Hadley

Justin

"Excuse me?"

I pretend not to hear the voice to my left and keep my eyes trained at the painting in front of me.

"Excuse me? But I'm looking for..." He huffs and I glance out the corner of my eye and see him run his hands over his head in frustration. "Le fait....de chercher um, shit, um les bathroom?"

I bite my lip to keep from laughing. The pure look of bewilderment and helplessness is enough for me to gather that he's not only not from this country but he hardly speaks the native language, English.

"Son of-" He mutters and I turn to him fully. "I'm really sorry...but bathroom?"

"Down the hall and to the right." I point over his shoulder.

"Oh thank God. You speak English." He lets out a sigh of relief.

"I do."

He turns and looks over his shoulder. "To the right?"

I nod and he turns, "Thank you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

 "Hey."

I turn to see the same blue eyed guy from earlier standing in front of me, only this time those blue eyes are covered with a pair of sunglasses.

"Hi."

"Thanks again for helping me out in there." He grins. "Clearly I should have studied a little more in French class."

"It might have been a little helpful." I slide my own sunglasses on. "Well I guess I'll see you."

I turn to walk down the sidewalk and enjoy a perfect Indian summer day. Probably the last one of the year.

"Wait!" I hear him call behind me and the slapping of his feet as he jogs to catch up to me. "Where...where are you going?"

"Coffee. I need coffee if I'm going to make it through the rest of the day." I sneak a look at him from the corner of my eyes and he's got his craned to look behind him. "You better watch where you're walking or you're going to trip. Cobblestone."

"Shit." He mutters under his breath. "Thank."

We walk in silence and I'm wondering why the hell he's coming with me. I don't know this guy from Adam and yet here he is, walking with me like we're bosom buddies.

"So coffee huh?" He finally speaks. "Like at one of those real Parisian cafes?"

My eyebrows rise in slight shock and I try to stop the grin that I can feel threatening. "As opposed to an imaginary café? Where coffee is served by talking dogs or something? Maybe a hookah smoking caterpillar is sitting at one of the tables just hanging out and reading?"

"Hookah smoking caterpillar?" He stops walking.

"Have you not seen Alice in Wonderland?" I turn to face him. He's standing there looking very deep in thought and it makes me giggle. The poor guy is completely clueless and utterly adorable.

"The white rabbit?" He questions, his head cocks to the side a little.

I'm not sure if he's pulling my leg or not but either way I find it a little charming. "You had a very sad childhood if you do not know what Alice in Wonderland is."

He laughs as we start walking again. "I'm just picturing this tiny little café with people chain smoking and reading or talking about one of the great novels."

"Great novels?" I point to a street on the left and we make the turn onto the narrow street. "What do you picture them talking about?"

"You know? Gatsby or Lolita something by that Hemingway guy." He shrugs.

"That Hemingway guy?" I exclaim. "Did you just say that Hemingway guy?"

"Look, I'm not a complete moron." He chuckles. "I've read ‘The sun also rises', I'm down."

The more time I spend with this guy the more and more I'm finding the charm to be not only adorable but just slightly confusing. I can't tell if he's messing with me or not. If he thinks I'm just some French chick he can scam on he's got another thing coming.

Shaking my head, "You are a very strange guy."

"I've heard worse." He grins.

"In there." I motion towards a door and he opens it for me. "Merci." I watch him as he seems to struggle to understand what I just said.

"You're welcome." He smiles at me as we walk to a table in the back corner.

Once we settle at the table and place our order with the barista he leans back in the chair and slides the sunglasses to the top of his head. "You thought I didn't know what that meant."

I smirk and remove my own sunglasses and place them on the table in front of me. "There was a small chance you didn't."

"There's a small chance I don't know a lot of things." He gives me a mischievous smile and wink.

"Alright strange man, why did you decide to follow me here?" I prop my chin up on my hand. "There has to be a reason why you picked me out of all those people in the museum."

He shrugs. "Simple. You have a funny little headband on."

Without thinking I reach up and sure enough I have my headband on with the big flower on it. "So the headband huh? You like that."

"Oh more than you'll even know." He wiggles his eyebrows lewdly. "It was a major turn on. Seeing you standing there with that big red flower on the side of your head. Does it for me every time."

