Love Me to Death

by Sharlay

  “Well believe it,” he scoffs.

  “Yeah you probably slept with the examiner.” I joke. Silence. “Bobby?”

  “What?” he asks nervously.

  “Oh my gosh, you did, didn’t you?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You slept with the examiner, didn’t you?”

  “Shut up, Bren.”

  “You dirty dog.” I’m grinning.

  “Ok, so I slept with her but make no mistake, I passed fair and square.”

  “I’m sure you did,” I chuckle.

  “I did!”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “She assured me that sleeping with her had nothing to do with me passing.”

  “And you bought that crap? My grandma could drive faster than you.”

  “You’ve never met your grandma,” he scoffs.

  “I still bet she can drive faster.”

  “Excuse me you are being paid to be somebody’s boyfriend so you better turn your little judgment meter off.”

  “Touché.”

  “Besides, she always said that I drove better after sex.”

  I lose it. My laughter fills the car.

  “How many tests did she make you take before you passed?”

  “Three.”

  I laugh even louder.

  “Oh gosh, she passed me because I was screwing her didn’t she?”

  “And the penny finally drops. Never mind, practice makes perfect.”

  “Whatever. Where do I pull in?” he asks as we approach Ned’s building.

  “Just there on the right, there’s an underground parking garage.”

  “Gosh, Bren this is like a secret lair. You sure you’re not fake dating Bat Woman or something?”

  “Just drive.”

  “So, you want me to wait down here or—”

  “Wait.”

  “Anyone would think you’re ashamed of me.”

  “I am ashamed of you. You exchanged sex for a license.” I chuckle.

  “Not funny,” he groans as I slam the car door behind me.

  “Hey!” I turn to see Bobby’s head leaning out the side of his black Jeep. “Don’t slam my car door,” he growls.

  “Sorry,” I say raising my hands in the air with a smile on my face.

  “It’s not funny!” he says. “It’s ok, Jessie, I won’t let that mean underpaid actor hurt you again,” he says dangling his hand out of his car window and stroking the car door.

  “Weirdo,” I sing. I punch the code into the elevator and wait patiently for it to arrive. When it does I shuffle inside nervously trying to figure out exactly what I’m going to say to Ned when I get up there. Layla was right, I’m not giving up that easy. I’ve never met a woman like Ned and I’m not about to give up on her because of one stupid mistake I made.

  When I reach the top I have to stop myself from running toward her door. Once I’m standing outside, I knock on the wooden door and wait patiently. When I hear a noise on the other side I breathe out a sigh of relief. The door opens and Misty appears, looking less than pleased to see me.

  “What do you want?” she asks twirling a piece of gum — that is hanging out of her mouth — around her finger.

  “I need to talk to Ned.”

  “She’s not here.” She goes to shut the door but I stop it with my foot.

  “Do you have any idea when she will be back? I can wait.”

  “You’ll be waiting a while because she’s currently flying as far away from New York as possible.” She looks like she gets great pleasure sharing this information with me.

  “Where is she?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “Look, Misty, I know that she’s your friend and I know she’s mad at me right now but I really need to talk to her.”

  “Tough.”

  “Please.”

  “No. Now leave before I call security and have you removed.”

  “No.”

  “Excuse me?” Her hands are on her hips now and she looks even madder than when she first opened the door.

  “I said no. I have just experienced the worst twenty-four hours of my life. My sister and her babies were in a car accident, I haven’t had a shower since yesterday and the woman I love wants nothing to do with me so please excuse me if your half-ass answers aren’t cutting it right now.”

  Wait? What? Did I just say … did I just say that I love Ned?

  I look up at Misty who now has a huge grin on her face. My head is spinning and I can’t figure out why I just said that.

  “You love her?” she asks in amusement.

  “No … I … I don’t know.”

  “She’s flying to Paris with Jackson.”

  “What? Why the hell is she with him?” I ask angrily.

  “Yup, you’re in love with her,” she giggles.

  I breathe a sigh of relief. “You were just testing me,” I say calmly.

  “No, she’s really with him, on her way to Paris, I just wanted to see your reaction.”

  “This isn’t funny.”

  “Nope but it’s the truth. Look I want nothing more than to see Ned happy. I may not be your biggest fan right now but she’s been miserable since you guys fell out,” I cringe at the thought of making her feel that way. “But it’s because she’s in love with you too. She just won’t admit it.”

  “Then what am I supposed to do?”

  “Go get her! Go home and pack, I’ll book you on the earliest flight to Paris and write out Neddie’s schedule so you’ll know where to find her.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really, now go, time’s running out. I’ll send over your flight details and then meet you at the airport.”

  Before I know it I have Misty wrapped in my arms.

  “Thank you,” I smile.

  She blushes. I may have just realized that I am in love with Ned but looking at the blush on Misty’s face lets me know that I’ve still got it. I wink at her before she shouts, “Go!”

  I laugh before heading to the car. I’m going to Paris!

  “So what the hell are you going to do once you get there?” Bobby asks as we walk through the airport in search of Misty.

