To the Paris of our dreams

by Tomas Goncalves

  - Yeah, yeah, no problem, I'll send her a message... - Mike

  - Midday, hun?

  - Alright mom...anything else?

  - Not actually. You guys have time to have a nice breakfast and call a cab. See if the girls want to come, the four from here are going too.

  - Hmm, ok ok... Sure. So I guess you liked the girl, Hun?

  - Yeah...she's nice.

  Silence

  - Michael?

  - What?

  - You're still not up

  - ... Ah, sorry mom. Next time call me fifteen minutes before to...

  Eric hang up on him, and smiled to himself.

  - Son of a bitch!

  When he got back to the pool, Marie had a big smile on her face.

  - All right-y boy, when are we leaving?

  Eric gave her a big smile.

  - You have some clothes here, don't you? - Pointing to the house.

  - Yeah, some...

  So Eric pushed Marie in the pool and Fernando pushed Cécile. Complicity between guys can be something priceless. They ended up also taking their clothes off and jumping in the pool on their underwear. They would have to dry them after, grab some clothes on Eric's hotel.

  It didn't matter: They were going to London.

  After everyone got out of their shower, and finished eating a bit more, Marie's aunt opened the front door and found almost all of them chilling in the living room. They were almost leaving, and she got them in the jump. She was kind of surprised to see people there, but surely happy. She probably thought her house would be clean and empty at that point.

  She was not older than thirty five years old, dark hair, green eyes, quite tall – Very, very beautiful, with a really nice physical appearance. She was very nice and open, but made everyone stop what they were doing to talk to her, and ask things, especially about the party, what they would be doing that day and so it went on.

  They tried to change the subject at some point, and she clearly noticed it, but then she recognized Eric and said:

  - Hey! I went to a concert of yours!

  Eric smiled.

  - Really? You liked it?

  Beatrice - Marie's aunt - smiled very gently

  - Of course, dear – Then she turned her head to Marie – Where are you guys going? - She asked once again.

  - London...? - Marie made a very funny face, as if she was a bit worried with her aunt's reaction.

  Beatrice barely had any reaction, she just kept smiling and said:

  - Oh cool, you guys have been smoking something

  - No, not actually...

  - Ah, ok, so why is it the first time you tell me about it?

  - Hmm...Because we kind of just decided it?

  - Seriously? Oh boy, that's spontaneous isn't it? - She had the biggest smile, surely making fun of them.

  - Yeah...I guess...

  - And your dad loooves spontaneity, doesn't he, Marie? - Beatrice smiled, but she was clearly being sarcastic.

  Marie just gave her a quick smile

  -Yeaaah... I was not planning on telling him that....

  - Hmm I see... So you'd tell your dad you're with me...But would just tell me the whole thing when you'd be already in London? That's not very considerate, love – Eric smiled. Beatrice was actually a pretty cool woman

  - Hmm... Sorry?

  -...Hmmm....

  For some reason they all looked at Eric, and Beatrice was sort of asking an explanation with her eyes

  Silence

  - So...? She has a class Monday morning... - Beatrice asked Eric

  - And I have a concert Tuesday night... In Berlin.

  - Hun, funny... You should have more things to tell me, Marie, no? - Clearly referring herself to Eric.

  - Sure, sorry. This is Eric. He's ... a friend. Tom's friend, Bea.

  She looked from Marie to Eric.

  - Sure, hey…friend... - With a very malicious smile she shook Eric's hand.

  The situation didn't look like it was getting better.

  - Well, everyone to the living room... I need some coffee

  - But Bea...

  - Marie, I'm sure that, unless you did smoke something, you indeed didn't and are not planning to tell your dad about London. So for me to be responsible for this, I'd like to first get to know your friend and your plans a bit better, ok? Sounds reasonable? - She smiled

  - Ok...

  They all went to the living room, sat down and just started to stare at Beatrice.

  - … How many people are going?

  Marie didn't know, so she just looked at Eric

  - Eleven, maybe twelve. Depends on Sophie disposition to go...

  - Hmm...

  People were getting discouraged as Beatrice kept asking why they were going, where they'd be staying and everything else. They didn't know.

  Eric and Beatrice were looking at each other, analyzing but also communicating to each other through their eyes. In a millisecond, Eric realized she would let them go.

  - Plane or tgv? – It was clear she was talking directly to Eric.

  - Yeah, tgv probably. Tomorrow, at ten, I promise they'll be back home.

  - Ok...

  Eric couldn't help but notice how similar Beatrice and Marie's eyes were.

  They all stood up at the same time, excited.

  - … But I'm going with you guys...

  They stopped, in shock, and looked at her.

  - Wait... What??

