Page 54 of Host for the Holidays
Madi sits back down like she was when I arrived, scoots over like there isn’t a hundred feet of free space on either side of her, then pats the spot next to her. I take a seat, but I hesitate about just where to land, which ends up putting us an awkwardly wide distance apart.
She looks at me, one eyebrow cocked. “What, do I have the plague or something?”
I laugh and scoot closer, maybe overcompensating a bit, which leaves our arms against each other. She doesn’t move away, though, so neither do I.
“This place is amazing,” she says, looking at the Eiffel Tower.
“I’m glad you like it.” And I really am. Though, to be fair, Madi doesn’t seem hard to please. She’s got an eye for beauty, ready to see it everywhere. Part of me wonders if that’s her secret—she’s so good at looking for the beautiful that shebecomesit. “There are always a lot of people up on the street, but not as many come down the steps to this spot.”
“Lazy Americans.” She winks at me. She’s killing me right now with this mood.
Our legs are dangling over the edge, and she starts swinging hers.
“Whoa,” I say, putting a hand on her knee. “Careful.”
She looks over at me, and I pull my hand away. I’m crossing lines all over the place.
“Don’t want you falling in,” I say. “I don’t know if your enthusiasm for Paris could survive a swim in the Seine.”
She laughs and starts swinging her legs again. “And I thoughtIwas the one with the irrational fears.”
“Trust me. If you read the news stories and saw the types of things that float in this river, you’d have a healthy fear of it too.”
Her nose wrinkles. “Ugh. Don’t tell me. Ignorance is bliss.” She closes her eyes and takes in a breath. “I’m just gonna imagine that the river is home to the healthiest metropolitan coral reef system on the planet.”
I laugh, taking the opportunity to look at her. It’s getting darker by the minute, but the light from the Eiffel Tower, the street lamps, and the twinkle lights from the river cruise boats in front of us are enough. Once she’s engaged, I’ll feel worse about admiring Madi, but it would be criminal not to appreciate the beauty of this moment here.
Plus, to be completely honest, I’m losing the will to care much about Josh. My concerns are for Madi.Someone’sshould be, right?
I look down at the dark water and cringe. “Yeah, because nothing says healthy coral reef like murky green water and slimy moss.”
Her eyes open, and I pull away halfheartedly to avoid the elbow she tries to jab me with.
“Actually, though, therehavebeen a couple times when whales have wandered all the way down the Seine to Paris.”
She stares at me with eyes open wide enough that I can see her brown irises and the reflection of the light in them. “So I’m not that far off with the reef system!”
I clench my teeth, and her face falls. “What?”
“It, um . . . didn’t go well for the whales. Murky green water and slimy moss, remember?”
Just call me Dream Crusher.
A few more people have joined us on the quay. I look over my shoulder and see even more lined up above us at street level. I check the time on my phone screen, glad that it’s almost time for something thatwon’tshatter Madi’s hopes and dreams. “So are you ready?”
She raises her brows. “Ready for . . . ?”
“It’s almost 5 o’clock.”
Her brows pull together. “I thought you told me to be here at 4:50.”
“That was just to make sure you didn’t miss it.”
“Itbeing . . . ?”
I just smile and wait, while she stares at me like I’m crazy but also pretty interesting. I don’t mind.
The time turns from 4:59 to 5:00.
