All of It (13 page)

Just as we reach it, it a young man steps out of the shadows. The sight of him makes me jump.

“Good evening, Henri.” Dimitri greets him in a friendly manner and is obviously not surprised to see him.

“Good evening, Dimitri. Are you ready? You won’t have much time.”

Dimitri looks to me and grins devilishly. “I’m grateful for whatever time affords me.”

We ascend a set of stairs, Henri opens a lock and Dimitri and I are soon deposited in an elevator that opens up near the top of the Eiffel Tower. I gather my skirts in one hand and grip the handrail with the other as I climb the narrow staircase to the top. Dimitri follows closely. I’m out of breath as I alight on the observation platform. I look out and say, breathlessly, “Is that really Paris?”

It is, of course, but from up this high and beneath a full moon it’s more magical than I could ever imagine. Gaslights twinkle as far as I can see.

Dimitri stands behind me and boldly slips his arms around my waist. My body tingles. He whispers in my ear, “There’s no other view like this in the world.”

I can’t speak. I nod in agreement instead. I stand in his embrace admiring the view for several minutes until his faint voice stirs me back to reality.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we should leave. Henri could get in a lot of trouble for letting us up here.”

The fact that we are indeed trespassing had not occurred to me until now. “Oh. Oh! Of course.” I turn to face him, but turn and steal one more glance over my shoulder. I may never have this opportunity again and I want to remember this moment forever.

His whisper draws my attention back to him. “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

I look up into his eyes. I can’t look away. “It is. Paris is beautiful.”

The moonlight dances off his gray eyes. “I was referring to you.” His voice is soft and beckoning. There’s longing in his eyes so strong I feel it as though it’s inside me. He raises his hands slowly to place them on my cheeks. His hands are incredibly soft and they tremble as he strokes his thumbs across my skin.

“May I kiss you?” he whispers.

Goose bumps instantly cover every inch of my already tingling skin. I close my eyes and nod slightly once … .

Life is sometimes … tingly and covered with goose bumps.

Dimitri calls the next morning, but I don’t get to see him. My English paper is my date for the day. The next two weeks ramble on much the same way. Work and homecoming obligations have completely taken over my schedule and thrown my life into a state of chaos, which—although short-lived—doesn’t allow me much time to spend with Dimitri outside of passing periods, lunch, and study hall.

Homecoming has mutated and taken on a life of its own. Piper is so stressed out that I have to take on some additional commitments along with selling tickets to head off her certain and unavoidable nervous breakdown. She’s always had an exceptional gift for biting off more than she can chew, so I see it coming and am not surprised at all when I’m literally begged (on knees) to take over soliciting donations from local businesses for the raffle and ordering the catering.

The extra favors normally wouldn’t be such a big deal, except for the fact that I also have a job. I work for a small optometry clinic. Officially, I answer phones, schedule appointments and take care of the filing. Unofficially, I run errands for the doctors—like picking up their dry cleaning or lunch or dinner; entertain small children in the waiting area; act as counselor to Rita, the flighty optician, whose life plays out like a soap opera; a shoulder to cry on for Dolores, the middle-aged doctor’s assistant who recently lost her husband of thirty-two years to a heart attack; and run interference in an attempt to squelch any office gossip Helen starts before it gets out of hand. Helen’s the other desk clerk, and we typically work side-by-side. Basically, I just do whatever is asked of me (and often what isn’t) under the silly notion that it will keep everyone happy. The staff is small and, to put it lightly, quirky.

The past two weeks I’ve been covering for Helen while she’s on vacation. I usually only work two afternoons a week and every other Saturday, but while Helen is out I’m working every day after school until close at eight-thirty, plus both Saturdays.

Dimitri is so patient and understanding and at my beck and call whenever a free moment presents itself. Unfortunately, they’re just those … moments. Every night I leave work to find a note tucked under Jezebel’s windshield wiper. Dimitri comes up with something new every night. Whether it’s a drawing, or a joke, or a quote, or a pointless trivial fact, it always makes me smile. I find myself almost running out the door every night with butterflies in my stomach anticipating that little piece of him waiting there to greet me. I save them all in my glove box.

