A hand suddenly grabbed her and she found herself once again dancing with a stranger. He was a pretty good mover too, she could tell he wasn't a professional but seemed to know enough, plus he was energetic. He was good looking too, likely Spanish with his dark complexion and near black hair. He kept her going through the end of the song and on through the next one before stopping for breath.
"Voulez vous prendre un verre avec moi?"
Elia looked at him blankly, she understood he was asking her a question, she knew, Voulez Vous meant do you want or would you like. Something along those lines but she didn't know what. He looked at her, slightly taken aback.
"Parlez-vous français?"He asked. She understood this question!
"Non," She told him. "Désolé"
"Ah!" He smiled broadly. "English?"
"Yes!" She responded with a smile. "O Español también."
"No Spanish" He clarified. "English will have to do. I was asking you if you'd like to get a drink."
"Oh! She exclaimed. "Ok, why not!"
"I'm Joél" He explained as they made their way to the bar.
"Elia" He turned to look at her
"Wow! That's a pretty name."
"Thank you." She laughed. After getting their drinks they made their way to the other side, a quiet corner furthest from the music.
"Sorry for ruining your date by the way." He began.
"Oh, I wasn't on a date." She corrected him.
"Really? Sorry I assumed you and Alex were.." He let the sentence trail off.
"No, no" She confirmed. "We just happened to be here with the same group of people."
"Ah, that's just as well." He joked. "You've dodged a bullet, smart girl!"
"Do you know him?" She queried.
"Unfortunately." He replied with a smirk.
"So you don't like each other then?" Joél shook his head
"Why not?"
"Long story!" He sighed. "But I guess I'm too much of a reminder to him of what a waste of space he really is." Elia regarded him with surprise and curiosity.
"He's that bad?" She asked.
"You haven't noticed?"
"Well maybe?" She began. "I mean he seemed rude, arrogant and anti-social when I first met him, but now he's actually being quite nice!"
"Yes, that sounds typical of him." He informed her. "He'll switch on you in a second, He's probably being nice because he's after you or something. You're his type."
"His type?"
"Yes." He nodded and sipped his drink.
"How am I his type?" He remained silent for several moments, his eyes darting to the sides as his discomfort became evident.
"Well," He began with a sigh. "To be absolutely blunt, you're black!" Elia stared, taken aback.
"And, what of it?" She demanded.
"It's just, they say." He paused for a moment. "They say he fetishizes black girls." Her lip curled up in disgust.
"Seriously?!" She exclaimed. Joél held up his hands
"Don't quote me on that." He insisted. "I'm just repeating what people are saying, and what I've noticed from my own experience of knowing him, that's all."
"That's nasty!" She growled. He nodded.
"If it's true, yes." He agreed.
"I can't believe that what a knob!" She raged. "I mean that is sick!" Her mind raced, she thought back to their conversation the previous night. A girl, dark eyes, long black hair. Gipsy indeed! She should have known better, he didn't want a girl who looked like a gipsy, he was using her as some kind of fantasy, a twisted sexual fantasy. And to think she'd just agreed to it, the thought of it made her sick to her stomach!
"Are you alright?" Joél asked her
"Yeah! fine!"
"Doesn't look like it." He observed.
"I know!" She admitted rubbing her forehead. "It's just, I'd agreed to work with him on something."
"I see" He watched her looking concerned.
"Maybe you still can?" He offered. "Just keep your guard up, and him at a distance."
"Yeah maybe" She muttered downing the last of her drink.
"Do you want another one of those?" He offered with a smirk. Elia shook her head
"What was it you said you'd work on with him anyway?"
"A music video" She sighed.
"Oh really? I don't think you need to worry then." He assured her.
"Why not?"
"Because." He continued with a smile. "It might not even happen."
"Why do you say that?"
"His previous single, which was his debut didn't go down very well, barely made top twenty I believe and they've put back the release date for the album which is to be his first also. So, if you're lucky a new single might be shelved."
"Wow!" Elia exclaimed. "And everyone makes him out to be some hot shot."
"They're half right." He acknowledged. "He got famous a little while ago by playing a minor role in a movie, he played a musician and the fictional band he was fronting in the film featured heavily in the soundtrack. That soundtrack was a success. Now he's trying to build a solo career from that success, but his first solo song, well it flopped."
"I see" She responded.
"I guess he reaps with he sowed." Joél went on thoughtfully. "He apparently only got the role because the star of the movie thought he was hot, and they began a fling. Then after the movie was made and he found himself more or less the centre of attention, he ends it with her."
"Are you serious?!"Elia cried. Joél nodded.
"That's just how he is"He shrugged. "He ruins peoples lives, he ruined mine, twice!"
"What did he do?" She questioned.
"As I said, long story!" He turned to look back at the dance floor. "Hey! Are you ready for another dance?" Elia smiled and nodded and the pair made their way back over. They danced on and off for the rest of the evening, he didn't reveal his much of past with Alexandre. Only that his father once worked for the family as a gardener and his late older brother had been good friends Alexandre. She also discovered he was twenty-four and had carved out a fairly successful modelling career in the past couple of years. He had been adopted as a baby and had never met or knew much about his birth family other than they were of Portuguese origin, and had likely moved to France around the time he was born.

"I think they probably found it too much" He'd told her. "Trying to start a new life, then having a baby, that's what I tell myself anyway!" It reminded Elia of her own family, her grandparents when they left Cuba for Jamaica, she must have heard that story of their struggles hundreds of times.
"Abuela" She'd asked one day in her six-year-old innocence. "Then why didn't you stay in Cuba" Her grandmother's face became like a dark cloud.
"To stay in Cuba" She'd explained gravely. "Would have meant death!"
A hand tapped her on the back.
"We're getting ready to go" Jazmin informed her. "Coming?"
