The doorbell rang, and Ana groaned. She rolled over in her bed, hoping that
whoever was there would just go away. Maybe it was a door-to-door salesman.
Were there even such people in France? She didn't know; no one had even
come knocking at HER door before. Anyway, whoever it was, they must have
got the wrong house. No one ever came to look for her. Ever.
But the stupid ringing would not go away.
Ana sighed. Great. This was just great. She was all alone, she had read someone's journal when she wasn't even supposed to be in his room, she was upset, she was tired, she was frustrated, she had just made the biggest mistake of her life, and now there was some weirdo at her door. What could be worse?
"Well, I guess I've got to see what that idiot wants," she muttered to herself, and crawled out of her bed. She dragged herself to the door, prepared to tell whoever it was in the most vulgar French she knew to bugger off. She flung open the door, and saw. Jesse?
***
Jesse stood in front of Ana, suddenly struck dumb. Miles had given him the keys to the apartment as well, and he would have opened the door, but he was holding too many things: his bag, his backpack, and a box of pastries, and the keys were somewhere in his numerous jacket pockets.
Ana looked awful. Her hair was all over the place, and her eyes were red- rimmed and her clothes extremely wrinkled. But despite that, Jesse still thought her beautiful. "Jesse?" she finally said.
Jesse felt compelled to say something, but everything he had planned to tell Ana had flown out of his mind. "I'm sorry if I was disturbing you. I would have opened the door but I can't find the keys, they're somewhere in these blasted pockets and I'm holding too many things and I didn't want to put the pastries on the floor and this is a nice place to live in and oh dear I think I'm going to drop my bag soon and I love you."
Ana stared at him, wide-eyed. Jesse felt his face heat up. This wasn't going the way he had planned. Not the way he had planned at all. Oh dear. She was going to think that he was such a freak now. "I've just messed up again, haven't I?" he asked feebly.
As he cursed himself for being such an idiot, Ana began to laugh.
***
Ana took the box of pastries from Jesse and put it on the shoe cupboard next to the door. Then she flung herself into his arms. Jesse dropped his bags, and a smile spread across Ana's face as he wrapped his arms around her. Jesse loved her after all, and maybe things would be all right now.
***
Miles sat in his room, reading. Mae and Tuck were probably already asleep, and he was enjoying this silence. He grinned to himself, thinking of Jesse. The boy was definitely already in Paris, and probably already cuddling with Ana.
He jumped when the phone rang, then dove for it. He didn't want to wake Mae and Tuck up. "Hello?"
"Hey. That's Miles, isn't it? It's me, Sandra."
"Oh, hi." Miles was a little puzzled. Why would she call him? Especially at 12:30 am. She couldn't still be worrying about Jesse, was she? He smiled to himself. Maybe the girl had a crush on his brother. "How can I help you?"
"I didn't wake you up or anything, did I? I'm really sorry for calling at such a time. If you don't want to talk, that's fine, I can just."
"No, no it's fine I can talk. You didn't wake me up, I just sitting around doing nothing anyway," Miles lied. Somehow he just didn't want her to hang up. It would be nice to have a long telephone conversation with someone, something he had never really done before.
"Oh. All right then. I was just wondering. I don't want to ruin your holiday or anything. but with Jesse in Paris. you don't really have to do this if you don't want to, but. I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind come helping out at the bookstore. There's a new stock coming in tomorrow, or rather today, and I totally forgot about it. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind come help me shelving it. It's quite boring, actually, so you don't have to do it if you don't want to. I understand it's your holiday and all."
Miles laughed. "Sure, I'd love to help. I've still got quite a lot of my holiday left, after all. It'd be good to do some work or I'd just stay home and get fat."
"I don't think it's possible for you to get fat."
"Oh yes it is. I can get really lazy and."
The conversation went on, both sides laughing and enjoying themselves.
***
Jesse and Ana sat on the couch, his arm around her. Jesse sat staring into space, a little jet-lagged, which Ana ate a lemon meringue happily. She sighed. "I'm so glad you came to Paris, Jesse." She took another bite of the lemon meringue. "And it was sweet of you to buy pastry for me." She smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek.
