A/N: I decided to put this up to give you something to read…I hope you like it well enough. Oh and I don't know how many steps there are in the Eiffel Tower or if you can climb up…but I remember in "Tuck Everlasting" them saying something about 614 stairs to the top so that's what I based it on…I can change it if it is wrong. Anyways enjoy and please review!
Ch. 4: Falling in Love
"Good morning Georg." Maria stopped confused. "Where's Elsa?"
"Do you really want to know?" He asked. She nodded her head as she closed the door to his car. "Well Elsa and I broke our engagement last night." Maria gasped and without thinking spoke.
"Oh I am terribly sorry. You seemed so in love too. If you would like to be alone for a bit I would be more than happy to leave and eat lunch at home…"
"Renee it is perfectly fine. I don't mind, maybe it was a good thing she left." He smiled at her as he spoke, leaving Maria trying to hide her blushing face. Secretly she wondered if the breakup had anything to do with her.
"So where are we eating?" Maria asked as they drove. Georg smiled mischievously.
"It's a surprise my love." He told her grinning and not even realizing his use of words. Maria's head flung in his direction, surprised by what he had just said.
"Georg? Are you sure you are okay?" Maria asked.
"Couldn't be better. Why?" He asked. Maria decided to forget about his words and move on.
"No reason." She muttered.
Soon the two drove up to the Eiffel Tower. The restaurants at the base of it were nice, but Georg led her out into the middle of the grass in front of the tower.
"This is where we are eating?" Maria questioned.
"No actually that is where we are eating." Georg told her as he pointed to the Eiffel Tower. "You told me you had never really seen this thing before so I decided to let you see it from below first."
"Thank you it is wonderful." Maria told him.
"It is even better at the top, come on." He told her grabbing her hand and running. She pulled her hand a way and told him,
"Race you to the stairs!"
"The stairs?" He asked. Maria nodded and sped off. He had no choice, but to try to beat her. By the time they got to the base of the tower they were both panting. Georg shook his head at Maria who seemed to be recovering better than he was.
"Now what were you saying about the stairs? I thought we could go up in an elevator." He told her honestly.
"Why would we want to use an elevator when we can walk?" She asked.
"Isn't that the elegant way of going up?" He asked. "What all the upper class does?"
"Well not all the upper class because I sure wouldn't want to ride an elevator up. Listen Georg to get the full effect you should climb every one of those six hundred and some stairs to the top." She told him. Georg was still unsure about climbing, but was definitely sure of his love for Renee. He smiled at her.
"All right lets go and climb." He told her.
About six hundred and fourteen steps later they had reached the top of the tower. Maria sighed as they were seated at a table.
"It is gorgeous." She told him. "You can see everything."
"Yes everything. It makes you wish you could stay up here forever doesn't it?" He asked her.
"Well I don't know about forever. I mean you have to go back down and face the world sometime so you can make an impact." Maria told him. Maria sighed and dreamily told him. "I've always wanted to be able to fly…so I could glide just like an eagle and have peace just like them." Georg smiled.
They discussed topics throughout lunch, but the best part for Georg was seeing Maria's fascination about Notre Dame. They walked to the observation deck after they ate as they were walking Maria spotted Notre Dame.
"Oh wow that's the Cathedral…isn't it?" She asked.
"Don't tell me you haven't been there either." Maria looked at him and smiled.
"Well you see I haven't had too much time here so I go to church at the chapel closest to me."
"You haven't been to Notre Dame?" He was still in disbelief.
"No I haven't. I'm sure you have though because you have been everywhere in France…haven't you?" Maria asked with a slight bit of annoyance in her voice. She hadn't meant to become annoyed, but in a way she really was. Did rich people seriously expect everyone to have seen everything?
"Renee did I offend you? I am sorry it's just that judging from the newspapers and things I was sure you had seen and done everything." He told her.
"Well I hope that taught you a thing or two about newspapers and media in general. They like to lie. They don't always tell the truth." Maria told him. She hated keeping the secret of her identity inside. How was she supposed to live like that for a long period of time?
"I'm sorry if…"
"Don't apologize, lets go down though." Maria told him. Maria turned for the elevator.
"Aren't we walking?" Georg asked confused.
"I thought you didn't like walking up." Maria told him.
"I've never walked up here before that's for sure and to be totally honest I had the best time of my life today." He answered.
"Really? So you want to walk?" Maria asked as her face brightened.
"I wouldn't want to get down in any other way." Maria smiled as he extended his hand and they began to walk down the tower together.
After a few more meetings together it was clear that Maria and Georg were in love with each other, but Maria just wasn't sure how to go about it. She was sure he was in love with Renee…a Renee that didn't really even exist.
"Aime I don't know what to do. I can't go on like this. I am just not going to see him again." Maria told her friend one afternoon.
"But Maria you are in love with him aren't you?" She asked.
"How could I really be in love with him I have only known him for what a few weeks?" She asked.
"Yes, but you know more about him then he ever even told his wife…isn't that what he told you?" Aime replied.
"Well…yes, but he is not in love with me…listen Aime if he comes here and asks for me tell him I'm gone okay? I am going to take a walk in the park." With that Maria was off.
A little bit later, just as Maria predicted Georg came to her door. Aime and Maria now shared a small house with two bedrooms. It was not the grandest of houses, but it would at least not cause any people to wonder why Renee lived in such a dump of a house.
"Good afternoon Aime!" Georg greeted her. "Is Renee here?" Aime's smile disappeared quickly.
"Renee?" Aime asked.
"Yes is she all right?" He asked visibly concerned. Aime snapped back into reality.
"Oh you mean Ma…Renee…She told me to tell you that she is not available." Aime answered.
"Is she upset? Oh Aime please tell me where she is." Aime looked at him wondering how mad Maria would be if she told him where to look. For the Maria's sake she decided to tell him.
"I believe she went on a stroll through the park." Aime told him quietly. "Please though, I wasn't supposed to tell you."
"I understand thank you Aime." He replied as he left for Central Park. He hoped Renee was not upset with him. He decided to make her feel better by taking her to the one place that she seemed to love above all other things in Paris.
A/N: Please please hit the review button!