Love Far Away (A Spicy Contemporary Romance)

by Cooper, Leslie

  The lineup to buy tickets to the top was long, but it passed quickly as we people-watched and chatted about tonight. Ashley kept bringing up revenge sex, but I brushed her off. We inched forward in line until it was finally our turn to be crammed into an elevator with about fifty other people. We rode a series of three elevators all the way to the top, where we squeezed our way through the crowd until we managed to get a spot at the railing to look out over Paris.

  “Look! That’s where we were,” said Megan, pointing to the wide Champs-Elysees and Arc de Triomphe in the distance.

  Becca shaded her eyes. “There’s the Louvre,” she pointed. “Can we go there tomorrow? And Notre-Dame?”

  “I’ll probably be sleeping off my hangover until noon,” said Ashley.

  “I’ll go with you, Becca,” I offered, since it seemed a sin to visit Paris and not see the Mona Lisa.

  “I’ll go too,” said Megan. “As long as we’re not leaving too early.”

  “Is nobody else going to have a crazy good time with me tonight?” Ashley asked, disappointed.

  “Of course we are,” I told her. “That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it? Let loose, relax, have a little fun.”

  “A lot of fun,” Ashley corrected me.

  “Museums can be fun too,” Becca protested. Ashley laughed.

  I tuned out my friends’ silly argument and looked back out at the city of Paris. I’d dreamed of visiting here so often when I was younger- what little girl doesn’t dream of Paris? I’d imagined standing at the top of the Eiffel Tower a hundred times before. It was just that in my dreams, it had always been Bradley standing up here next to me. I pictured his face the night of Olivia’s birthday party, when he’d told me he didn’t love me anymore, and tightened my grip on the railing. How could he have done this to me?

  ***

  Back at the hotel, we took turns showering and doing our makeup and hair in the huge gilded mirrors in the bathroom. I zipped up my new body-hugging dress and took out my trusty black heels from my suitcase. I chose a necklace and some earrings to go with my dress, and went over to the mirror to see how I looked.

  “You look great,” Megan told me. “Only-“

  “What?” I asked. “Did I leave a tag on my dress?”

  “No, it’s not that,” said Megan. “It’s just...do you think you’re going to leave your wedding ring on?”

  My hand flew to my ring automatically. It was a small, simple ring that had been all we could afford when we’d been fresh out of college. We’d discussed upgrading and getting me a new wedding set for our tenth anniversary, but I was sentimental about my little ring.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “I’m not sure I can bring myself to take it off just yet.”

  “That’s okay,” said Megan gently. “Do you know if Bradley’s taken his off yet?”

  “Bradley hasn’t worn his regularly for a few months. He said it was irritating his skin- he thinks he’s allergic to it or something,” I said. As the words came out of my mouth, I realized that I’d never noticed any rash or irritation on his hands.

  My face must have changed, because Megan looked concerned. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “Nothing. Hey, I’m going to turn my phone back on, okay? I want to check in with my mom and make sure the kids are okay.”

  I went out to the balcony and turned my phone on. While I waited for it to boot up, I looked out over the rooftops of Paris and sighed. I was supposed to be coming here to escape, but it seemed that everywhere were little reminders of my old life.

  My phone vibrated, indicating I had new messages. I picked it up and almost dropped it again right away when I saw the number of messages I had- thirty texts, five voicemails, and dozens of missed calls. Had something happened to Henry and Olivia at my parents’ place? Without even checked the content of the messages, I called my mom straight away.

  She answered on the third ring. “Hello? Julia, is that you?”

  “Is everything okay?” I asked frantically.

  “Of course,” my mom replied calmly. “What’s wrong? Did you get my text? I let you know this morning that the kids had a great night last night and are excited to be here. We’re just sitting down to lunch now. Say hi, kids!” In the background, I could hear a chorus of ‘Hi, mommy’ from Henry and Olivia.

  “You didn’t call me a bunch of times and leave some voicemails?” I asked her.

  “No, why?”

  “Oh...no reason.” I chatted with her briefly, and then said a quick hello to Henry and Olivia, before hanging up before I could go in to my messages and look at them. If it wasn’t the kids, then it had to be...

  Bradley. Bradley. Bradley. Every missed call, voicemail, and text- save the one from my mother letting me know the kids were doing great- was from Bradley. I listened to one voicemail and heard a stream of profanity directed at me. Somewhere in there I heard him mention “wifi password”.

  Ashley stuck her head out the balcony door that led to the other room. “Who’s yelling at you?” she asked. “Sounds pissed.”

  “Bradley,” I said.

  “What’s he so mad about? Begging you to come home and says he’s learned his lesson?”

  “No,” I said, scrolling through the texts to see if they were all along the same lines. They were. “Before I left, I changed the wifi password.”

  Ashley’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

  I nodded.

  “Wow,” she said. “Good for you, Julia! Honestly, I didn’t think you had it in you. First the wifi password, then the credit card...maybe you’re learning how to get even.”

  “I think I am,” I said. I stood up and went back in to my room. In one quick motion, I took off my wedding ring and tucked it inside my jewelry case.

