guy," yes! Sure, she still maintained our usually attitude toward each other, but she did admit there wasn't a guy and I'm hoping that she wanted me to know that there's no other guy so I can maybe…no actually this is ridiculous. She lives in Paris, I live in Malibu, just give it up, this can't go anywhere.
Shouldn't she be asking me if there's a girl in my life? It would be the natural response, if she cared at all, even as a friend. So, I asked, "Shouldn't you be asking me if I have a girlfriend?"
"You don't have a girlfriend," she stated confidently.
How…oh right, she keeps in touch with Zoey, "Right Zoey," I said out loud.
"No, you don't have a girlfriend because what girl in her right mind would be your girlfriend?" she said with a light joking tone.
"Good point, but the ones left over are just the type of girls I like, the girls without minds all together," I played along. She laughed. She has a nice laugh.
"You're never going to change, are you?" she asked still smiling.
"Of course not, I'm perfect as is," I replied cockily. She laughed again. I'm really starting to love it when she does that.
The waiter dropped off the check and I took out my wallet as she replied, "Keep telling yourself that Logan and I'm sure you'll have no problem staying single."
I snickered. She can always manage to respond to whatever I throw out there challenging me to come up with something back. Furthermore, when I got tired of the challenge, she was too. Maybe we do actually have something in common. Yet, the fact that we tire of each other around the same time isn't really that great of a thing. And again, she lives here and I'm only briefly visiting. This can't work.
I paid the bill and we grabbed our stuff (I had a backpack and she had a tote bag, each of our carry on items) and left.
It was awkward as we walked out of the restaurant together. Silence consumed us as I thought about what would happen. Would she need to leave? Should I leave? Would it seem weird if I suggested that we do something else now?
She interrupted my thoughts at the same time my bladder did. She said gesturing, "Oh, gift shop, I've got to get something."
As I said, my bladder had a different idea. I scanned around looking for a bathroom; it was in the opposite direction of the gift shop she had gestured to. I suggested, "Okay, um, I'm going to head over there," I said gesturing in the general direction of the bathroom, "then I'll wait for you outside the gift shop."
"Okay," she said and then she walked away. Her walking away is both a very good and a very bad sight. It used to only be a very good angle to see her from, but suddenly seeing her again, her leaving so unexpectedly before, and everything that I've been thinking while I've been with her for the last hour and a half, and I don't like the idea of her walking away anymore.
I went to the bathroom and waited for her just outside the shop. Dana suddenly came running out of the shop, grabbed my hand and dragged me after her. It took me a second to start running too.
"Hurry!" she declared weaving us through people as we quickly made our way down one corridor and turned into another.
I glanced back; there was a very large man in some kind of uniform and what looked like a security guard following us. What has she gotten us into?
"Why are we running?" I asked panting slightly because we had just made our way down two very long corridors that weren't nearly crowded enough to disappear in.
She didn't respond, she just turned abruptly jerking me with her and almost removing my arm from its socket in the process as we flew down some stairs.
Where are we? There's a bunch of trains and train tracks. There's a train station in the airport?
She dragged us through open train doors to cross right through three trains. The last set of doors closed just as we were getting off and the train was long enough that in the time it took to disappear Dana had dragged us up some stairs and back into the airport.
As soon as we got upstairs she stopped, let go of my hand, and said while trying to catch her breath, "Sorry about that."
I took a second to catch my breath as well before I asked again, "What was that about?"
"Come on lets go," she said walking away. She turned around and added, "What would be the fun in telling you?"
She turned back around and I walked quickly to catch up with her. She is seriously going to drive me insane, but I'm going to follow her anyway, I still don't want to say goodbye.
"This airport is enormous," I commented since I just ran through a huge portion of it and we still seem to be somewhere new.
"Yep, not a bad place to be stuck," she agreed.
I followed her to all those TV's that are scattered throughout airports that have flight information on them.
She looked at it for a second and said, "And I'm still stuck here. There's not even an estimated time of departure."
I wanted to let her know that I wasn't going anywhere and since I just had a very long flight followed by a big meal and sudden run, I'm exhausted so I sat down in a near by red plastic chair.
She sat down across from me and stretched out letting her legs rest on the seat next to me. I slouched down in my seat and put my feet up next to her copying her.
This is oddly comfortable, just half lying here with her, but it's time to go back to normal, "Wanna make out?"
She laughed heartily as she replied, "Persistent, aren't you?"
