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Chapter 14: Secret Service

BPOV

Between my work and leisure travels, I had had the opportunity to visit some fun and interesting cities around the world over the past four years. Internationally, Paris was my favorite.

Whenever I traveled, I tried to learn a few phrases in the local language so that I didn't appear to be the ugly American, even if it only meant that I knew how to say hello, goodbye, please, thank you and where is the bathroom. Therefore, despite the fact that my French was très horrible, particularly since I'd never studied it in school, I always managed to get by just fine in Paris. Of course this being a worldly cosmopolitan city, most of the people with whom I interacted spoke English… and they thankfully switched to it quickly as soon as they heard me ruining their beautiful language.

I had spent a several weeks in Paris over the years. I had a great working knowledge of the layout and the Metro system and I had figured out my favorite spots to go. Moreover, I had no need to do all of the normal touristy sightseeing since I'd done so much of it before. So the week was spent just hanging with the Cullens having fun.

Alice and Rosalie took me shoe shopping the very next day and they insisted that I get this beautiful pair of Robert Clergerie heels that I have to say would make my legs look awesome if I ever dared to wear a dress. Then they dragged me lingerie shopping and bought me even scarier and skimpier items than Alice had purchased previously. In fact, they bought me two sets of each item because Alice said one set wouldn't last past this week. There was no arguing with her and she was right: they didn't… particularly when Edward made me wear the new heels to model the undergarments.

Although they too liked to avoid the touristy things, they insisted on going to a show at the Moulin Rouge, which was 1. NOTHING like the movie, and 2. very topless. Emmett enjoyed teasing me non-stop the whole way home about the perma-flush I'd had on my face throughout the show, and given the shopping I'd done with Rose and Alice and the even more risqué items they'd purchased for themselves, I knew that Emmett and Jasper each were going to get a show of their own when we got home. Thank God for soundproofing.

There were only two semi-touristy things I did want to do when I was here. Edward and I spent an entire morning at the Musée d'Orsay; I loved everything about this museum from its wonderful architecture and layout to the amazing impressionist artwork inside. I made them come see la Tour Eiffel with me one night; like most Parisians, the Cullens found the light show vulgar, but I couldn't help myself… I loved it. It was sparkly and shiny.

Rather than spend New Year's Eve with the crowd on the Champs-Élysées, we opted to hang out at Sacré-Coeur Cathedral plaza in Montmartre. On that high hill, we could take in a view of a lot of the city's activities and fireworks. And at midnight, I got to ring in the New Year with my love as he held me close to kiss me.

Given the family diet, Edward alternated between making dinner for me and ordering from some of the city's best restaurants while they dined with me. In Denali, I got used to seeing them drink cordials filled with blood, as I didn't want them to have to hide their actions from me. Edward did manage to swing a dinner out one night for me at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, a relatively new hot spot in town. Their small plates were great for tasting and sharing, and Edward could pretend he was sampling mine while we drank some wonderful Bordeaux.

One of my favorite things to do in Paris was just walk. Anywhere. Explore. Look at people, buildings, parks. Amble along the Seine river. Whenever I was in Paris, even if I was with friends, I usually would take an hour or two each day to be on my own; I could freely wander aimlessly, never worrying that I was boring my companion or making them wait for me. On this trip, however, it became obvious very quickly that wasn't going to happen.

Whenever I said that I was going to go for a walk or out to get a baguette or postcards, someone would jump up and decide they'd come with me, and as much as I loved spending time with each of them, I was starting to get anxious. I loved mental alone time… and I wasn't getting any outside of the apartment. Finally reaching my breaking point on our fifth morning there, I exploded at Edward. Well, I nicely exploded because I wanted to get through this conversation without losing another pair of Parisian underwear.

"Okay, WHAT is the deal with all of you?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Why the entourage every time I decide to go out?"

"You don't enjoy the company?"

"Come on, you know I love them… but I don't have a minute by myself. I've been to Paris before and I won't get lost. I have the feeling that you're all playing babysit the human…" I complained.

Edward's eyes flashed briefly and I realized I hit a chord.

"Edward, what aren't you telling me?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said quickly.

"Hey, don't lie to me. You're hiding something. Out with it."

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "Right before we left, Alice had a vision about the trip. I would have canceled it but you were so excited about going. So they decided to come along, just as an added security measure.

"What was the vision? What kind of danger am I in such that it requires five bodyguards? "

"It was unclear, except that it involved you attracting the wrong kind of attention. Then when we arrived, Alice told me she'd had a new vision and while it was still fuzzy, she got a glimpse of a female vampire with red hair… and you."

"Not a civilized one? Won't the mark work?"

"We're not sure, but even civilized Parisian vampires will be a bit different; all vampires are influenced by their cultural heritage and the era in which they lived while human. The history of this city means we may find some mix of old school, in addition to civilized and nomadic, and every city has its own 'rules.'"

"Okay, but if they're old school, then I should be safe going out in the day, no?"

"Bella, her vision wasn't clear…"

"Which means that you might be overdoing it, right? Isn't that possible? Alice will alert you if a course I plan to take leads me to danger, won't she?"

"Generally…"

"Oh, come on! Just a quick trip over to Rue de Buci? I love the shops over that way and I'd really like some hot chocolate from PAUL. That's not too far away: it's just on the other side of Blvd St-Germain. I just need a little alone time."

"I'd prefer that you not."

"I didn't come here to be trapped!" I said, angrily.

