Chapter V: Connection
AN: I will never get tired of saying this, but thank you (x infinity) for all the reviews/follows/favorites. I'm sorry for taking a while, but I really hope you all enjoy this chapter.
"So, where do you wanna go first?"
The elevator doors swung wide open as Leo motioned for April to go inside, with him following right behind. He pressed the button marked 'L' as he watched the door slowly close after him, leaving them alone together inside the golden square entrapment.
"I don't know…you're the expert, you tell me."
"You don't really want me to make that decision for you now, do you? Come on, what is your gut telling you?"
Her mind wandered into endless possibilities. There were so many places to go to, and yet she couldn't pick which one to see first. Most people would say the Eiffel Tower, but for some reason a voice in her head kept chanting one word over and over.
"How about the Louvre?"
"Really? Never pegged you for an artsy type kind of girl."
"What? I can appreciate a good work of art when I see one."
"Well, so do I."
Leo's lips pursed together as the corners of his mouth arched in what could only be a crooked smile. He gave April a knowing look, causing her cheeks to immediately turn red, as she shook her head and focused her attention somewhere else.
"Was that really necessary?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, now looking at April all innocently.
"I hate you."
The elevator made a ringing sound as the doors opened, revealing a tall brunette woman who could be easily mistaken for a runway model. Her natural tanned skin glowed perfectly against her summer wardrobe, a white cropped top and pencil skirt which hugged her curves in all the right places, finished off with sky-high crystal encrusted Louboutin peep-toe heels. On her arm rested an all-black classic Birkin bag, to which she opened as she retrieved her phone. Her heels clicked as she moved into place.
"Lobby?" Leo asked, looking mesmerized as the woman looked up and smiled at him. Her teeth glistened like pearls, looking nothing short of perfection.
"Oui," she replied. "You...American?"
"Uh…um, y-yes. Yes, we are." He held his hand out to shake hers. "I'm Leo, by the way."
"Enchantée, I'm Geneviève," she replied, stressing out the pronunciation with her thick French accent as she met Leo's hand halfway. Her fingers were soft as butter, sending a tingling sensation down his spine.
His eyes moved up and down as he examined the woman more carefully, looking for any sort of flaw in her goddess-like appearance. There weren't any. The woman noticed the movement of his eyes as well, but seemed to actually be enjoying the shower of attention Leo was giving her. She sized him up too, never taking her eyes off of him, and just from the shade of his eyes, he was already a winner in her book.
"Hi, I'm April."
Breaking the awkward tension that filled the elevator, April held out her hand to the woman as she snuck a quick stern look at Leo. He looked like a lovesick puppy that had fallen under the woman's magic spell.
"Oh...I'm sorry, this is April."
"Enchantée."
While the woman returned the gesture by shaking April's hand, she seemed to have no interest in anyone else but her companion. She took a quick glance at April, eyeing her up and down, and realized that while she was easy on the eyes, she was no competition for her. She was used to getting everything her way, and if she really wanted to have Leo right then and there, she knew she could have him.
"So are you two…?"
"Me and him?" April asked, pointing her thumb at herself, and then at Leo. "You mean like, together?"
" Oui," she nodded. "You're here in Paris, after all. The most romantic city in the wo-"
"No. No, we are not," Leo replied quickly, which seemed to bother April a little bit. He'd never responded to a question so fast and so certain as he just did. Sure, he was a straight-shooter, but he could've been more delicate with his words rather than just flat-out saying 'no'.
Ding!
The elevator doors opened once again, now showing the heavy foot traffic happening in the lobby. Leo gestured his hand to let the woman go out before he followed.
"Ladies first."
Geneviève chuckled as she exited the elevator, with April following from behind, and then Leo. She brushed a strand of hair away from her face as she brought her handbag to her shoulder, locking them under her arm. She faced Leo one last time.
"Maybe I'll see you around, Leo. Au revoir."
"Au revoir."
