Caught In The Shadow [Jenlisa]

Epilogue 9

- WWW -

Paris is a lovely city, even in the winter. It's a delightful mix of the old and new. It's one of the only places you can see a five-hundred-year-old building with a Starbucks inside.

However, as the world's most popular city to visit, the congestion of tourists does detract some from the experience. At least, it did for me. I don't like people as a general rule, and I like them even less when they're pressed against me in a crowded space.

It was our second day in Paris and Jennie had insisted that we visit the Louvre Museum. Thanks to some generous tipping, we managed to circumvent the line to see the Mona Lisa(ehem) but not the throngs of people already inside.

"I wish we could see it better. All that glass makes it hard to see the details. Still pretty cool, though. What do you think?" Jennie looked up and craned her neck back to see me.

I scowled (it's something I do a lot apparently).

"I think this asshole behind me should take his blurry photo and stop bumping into me before I decide to do some performance art with his face."

Jennie's smile turned into a judgmental pout.

"It's crowded, Sexy. Guy can't help it. At least we're up front. Last time I was here, I was sort of in the middle and I couldn't see over the people. I kept getting pushed from every side. I finally just turned around and left." She leaned against the small barricade to get a closer look.

"Well, that idea has promise." I glared at the man behind me while Jennie wasn't looking. He held up his hand and dipped his head as he apologized.

He was so nice about it I actually felt bad for being angry. This was the effect of being with Jennie. The old me would have said, 'Yes, you're sorry. Now fuck off.'

There was a swat to my chest and I turned back toward Jennie, who had apparently caught me.

"Be. Nice. I don't want to be carted off to Les Mis jail in my fancy clothes. The lesbians will eat me alive." She grinned.

"Two puns in one joke," I said with a blasé tone. "Bit of an overreach. Also, it's pronounced lay, not les."

"Whatever, it was funny." Jennie blushed and cuddled into my chest. I finally had to chuckle. It took me a long time to realize how adept Jennie is at managing my moods. She'd made me forget I was angry and she'd done it without my knowing.

I took her hand and navigated our way through the crowd so that we might visit other, less inhabited, exhibits. Like most people, I don't know art, but I know what I like.

For my part, I appreciated some of the "less superior" pieces more than the Mona Lisa. I didn't find her smile that mysterious, to be honest. I enjoyed Guiseppe Arcimboldo's Autumn much more. The artist incorporated fruits and vegetables to create a portrait of a man. It made me think about life and death. All things ripen and die. I thought about being twenty-seven. Knowing one's age had consequences.

After the Louvre, we ate lunch at a small café within walking distance of the museum. The hotel provided a courtesy chauffeur, but Jennie insisted it was cheating to utilize such services. Walking was certainly more Parisian and therefore necessary to our tourist experience. I was no stranger to walking, but I shared no such thoughts on the subject.

By the time we reached the Eiffel Tower by way of the Arc de Triomphe, I was ready to throw Jennie into a taxi. But of course, we had to reach the top of the tower.

Jennie—being the beautiful, young, and spry girl she is—was still full of energy and smiles. It was just her luck (and my misfortune) that her joy seemed to be infectious and kept me from voicing my growing disdain for tourist traps.