"Uh, yeah ok." Elia didn't feel ready to leave but being as they were her ride back, she didn't seem to have much choice.
"You must be Jazmin!" Joél declared, rising to his feet to greet her. "I hear you're quite the gifted linguist."
"Um, well a little. I guess" Jazmin spluttered in surprise.
"And every bit as modest." He continued, turning to smile at Elia.
"I'm Joél" He informed Jazmin. "Joël Williquette"
"Now we have to go!" Christina reminded them eyeing Joél coldly. The group momentarily fell into an awkward silence, Joél however quickly collected himself and smiled broadly as Christina, addressing her jovially in French, ignoring him however she turned and walked away.
Elia looked awkwardly at Joél
"Sorry!" She grimaced. "She's not much nicer to me if that helps" Joél shook his head
"Don't worry" He assured. He then pulled out his phone
"Let's keep in touch!" Elia nodded and they quickly exchanged numbers when Elia caught sight of his screen which appeared to be a photo of a woman, in a brief glance she caught sight of long dark blonde hair, however with no time for curiosity, she hurried off.
"You know his dad used to work for Emmanuel don't you?" Christina asked once they'd reached Carlos's apartment after staying silent the whole journey.
"I take it by that you're referring to Alexandre's dad, in which case yes" Elia affirmed. "He told me so himself."
"Well unsurprisingly he's bad news, I'd stay away if I were you."
"Unsurprisingly?" Elia exclaimed. "So being a gardeners son automatically makes him bad news does it?!"
"Please!" Carlos interrupted after being kept abreast by Jazmin. "Sorry Elia but Christina is right. From what we understand, he's not one to be trusted."
"Why not?" Elia challenged.
"I don't know" He admitted. "But Alex said.."
"So you've only his word for this, no story, no facts, no anything?"
"He's never given us reason to doubt him."
"Thank you for your concern." She retorted. "But I refuse to condemn a person for being from a humble background. If anything he earns my admiration for succeeding in the way he has."
With the conversation over the group made their way inside and once back in the apartment.
Elia awoke early the next morning. Determined to go out and get some sunrise shots. It would mean very little sleep but she could rest at some point later in the day if she got too tired. Now though she wanted to make the most of the morning light while she could, she'd set her alarm and once she was up and ready, she headed out towards the Notre Dame again. There were already a few people milling around but not enough to interfere with her task and continued to spend the next hour or so photographing. She then wandered Saint Micheal admiring and photographing the maze of narrow and sometimes cobbled streets. She tried a crêpe for the first time but found she didn't like it very much, she bought a few souvenirs for family and friends, this continued until she grew bored of the endless restaurants and souvenir shops and made her way back towards the river, from there she found her way back to the apartment. She was surprised to find Alexandre waiting for her when she got in.
"Good morning Elia." He began.
"So what was the matter with you last night?" She demanded, not bothering with polite small talk.
"I know." He acknowledged. "It was very rude and inexcusable behaviour, I want to apologize for it."
"Why did you do it then? What is

it about Joél that sent you scarpering off like that?"
"Because too many know who I am now. There are people out there who admire me, I can't disappoint them by letting myself get mixed up in public spats."
"What's your issue with Joél?"
"We have a history."
"Yeah, I figured that!" She retorted impatiently.
"You can't help him, Elia."
"What, you chattin about? Why would he need my help?" She objected. "It seems he's done quite well for himself already!"
"He's very good at making friends." He sighed. "Keeping them, however, is another matter entirely. Just..be mindful, please?"
"So." She began giving up and changing the subject. "Are you going to tell me the truth about why you asked me to do this video?" He gave her a puzzled look before replying
"I told you already." He assured her.
"Is it just because you wanted a black girl for you fantasize over?" She challenged.
"No." Alexandre looked perplexed, his brow furrowed as he held her accusing gaze and the pair stared each other down in silence for several moments before he spoke again
"I can guess where this is coming from." He concluded. "And no, believe it or not, being black was not a requirement for this video shoot."
"Do you know where the inspiration for this song originally came from?" He asked. She shook her head
"A flamenco dancer." He informed her. She looked at him questioningly.
"The idea for this song came from watching a performance of dancers in Seville, Spain. So stemmed the idea of traditional style dancing. I had considered featuring a Turkish belly dancer in the video. I wasn't sure, it was all up in the air. I just felt like I should show a dancing style from somewhere around the world, maybe? Then, I saw you dancing. The passion struck me and I was moved by how much you felt that part of your own culture and I felt this was a right fit. "
Elia smiled coyly taken aback by his evident enthusiasm
"Umm, thank you." She murmured. She felt put at ease by his explanation, it made sense and certainly seemed genuine.
"So," She asked. "I guess this ain't about you tryna use me like some kind of fetish object, huh?."
"No, I don't believe in treating any woman that way, where is this coming from Elia?"
"Apparently people say you got a fetish thing for, melanin." She told him. Alexandre folded his arms
"Sit down Elia. I want to explain something to you."
"I'm fine standing." She stated. He heaved a sigh before beginning to speak
"Basically." He began. No, I do not have a fetish, in fact, that's the first time I've ever heard such a thing. Do I find dark skin beautiful? Yes. I'll never deny that. I find a woman with dark features attractive. However, my preferences go far deeper than a pretty face."
"Are you actually serious?! You think dark skin is beautiful?"
"Yes, I think it's something lovely and beautiful! He confessed.
Elia regarded him with a mixture of surprise, pleasure and suspicion, she'd never heard a man talk like this before, especially one who happened to be white. He appeared embarrassed under her scrutinizing gaze.
"Is there any other questions you wanted clearing up?" He asked.
"No." She confirmed.
"Are you still ok with doing the video?" He asked tentatively.
"Yeah."