  Chapter Eight

  “How do you say ‘Cheers’ in French?” Megan asked the handsome waiter who brought us our drinks.

  “In French, we say ‘to health!’” he replied. “So you would say, Santé!”

  The four of us clinked glasses together and chorused, “Santé!”

  Ashley had the grace to wait until he was out of earshot before she said, “That’s boring. You should have asked him how to say ‘Here’s to a wild and crazy night!’”

  “I’m starting to get kind of scared what you’re planning,” joked Becca. “We all know I’m not a very wild and crazy person.”

  “You can cut loose,” urged Ashley. “We all can.” She took a huge sip of wine. “We eat here and have a few drinks, then leave in search of a good time. I may not have danced on a table for a few years now, but I still have the moves in me.”

  “I don’t know about on a table, but I’m looking forward to just doing some regular, floor dancing,” I admitted. “I can’t remember the last time I did that. Not in years.”

  “Well, we’re all going to have a good time tonight,” Megan declared.

  “Remember,” added Ashley, “no planning! Tonight we’re going to go with the flow. Right, Julia?”

  “That’s right,” I said, hoping I wasn’t going to be getting in over my head.

  Our food arrived soon, and the duck confit I’d ordered was heavenly. We’d ordered a bottle of wine for our table and it flowed freely- the waiter had to bring out a fresh bottle more than once. I lost count after the third bottle appeared at the table.

  I thought I was stuffed full, but when Becca ordered a crème brûlée, I just had to have one too. “This is heavenly,” I said, closing my eyes as I took a bite. “I can almost feel my pants not fitting tomorrow.”

  “Who cares,” said Becca. “It’s worth it!”

  “Better than sex?” teased Ashley.

  “I think so,” I said.

  “Bradley obviously hasn’t been doing very well, then,” she said. “Just you wait, Jules. We’ll find you someone you wouldn’t dream of comparing to dessert.”

  I rolled my eyes and took another bite of crème brûlée, Ashley’s comment had stuck in my head and I co
uldn’t help think about what she had said. Bradley and I had been together since high school. He’d been my first, and my only. I’d always felt satisfied when we had sex. I’d never thought that I was missing out on anything when my friends talked about some of the different guys they had dated. But Ashley’s comment made me start to wonder- had I been missing out? Was sex with Bradley in reality just average? Could it be better? I used to be horrified at the prospect of being with another man. But to my surprise, for the first time, I felt somewhat curious about being intimate with someone else. Would he feel different? Would he try different things?

  We finished our meal just before midnight and paid the bill- rather, Bradley paid our bill- and then set out in search of a place to dance the rest of the night away. The concierge at our hotel had directed us to an area with lots of fashionable restaurants and nightclubs, but we’d arrived in a taxi so I had no idea where we were in relation to our hotel. At any rate, we turned a corner down a narrow street and saw crowds of people lining up to get in various clubs. The thumping bass was so strong that if I put my hand on my chest I was sure I could feel my heart vibrate.

  “Is this where we’re going?” asked Becca nervously. “I’m not sure if I’m cool enough to get in to a place like this.”

  “Just show some cleavage and we’ll get in anywhere,” Ashley advised her.

  “Which place do you want to go to?” asked Megan, looking around. “It looks like there’s a line everywhere.”

  We stood in the middle of the street while fashionable clubbers hurried around us in both directions. I felt like it was the first day of high school again- had I dressed okay? Would the other kids laugh at my outfit?

  “Julia should choose a place,” said Ashley. “That place down there with the strobe lights looks cool, but it has the longest line. Or Club Techno, that one looks cool too.” She pointed to the lineup nearest to us. “But I think Julia should pick. It’s her night, after all.”

  I took a deep breath and looked up and down the street. Across the street, one of the lineups seemed to feature fewer teenagers and more people our age. Maybe that would be more comfortable for us- after all, I wasn’t even sure if I liked techno music.

  But that wasn’t what this trip was about, I reminded myself. It was about pushing my boundaries and doing things differently. Creating new experiences. Who knew, maybe I’d end up liking techno music. “Club Strobe Lights,” I said, pointing down the street at the longest line. “If the line is the longest, then I think that means it’s the best place.”

  Ashley cheered, and the four of us linked arms as we walked down to get in line behind the velvet rope.

  We waited for about fifteen minutes before we reached the front of line. I’d noticed a few people ahead of us hadn’t been let in, which Ashley assured me was a good thing because it meant they had standards. When it was our turn, the bouncer looked us all up and down before he nodded and stepped aside. We paid the cover fee and entered the club.

  It was so loud I couldn’t even hear myself think. I was grateful when Megan grabbed my hand and pulled me after Ashley, who was heading towards a seating area just outside the dance floor. Despite the line outside, it wasn’t very crowded inside. So we were able to find a seat. We had barely sat down before a bartender came by and asked if we’d like anything to drink.

  “A round of shots,” said Ashley.

  “It’s been ages since I’ve done shots,” I protested.

  “Up for anything, remember?” Megan reminded me.

  I sighed and nodded, and when the bartender came back with a small tray of shot glasses, I took one and knocked it back just like I was back in college.

