Flashback
You wake up the next morning in your hotel room around 8am . You see the morning light shine through the curtains .
You decide to take a slow glance toward the scenery outside your window . La sene and the Eiffel Tower.
You wear your casual day fit and hit to eat breakfast. Today you are meeting with one of your mothers art consultant and very dear friend of her's , you had to give him back the key's to her art gallery .
« oh ma princess t'es grandies beaucoup « Jean stands up extending his arms for you . You engulf each other in a hug .
« jean comment ca va ? » you tell him as you take sit in front of him .
« ca va ca va , a bit old as you see . How are you and how is your mother ? »
« i am fine , and she is fine as well «
He makes a tsk sound and grimaces . « She is still stuck with tha maniac of your father , i told her he was the devil but she didn't want to hear «
« well « a look of sadness crosses your eyes and jean notices .
« what's wrong mon amour ? Tout vas bien ! » he asks .
« ah oui je suis bien , but ! He is making me marry for the sake of his company with a man « you shiver as you remember the look of furry on frank's face when you told him you were going to paris for business and you last two weeks as a free woman .
« a man like him ! « Jean puts his hands on top of yours . « You can always run away to paris , you still have your mother's condo and a home in my home jane will love to have your company «
« That's sweet , but if i decide to run away now , the company will bankrupt and he will make my little brother do something even worse instead «
« you are always putting other's before you ! Just like your mother « he puts on a lipped smile . You return it with a sad one .
You eat and chat more . He tells you about his wife Jane , the sweetest woman on earth , and their children , and you wonder will you ever be able to find a love that's so pure like there's ?
After you decide to walk for a bit around la sene . Once you lock eyes with the bridge full of locks it clicks to you to bring your own and throw the keys in the water . This way you will always find you place and soul in Paris .
Once you find a tiny space in between all the other locks around , you put it on and twist the keys .
« it isn't the end Eli «
You try to pull the key's out but it's locked in . You push and pull but nothing happen .
« you want some help with that Madame ? » you Hear a man's voice behind you . You turn and look up at the good looking man .
Your eyes immediately drift to his dark green ones .
« Uh ! Oui- yes « you move to the side and he steps in . In 2 seconds he removes the key's and hands them to you .
You stare at each other for awhile , admiring his gorgeous features .
« are you here alone ? » you gaze up back to his eyes when he speaks.
« Huh! Uh yeah pretty alone, why ? «
« well , in order for the bridge to work it's magic you have to lock it with your other half and throw the key's together. That way you are locked forever « . He moves closer but only to hold the hand where i have the key's .
« want to try to throw it with me ? « he then adds , his eyes holding a promise and his lips turning into a wide intoxicating smile.
You smile and urge to close hands and throw the key's in unision .
You watch as the key disappears under the water .
« my name is Gabriel Ardesun , do i get a name too ?«
« Mine is Arabella Mathius « you stumble in your thoughts trying to give a fake name and the only one that comes to your mind is off your mother maiden name .
« Arabella ? Like the famous painter ? « his eyebrows frown.
You tried to put on your best expression of confusion . « Don't know her , however my mother named me after my deceased grandmother. They come from french descendants «
« So you are half french ? »
« practically speaking « you giggle .
« Trop mignonne « he smiles and you see the line of dimples from his sides.
After a brief silence , he clears his throat . « is it possible for us to catch up maybe later from some coffee ? Or tea ! Or hot chocolate you choose « he nervously scratches the back of his head . You think about it , it's a bad idea to meet this sharming man again , but where's the harm in a little one time date . You will go back to America and marry that jerk , so where's the problem in doing this ? .
« sure , you choose a place « you smile back . You hold unto your bag and wait as he checks his phone .
« how about cafe la lune ? » he contemplates when he sees your worried face .
Cafe La lune is right across from my hotel , your father's hotel .
« Um do you know somewhere else ? » you ask .
He searches on his phone again and shows you the location . Your eyes widen .
« la tour Eiffel ? Isn't it super expensive to get dinner there ? Are you some big shot here Gabriel ? »
He chuckles softly , but you still hear a hint of embarrassment. « no i am not , but that's the perfect place for a beautiful girl like you «
He smiles . He holds his bag and walks past you . « See you there at 8 ? «
You nod and wave and before you know it you part ways with the good looking man .
You spend the days going from a store to another t'ill you are tired , the man and the date still doesn't leave your mind .
As you are about to walk in to your hotel you notice a department store next to it and a short red dress displaced on the large window .
You go in and walk around the mannequin .
« oh hello ! May i help you with something madame « .
You turn to look at the sales person . She steps back .
« oh mon dieu , Elizabeth ? «
« Oh do i know you ? «
« no no ! But i know you since you were une petite fille ! A small girl «
« Oh really , i'm sorry i have no idea who you are «
« i'm margaret , your mother knows me very well , welcome to my store ma Cherie «
She smiles warmly at you and you return the gesture .
Suddenly you spot a painting , of you as a child in a floral dress at a garden .
« that's me «
« oui c ca , beautiful « she brings it down for you to see it.
« your mother was the best painter in the whole world , but in paris she was a masterpiece, a great talented and beautiful woman « she looks at you . « And so are you , you look exactly like her when she was your age «
You nod .
« anyways , do you like the red dress « she returns the painting and moves you toward the dress . You stand and watch her as she delicately removes it from the display .
« try it « she hands it over and points toward the dressing room .