Weddings, Pizzas & Paris | HIATUS

Fourteen

Haden did the hotel searching for me while I was sat in the café, eating some really good apple pie and drinking some more strawberry smoothie, waiting for his text.

It came soon enough, showing the address of the nearest Mocking Jay which Haden had been to before. My message tone for Haden was him saying, "Hey, bird." and a lot of people turned around to look at me while I smiled awkwardly at them. Yay for having crack best friends who force you to keep their voices as the message tone.

Once I'd gotten on a taxi and reached The Mocking Jay, I called Haden up and thanked him - because of course, good manners at home breeds good manners outside, bird.

I checked in, and was shown to my room by the really nice and kind-of-cute-in-a-non-creepy-way bellhop. I kicked my shoes off as soon as I closed the door behind me, tossing my duffel bag across the suite and ordering room service. Yeah, I did eat a two slices of apple pie but I like to eat my pain away, okay, don't judge me.

The room service lady gave me a wierd look as she rolled the tray inside the room, making me pat my clothes down self-consciously. I needed to go out to buy some clothes, and I didn't really want to go alone. Alone made me think about Sarah and I wasn't really ready for that kind of a downward spiral. The only people I knew who were in Paris right now were Phil Lester and Dan Howell, the YouTubers.

I'd met Phil and Dan when they were at my publishing house for their new book, and we basically hit it off from there. They were here on their book tour, and I hadn't really seen them in a long while so I just decided to call them.

"Hi! Avery! It's been so long!" squealed Phil as soon as he picked up.

"Hi, Phil, how are you?" I laughed.

"Just great, now that you've called," laughed Phil, "What's up?"

"You guys are in Paris right now, yeah?" I asked him, taking a bite from a brownie on the plate and producing an orgasmic noise.

"Uh, yeah.." said Phil, unsure. "What are you doing, Avery?"

"That was just a really good brownie, Phil, you nasty pumpkin," I laughed. "Anyway, I'm in Paris too, do you think we could meet up sometime today?"

"We have a book signing till, like - Dan! When are we going to get back home tonight?" he yelled. There was a bit of shuffling and a little more yelling on the other side before he came back on the line. "Okay, we'll be back by 8, we'll get some dinner together, then?"

"Oh, alright," I said. I was counting on them coming shopping with me but meh, guess I'll just shop and meet them later.

"Where are you in Paris, by the way?" he asked.

"I'm staying at the Mocking Jay, on 17 Boulevard Saint-Jacques," I said, reading off the tissue paper on the food tray. Go, me! - by the way, who the fück prints their address on tissue paper.

"Oh, we live like a good two miles from there," said Phil after a while. "There's this place called Le Rosé which is pretty close to where you're staying - do you have a car?"

"Nope," I said. I should atleast hire a cycle to get me through the city, this currency exchange was totally working against me. I should've changed currency at the airport, but of course, I was accompanied by a woman who couldn't breathe in my direction.

"Okay, I'll look for some place near you so you don't have to run half-way round Paris," laughed Phil. "We've got a an actual car! And a driver! How cool is that?"

"That is very cool, Philip," I laughed.

"Oi, no need to be mean, we don't own a car, okay," said Phil.