I loud laugh escapes my lips. "You sir, really are very, very strange."

"I got a laugh out of you though."

"That you did." I counter. "Or it could be your attempt at speaking French."

"Hey now. Don't hate. I jumped on a plane and flew over here with nothing but the bag I packed and my passport. The language was not really my high on my list of concerns."

My mind jars. "You just packed bag and jumped on a plane?"

"Yep. Figured what the hell? If I didn't do it now, I was never going to do it."

"That's pretty ballsy."

"I'm a ballsy guy." He grins and I return it. "Besides I've always wanted to see Europe."

"And your thoughts so far?"

"It's nice. I've been here a few days and now that I'm adjusted to the time change I'm out checking everything out." He stops when our coffee is set in front of us. "So tell me, what should I see before I leave?"

"Oh God. Everything." I sit back in the chair. "The Fortainebleau Castle, Versailles, Pere-Lachaise, um, you have to see Notre-Dame."

"Consider them all seen."

"How many days are you here?"

"Until the money runs out." He pauses. "Well until I have enough money to just buy a plane ticket home."

This guy is a complete mystery to me. He comes off as come goofy and clueless guy yet money doesn't seem to be an issue for him. He just packed his stuff and boarded a plane. No responsibilities, nothing holding him back.

"So....." He sets his coffee mug down and looks at me. "Where to next?"

Choking out a laugh, "What makes you think there's a where to next?"

"The same reason I knew to ask you about the bathroom."

"Right. The headband."

"That's right. The red flower headband." He grins at me and I suddenly feel like this day is going to be nothing like I was expecting when I woke up.

"So, Miss Hadley," He holds the door open again for me as we exit the café. "Tell me something that you wouldn't normally tell a stranger."

"Are we strangers anymore, Justin?" I question him right back. "I know your name. You know mine. We've just spent the last hour having coffee and talking. I'm not sure we qualify as ‘strangers' anymore."

"Ok, so let's go with acquaintances."

"Something I normally wouldn't tell a stranger." I mutter as I steer us in the direction of Notre Dame.

"Acquaintance." He corrects me with a grin.

"Sorry. Acquaintance. Well, I'm a big believer of fate."

"Most people are."

"No, I mean like, everything that happens to us in our daily lives. Every decision we make, every choice, it's all sorta pre-determined for us." I tell him. "This morning, I woke up, got ready as normal and was almost out the door when I saw my headband on the kitchen counter. I never leave it there but for some reason that's where it was. So instead of putting it away where it belongs, I put it on and leave my flat."

He gives me a questioning look. "I'm not following you."

"You said you came to talk to me because of the headband. Whether you were serious or not, that headband may have been the reason we met today." I shrug when he gives me a cynical look. "Don't believe me. Call me crazy. Whatever. But you asked."

"I'm not saying I don't believe you. It just seems a little farfetched to me." He shoves his hands in his jacket pockets. "Sure I believe in fate. But to the degree in which you do, nah. That's not for me."

"Then what about you? What do you think?"

"I'm one of the, you control your own destiny. We met because I saw you, in your cute red headband and came over. "

"But if I hadn't left the stupid thing in the kitchen, I wouldn't have worn it and you wouldn't have spoken to me." I point a finger at him with a triumphant smile. "Fate."

He laughs. "I like to think I would have talked to you either way."

"But you don't know that for a fact."

He starts to respond but stops when he sees the cathedral looming in front of him. "Wow."

I smile when I see the towers. "I know."

He turns to me and tilts his head to the side a little. "Are you joining me in the venture or are you dropping me off?"

I start to respond but he cuts me off with evil grin.

"And if you're just dropping me off, I might have to stalk you some more."

Laughing, "Ok, well I guess I'm joining you then."

"That's the right answer. Let's do this."

We walk through the guided tour of the cathedral, listening and taking in the beauty that Notre Dame has to offer. I've been here countless times in the past year and it has really become one of my favorite places in the country. It just has so much history to it and it's impossible to walk through the door, hell, to even look at it, without feeling something.

"Wolves?" Justin leans over and whispers to me. "What's the deal with that?"

"Oh, in like 1450 or 1451 there was this wild pack of wolves that invaded the city and killed a bunch of people. So a mob of Parisians lured them to the cathedral and killed them." I smiled as a very boyish grin formed on his lips.