Jesse kissed her hair. "You know, I didn't buy the pastry for you."
But the stupid ringing would not go away.
Ana sighed. Great. This was just great. She was all alone, she had read someone's journal when she wasn't even supposed to be in his room, she was upset, she was tired, she was frustrated, she had just made the biggest mistake of her life, and now there was some weirdo at her door. What could be worse?
"Well, I guess I've got to see what that idiot wants," she muttered to herself, and crawled out of her bed. She dragged herself to the door, prepared to tell whoever it was in the most vulgar French she knew to bugger off. She flung open the door, and saw. Jesse?
***
Jesse stood in front of Ana, suddenly struck dumb. Miles had given him the keys to the apartment as well, and he would have opened the door, but he was holding too many things: his bag, his backpack, and a box of pastries, and the keys were somewhere in his numerous jacket pockets.
Ana looked awful. Her hair was all over the place, and her eyes were red- rimmed and her clothes extremely wrinkled. But despite that, Jesse still thought her beautiful. "Jesse?" she finally said.
Jesse felt compelled to say something, but everything he had planned to tell Ana had flown out of his mind. "I'm sorry if I was disturbing you. I would have opened the door but I can't find the keys, they're somewhere in these blasted pockets and I'm holding too many things and I didn't want to put the pastries on the floor and this is a nice place to live in and oh dear I think I'm going to drop my bag soon and I love you."
Ana stared at him, wide-eyed. Jesse felt his face heat up. This wasn't going the way he had planned. Not the way he had planned at all. Oh dear. She was going to think that he was such a freak now. "I've just messed up again, haven't I?" he asked feebly.
As he cursed himself for being such an idiot, Ana began to laugh.
***
Ana took the box of pastries from Jesse and put it on the shoe cupboard next to the door. Then she flung herself into his arms. Jesse dropped his bags, and a smile spread across Ana's face as he wrapped his arms around her. Jesse loved her after all, and maybe things would be all right now.
***
Miles sat in his room, reading. Mae and Tuck were probably already asleep, and he was enjoying this silence. He grinned to himself, thinking of Jesse. The boy was definitely already in Paris, and probably already cuddling with Ana.
He jumped when the phone rang, then dove for it. He didn't want to wake Mae and Tuck up. "Hello?"
"Hey. That's Miles, isn't it? It's me, Sandra."
"Oh, hi." Miles was a little puzzled. Why would she call him? Especially at 12:30 am. She couldn't still be worrying about Jesse, was she? He smiled to himself. Maybe the girl had a crush on his brother. "How can I help you?"
"I didn't wake you up or anything, did I? I'm really sorry for calling at such a time. If you don't want to talk, that's fine, I can just."
"No, no it's fine I can talk. You didn't wake me up, I just sitting around doing nothing anyway," Miles lied. Somehow he just didn't want her to hang up. It would be nice to have a long telephone conversation with someone, something he had never really done before.
"Oh. All right then. I was just wondering. I don't want to ruin your holiday or anything. but with Jesse in Paris. you don't really have to do this if you don't want to, but. I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind come helping out at the bookstore. There's a new stock coming in tomorrow, or rather today, and I totally forgot about it. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind come help me shelving it. It's quite boring, actually, so you don't have to do it if you don't want to. I understand it's your holiday and all."
Miles laughed. "Sure, I'd love to help. I've still got quite a lot of my holiday left, after all. It'd be good to do some work or I'd just stay home and get fat."
"I don't think it's possible for you to get fat."
"Oh yes it is. I can get really lazy and."
The conversation went on, both sides laughing and enjoying themselves.
***
Jesse and Ana sat on the couch, his arm around her. Jesse sat staring into space, a little jet-lagged, which Ana ate a lemon meringue happily. She sighed. "I'm so glad you came to Paris, Jesse." She took another bite of the lemon meringue. "And it was sweet of you to buy pastry for me." She smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek.
Jesse kissed her hair. "You know, I didn't buy the pastry for you."