For a girl who never left the country, visiting Paris was such a big dream. I kept telling myself it was a joke until one day he asked me to pack my bags.
Matthew: Can't you make up an excuse? I don't want you to go with him.
When I informed Matthew about our upcoming trip to Paris, he was beyond worried. He had done a lot of things to stop Mr. Wolfe from planning the trip, but in the end, he couldn't stop him. It was Mr. Wolfe after all. If he wanted to do something, he'd do it no matter what.
I replied, "I can't, Matt. I tried it, but I failed. If I do it again, he'd get a doubt.
After facing Matthew's anger and frustration, I made up an excuse of feeling unwell, and the next minute, Mr. Wolfe appeared in front of me with a doctor, which scared me. The doctor confirmed I was alright, and I couldn't act anymore.
Matthew: Then be careful. If you feel like there's something wrong, call me. I'll go to wherever you are.
I smiled at his text. "Sure! I have to go now. I will call you later, and please don't text. Mr. Wolfe will be with me."
Hours passed in a blink, and I found myself breathing Paris' air. My heart fluttered when the car took each turn, every street we crossed, unable to believe that I truly was in the place that I had seen only in movies and read about in books. It felt as though the whole city was giving me a warm welcome, and I looked at Mr. Wolfe, who was already staring at me.
"Even though it's for the business meeting… thank you for introducing me to the city of love."
He simply let out a small smile, and then again I focused on the new streets that welcomed us until we reached the guest house that was arranged for us.
It was already late in the night by the time we reached and we had our food before dozing off, hoping to breathe some more of Paris' air the next day.
In the morning, after I took my bath, Mr. Wolfe entered our room and said, "Get ready. We are going out."
"Sure!"
When he was about to leave, I stopped him to ask, "Mr. Wolfe!" I took out two of my dresses, one with a decent but elegant look, and the other with more of a party style. "Which one do you think is more suitable for this meeting?"
My gaze fell on both the dresses, and I took out the one with party style, saying, "I am assuming this one. Right? Because I escort you to the parties, not to real business meetings that are held in companies."
Mr. Wolfe put his hands in his pockets as he walked towards me, taking his slow and steady steps. He then took the dress into his hands and shook his head negatively.
"Wear something comfortable. We need to travel the city, maybe, all day."
I narrowed my eyebrows, wondering what he meant by that. Before I spoke, he said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you. There are no business meetings or parties. They're canceled. Let's roam the city for three days, and then we'll leave."
My lips parted in surprise, and I looked at him, not believing what I heard. A small smile appeared on his lips, and he ruffled my hair, saying, "Get ready. I'll wait for you," which left me speechless.
Was it truly Mr. Wolfe? Or someone else in his body?
I sat on the bed in disbelief. What were the chances of one visiting a country for business meetings and they suddenly got cancelled, leaving people to enjoy the trip?
And, he ruffled my hair?
A part of me was in utter shock, while the other part of me started to dance in joy as I was going to roam around Paris' streets. Quickly, I got ready and got inside the car, smiling brightly.
"Are your invisible guards still with us?" I looked at Mr. Wolfe.
"As always."
We passed by the streets lined with flower shops, bookstores, and people talking in French, which left me in awe. Then we drifted towards the heart of the city, visiting and exploring the history of it through its old buildings, museums, and art galleries.
Even though I wanted to taste every food item that was being sold at the normal cafes, I didn't bring myself to ask him. I knew he'd do anything but touch the cheap things.
We then ended up roaming around the malls and luxury stores, buying every item he laid his eyes on. To my surprise, he left all the bags in the car, parked it nearby, and chose to walk with me, hand in hand.
It felt like we both were in a different timeline where we were not any broke Yung and the great Wolfe but simply Elira and Keiran, who were not bound by contract but by some deep, intimate connection.
"Do you want to try anything?" He asked as we walked through the streets.
I shook my head negatively.
"If there's anything, be a brave one and tell me."
I hesitated for a moment, but then I took a deep breath, mustering up the courage, and I said, "I want to try food. Not in your luxury style, but at most random places, on streets, and at normal cafes."
"Okay!"
He didn't even think but accepted. It made me wonder if he was truly not Mr. Wolfe but another person, probably his twin acting like him, and I was in a twin drama.
"You can't be serious…"
He dragged me to one of the cafes, and we gave our orders. Even though he was hesitant at first, he took a few bites, which satisfied me and made me happy.
The next day was the same. We roamed around, forgetting everything, including the contractual relationship we had, and spent time as if something real was going on between us.
At the Seine, as I leaned over the railing, enjoying watching the water beneath the bridge, he whispered into my ear, "It seems you love this place."
The smile of happiness reached my eyes as I looked at him and answered, "So much!"
"Then you should not spend all evening watching the water. We still have many places to visit."
We then visited other places, and in the night, we ended up on the roadside, listening to the music played by a random stranger while others danced to his music.
I tapped my hands and feet to the music that flowed into my ears.
"Don't just tap your feet. Dance with me."
He grabbed my waist with his one hand while his other intertwined with my fingers. Laughter floated through the air as we swayed our bodies in rhythm. We danced along with a few strangers, cherishing every moment that we'd carry with ourselves until the end.
On the third day, we finished visiting the remaining places. In the night, when stars decorated the entire sky, we stood in front of the Eiffel Tower, watching it with our bright eyes. It felt like the perfect moment of my life, but in a moment the world felt quieter, and the air turned thicker and hard to breathe. The feeling of missing everything that felt so perfect and real fading as soon as we stepped out of Paris started to pierce through my soul.
As I looked into his eyes and held his hand tightly, my mind seemed to stop working. In that blank state, I only wished for one thing; the moment to stop forever instead of us returning to our old lives.
Later, we reached the guest house, and I tried so much to fall asleep, but the memories of the three days we spent together kept revolving around my head, making it impossible for me to rest. I was even ashamed that I almost forgot about Matthew when I roamed around Paris, holding Mr. Wolfe's hand.
I sat straight, feeling restless. The ache of my heart started to grow stronger with each minute that passed, and the urge to stroke Mr. Wolfe's face that was shining under the moonlight, which fell onto him through the open window, didn't help me either.
Every inch of my body started to betray me and my consciousness. As I tried so hard, controlling myself from touching his face, he suddenly opened his eyes, asking, "Can't sleep?"
I slowly shook my head. He sat straight, saying, "Even I can't fall asleep."
Silence reigned around us, and the only thing that seemed to sound was the beats of our hearts, wanting to say things which we couldn't speak.
And, in that silence, I felt it. Not like a question, but like a confirmation, and I said, looking into his eyes, "There was no business meeting in the first place. You brought me here deliberately."
A moment of surprise flickered in his eyes, and he didn't deny it. The night had always been the path of truths.
He said, "I heard you talking to my mother. I wanted to be the first one to show you the place outside our country."
"Why?"
"Don't ask me." His tone turned serious. "I don't have an answer to it. Fuck! I don't have an answer to anything, and I don't even know what I am doing…"
FUCK IT!!! FUCK EVERYTHING!!!
I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to finally land my lips on his.
Unlike all the time, I kissed him first. Out of my own will.
And, our last night in Paris didn't come to an end. It only started.