Big Ben (See No Evil Trilogy #1) - Nana Malone Page 0,81
this the botanical garden?”
He nodded. “Yeah, it’s the main one. It dates back to the 1600s or something. Come on, let’s go. We’re taking a quick walk.”
I groaned. “Can’t I just sit down and gorge myself on this delicious bread?”
He laughed. “We can walk and do it. I didn’t realize you were such a morning person.”
“You know that’s funny, because on workdays I am. I’m up early in the office doing stuff. But on days that I have to myself, I would sleep till noon. It’s like I can switch off that part of me that has to follow a timetable, you know?”
He nodded. “You are definitely a mystery.”
I grinned at that. “I aim to please.”
He pointed. “Now, there’s a national museum in that building, but we have a lot to cover so we’re going to skip it today.”
“Okay. Let me buck up. Hey, stop hogging the croissants.”
Paris had a certain charm with its old buildings and narrow winding streets. They were lined with bistros and boutiques and cozy bookshops. When we hit Rue Mouffetard, Ben stopped. “Okay, grab that lamppost. Wind yourself around it. Look happy.”
“What, are we doing, an impromptu photo shoot?”
“Of course. You have to prove you were in Paris, you know for the ’gram.”
“Please don’t say ‘the ’gram’.”
“What? I’m hip. I’m cool.”
“I’m not sure hip and cool is what I would refer you as.”
“Don’t you know I am a London Lord? We’re notorious for an overabundance of fun.”
“You know, I could see that… in your heyday.”
“My heyday? You are a dead woman.”
I squeaked as I bolted away from him. He caught me easily, wrapping his arms around me and tickling me until I squealed.
It was so easy to be with him in the spring sunshine. And fun. It felt light and happy. We stopped at a few spots in the market, and Ben bought me a scarf and cheap jewelry. I couldn’t help but smile. “You know, you didn’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I did. You helped me. I owe you at least this much.”
“No, I think you’ve already done enough for me.”
“No, not nearly enough.”
We passed the Pantheon, and I stared up in wonder. “Aren’t Marie Curie and Alexander Dumas entombed there?”
He laughed. “Yes, along with many other religious, political and cultural figures, but it was originally a church before being secularized during the French Revolution.”
“God, I know we don’t really have time to go in, but just the history, you know? My mother would have loved it.”
“She never came to Paris?”
I shook my head. “She did, but she was always working. She never seemed to have time to really explore. Not until she got older and quit work. And then she was always bothering me to live life and experience all the things I could experience, spread my wings, and fight for justice.”
He laughed. “Like Batman.”
“So to speak. But yeah, it was long after she retired that I think she really understood that she’d spent too much of her life crammed into an office and meetings, you know?”
“How long did she have before she got sick?”
“Oh, we had a good solid five years. Every opportunity we had, she was like, ‘Livy, let’s get on a plane.’ And we had some wild adventures, but we never did Paris together. I wish we had.”
“Well, I think her spirit is here.” He reached for the pin. Even though it was only the back of his knuckles that touched my arm really, my skin flamed.
Jesus. Get your shit together, Livy. No more emotionally unavailable men.
We headed down to Luxemburg Gardens then and had fun exploring. Ben was the perfect guide. Knowledgeable and patient as I found spots to scatter Mom’s ashes. He didn’t ask any questions when I asked for a minute, just gave me space and didn’t make me feel weird when he caught me with a misty eye.
We scarfed the last croissant that Ben had the nerve to fight me for. He learned very quickly how far I was willing to go for pastry. The tulips were blooming, and I could see why everyone raved about springtime in Paris. We passed the Palais de Justice where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned before going to the guillotine, then we just wandered through the elegant buildings, charming streets, and picturesque squares of the 5th. And the shops… the shops full of antiques, clothes and things that I couldn’t afford, called my name. But oh God, I would have loved to window-shop and touch.