  - I also have friends in London, you know? And it will be more convincing if I go. Your dad won't complain much about it. And I'll be there for you if you ever need me...

  Marie smiled to her aunt.

  - Give me an hour ok? Where should I meet you guys? (...)

  Eric went to his hotel to grab his passport, some clothes and everything else he thought it would be necessary for the weekend. He found his three friends practically ready in Mike's room, where he found out none of the girls would be going with them. They didn't even invite them, because they thought it would have more fun if they just went alone. Someone even said something about being tired of French chicks already. Eric would still have to let Richard know about their plan and then they'd head out to the train station.

  - So, yeah, we called Lucy, Eric. - Mike was playing some videogame

  - And?

  - She will be there once we get to London. At six something. She actually said she'll hang out with us before her party.

  - And oh yeah, Marie's aunt's is going with us at the train... - Eric had forgot to mention it

  - Ahn...sure, if you say so... - Mike looked at him for a second before turning his attention back to the videogame

  - Ok, let’s go then. I still have to talk to Richard

  - Fuck, he won’t be happy hearing about that.

  - Well, it's ok. It won't be a problem.

  - Right... That's what you say every single time

  - Ok, whatever... I'll meet you guys downstairs. I’m going with Eric to talk to Richard.

  - Oh... Thanks Mike

  - Nah, meet us here, I wanna keep playing it - Liam pointed at the TV.

  - Ok...

  When they left the room, Mike looked at Eric and asked:

  - How long?


  - We have fifteen minutes. So, ten, I guess?

  - I think we'll get out of there late

  - Fifty bucks on that?

  - Sure...

  They went to Richard's room, knocked at the door, but no answer. They went to the restaurant, but didn't find him. Eventually they asked in the reception if anyone could find him, and in a second they told them he was in an office room in a meeting. They found the room, knocked at the door and just said they needed a couple of minutes to talk.

  - What? I'm in a meeting – He said, closing the door behind him.

  - Sure, it won't take long. Remember how I told you about the Lucy situation in London? We decided to go, but don't worry, we'll be back tomorrow night... So basically that was it.

  He sighed

  - ... Let's talk. There’s another room here.

  Richard made them seat and was holding his weight on the table, in front of them. He wasn't even mad. He just took a deep breath and kept looking at them.

  Eric and Mike couldn't stop looking at the time

  - Wh...Why are you guys looking at the time?

  - We have a cab arriving in exactly three minutes.

  Richard look at one, and then to the other.

  - You guys are really going, aren’t you?

  - Yes

  - Yeap.

  He took another deep breath. He was not even going to get mad this time.

  - Look, I understand. You guys don't have to come back, I'll send to your e-mails the information about Berlin, you just have to get there alive on Monday, ok? Can you do for me? I'll give you the address and the time I need you guys there...

  - Ok.

  - Sure boss.

  - Not one minute late, got me?

  - Sure

  - Can we?

  - Yeah, get out of here before I regret letting you guys on your own. By the way, Eric, your parents are trying to get in touch with you... again.

  - Ah, ok... - And that was all that he said about it.

  When they left the room, Mike was probably going to say something about Eric's parents, but Eric quickly changed the subject, smiling maliciously and saying:

  - You owe me fifty bucks, bro.

  - Ahhh... Son of a bitch!

  They all met around one at the train station, and they were nine in total: Eric, Liam, Jack, Mike, Cécile, Fernando, Sophie (who was almost normal at this point) Marie and Beatrice.

  They grabbed a bite at the station while they were waiting for the train. Inside the train, they divided themselves in two tables to play something or just chill together. Poker was the first option because Eric and his band liked poker and gambling so much that they actually had a full and portable game to bring everywhere. Even on a train.

  Marie and Eric sat side by side and they were talking and joking around a lot, and it was clear that all the guys in the band loved her too. They were even kissing and everything in front of everyone as if they've been together for a long time. When they were talking, it seemed like they were very intimate, and even when it was clear that they barely knew each other, they were dealing with it in the funniest way possible.

  They were trying, and having a lot of fun together.

  At some point, almost everyone was playing poker, even Beatrice, who was an incredible and ruthless player. She made the guys back down several times, making them piss their pants.

  The whole trip just made Eric and Marie realize how much they had in common.

  In a relationship things like honesty, humor and trust are important, but that undeniable connection, that we don't actually know where it comes from sometimes, but which can change the world is something that always impresses me every time it happens.

  They were both throwing themselves in an abyss and falling and falling.

  Still they were there, and they weren't. They were enjoying it and at the same time they were getting terribly afraid. They were just having fun, but completely connected. They were afraid, but being pushed to each other, no doubt about it.