"Really?" He asks and I nod. "That's fucking awesome!"

I laugh as the tour guide starts to speak about the history of the bells. "It's not that awesome. It was a scary time for the city. There were more than 30 people killed. Eaten by these wolves. If that's your idea of awesome you need to have your head checked."

"The death is not awesome." He rolls his eyes playfully. "But man eating wolves? Come on now, that's sorta cool. Like a real life werewolf or something."

"Not a werewolf! Actual wolves."

He arches an eyebrow at me. "They could have been werewolves."

I laugh and shake my head at him. He is completely charming and I'm sorta glad that I met him. I don't really know why I've met him, yet, but something tells me that there is a reason it happened.

"Come on, let's get outta here and roam." I grab his forearm and drag him back outside.

We start to trek back to the other side of the city, moving slowly and I'm watching him take in all the sites. It's exciting to see someone else taking it all in and seemingly enjoying it much like I have.

"Ok, so, this fate thing," He looks at me as a group of school kids run past us, their teacher trailing after them. "Why do you think it is that it was you? And not someone else?"

I shrug. "You tell me. You approached me."

He runs a hand over his head and down the back of his neck. "I don't know really." He chuckles. "You were there, I needed help. End of story."

"I guess."

"Ok, so either way, it was you and not someone else. What does that mean for the future? Like, do you have an idea why it was you and what it means for our future?"

"Our future?" I smirk at him. "Are you picking out china patterns or something?"

He lets out a hearty laugh, his head thrown back in the process. "No, I'm just saying. You said we met for a reason so you must have an idea, however wrong or out there it might be, of what the future holds for us. Either together or separate."

"Well, I'm not sure to be honest with you. I may never see you again after today."

"What?" He feigns shock. "I thought we're planning a wedding here."

"Yes, there is this wedding that must be planned. Forgive me for letting it slip my mind." I laugh. "I don't know. I'm heading back to the states tomorrow morning."

He stops and grabs my hand. "Huh? Who's supposed to be my tour guide?"

I look down at my hand clutched in his and I'm unsettled at how much it doesn't bother me. I usually hate when people I don't know touch me. It makes me very uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I'm flying home tomorrow."

"This isn't home?"

I shake my head. "I wish it was but it's not. I've been staying at my aunt's house for the last year. She offered it to me since I've always wanted to come."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you want to come to Paris?" He asks, my hand still in his.

I chew on my lip and ponder that. I don't know why Paris. I've just always wanted to come here. The history, the museums, the sites, I just wanted to see it all.

I look up at him, my eyes squinted in the sunlight. He's looking at me like he's really interested and maybe he is but this is really starting to weird me out. I've never felt a connection like this with anyone before. Not just a connection but more of a....I don't know. Like I've known him forever. Like we're supposed to know each other.

"Hadley?" He gives my hand a light squeeze.

I shake the thoughts of my head. "It's Paris. Why wouldn't anyone want to come here?"

He smiles and releases my hand. "So, now that you've fulfilled your fill of Paris, where is home?"

"Home is in Texas." I tell him as we start walking again.

"No accent though." He grins. "And I have yet to hear you say ‘ya'll."

"Stereotype."

"Ah, that's a shame. I was hoping to maybe hear you say it. Wondering if maybe it's a sexy as it sounds in movies."

Laughing I reach out and shove him playfully. "You are such a boy."

"Yes but you flirting with a girl like you've been flirting with me, sexy as that might be, would not be good for me." He grins at me, reaching out and taking my hand in his again.

And again, I don't pull away.

"Tell me about your family." I ask. "You keep saying your brother. I wanna hear about him."

"Ah yes, my brother." He grins at me as we settle down on the grass. "Well, Devon is six and he wants to be a daredevil when he grows up."

I let out a laugh. "A daredevil, really?"

"He saw this video of Evil Knievel a few months back and has made up his mind that that's what he's going to do when he grows up. Except that poor kid is scared of his own shadow." He laughs.

"Aw, don't laugh." I reach out and swat his leg. "He's six and I'm sure he's adorable."

"I guess. He's a great kid. Always following me around, copying everything I do." He shakes his head, smile still firmly intact. "He's like this tiny little guy. He's my best friend."