Leo's eyes followed the woman as she walked away from him, blending in with the crowd just after a few strides. He watched as she pulled the sunglasses out of her handbag, greeting every hotel staff she came across, almost as if she knew them all individually. Then, she made her way to the entrance, turning heads from everyone who came in close proximity, before she got in what seemed to be an expensive piece of automobile and drove off.
"Well she seemed nice, huh?" Leo asked as he turned and looked at April, who was standing by his side. Together, they made their way towards the front desk.
"Could you be any more obvious?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Really? You're going to stand there and pretend to have no clue what I'm saying?"
"Well I don't, so why don't you enlighten me with some of your wisdom?"
"Someone dangles a beautiful and sophisticated woman in front of you and you turn into silly putty!"
"Not at all."
"You were practically undressing her with your eyes!"
"That's ridiculous. I would need to use my hands."
"Unbelievable…" her voice trailed off as she shook her head in disbelief. She walked a little faster now, leaving Leo slightly behind, but before she got any farther she felt his hand reach out for hers.
"What just happened?"
"Nothing, let's go," she said as she released her hand away from his.
"Wait a second...April, you're…are you jealous?"
"What? No. I'm not jealous."
Of course she was. She hated the way Leo looked at that woman with such lust, how he never took his eyes off of her during their entire time together, like she was this most precious thing that ever hit the universe. He looked as if he just saw the most exquisite thing in his life, as if someone had finally listened to his silent prayers and granted them in the form of Geneviève. He wanted her. In his eyes, April knew that he wanted to have her. As a matter of fact, she hated the woman too. The way she batted those long eyelashes at Leo and how he fell victim to it every single time, it was sickening. She knew exactly how to play him, and he was more than willing to participate. God, she hated the both of them.
"Aw, you look so adorable when you're jealous."
"Shut up."
April was not the type of girl to get jealous. No, she's always been sure of herself and what she's capable of, so jealousy was never a problem. Granted, there was that one time when she and Dominic were just starting out, but that happened in a totally different circumstance. They were actually dating. Even though she and Leo were just friends, or better yet—cancer buds, she didn't know why she was feeling the way she did all of a sudden. It felt as though something was eating away at her, this unsettling feeling deep at the pit of her stomach, that's causing her to act the way she was acting. The green-eyed monster had never felt so alive.
"A-and then when she asked if you and I were together…you didn't even waste a second to let her know that we aren't dating! God, it was like, you couldn't wait to tell her that you're a free man and that the only reason why you're here with me in Paris is because you're fulfilling some sick girl's dying wish."
"Whoa, now hold on just a second. Where is this coming from?"
"But it's true, isn't it? What are we doing here, halfway around the world, Leo? Better yet, what are you doing here? You've probably been to Paris more times than I could count with my own fingers!"
"We are living, April. For once in your life, we—you're actually living. You're doing things in your life you never thought of doing before. And look, when I got on that plane with you, I could've easily left and asked for a different destination. I could've let you gone to Paris by yourself, so is it really so hard to figure out why I didn't? I'm here because I want to be with you!"
A few moments later, they finally arrived at the front desk. The same woman who booked Leo the suite the day before approached them, with a smile swept across her face.
"Why hello Mr. Leo! Miss April! How are we doing this lovely morning?"
"Doing great, Rosita. Thank you for everything. And please, just call me Leo. We're practically family."
"I know, I know. Oh, but you grew up so much! It wasn't long ago when you were just-"
"L-let's spare April the details of my childhood here, shall we? I was wondering if you could help me out with something."
"Of course, anything for you. What can I do?"
The lady smiled at Leo as April weaved her brows in confusion. It seemed that she and Leo knew each other from way back, and for some reason she was a little curious to hear about any childhood stories she might have stored in her repertoire.
"You see, I'm taking April here to see the Louvre, and we need-"
"Don't even worry about it. Just give me a few minutes to work my magic."