  They were being hunted by ghosts and they were terrified of the time. Is it sane to let yourself get attached to someone knowing that it will be over, certainly, in a few hours? Or maybe you do? In forty eight hours they were afraid of regretting it if they didn't let themselves enjoy the most of it... and also if they did let themselves do that.

  By knowing it would soon and certainly be over, knowing that that was out of their hands, it eventually became a relief: Deep down everyone is hunted by the fear and doubt of the end, and in that case, there wasn't much that could be done.

 

  London was completely different from Paris to Eric. He didn't have any intimacy with London. He already had visited it more times that he could remember, true, but it was just different. Paris was something that attracted and compelled his soul – Even though loving Paris was a cliché, and Eric hated clichés - London was just different: It was good to him too, way better than most American cities, and he also loved the parties and the people he knew there. But it was nothing compared to Paris, where he basically didn't know anyone, but where he had always felt a bit like … anything that could be called home at that point. As if Paris would always be there for him, somehow.

  When they arrived, Lucy, George and four other known faces from London were waiting for them at the train station. Lucy, by the way, was an old friend from San Francisco that moved to London, and she was responsible for all the people they knew in that city. Six more people, that'd mean fifteen in total, but Beatrice soon enough took a cab and went to have her own fun time in London, promising to meet them next day at the station. She actually made Marie and the people from Paris buy their train tickets back, as some kind of precaution.

  They went straight to the Piccadilly Circus, where they just wandered around, checking stores and to try out some clothes and accessories, in huge department stores, listening to music, eating and drinking. In this particular gallery they tried infinite clothes until they got completely fed up. Yellow and purple pants, flashy t-shirts and accessories – the more ridiculous, the better. They even went to this costume place for a while. They wouldn't actually buy anything though, which probably explained why they got eventually kicked out of most of the places they went to. In this small store they had sunglasses or regular glasses of the most diverse: small and round, big and squared, of different colors and shapes. Some of them actually bought some cheap glasses, colorful ones, which kind of became the trademark of that group: colorful, hippie-ish sunglasses. Some of them bought other things like necklaces, rings, piercings, earrings and they even did one awesome but very (very) quick visit to the Madame Tousseau. Eric and Marie actually bought the same ring, even though they had chosen it separately. They couldn't believe when they showed it to each other, laughing and joking around. It was already dark when they decided they had to go eat something again, and soon enough they decided to get in in the first restaurant they saw and ordered several huge pizzas, a lot of soft drinks and some beers. They ended up going to a pub, a very, very, very underground thing, where you're sure you can get some weird decease in the bathroom, and they were the only ones in that pub that weren't completely recognizable as hard time British lads.

  Didn't matter: That group got really close really quickly, and they were taking a lot of pictures together for future reference. Beatrice called Marie sometimes to check on her and Eric noticed that Marie was truly happy on being there with them, and he felt sincere happiness for that. Finally he was in a good company, he thought.

  Marie was feeling as if her life was receiving n
ew air, being unpredictable, making her feel awake. She felt alive to be there, feeling that the boredom and pressure that was stuck with her and her friends somewhat have been completely put aside during those moments, and in its place she had jokes, laughter, kisses, good talk, stories and so many other things that are so important in our lives, that we need and miss so much, even though sometimes we don't realize it or take it for granted.

  As for Marie and Eric, they didn't want to be in any other place in the world rather than there, taking care of each other with some sort of beauty that could easily be mistaken with love. It didn't matter what they were thinking or wanting, but what they were feeling, which against some of people think, it's not at all up to us to decide, even in the most rational situation.

  It's the kind of feeling that we want so bad, and that we are always so afraid of feeling.

  Anyways:

  - Dude, I don't think I ever ate some much. And people say that English food is bad...

  - Well, let's just say that technically nothing that we ate today was real English food...

  They kept telling jokes and laughing with the infinity of bullshit that was in the air.

  - Hey guys, tomorrow I want to have my tourist day and go to the London Eye! Take some parliament pics, you know. Maybe call the Queen? See if she can receive us for a 5 o'clock tea? - Someone said.

  - Oh, what a cliché dude... Please stop with the Queen references...

  - What?

  - The whole Queen thing... I have to hear that every time a friend from out of town comes here.

  - Or family...

  - Yeah, even worse... Old uncle jokes...

  In the middle of all that mess and noise, Marie looked at Eric, both being at the center of the huge table they were at, with Eric's arms around her and she said to him, near his ear, with the biggest honesty in the world:

  - Thanks for dragging me here.

  Eric smiled, gave her a quick kiss and said, very discretely too:

  - You're welcome. Thanks for coming... Seriously.

  They looked each other in the eyes, then they smiled and kissed, but once again, as soon as they felt that weird bond between them, Marie tried to change the subject, smiling: