Jimin wanted to hold Eileen’s hand, but he was carrying two canvases. They walked toward the steps that led down the hill. But he paused at the top before heading down. He stopped to survey the city from this great height. Paris was stunningly beautiful from up here. Every architectural jewel of the City of Lights was visible, all laid out before them.
“There’s the Eiffel Tower.” He looked off into the distance to his right. I didn’t visit it this time.”
“Are you sorry?”
He turned towards her. “Are you kidding me? Of course not! I wouldn’t change one second of this trip! I’ve loved every moment with you.”
“Even twisting your ankle?”
“It’s better.”
“Jimin, you walked up all those steps! Let’s take the tram down.”
“No. Every step is one more moment I get alone with you.”
His deep, dark eyes delved into hers, and her heart flipped upside down again. Then a wave of sadness washed over her. They would be parting in a few minutes. She was already mourning the loss of those stunning eyes. Would they ever look at her again after today?
She sighed. “We need to go. You’re already late.”
“No. Wait. Let’s look out at the city for a few more moments and see how many monuments we can pick out.”
She smiled. He didn’t want to leave her either.
“Jimin, I really like you.” She didn’t look at him when she said it. She was staring towards the district where they’d first met each other.
“I really like you too, Eireen.”
She smiled at his mispronunciation of her name. She didn’t think that would ever get old. It would always be cute.
He continued, “But you know it’s not feasible for me to date you in the usual way, right?”
“I know.”
She looked out at the Palais de Congres, then past it at La Grande Arche. Her eyes traveled to the Arc de Triomphe, the world’s tallest triumphal arch. Then down the Champs-Élyssés, past the Élysée Palace, taking in the Place de la Concorde and the Tuileries Gardens. Her eyes moved till they found Tour Montparnasse, the lone skyscraper kissing the sky. Then she too took in the Eiffel Tower, the iron monument reaching for the clouds.
Meanwhile, Jimin observed the opulent opera house. Onward his eyes moved until they found the Palais Royal. Next, he noticed the Louvre. He wouldn’t have time to visit the huge museum on this trip. He could spend weeks there and never see it all anyway. Jimin’s eyes were searching out the Notre Dame cathedral. The beautiful, gothic structure had been there for almost seven hundred years. It was so sad that part of it had burned down this year. Then his eyes moved on. He saw the Bastille still standing proud, a reminder of France’s bloody history and its fight for equality. Looking past them, he could make out the Pantheon. Then France’s national library.
“Jimin, I know we’ve avoided talking about it, but what comes next?”
He looked over at her, his eyes sad. “I don’t really know. I mean, I live in South Korea, and you live here. And I work so many hours every day that I have little time for anything else. We could be texting buddies, but that’s about it.”
“I’ll take it!” She jumped on his suggestion, looking at him with her green eyes wide. “You’re my only friend, Jimin.” And you’re so much more than that to me. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t lose me, Eireen.” His eyes were so earnest. “I’ll try to text you every day, but there may be days I don’t…”
“It’s ok. I’m willing to take whatever you can give me.”
Jimin smiled sadly at her before sighing, “We’d better get going.”
He wished he could hold her hand on the way down the steps. Both to steady himself and just to enjoy the feel of his fingers wrapped around her own. Instead, he began to slowly climb down the steps unaided. She walked beside him. They both moved forward at a snail’s pace, trying to enjoy every last second possible. Finally, they arrived at the bottom and headed for her car.
“Do you want me to drop you at the hotel?”
“Yes, I need to put the painting away.” He smiled at her. “I want you to keep the one you painted of me. Hang it up over your bed to remind yourself of the amazing gift you have.”
I’ll put it up over my bed, all right. But to remind me of you. You can keep a watchful eye over me even once you’ve gone.
It was about a fifteen-minute drive from Montmartre to his hotel. They were both thankful for the extra time together, but neither knew what to say anymore. Their mood was dampened by the knowledge that they would soon be parting ways.
Finally, Eileen turned towards him. “I hope you had a good birthday with me. We got to spend twenty-four hours together. On your twenty-fourth birthday!”
“I will never forget one moment of those twenty-four hours for as long as I live, Eireen.”
“Me neither.” Tears were forming in her green eyes making them glow like emeralds in the light of a soon dying sun.
“You still have my phone number, right?” It would be horrible if he lost it!
He reached into his pocket and pulled it out before carefully returning it to the safety of that little compartment in his pants. “I’ve got it. I won’t lose it.”
“Don’t forget to grab your birthday present.”
His mouth quirked upward. “I guess we both get to take two paintings home today.”
She grinned at him, and his eyes were attracted to her beautiful, pink lips again. He really, really wanted to kiss her goodbye. But he couldn’t. They were in the heart of Paris now, and if someone saw them… Worse yet, if someone took a picture of them… He shook his head. It didn’t bear thinking about.
Finally, she pulled up into the circular drive of the hotel and stopped her car in front of the hotel doors.
“Jimin…” She turned towards him, and he realized one of those tears had begun to slide down her right cheek.
Now he wanted to kiss it off her face. Right before he claimed her lips with his own. And pulled her into his arms to rest against his heart. He was so frustrated. This was no way to part, but he couldn’t invite her to dinner. He refused to put her in that danger. They’d risked enough this afternoon.
“Eireen…”
“It’s ok, Jimin. Let’s just say goodbye.” Her emerald eyes filled with tears as she gazed across the car at him. “Goodbye,” she whispered.
Jimin looked at her, his heart breaking. “Goodbye, Eireen…”
He turned away from her, climbed out of the car, and pulled his paintings from the backseat. He stopped to glance at her lovely face one last time. But his vision was blurred by the tears filling his own eyes. Her auburn hair framed her face in a cloud of red locks, but her features were indistinct through the waterfall overtaking his eyes. He blinked, and three tears spilled down his cheeks.
“Au revoir, ma chérie.”
Then his car door slammed shut, and Jimin was gone.