"And that's why you're the best, Rosita."
April smiled at the pregnant receptionist out of politeness as she watched her stroke a few keys in front of the computer. She seemed like a nice sweet lady who shared an unbreakable bond with Leo given how highly they talk and interact with one another. That made it even more difficult for her to hate him given after what transpired just a few moments before.
"How did you like the flower arrangements sent to you this morning, my dear?"
"Oh…they were um, they were lovely. Thank you."
"Don't thank me, that was all Leo's idea. He had everything planned out before even checking in. I could tell he really cares about you. He has a heart of gold."
"Oh come on, Rosita…" Leo said as his cheeks turned a slight tint of red.
"But it's true, is it not?"
"Everything planned out? You mean there are more than the flowers?"
"Of course, dear! The flowers are just one of the many. Now, I know Leo said he wanted it to be a surprise, but I am absolutely sure that you will love them."
She handed Leo a small piece of card as she finished up their transaction.
"Okay, so Gaston—you remember Gaston, right Leo?—will take you wherever you want to go, and if you need anything else, well, you know how to contact me. I hope you enjoy the Louvre, Miss April. Au revoir."
"Merci, Rosita." He went behind the counter and hugged her tightly. She then waved goodbye to the two of them as April and Leo headed outside of the hotel and waited for their ride to pick them up.
"Sounds like you two go way back," April began.
"Oh yeah, Rosita and I…we have history together."
"Well she seems like a wonderful lady."
"She is."
Silence caught up with them for a few minutes. They stood there at the corner, with Leo looking out to the street and April looking down on her feet, unable to meet his eyes. She wasn't sure if he was angry at her, but then again, he wouldn't have any reason to if she didn't start with her lousy accusations. She tried to find the right words to say to him, but as always, he beat her to the punch.
"Look April, I don't know what happened back there, but I don't want to start off our first day here with this looming over the horizon, so let me be the first to say: I'm sorry."
He turned to his right as he saw her looking down on the ground, not wanting to meet his eyes. He knew that she felt uncomfortable around him, probably even ashamed, and so to break that barrier, he took her hand and intertwined it with his. Surprised, April looked up at him, and then moved her gaze to her hands that were now interlocked with his fingers.
"What are you doing?"
"When we go back to Boston, and you go and do your chemotherapy, I don't want you remembering the sad and bitter days we spent here. I want you to look back and remember the good memories we made, because when you're lying there in your hospital bed, watching as the days and nights pass by, this might just be the thing that will motivate you to keep you fighting. The chance that one day, when you beat this cancer, you will find yourself back here, or in a different place, living the life and future you've always wanted to have. And there's nothing more in the world that I would want than for you to have that."
Leo's speech was enough to blow her away. She suddenly felt this lump at the back of her throat, because every word that escaped his lips couldn't be any truer, and she wanted that too. Thinking back to her own question earlier, they weren't just in Paris to have an adventure. No, there was something more to that. They left the comfort of their hometown in Boston not just to escape the confinements of their own mundane lives, but to find the answer as to why they should keep fighting. Living day-to-day wasn't just enough; sure, they've been stripped off of that reality once they found out their days were numbered thanks to the cancer, but the chance to have moments like these—days when they are truly living, well that was something worth fighting for.
She kept her gaze fixed on their linked hands, feeling the warmth of his skin against hers. Of course he was right, as he always was—moments like these are worth fighting for. To feel the love of a friend, a mother, a sister, a relative, a stranger…it's worth more than any amount of pain and suffering she's got to endure. Because this is what everyone craves for: a simple human connection. There's a famous saying that people often quote, saying life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away, and for April, this is definitely one of those. It wasn't as glamorous as how it's normally portrayed in a giant screen, but in that moment, she connected with someone. She felt that she wasn't as alone in this as she felt once before, that someone was there who understood her and gave her the gift of connection that she so desperately craved.
And that was more than enough.