A Night in Paris

A Love That Will Last

"Hello?" I answered my ringing phone.
"Hello Miss Rose, I'm the owner of the apartment you looked at last week." The voice said. Fuck, what was her name? Janice? Jane? Gemma? Ugh.

"Oh hi..." I froze.
"Jackie." She reminded me.
"Right! Yes, Jackie. How are you?" I asked. I poured the coffee into my mug as she told me her whole fucking life story. I did not care.
"Anyway, I was calling to tell you some good news!" She said. I sat down on the couch of the hotel room.
"Oh really?" I said with a sarcastic tone. "You've got the apartment!" She exclaimed. I sat up.

"I do?" I asked again.
"Yes! But you need to be here by Monday. It's the deadline if you remember." She said. "That's no problem!" I said happily.
"So I'd start packing if I were you! Just take what's necessary and remember that the place is furnished so you shouldn't need a moving company, just some helping hands." She said. "Sounds great! Thank you so much!" I said. "No problem. Call me if you have any questi-"

I hung up. Man her voice was annoyingly high. Wow. I was moving to New York. I couldn't believe it if I was being honest. LA to New York is quite a move. I'd get way more gigs though, and that's a fact. People in LA don't really care about jazz music. New York is like the dream. Frank Sinatra and shit. I sat and drank my coffee and watched Brooklyn 99.

I was in Paris this weekend because I was initially invited to a friends wedding but they broke up, so I still came for fun I guess.
I grabbed a dairy milk and sat outside on the small balcony of my hotel. I should have started packing...but I didn't.

My phone rang again. It wasn't from Jackie.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Ella?" A familiar voice said down the line. "Willow?" I asked.
"Yup, it's me." She said awkwardly. Willow was my best friend since kindergarten. We were neighbours growing up together and we were always by each other's sides. That is until she fucked my boyfriend and I dumped them both. That was two years ago. I'm still not over it.

"Why are you calling me?" I asked.
"I need a favour." She said. I rolled my eyes.
"You want a favour from me? Really?"
"Ella, I know I fucked up okay? But I have nothing to do with Will anymore. And it was two years ago! This is an urgent favour I need." "What is it?" I asked.

"I know you're in Paris right now." She said. "Yes, and?" I asked.
"Well so are we because Anna is getting married. Actually, she already is. But the band cancelled so I need you to come and sing for us. There is a trumpet player and a pianist who know their shit. Please?" She asked. 

I sighed. "Fine. But this isn't for you or whatever, it's for Anna." Anna was Willow's sister. We were close too but not as close as Willow and I.
"Thank you so much! It's at the Redstone resort and be there at 6 please." She said. "Fine."  I said and hung up.
I looked at the time. It was 3pm. I jumped off of the counter and went through the  bedroom. I picked out the dress I put in for gigs. I don't know why I had the urge to pack it but I did. And thank god I did.

I gently curled my red hair (and by red hair I do not mean Ariel I mean Amy Adams). I did a simple smoky cat eye and added some lashes and then added some red lipstick. I sprayed some perfume.
I grabbed my clutch and my phone and I went out of my apartment, into my car where I drove to the resort. It was really busy. I saw two different brides just when I pulled up.
I got out and searched for the right wedding and I finally found the sign.

The Anna Porter and William Johnstone Wedding

Wait what? I re-read the sign.

The Anna Porter and William Johnstone Wedding.

No fucking way.
Anna was not marrying Will. She couldn't be!
It was Willow that slept with him! Not Anna!
I walked into the huge room and it was filled with people who were all having their meals. I looked for anyone I recognised.
Then I saw the head table. Will was sitting in a suit next to Anna, laughing and eating with Willow by Anna's side.
"Fuck." I said to myself. Anna finally noticed me and gave me an awkward smile and wave. I didn't really respond. I was still in shock. My mouth just lay agape and my brows remained furrowed.

Anna nudged Willow and Willow looked up and saw me and got up. She walked towards me but I wasn't looking at her.
Will had finally noticed me and he was just as shocked as I was.
He whispered to Anna and they went back in forth.

"Ella?" Willow touched my arm gently. I moved away.
"You didn't fucking tell me it was Will's wedding!" I whisper shouted.
"If I did, you wouldn't have come!" She said. "Oh my god! He's with your sister!" I put my hand on my head.
"I know that this is a lot to take but I need you to just be professional and sing for us." Willow said firmly. I sighed.
"Fine. I'll be professional." I said and walked up to the stage. The trumpet player and the pianist soon joined me.

"Hi, I'm Peter." The trumpet guy said. I shook his hand.
"Isabella." I smiled.
"I'm Mandy." The pianist said. I shook her hand.
"Isabella." I smiled again. God it was hard to be happy when you're ex is at their wedding in front of you.
"What will we start off with?" Mandy asked, flipping through a piano book.
"Um..." I thought for a second.
"A love that will last?" I asked. They looked at each other and looked back to me and nodded. I smiled and stood up and walked to the microphone. I tapped it to see if it was on and it was.

"Hi everyone. I'm Isabella Rose and I'll be singing for you tonight. Accompanying me is Mandy on the piano and Peter on the trumpet. We hope you enjoy the music and please get up and dance because that's what we're here for!" I chuckled. God I hate this part of my job.
"The first song we'll be singing is 'A love that will last'." I smiled and stepped back from the mic and waited for the piano to start. (Music at the top of chapter).

"I want a little something more, don't want the middle or the one before. I don't desire a complicated past, I want a love that will last." I sang into the mic. I caressed the mic stand with my painted fingers and I sang softly and lowly into the microphone. My eyes looked around the room and Will was looking at me intently. I quickly averted my eyes to anything else. I sang the song and  didn't look at Will for the rest of it.

"I want a love that will last..." I finished. People started clapping and I turned to Peter to do the filler. He started playing something random and everyone started chatting again. Willow came up to me and handed me a glass of water. "That was amazing! I forgot how good you were." She complimented. I didn't respond, I just drank some of the water.

"Okay so...they want to do their first dance now." She said cautiously.
"Why are you saying it like that?" I asked. "Because the song they want is...At Last..." She looked at her shoes.
"Their first dance song is...At Last?" I kissed my teeth and scoffed.
"I'm sorry." She said awkwardly and left. At Last was always Will and I's song. It was the song that came on when we first met and when we danced together.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." I said and got back up on the stage.