Page 30 of Only You
‘Do they have a music museum?’
‘No, but it sounds like you don’t need to go to a music museum,’ he said. ‘When’s the last time you enjoyed art for the sake of it just being art?’
Dani thought through the last few months of her life. There was practice, film night with her friends, a couple of parties for birthdays, concerts for class, trips home for the holiday, more classes, more compositions… She winced as she realised that grad school had taken over her life much more than she originally thought. When was the last time she listened to music for fun and not just for noise in the background?
‘Okay, you have a point,’ she relented. ‘So, where are we going?’
He held out his arms wide. ‘Pick a direction.’
‘Like some kind of choose your own adventure?’
‘You do realise that’s literally life, right? Choosing your own adventure and hoping it’s a good one,’ he said.
‘Well, excuse me, Yoda,’ she teased.
‘I’m Obi-Wan at best.’ They both laughed, and she looked around at the nearby buildings. She pointed to the one in front of them, feeling oddly nervous. ‘Ah, throwing out the big guns. Okay, let’s go.’
Jones led the way to the National Museum of Natural History, which thankfully wasn’t filled to the brim with school kids like she imagined. Not that she had time to really linger on the thought of them as she immediately went wide-eyed. While she had seenNight at the Museum, it could hardly prepare her for the scale of the building. The towering, marble entrance and life-sized elephant made her stop and stare. There were also so many signs for displays, she didn’t know where to go first.
‘Right or left?’
‘Huh?’ She turned to Jones, forgetting he was next to her for a moment. He cracked a smile before pointing in either direction. She looked at the signs for fossils and mammals.
‘Seems like we’re supposed to go right first,’ she said.
‘Cool.’ He started walking towards the stairs in the back. Dani stared at him in confusion before following.
‘Umm, where are you going?’
‘To the top,’ he said as he started up the stairs.
‘Why?’
‘To keep you on your toes. Come on!’ She took one look round the first floor before following him. He was far enough ahead that she barely caught him turn the corner into the geology exhibit. She walked a little faster to follow. She stopped short when she entered, trying to spot Jones among the crowd futilely. She moved carefully, barely glancing at the stones on display. She wanted to stop and look at the moon rocks but continued, her desire to catch up to Jones stronger.
It wasn’t until she reached the gems and minerals gallery that she slowed down. She looked around the hall before giving up and reaching into her purse to get her phone.If he ditched me, I swear…The thought stopped short as she spotted a ring in one of the displays.
Among the diamond necklaces and rings her eyes landed on a very familiar piece of jewellery. Her throat tightened as the emerald ring Lamont had gifted her in her dreams glittered under the museum glass display. It was just as she had remembered and, for a moment, she could almost feel its weight on her finger. She looked at the plaque under it.
Originally a possession of an influential French family, this emerald ring was a wedding gift from Lamont Laurent to his Akan wife, a key connection in the colonisation of the Côte d’Ivoire and the expansion of France’s territory in the late 1800s.
Dani dropped her phone at the sight and pressed her hand to the glass. This was impossible. The ring shouldn’t be real. It was a dream. Yes, they’d been getting more vivid lately, but they were illusions. They had to be. But Dani had never been to the museum before, had never seen the ring or one like it in person. Which meant…
‘I didn’t take you as a jewellery fan.’
Dani flinched and spun around to see Jones waiting for her. The smirk on his face dropped when he saw her expression. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I… the ring.’ She pointed to the glass. Jones stepped closer to the display, and she swore that she saw his eyes widen too but he stepped back and said, ‘Wow. That’s… really something. I don’t think I’ve seen a ring that big in person.’
His laugh afterwards sounded forced, but she was sure she was just projecting. She had to be. She closed her eyes as she felt her heartbeat quicken.
‘Danielle, are you okay?’ She felt his hand on her shoulder and it centred her enough to slow her mind down.This is for fun, she reminded herself.You’re fine. You’re fine.She opened her eyes again, picking up her phone, trying to keep her nerves at bay as she turned away from the display. ‘Are you getting another headache?’
‘No, no,’ she said. ‘I was just… lightheaded for a sec. I probably didn’t drink enough water today.’
‘Then let’s get you some water.’
‘I’m fine,’ she said quickly. ‘We’re supposed to be on an adventure so let’s go.’