• • •

I tell my coworkers good night as I walk out the door on Friday night. Helen will be back on Monday.
Thank. Goodness.
Freedom … the thought puts a smile on my face. I’m struggling to get my jacket on as I jog through the parking lot and not paying attention as I approach Jezebel. My hand finally breaks through the sleeve as I look up expectantly at the windshield ready to strip the note from under the wiper. But there’s nothing. My smile vanishes and my heart drops. I stand there staring at the wiper, willing a piece of paper to appear out of thin air. Finally I sigh in defeat and open up my bag to hunt for my keys so that I can unlock the door and sulk in privacy behind closed doors.

“Looking for something?” I jump at the close proximity of the voice, but it doesn’t scare me. The voice is unmistakable. I smile and turn around to see him walking up from behind Jezebel. His right hand is extended out in front of him holding a folded piece of red paper. “I decided to hand deliver this one tonight rather than leaving it. I hope that’s okay.”

I nod and take the note. I open it up and read the words written in handwriting that has become very familiar to me. There, written in all caps as always—though this time a small heart doodle is there, too—are the words,
“WILL YOU GO TO HOMECOMING WITH ME?”

I’ve been so focused on getting the work done for homecoming that I honestly hadn’t given any thought to actually going to the dance. It’s seemed more like a burdensome homework assignment rather than an actual event I might attend. I stand there looking at the words on the page in silence while butterflies take flight inside my stomach.
He
wants to take
me
to homecoming!

“Well? Do I have to beg, Ronnie? I’m not above that, you know.” His smile is so sweet it leaves me silent a few seconds longer than I intend.

Finally I pry my eyes from the note, offer a sheepish smile and a shrug. “I’d love to. But I have to help decorate the gym before and then sell tickets during the dance. That’s not very fair to you.”

“You only have to sell tickets until 10:00 and then you’re all mine. I already talked to Piper,” he adds with a wink. “I’ll crash the party then take you to dinner after the dance, since we won’t have time to go before.” His words make it clear that he’s done his research and has already planned the evening, even if I haven’t considered the possibilities.

I feel guilty. “I’m so sorry, Dimitri. I’m going to ruin the whole night. I never should’ve let Piper sucker me into this one.” I fold the paper and shove it in my jacket pocket.

“Alas, she admits it. She
is
a sucker.” He laughs at my obvious irritation and takes my free hand in his, squeezing it and brushing my cheek lightly with his other hand. “You won’t ruin anything. If I get to spend five minutes with you it will be worth it.”

I gasp as a realization sinks in. I’ve been so busy that I completely overlooked the fact that I don’t have anything to wear. Even if I was only selling tickets, and not going with this adorable, perfect guy, I still need a dress.

His eyebrows pinch together. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t have anything to wear.” Panic rises in my voice.

A smile of relief crosses his lips. “Already taken care of.”

“What do you mean?”

“I talked to your mom last week and she’s already sewn a dress for you. She’s been secretly working on it while you were at work every night.” His smile is smug now.

Relief washes over me, but suddenly I don’t want to give him the satisfaction. My mom is an amazing seamstress and I know the dress will be beautiful. “How did you know I’d say yes?”

“You can’t resist me.”

“Is that so?” I’m teasing him. Of course I can’t resist him.

He takes a step closer until our bodies are touching. His smile turns into the mischievous variety, the one that both excites and terrifies me at the same time. It excites me because it’s so inviting and indiscreet and it terrifies me for precisely the same reasons. He lowers his head until our noses touch. He closes his eyes and his palms gently press against my cheeks while his fingertips graze my ears and weave into my hair. I close my eyes and wait for his kiss. I feel his steady breath on my face, while mine is wildly uneven.

We stand there for more than 30 seconds before he breaks the silence. “Perhaps I was wrong. It looks like you can resist me after all.” I hear the smile in his voice.