My heart warms when he says that. I'm an only child so I can only guess what it must be like to have a lifelong friend like that. I know that the two of them have a bond that can never be broken.

"Do you have a picture of him?" I stretch my legs out, eyes scanning the crowd in the park.

"Um, maybe." He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his wallet, flipping it open. "Ah." He pulls out a small picture and hands it to me. "That is my little dude."

The boy in the picture looks exactly what I'm assuming Justin looked like as a little boy. Big blue eyes, big smile, a gap in the front from a missing tooth and head full of blond curls looking almost out of control.

"Ok, really? He's the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life." I hand it back to him.

"Cuter than me?" He gives me a doe eyed look.

I roll my eyes before settling back on my elbows. "Cuter than you."

"Ouch." He clasps a hand over his heart dramatically before laying down beside me. "And apart from Devon, it's just mom."

"Where's dad?" I turn to him.

His face clouds over with something I can't figure out. He looks a little lost, a little mad, maybe some sadness. "Um, my dad died about a year ago."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Justin." I reach out and touch his shoulder. "I didn't know."

He shrugs before turning to me. "You couldn't have known. No biggie."

I nod and chew on my bottom lip. I feel like I'm learning more about him than I should given I've only known him a few hours but this whole thing is crazy. The connection that we have, it really is unlike anything I've ever experienced before.

Maybe I should be a little more scared of it but I'm going to do what I feel is right and this feels right.

"He has been messing around on my mom and then I found out about it. I went to his office and sorta confronted him about it. Of course we got into a huge fight because I told him he to tell her or I was." He says. "When I left that day we both said some shit that just wasn't right. He got in an accident on the way home and barely regained conscious for me to apologize."

"Oh my God." I whisper at a complete loss of what to say.

He looks at me and I feel the unshed tears in my eyes and feel bad. He doesn't need to see me like this, I don't know his family. I don't need to upset him or put him through more then he's already been through.

"It's ok." He says. "I'm ok. He woke up long enough for use to make peace."

I continue to stare at him, feeling completely helpless and guilty. I never should have asked him.

"We made peace." He grins then makes a cross in front of him. "You know? My peace I leave, my peace I give to you. While we ate Reese's Pieces with the Lord. And I have a piece of lint in my peaceful eye!"

I let out a laugh that I'm sure scared small children playing in the park but I couldn't help it. Quoting one of my favorite Dane Cook skits to me is a surefire way to earn a special spot in my heart.

"Oh my God, I think I'm in love with you a little." I laugh wiping away a tear.

"So the wedding's back on then?" He laughs, reaching out and tucking my hair over my shoulder. "Great, my mother is going to love you."

"And my mother is going to wonder how I ended up with someone so normal."

"Me? I'm normal?" He looks shocked. "I just quoted Dane Cook in reference to my dad's death. How is the even remotely close to normal?"

I let out another laugh. "You are not a granola carrying, dreadlock headed, Jesus sandal wearing guy."

"That sounds....disgusting." He makes a face. "You actually dated guys like that?"

I shrug, the faces of former boyfriends flipping through my mind like a photo album. "I enjoy all types of men."

His eyes widen. "Is that so?"

Groaning I reach out and smack him again. "Idiot."

"So," He lies back down again. "You know about my family. I wanna know about yours."

I'm quiet a second trying to figure out how to explain my parents to him.

"Hadley?" He rolls his head to look at me. "Did I lose you?"

"No, I'm just...." I shrug and lay down beside him. "My dad is great. He's really funny and easy going. Always sees everything in the most beautiful and positive light. And mom, well, I don't really know."

I sit there and I can feel him looking at me. Waiting for me to continue but I'm not really sure how to.

My mom and I have a strained relationship. She's great once you get past the frigid exterior but she doesn't really approve of the things I've done with my life the past few years so we don't really speak much. Other than a quick ‘how are you' kinda thing.

"She and I just don't really see eye to eye on a lot." I finally give him.

I can tell by the way he's looking at me he's hoping I'll elaborate but I'm not really ready to bring all that drama up.

"Eh, we've all got parental issues. Whatever." He says closing his eyes. 

I watch him in silence. I'm being to wonder why I'm still hanging out with him. Sure, he's nice and really funny and I'm having a great time with him but the more time I spend with him, the more I'd getting attached. Which is only going to make leaving tomorrow harder; going back home to nothing. No job, no friends, no idea what I'm going to do with myself.

