By Kelly Gombert
This is her first chapter of a recurring story.
This is her second recurring story with us
He checked the queue for the elevator to the 3rd floor but she wasnโt there. He headed to the viewing platform and planned on walking along all 4 sides but he didnโt have to. Jess was leaning against the railing, taking in the cityscape.
He stepped up to the railing right next to her, leaned over and said โHi.โ
Jess did a double take, her eyes wide and she stepped back. โIan! What are you doing here?โ she exclaimed.
โWell, to be honest, I came looking for you.โ
โWhat? How in the world did you know how to find me?โ Jess shook her head.
โYou said you just arrived in Paris and most people, well, a lot of people, some people, OK, me, I came to the Eiffel Tower first thing. I was hoping you would too. And I knew the line was long so I took a chance that you would just be making it to the top now.โ
Jess checked out the tall young man in the green polo and khaki pants. โI canโt believe you came here to see me. Youโre not a stalker, are you?โ
โNo, Iโm not, really, Iโm not.โ He breathed audibly. โThis is my last night in Paris. I fly out to Cleveland in the morning.โ
โCleveland, as in the home of rock and roll?โ
โHave you been?โ
โNo, I never have but Iโd like to one day.โ
โIf you ever come, Iโll be your personal tour guide; show you all the sites.โ Jess reached down for her shirt, untied it from her waist and put it on.
โIโll take you up on that offer.โ
โI hope you will.โ
Jess smiled and moved away from the rail. โI have a ticket to the top. Do you?โ At his affirmation, she said, โOK, letโs go get in line. Iโm sorry about your notebook. What kind of art are you into?โ
โArchitecture. I just got my degree.โ
โThatโs impressive. Oh God, this has got to be the best place to study. How long were you here for?โ The line moved forward as an elevator arrived, discharged its load and swallowed a fresh batch of tourists.
โA semester. We spent a couple of weekends in London and Rome as part of the course as well. It was awesome.โ
โIโll bet.โ
โAnd you, what brings you to Paris?โ Ian asked.
โOh, uh, just travelling.โ
โAh, come on, I told you my small talk story. Itโs your turn to play the game.โ
โThereโs not a whole lot to tell. I graduated in December with an English degree from UC Berkley. Thatโs not exactly a trade. Itโs not like I can go out and โEnglishโ someplace. So, I decided to take my gap year as the Europeans call it. I bought a backpack and headed out. Visited the National Parks out west, hit Chicago, skipped Cleveland,โ she gave him a lop-sided grin. โWent to Philadelphia and New York. I may go back to New York; a friend of a friend of a friend offered me a couch to rent.โ She enumerated with her fingers. โReykjavik, Dublin, London and now Iโm here.โ She put both hands behind her and grabbed the rope divider for the queue.
โAnd next?โ
โTomorrow Iโm on a train to the Riviera. Iโve got a friend who has a villa just outside of Marseille for a week. After that, I donโt know. Maybe stay south in sunny, Italy. Iโd like to see Florence and Venice. Greece. Or maybe Iโll backtrack and go to Germany, Munich, Berlin, Vienna, Prague. I canโt decide. I canโt do everything; the moneyโs going to run out sooner than later, no matter how carefully I watch my euros.โ The elevator arrived again this time swallowing Jess and Ian in its maw. They watched the city recede as they rose.
โWait, youโre leaving tomorrow?โ
Look for the next chapter of this story coming soon