  “Wing it. Be honest.”

  “The Brennan I know doesn’t do honest when it comes to women.”

  “That’s because you don’t know me with Ned.”

  Bobby suddenly stops walking and looks as if he has just seen a ghost. “No freaking way,” he whispers. I follow his eyes and see that he is staring at Misty.

  “What is your problem?” I ask, shaking his hand off my arm.

  “It’s her,” he whispers.

  “What are you talking about?” I ask in frustration. I just want to get to Misty, get on the plane and find Ned before Jerkson gets his claws into her.

  “The girl from the store.”

  Now I’m staring at Misty like I have just seen a ghost. She looks back giving me a confused look.

  “Misty is store girl?” I say out loud.

  “Ned’s best friend is my soulmate. Oh my gosh, what are the odds,” he says.

  “What are you doing? Your flight is leaving in fifteen minutes, you don’t have time to waste,” Misty says in frustration.

  “Yeah, sorry.”

  “Wait, don’t I recognize you?” she says, turning to Bobby.

  “I … yeah … I buy things. I mean I buy things—I’ve bought things from the store you work in.” He stutters. I watch him in amusement. I’ve never seen Bobby like this, it’s hilarious.

  “That’s right, the ‘returns’ guy. That’s what everyone calls you, you know. Why do you always bring stuff back and then buy more?” she asks curiously.

  “I just … I don’t know.” Lame. Bobby, you’re an idiot.

  “He hasn’t had much sleep,” I say.

  “Yeah.” She looks at him as though he is the most peculiar person she’s ever met. “Anyway here is your confirmation number. You can get your ticket from the desk. And
here is a copy of Neddie’s schedule. I’ve booked you into the same hotel as her and I’ve given you a list of her favorite places to visit and where she said she would be on each day. Good luck.”

  “Thanks, Misty. Right, this is it,” I say to my currently illiterate friend and Misty.

  “Everything will be fine, now get going before you miss your flight!”

  “Thanks!” I say as I run backward.

  “You’ll be there in around six hours. Have a safe flight.”

  “Don’t remind me!” I chuckle.

  I slip my phone out of my pocket and send a quick text to Layla.

  Me: She’s in Paris with Jerkson.

  Layla: What?! And lol … Jerkson I love it!

  Me: That was a quick reply for someone who is supposed to be in the hospital recovering from surgery.

  Layla: I don’t care about recovery right now! What are you going to do?

  Me: Fly to Paris and get her back.

  Layla: Ahh that is so romantic!! Go get her, Bro!! Love you! Fill me in as soon as you get back!

  Me: I will and thanks for the talk.

  Layla: Anytime! Now go and get back my future sister in law!

  Me: I’m on it!

  I smile before putting my phone back in my pocket and going to get my girl back.

  Paris is even better than every picture I have ever seen of it in my entire life. I can’t believe it’s taken me trying to win Ned back to make me finally visit.

  The flight was long and boring. The anticipation of getting to Ned made it feel like a twelve-hour flight instead of six. During takeoff, I kept Ned’s voice in my head and before I knew it I was comfortably in the air. I miss her. I have no idea whether or not she’s going to forgive me but the truth is that I need her to.

  “Ok, here is your key card; would you like assistance carrying your bags up?” The clerk behind the desk asks. The hotel that Misty has booked me into is huge and clearly only for the most elite. I’m guessing that working at a store didn’t fund this trip so Misty obviously has direct access to Ned’s funds. Ned must really trust her.

  “No, I can manage. Thank you.”

  “Enjoy your stay, Mr. Cole; do not hesitate to call down to reception should you need anything.” The rich, French accent fills the air and I nod my head courteously. I walk into the first available elevator and make my way up to the fifteenth floor. When I get to door 1511, I pull the key card out of my pocket and slide it into the lock. A soft click lets me know I am in and I push the door open as I carry my bag in with me. I brush my hand over the light switch and wait as the room floods with light.

  Wow. I’m standing in a huge living room, with a golden-colored couch, glass coffee table, mini fridge, TV, peach rug and floor-to-ceiling glass windows that allow you to spy on the beautiful city. To my left is a set of gold brushed double doors with bronze handles. I head toward the doors and open them up to discover a bedroom that is even bigger than Ned’s room in her penthouse. Thank you, Misty. At least, if Ned turns me down I’ll be staying in Paris, in style. The bed sheets are silk and the furniture matches the rest of the suite. In the room, there is also an adjoining bathroom. I rest my bag at the foot of my bed and fall down on top of the mattress. I don’t realize how tired I am until that bed is placed before me. I don’t even fight the sleep as my eyelids give into the darkness. I drift into a well-deserved sleep knowing that as soon as I wake up, my only mission will be to find Ned.

  Reading Misty’s handwriting is like trying to work out the world’s most difficult puzzle. It has taken me half an hour to figure out that Ned should be heading to the opera house, with Jackson in the next ten minutes. If I’ve read Misty’s message correctly then they are going to see a show called Il ne m’aime pas.

  According to Google translation, it means He loves me not. Only Jackson would take her to something like that. I swear the guy is some creepy stalker. It’s funny how he always seems to pop up at the most inconvenient times, not to mention just walking into her penthouse like he lives there.

  The guy behind the desk in reception — whose name is Pierre — gave me a little booklet with all the show details in it. I’m currently handing that same booklet to the taxi driver so he can get me there as quickly as possible.

  “Ah, yes I know de opera of course.” His English is not as good as the hotel staffs’ and so I have to concentrate a little more to understand him. “De tourists love to visit. I will go der now for you, sir.”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  “You will watch Il ne m’aime pas?”

  “Yes.”

  “I did not think you would enjoy.”

  “Well, what is it about?” I ask curiously.

  “A love story. It is bootiful. My wife and I have seen it two times now. You go alone?”

  “No, I’m meeting somebody there.”

  “Ah, a lady?” I see him smiling at me in the mirror.

  “Yes.”

  “A man like you don’t go to de opera. If you go, you go for her. You are in love.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Because I never go opera before I love either,” he has a huge smile on his face and says nothing else for the entire journey.

  If only he knew that I flew all the way to Paris too. Gosh, when did I lose my balls?

  “Here we go,” he says as we pull up outside of a huge gray and gold building.

  “Thank you,” I say before paying him and then stepping out of the car. I look up in awe. The building is huge. It’s like it is part of a grand palace. There are pillars in front of every window. At the very top, the edges are gold. This place is out of this world. I hurry inside knowing that the show starts in five minutes. If I have any hope of finding Ned then I need to move fast.

  Thankfully the line is short when I get inside and I manage to buy my ticket in less than five minutes. We are all gathered in the foyer waiting to be let in. My eyes are scanning the entire room searching for even a glimpse of Ned. I can’t see her. There are too many people. I move through the crowd, pushing past several annoyed people. Then I hear it, the sound that completes my world. When I spin around I see exactly where the sound is coming from and my eyes fall on the only face I just flew across the world to see. The beautiful noise fills the air. It’s a mix of pleasure and anger. The sound of her laughter is beautiful but the fact that she’s sharing it with Jerkson makes me mad. Why the hell is she in Paris with him anyway?

  A voice fills the foyer announcing that we can now go through and watch the show. I don’t care; my only task is to not lose sight of Ned. As the crowd begins to move, I head in the same direction she goes. Jerkson wraps his slimy hand around her waist and leads her inside. I want to snap his wrist.

  It takes a while for us to all get inside but when we do the lights are dimmed and the sound of soft music fills the entire theater. I manage to sit three rows behind Ned and I can see her clearly. I settle in my seat and look around. This place is huge. The seats are all red and the balconies are decorated with a rich gold patterning.

  I’m sandwiched in between two women: one who is looking at me as if I don’t belong here. The other is, unfortunately, looking at me as if she wants to take me back to her lair and devour me. I wouldn’t mind but she looks like she could be my grandmother. She smiles as her eyes scan from my face all the way down to my pants. I feel violated. I shiver in my seat. I clear my throat and focus my attention back on Ned.

  What the hell? Why is his arm around the back of her chair? This is not going to work. My plan was to lay low and then confront Ned during the intermission but this can’t wait. I pull my phone out of my pocket careful not to make any contact with Granny on my right.

  Me: Why the hell has he got his arm around you?!

  My eyes focus back on Ned and I watch as she opens her purse and pulls out her phone. She hesitates before opening my message. Then she spins around as if she is searching for me within the crowd. She doesn’t spot me of course, it’s too dark and she has no
idea where to even start looking for me. Jerkson whispers something to her and she brushes him off with a wave of her hand. Her body pulls a little away from him as I watch her fiddling with her phone. Good, I have your full attention.

  Ned: Are you in Paris!!

  Me: Is that a question?

  Ned: Cole, this is not a game. What are you doing here?

  I smile. She called me Cole. I’ve never been so happy that someone didn’t call me by my first name before.

  Me: We need to talk.

  Ned: You flew to Paris because we need to talk?

  Me: Yes.

  Ned: You’re crazy.

  Me: I know. And what the hell is this show about? I can’t understand a word of it?

  Ned: You shouldn’t have come here. I told you the deal is off. And it’s opera, it’s not performed in English. Why come if you don’t even know that?

  Me: I never came for the show, Ned. And the deal might be over but we’re not.

  Ned: Yes we are!

  Me: No we are not.

  Ned: You need to leave. How did you even know where to find me?

  Me: I have my ways …

  Ned: Did Misty tell you?!

  Me: Maybe …

  Ned: She did, didn’t she! I’m going to kill her!

  Me: Fine by me, we’ll fly back now, come on.

  Ned: Screw you!

  Me: I’d love you to. We can make it back to the hotel in less than ten minutes, meet you out front?

  Ned: You’re a jerk!

  Me: Yes the female population continues to remind me. But I am a jerk that has flown thousands of miles to talk to you about something really important. Now can we please leave this boring show so we can do that?

  Ned: It is not boring and I’m not coming!