"You didn't come here to be killed!" he yelled back.

I shrunk back at that statement. His eyes widened when he realized what he'd said and he saw my reaction. He ghosted to me, sitting me down on his lap on the couch.

"Was her vision that extreme?" I asked.

"Bella, any vampire could be a danger to you. That is just a fact." He kissed my forehead and took a deep breath. "Let's have a compromise, okay love? Maybe you're right. Alice should be able to give us some warning. You can go out for a walk on your own, but one or two of us will follow you…"

"Edward…"

"… at a distance. You'll get to wander around and we'll hang back and let you be. We'll just trail you. That's my offer: take it or leave it." He smirked. He knew that I had to take it because sneaking out wasn't an option with the little oracle downstairs.

"Great, my very own Secret Service," I muttered. Then I sighed. "Okay, keep your distance… and please let them know it isn't personal. I just need a little head space… an hour or two in the morning and I'll be good as new for the day."

And so I finally got to wander around my favorite neighborhood - the 6th. I made my way over to PAUL immediately and ordered my usual breakfast, which included a demi-baguette and their super rich hot chocolate. I sat happily listening to people ordering pastries at the counter behind me and the sound of spoons clinking in their coffee cups and knives being put down after buttering their bread. I put my iPod on and walked along the Seine, choreographing a new ice skating routine in my head to Children of Sanchez while the cold winter wind whipped at my face. Then I wandered back past the art and antique shops, stopping for a moment or two just to admire the items I could see in the windows. Rosalie and Emmett were very patient with me and kept their distance; I only noticed them twice. I was so grateful for this time, I even managed to be friendly to people, saying 'bon jour!' to anyone who met my glance. A man leaning in the doorway of one of the antique shops laughed at my happy expression.

The next day, I decide to do a similar walk wandering around the Latin Quarter instead and I never ran into any trouble. I asked Alice if there was any change in her vision, but she seemed frustrated by the lack of clarity on this. I started to think that any vampire who might have been interested probably saw my bodyguards stalking me and left me alone. In any case, our time in Paris was coming to a close as we were leaving in two days.

On our next to last day, Edward decided to make me breakfast in bed that morning, so there was no need to go out to eat, but I wandered back down Rue de Buci anyway to say goodbye to the interesting food product shops I was so fond of looking at. As it was colder that morning, I decided to stop in PAUL anyway, got a coffee to go, and then continued walking.

After the stroll along the Seine, I walked once again past the antique shops. When I had been here two days before, a small thought had floated through my head. I wanted to get Edward a present… a belated Christmas gift, and the antique shops seemed like an interesting place to look. If Jasper and Emmett kept their distance, I'd be able to buy him the gift without having them see it and then tipping Edward off by their thoughts.

As I was peering in the displays of different book, art and antique stores, I heard a voice speaking English with a slight French accent next to me.

"What is it you seek?" he asked.

I looked up and realized that the man looked familiar.

"Pardon?"

"I work on this street. I noticed you walking the other day looking at the shops. I am familiar with what items are sold where… I thought that you might need help finding what you seek."

Suddenly, I realized why he looked familiar: he was the man who laughed at my happiness on my first day of freedom.

"I don't know. I was looking for a present for my boyfriend but I'm not sure what. I figured I'd know it if I saw it. Maybe an antique pen or a nice leather journal… but nothing too pricey; I'm a student living on a budget."

"Ah, I know just the place. I represent the owner."

"Represent?"

"I am a collector for the owner. I seek interesting items and bring them back for approval. The shop is right down this block. Would you be interested in seeing it?"

I tried to detect something odd about this man but I couldn't find anything: my spidey sense was not giving off any warnings. If he was a vampire, he would have worked the luring voice and his movements would have been different. He certainly wasn't a red headed female. He was just an ordinary, olive-skinned dark haired Parisian. Besides, I knew Emmett and Jasper were near and that Alice would call them if she saw anything, so I wasn't in any danger. "Sure," I said.

As we walked briskly, he leaned in a little toward me and whispered, "Are you aware that you are being followed?

I froze and looked around for signs of the red-head. I saw nothing but Jazz and Em standing far down the street on the corner on Quai Malaquais.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He got out some keys to his shop and said, "Yes, two men down the street."

I laughed. "Oh, those are just my boyfriend's brothers. He is a little overprotective but I asked them to give me space."

"Ah, your boyfriend keeps an eye on you?"

"He doesn't want me to get lost," I said shaking my head.

He looked at me curiously and led me into the store. He turned on some lights and gestured at a counter with some beautiful antique pens. He went to remove his coat and set it down in back. I heard him say something in a low voice to someone in the office behind the door.

"Oh, one of these might be perfect. Do you have anything, say, from the early 1900s?"

He brought out the pens and placed them on the counter for me to examine more closely.

"Does he have an affinity for the early 1900s, this boyfriend? Or should I call him… master?"

I looked up at him suddenly, surprised. "Excuse me?"

Then a childlike yet velvety voice came from behind him. "I can take it from here, Laurent." Uh oh, I recognize that seductive tone.

He stepped aside, allowing me to take in the view of the woman gliding up behind him. I stifled a gasp.

She stared at me, smiling. "Hello, I am Victoria, the owner of this shop," she said in her French accent.

Red-headed vampire at twelve-o'clock.

A/N: Ruh roh. Vampire magnet. Thanks for reading so far. Please leave a review.