I can’t stand it any longer. I reach up and clamp his face between my hands and pull his mouth to mine. The kiss is urgent and not at all gentle. I’ve been waiting for this kiss since our first date, exactly thirteen days ago. Believe me, I’ve been keeping track. I dream every night about kissing him. Apparently the wait has been too long for him as well. His breathing increases to match my erratic pace. I cannot physically get close enough to him, though we are held tightly against each other.

“Perhaps we should go somewhere a little more private,” he says, pausing only long enough to get the words out quickly before his kisses fall on my neck below my ear.

“Perhaps,” is all I can manage before I pull his lips back to mine. My head is spinning. In the back of my mind I know I should be embarrassed to be behaving this way in a public parking lot, especially in front of my office. But I cannot come up with a single reason to stop.

Dimitri wraps his arms around me and squeezes me to the point that breathing becomes difficult before releasing me, reluctantly pulling his lips from mine.

I open my eyes to see his beautiful face only a few inches from mine. His cheeks are flushed and his smile is angelic.

“Don’t stop,” I whisper pathetically.

“Don’t tempt me,” he whispers as he kisses my forehead. “Can I take you to dinner tonight?”

It takes me a moment to realize that homework can wait until Sunday. I’m free for the first time in almost two weeks. “I’m starving, but you don’t need to buy me dinner. We can just go back to my house and eat there.”

“I insist. I haven’t had any proper time with you in far too long. I know you need to get up early for work. I promise not to keep you out too late. I just want to talk, just you and I. I miss you.” He rubs my upper arms as he speaks.

“I’ve missed you, too. Weird, huh? It’s hard to believe we met less than a month ago. I never thought I could miss someone I’d just met this much.”

He smiles his knowing smile and shakes his head. “Not so weird.”

“Will you follow me home so I can change my clothes?”

He opens my car door for me. “Of course. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

He follows me home and entertains my mom and dad while I go downstairs to change. I hear them talking and laughing. It’s still strange to me how well they all got along. Aren’t teenage boys supposed to be scared of their girlfriend’s parents, to act awkward, at a loss for words? Not Dimitri.

He takes me to a quaint little Italian restaurant I didn’t even know existed. We share a plate of ravioli and a piece of tiramisu. I’m beginning to think he magically conjures up these places and they mysteriously disappear after we leave.

We walk out to his car holding hands. He’s swinging our hands back and forth. “Do you want me to take you home?” he asks politely.

I’m exhausted but I refuse to surrender. “No.”

He opens the passenger door and I climb in. I’m never going to get used to riding around in a Porsche. He shuts the door, walks around, and climbs in beside me. “I was hoping you would say that. What do you want to do then?”

“I don’t care. Any ideas?”

The mischievous grin emerges. “Oh, I have
plenty
of ideas.”

“Any PG-rated ideas?”

He laughs. “Yeah, lucky for you I have a one or two of those, too. How about some tea?”

We stop at a nearby coffee shop. I order a chai tea and sip it while we sit and talk. We’re so engrossed in conversation that we don’t realize that all the guests have left; the place is empty except for us, and it’s closing time. One of the employees walks to the front door near us and rudely flips the sign to “Closed.” We can take a hint.

Dimitri helps me with my jacket and holds the door for me to exit. Once we’re back in the car, we drive in silence back to my house, which is only about a mile away—not far enough to steal more time with him.

I sigh as he pulls into my driveway. I look at him and can see his gray eyes in the glow from the dash. He looks happy. “Thank you.”

He takes my hand in his. “You’re welcome, Ronnie.” After releasing my hand reluctantly he comes around and opens my door.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night, then.” I say expectantly.

“Ten o’clock sharp.” He cradles the back of my head in his hand and gently pulls my forehead to his lips. The kiss is sweet and brief and leaves me wishing it had been on my lips. “Sleep well, baby. Good night.”

“Good night,” I whisper.

I watch him back down the drive before I go inside. I almost ache. It feels as if he’s taken a vital part of me with him. Tomorrow night will be too long to wait to see him again. I text him when I step in the back door. Only two words: “
Miss you
”.