  Since the dance floor wasn’t yet full, we ordered fruity drinks and sat down for a while, talking. Since it was half past midnight at that point I was a bit worried I’d chosen badly and we’d picked a dud, but the girls assured me that things would pick up after one. “I must be old,” I sighed. “By one, I’m just about ready for bed.”

  “Well, I’m not out every weekend like I’m twenty-one again,” said Megan, “but we’re on vacation, and it’s kind of nice to go out like this, isn’t it?”

  I had to admit it was. I’d gotten way too accustomed to yoga pants and my minivan. It did feel great to be wearing a cute dress and high heels and sit down in a hot nightclub with a drink in my hand. It felt like I was living someone else’s life for a minute instead of my own humdrum existence.

  The girls were right and the club did pick up after one. People started filling up the dance floor, and once we’d finished our drinks we joined them. I’d always been self-conscious dancing, but somehow in this crowd of people I didn’t care what anybody else thought and just let loose and enjoyed myself. It was noisy and crowded and I thought I didn’t like techno music, but before I knew it I could almost feel it inside me, pulsing. We danced until our feet were sore, and we made our way back to where we’d been sitting before. Another group of people were sitting there, so we found some empty spots in a booth with a few other women.

  “Mind if we sit here?” asked Becca, sliding down to an empty seat. “Um, excusez-moi...”

  “Oh, it’s fine, no problem!” said the woman with a big smile. I was relieved to hear she was American, since I knew there was no way I’d be able to remember any of my high school French when I was drunk.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “I’m going to go get us another round of shots,” said Ashley, and she disappeared towards the bar.

  “So are you having fun yet, Jules?” Megan asked me.

  “I’m having a blast!” I exclaimed. “God, I haven’t gone out dancing in forever. This was exactly what I needed. Just some drinks and dancing with good friends. And I’m excited to explore Paris a little further tomorrow….. in the afternoon, at least. I’m going to be paying for this tomorrow morning!”

  “Is this your first time in Paris?” asked one of the other women we were sitting near, leaning in so I could hear her over the thumping bass.

  I nodded. “We all came here together for the first time, on a- a sort of girls trip, I guess.”

  “Oh, fun!” she said. “We’re here on a similar trip. My friend over there- Amy- she’s turning thirty-five this year- we’re on a trip for her birthday. We got here the day before yesterday.”

  “This was our first day here,” said Megan. “We got in late last night, just did a bit of shopping today before we went out to dinner. I’m Megan- this is Julia and Becca.”

  “I’m Claire,” said the woman, holding out her hand. “Besides Amy, that’s Sarah and Nicole. What are you guys up to after this place?”

  Becca and I exchanged a look. “After this place?” I repeated. By my best guess, it was at least two in the morning. I’d already started imagining what my bed would feel like after a night of dancing in high heels.

  “Yeah,” said Claire. “It’s Europe; things are only getting started!”

  “Umm,” said Becca.

  “We haven’t thought that far ahead yet,” said Megan.

  “I think we’re having a bit of a party at our suite afterwards,” said Claire. “Amy’s arranging the whole thing. I don’t want to sound weird, but you girls are more than welcome to come if you’d like!”

  “Like...what kind of party?” asked Becca.

  “Just a few of us, some other friends we’ve met here,” said Claire.

  Ashley showed up just then, her hands full of shots. “Shots all around!” she said cheerfully, handing the glasses to Becca, Megan, and I. “What’re we all talking about?”

  “We’re just making new friends here,” I said. I gestured to our new friend. “This is Claire- Claire, this is our other friend, Ashley.”

  “Hey!” said Claire. “I was just asking your friends if you guys had plans for after this place.”

  “After this place?” repeated Ashley, and I was relieved I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t thought about an after-hours party. “No, I don’t think so, we don’t have anyt
hing planned. We’re just going with the flow tonight.”

  “Well, in that case, you guys should totally come,” said Claire. “We’re having some people over to our suite after this place closes down- at three, or whenever. I can give you the address if you’re interested.”

  Unlike Becca, Megan, and I, Ashley didn’t hesitate. “Sure!” she said, and pulled out her phone. “Here- just write the name of the hotel in here and a number we should call when we get there.”

  I stared at my friend in shock as Claire tapped away at the phone’s screen. Was Ashley insane? Just meeting strangers at nightclubs and going back to parties at their hotel rooms?

  “Are you nuts?” I whispered in her ear, once she had her phone back and had squeezed on to the banquette next to me. “Just going to hang out with a stranger like that?”

  “It’s not any different than a one night stand, really,” Ashley shrugged. “Ohhh, wait. You’ve never had one of those, have you? Just Bradley….you poor dear.” She patted me on the head, then gave me a little hug. “You just have to go with it sometimes, Jules. If we never talked to people we didn’t know, how could we ever make new friends?”

  She was right in a way, but she was also totally wrong. You met new friends at yoga class or chatting on the playground, not when a stranger invited you back to their hotel for a party.

  We stayed at the club a bit longer- having another round of drinks, going back out to the dance floor, before we decided it was time to go and stumbled outside.

  “I’m about ready for bed,” said Becca, yawning. “I had a great time, but I’m tired.”