"Look, I gotta eat or I'm gonna start to gnaw my arm off." He eyes a group of people eating lunch a few yards away from us. "And while I know you find me devastatingly handsome, the one arm thing doesn't really work for me."

I snort and roll my eyes. "First, you won't eat your arm, relax. Second, I do not find you that good looking."

Climbing to my feet he says, "So you are admitting that I'm hot. It's ok, you can say it."

There is nothing more I want to do than smack him but he's got the cutest look on his face and I find myself giggling. And I do not giggle.

"Let's go eat Casanova." I grab my purse. "There's a place just up the ways a bit."

"Finally." He sighs dramatically.

As we're walking I can't help but think about the weirdness of this day and the sudden kinship I feel towards Justin. I'll admit I do, on occasion, maybe build things up in my head to be something more then what they really are. But something about this tells me I'm wrong and this was meant to happy.

"Alright, favorite food?" He asks, taking me off guard.

"Out of all the questions in the world, you ask that?" I question him back with a laugh.

"What? I know about your family and your crazy ‘it's fate' beliefs." He says and I give him a look. "Ok, ok, sorry. Your beliefs."

"The way you beliefs like it's some sort of disease." I'm laughing.

Laughing, "Just answer the question woman."

"Hmmmm, does ice cream count?"

"Ice cream? That is not a food! If you let it sit long enough, it becomes milk. So no, not an answer. Try again."

I roll my eyes as we enter the restaurant. "French fries then."

He seems to mull that over before nodding. "I can accept that."

"Gee, thanks Mr. Thoughtful." I slide into the booth and he sit across from me. "What's yours?"

"Peas." His face is completely serious that I almost buy it.

"No, really. What is it?"

"It's really peas." He tells me. "Growing up I spent a lot of time at my grandparents' house and my grandfather always, always wanted peas with dinner to the point where I loathed the sight of them." He shrugs. "But when he passed away, I found myself eating them all the time. It just became this weird thing for me and now....." He trails off when he notices how I'm looking at him. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No. No." I shake my head. "It's just...it's a sweet story."

He blushes a little before straightening up in the chair. He reaches out and grabs the wine menu, "So, what'll it be?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"And then he says ‘peanut butter' and jumps into the pool." Justin finishes and I'm almost in tears I'm laughing so hard.

"You're friend sounds like a winner." I wipe my eyes. The wine I've had is starting to make my head a little fuzzy and it's still mid afternoon.

He sighs with a smile. "That he is. But Trace has been there for a long as I can remember and he's like a brother to me."

"That's really nice. I don't think I can even name you five people I went to high school with." I confess.

"No? Where you the school loser?" He leans forwards, both elbows on the table. "Did they dump blue paint on you after they found your spy notebook?"

I give him a weird look. "No?" He laughs. "I just, small town, smaller school. I didn't really click with those people. So after graduation, I went to college in the biggest city I could find and now I'm here."

"Just chillin'." He grins.

"Pretty much." I return the smile.

He just eyes me from where he's sitting and I find myself feeling like a twelve year old girl whose biggest crush just admitted he likes her too. Except that is not the case here and I need to sober up before I do something stupid.

I clear my throat and lean back. Distance. Distance is good.

Maybe he senses my unease because he sits back with this smug look on his face. "What's the plan when you get home? New job? New place?"

"I um, I'm starting a new job." I tell him.

"Now there, calm down with the excitement killer."

"Har har." He laughs and reaches for his glass. "No, I'm looking forward to it. I guess."

"You guess?" He raises an eyebrow.

"It's complicated." I shift in the booth, hoping he doesn't ask too many questions. I'm not really sure why, but I don't want to get into it with him. Not now at least.

"Alright. I can take a hint." He holds up his hands in mock surrender. "How about you and me get out of here? Get some fresh air to let this buzz wear off."

I nod as he pulls out a few bills and throws them on the table. "Where to?"

"You're the tour guide, you tell me." He slips his arm over my shoulder and leads the way out of the room.

"You know?" I look up at him as he steers me down the sidewalk. "I kinda like you."

He throws his head back and laughs. "I kinda like you too."