"When it comes to certain things," I replied because I'm definitely not persistent when it comes to anything concerning school, but girls are a different story, she's a very different story.
"Then I guess it sucks for you that I'm stubborn," she said looking more tired by the second as she relaxed more and more in her seat.
"Nah, I never give up," I said honestly because I don't plan on giving up, well not as long as I'm here. Yeah, she lives here, I live thousands of miles away, but I can enjoy right now with her.
I let my eyes slip closed for a second feeling pretty tired myself after the very long day I've had. When I opened my eyes and looked at her, her eyes were closed, but they soon opened back up and met mine.
"Do you like living here?" I asked completely out of the blue and without giving it a second of thought before letting the words come out of my mouth.
She sighed and said simply, "It's Paris, who wouldn't like living here?"
"Okay, but there has to be something you miss, something besides the typical stuff," I said because I don't want her to like Paris, if she likes it enough she just might stay.
She thought for a second and admitted, "This is going to sound stupid, but I miss walking into a store or something and actually hearing a song I recognize and can understand. Just, never having that kind of familiarity over here, it kind of always reminds me how I'm really far away from home and everything else I've ever known."
Actually, I have an idea. I don't know if I should do it though. It might make her feel better, make her miss home less, but in return like it here more. Then again because I'm the one doing it, maybe she'll like me more. Okay, I'm going to give it a shot.
I stood up and held out a hand to her. "Come on, I have an idea," I told her.
She complied easily taking my hand and following without question. I led us to the near by duty free shop and stopped just before we entered. I let go of her hand and started searching my backpack.
"What are you doing?" she questioned curiously.
"Just finding something," I replied still wanting to keep it a surprise, "but in a minute you'll be calling me a genius."
She snickered by stayed silent as I finally found it, my ipod. I held it out for her to see and put one of the ear phones in her ear and she let me. I put the other in my ear.
"Good thinking," she complimented which made me smile, "but what song to choose?"
"Well, I was thinking that since we have run into each other completely randomly, I should let whatever cosmic forces are out there decide again. I'll put it on shuffle and let the first song play without either of us looking at it," which I know is risky because I have some stuff on here that might really send the wrong message, but me trying to decide for myself is even riskier because I really don't know what I'm thinking right now. She has me completely confused.
I hit shuffle, then I hit play as I looked at her instead of reading what song was to come. "Letters to You" by Finch, maybe there really are cosmic forces and they really are trying to tell me something. She doesn't seem to be affected by the fact that the words "I want you to know that I miss you I miss you so" are repeatedly being sung into our ears. She just walked into the store smiled at me briefly and started looking around. I followed because we are sharing the ipod.
As the song went on and on and I followed her in silence I'm started to think more and more that something is really trying to be said to me. Maybe I really have missed her, maybe I really do like her, maybe I really want to be with her, and maybe I really don't want to leave.
Or maybe not, because at the moment I was coming to that realization my cell phone rang. I turned off the ipod and answered.
"Logan, finally, where are you?" my dad questioned.
"I'm still at the airport, I didn't find the car and then I ran into a…friend," I explained with Dana looking at me now kind of curiously.
"There wasn't a car, there was supposed to be one of my assistants because our location changed and we're not in Paris anymore. He was supposed to meet you and take you with him to Prague, which is where we are now, but he just got here without you. Apparently he forgot," my dad explained. "Look Logan I've got you booked on the next flight here, you're flying Air France, get moving or you'll miss it," what? No I can't just leave now.
I don't want to leave yet, so I tried to argue, "Dad look I can't make that maybe…"
"Oh by friend you meant girl," he interrupted. He ordered, "Put her on the phone."
There's really no arguing with my dad sometimes, he knows me too well.
I handed my phone to Dana and she took it giving me a confused look.
This is what I heard (Dana's half of the conversation):
"Hello?" she said as if it was a question.
"Well this is Dana Cruz," she retorted to something.
"Really?" she said her eyes widening a bit and looking at me oddly.
"I'm sorry but I'm not going to be able to do that," she said obviously trying to mask something from me.
"Okay, I understand, goodbye," she said ending the call and handing my phone back.
"What was that about?" I immediately asked.
"Come on," she said taking my arm and dragging me out of the store, "we've got to get you to Prague."
I followed as she led us to the nearest Air France desk and I got checked in. I still didn't want to go, but I didn't really have a choice.
