I tried so hard to get this out over the weekend but my chem exam prevented that…I don't think I've ever been so happy with a B+ in my entire life. At least we got rewarded with A Call to Spy! If you haven't seen it, please do! It's an amazing story period but if you're a history nerd like me…you will love it! I have a thing for accents and Stana does a wonderful British if I do say so myself
Enjoy!
Crossing from the Fifth to the Tenth was doable by foot but a forty-five minute walk was not what either had in mind. Metro it was. It reminded them both of the New York subways except it didn't smell like rotting garbage. A cleaner and cheaper subway? Where was the sign-up sheet?
One thing that had yet to change was the sheer density of people that could be packed into a rail car. Kate had heard the MTA horror stories and had a few of her own from her younger years. She really did love her Crown Vic.
"Sometimes when I need character inspiration," Rick spoke, the metros might be cleaner and cheaper but that didn't mean it was quieter. "I'll hop on the C train for a few stops. If people watching was a sport I think I'd medal." That earned a chuckle, "See that guy over there?" He nods over to an older man in a red baseball cap, a golf polo and light jeans. "He's a retiree who always wanted to travel but never got around to it. Once the kids, at least two, were grown, he and his wife decided to fly the coop themselves and get a little apartment. They've probably been here a few years, he looks comfortable but old habits die hard, the worn cap, newspaper, the very nice watch, if I do say so myself; he's not trying to pass off as a born and raised but is content." Kate's enthralled by the story he's spinning, "Ah, he just got a text. From his wife, of course. This metro line runs farther north in the Nineteenth. He's picking up the good groceries from that Monoprix place I keep hearing about. It's Wednesday so that means book club. The text was a last minute addition she thought of talking to one of the girls. He enjoys doing this, it gives him a purpose and he can let his thoughts churn in his mind. He's an analytical guy, a machine guy, he's restored at least one car. It was a fun summer project he did with his son. The grandson's not quite old enough to help so handed him the tools. He's had a pretty good life, this is just the icing on the cake."
"Rick, that's absolutely beautiful. I can't believe you just came up with that. I can completely see that happening."
"I have an overactive imagination." He kissed the top of her head, "You try."
"This isn't gonna be a beautifully thought out, well-crafted backstory, ok?"
"What happened to that carefree writer I met a few days ago?" He raised an eyebrow,
"I don't write for a living! I doodle in notebooks, nothing worth people reading, that's for sure."
"Kate, you have no faith in yourself and I have no clue why. You can be analytical and creative at the same time, they're not mutually exclusive."
"I know," Kate sighs, "I forget sometimes. It's a different type of creativity, though." She scans the immediate area. "See the woman who's knitting?"
"Yeah, what's her story Kate?"
"She knits for the patients at the big hospital near the Sorbonne-largest in France if I remember my guidebook. A gentle yet honest woman. She's the kind of person who knows everyone by name; doctors, nurses, cleaning staff and always asks how their family is. She really does pray for them when she says she will. She's a hit on the pediatric floor, even if they do keep her on her toes. And when she needs some down time, she cuddles the NICU babies. I did that for a summer in high school. A friend told me about it and I needed the hours. The school wouldn't let me go to the law firm. She's also content, probably been living in Paris for a while." Kate pauses, trying to think of something else, "And that's it, I got nothing left."
"She looks like a reader to me." Rick states,
"Yeah, she does, doesn't she? Her bookshelf would confuse people though. She likes crime fiction. Nothing too brutal but enough to keep her mind occupied, something with strong characters and a good plot, maybe some romance thrown in there for good measure. Maybe she's in the same book club your guy's wife is in."
"I love that, of course this knits-for-sick-children granny would be a crime aficionado. I got more of a Debbie Macomber vibe."
"Castle, haven't you learned? Looks can be deceiving." Kate says, knowing full well what fuels her words.
"That they can be." He responds simply, trying to find a third person to speculate about. He's just a little too late though, the train's starting to slow and rolls into the station quickly.
/
The aptly named store, Cachant à la Vue or Hiding in Plain Sight, was plainly decorated, allowing for the showcased canvases, prints and films to adorn the walls, crowding each other for the showspace.
There's a large, striking print Kate is drawn to immediately. Taking up its own corner of the wall, it's nearly dystopic, a complete contrast to what surrounds it. Maybe that's what's calling to her. Maybe it's the fact that it looks like the world is ending but you almost don't notice that, you're captivated by the woman in the purple cloak. She's a mystery. What secrets is she hiding? There's something statuesque about her. What is she? A soldier? A spy? A vigilante? Why is there a child's doll in the corner and honeysuckle falling? It's something that the Art Theory class she took at Stanford would've discussed.
Kate introduces herself to who she assumes is Claire. The shops she and Rick have visited have been small, quiet, only one or two people at a time kind of places. Nothing like the overcrowded atmosphere they're both used to.
"Tu dois être celui que François a dit d'attendre." Claire speaks quickly,
Kate misses a word or two but it sounds like the man from the camera shop called ahead. She sets her camera on the counter and Rick does the same.
Claire's eyes light up and she reaches for rolls of film lining the wall behind the counter.
"Noir et blanc pour moi. Couleur pour lui." Kate says, then turning to Rick, "Color's more forgiving and since the camera's a little newer so it'll be easier to work with. Yours has a color meter which'll be nice too. Less mistakes with color balance and stuff like that. You don't have to worry so much about stuff like that with just monochrome."
"Utilisez ceci. Votre appareil photo est magnifique." Claire smiled, pushing two rolls towards them.
Kate's French was mildly conversational so reading the package was going to be near impossible. She trusted the woman's knowledge though; the recommendation was nearly enough until she saw the light shine bright in her eyes as their cameras made appearances.
"Combien?" Claire asked, and Kate started calculating prices. Thirty euros for a six-pack was a little more than she paid back home-sometimes she wished she had a cheaper hobby. She's nearly gone through the six-pack she brought with her and against her better judgement pays for another. The price difference wasn't too astronomical; hopefully she'd be able to bring some home.
Kate adds a small developing kit to her purchase and makes a mental note to get the few other DIY supplies she'd need. Going through the list she sees Rick hold up three fingers and she raises an eyebrow. There was no way she was letting him spend a hundred dollars on film after just shelling out for the camera.
"I'm a beginner! I'm gonna need all the help I can get!"
Kate rolled her eyes playfully, "Just do one for now, I've got more at the hotel."
Claire rings them up with a chuckle.
Kate just shakes her head. She should've known he'd be a full-throttle kind of guy. What has she gotten them into?
They step out into the bright light and the hustle and bustle of the streets remind them of the world outside their cozy bubble.
"Kate,"
"Yes, dear." She says, nearly sardonic,
"I'm hungry. Are you hungry?" Nine year old...she swears.
Kate checks her watch and finds it nearing two o'clock. "Yeah, we should probably eat. Didn't you say you found a place you wanted to try?"
"Yes! It's in the Fourteenth so it's in the complete opposite direction but it's not too far from the last place on your list."
"We've got all day." Kate takes his hand and easily falls back into the rhythm they'd created on the metro.
Next chapter is in the works and should be coming out by the end of the week! If y'all are about done with all the fluff I promise less fluff and more plot-driven chapters are coming!