We didn't talk as I got checked in and we walked to my departure gate. We paused briefly in our walk when we came across some of those flight information screens again. Her flight was no longer delayed indefinitely and she would also be leaving Paris, but not for a couple of hours.
We got to my gate and I got my boarding pass. I didn't have any time to spare. When my dad said I had to get moving or miss my flight he wasn't exaggerating. I was supposed to board the plane right away.
I walked back over to Dana hoping that she wouldn't say goodbye, but not knowing what to say myself. This could very possibly be the last time I ever see her and I don't know what to say to not ruin it.
Lucky for me she spoke first, "I got you something, a souvenir, but you can't see it until you're gone so here, give me your bag," she said holding her hand out. I complied.
She turned around pulled something out of her bag and shoved it into mine.
As she was doing so I questioned, "When did you get me something?"
She didn't answer she just shot me a look and shrugged.
Wait a minute, "I thought you didn't have any money with you?"
She stood up and gave me my backpack back and smiled.
Oh no way, "You stole whatever you gave me and that's why we were running!"
"You don't call me Danger for nothing," she replied with a smirk confirming my suspicions that she shoplifted whatever she put in my bag.
Silence returned.
"Well…" she said trailing off. She looked all around for a second kind of nervously as I myself was nervously running my hand through my hair. Then she looked me directly in my eyes. She gave a slight shrug as if it was a sign of surrender and closed the distance between us attempting a one armed friendly hug.
A friendly hug, I guess that's better than nothing.
Except a friendly hug wasn't the last thing she did.
When she pulled away from the brief half embrace, Dana gave me a not so quick kiss at the right corner of my mouth as her left hand held the left side of my jaw. Not on my cheek, not directly on my mouth, but on the hopeful corner of my mouth with her perfect lips. Her lips weren't too wet or too dry and they were as soft as I could have ever imagined.
It was over as swiftly as it began. She moved away from me taking stumbling steps backwards and looking at the ground as she said, "Um…I hope you enjoyed your stay in Paris."
I was stunned. I just stood there watching her with a completely idiotic grin on my face.
She turned around and I did the same realizing that I had a plane to catch.
Within a few seconds of turning around I heard "Hey Logan," I turned back around to see her a few feet away from me walking backwards again and smiling at me, "See you later."
Yes! That's right, she didn't say goodbye. She said see you later!
And because I'm oh so suave I replied, "Yeah, see you later Danger."
She waved, winked, and turned around again. I turned around and got on the plane and flew away from Paris, away from her.
I opened my bag as soon as I got on the plane to find out what the stolen item was. It was the t-shirt, the one that said, "I spent one night in Paris."
When I got to Prague, to my dad, I found out why he wanted to see me. I wasn't getting another step-mom, he just wanted to tell me about what he had planned for my and the gang's spring break. After a great deal of taunting I finally managed to get my dad to tell me what he said to Dana. Apparently he told her that he recognized her name because I had mentioned it to him quite a bit, though since Paris I've been mentioning it far more than I did before. Then he asked her if she wanted to come join our spring break plans, he offered to arrange her travel and everything, but I knew why she said no, she didn't have the same spring break as us.
Now, back home, back at school, back after spring break sitting in Sushi Rox as Michael is telling some kind of joke that, judging by everyone's expressions, isn't funny, I still keep thinking about that night, about her.
She flirted with me, stole for me, and kissed me in a way that gives me complete hope. I just keep thinking about her and how absolutely amazing that girl is, how much fun I had with her, how much I like being with her, and how much I want to be with her again.
I spent one spring night in Paris. I never actually set foot in the "City of Light," but I will never forget my amazing night in Paris. Unfortunately I think I'm going to have to stop wearing my stolen shirt because I'm going to make sure it's not true. I spent one night in Paris, but I'm absolutely going to have to spend many more as soon as possible.
A/N: I warned you that it was long. And if you've never heard "Letters to You" by Finch, it's a really good song and I chose it because I thought it fit really well, not only lyrics wise, but also that Logan would have a song like it on his ipod.
On a side note: If you've been reading my stories (thanks!), and I just posted some info on my profile about a sequel I've mentioned to The Evolution of a Relationship, yeah, things have changed since the last time I've spoken of it and check out my profile if you want to know more (its at the bottom of the random stuff I have on there).
Thank you for reading and please review and let me know what you thought! (Seriously PLEASE REVIEW, one-shots are notorious for having low review counts with enormous hit counts).
-Hopeless Romantic 86 (but you can call me Sarah)