La Fille Fraçaise

lip print

It seemed almost surreal that all this was happening to me, that a girl like her would not be intimidated in front of a person like me and almost, for a moment she made me love that gloomy place that was more like an asylum than a high school.
I opened the bar door letting her enter first to see her curious gaze scrutinize every single detail of the place I brought her to.
'What do you think?' I said, noticing her attentive gaze.
'It's really welcoming,' she replied, approaching a table and sitting down.
I sat in front of her, this time having the opportunity to see some features that I had not noticed previously and I was almost tempted to reach out and touch her face gently, but I had to force myself.
'Can I ask you how old are you?' I asked curiously, at that moment I realized that I didn't know anything about the girl I accept the main things and this tormented me.
'I'm seventeen,' she told me smiling; that smile stopped my heart in my chest every time as if it wanted to witness that show too.
'And anyway you can ask me whatever you want, I don't mind questions' she told me, almost as if she saw my thirst to know her.
'I'll start with something simple, what's your favorite color?' I asked her, resting my arms on the table, watching her face light up with a smile.
'Red' she replied, taking a handkerchief and dabbing her lipstick lightly on it, leaving its mark. My eyes locked on the shape of her lips that had been created, she was perfect, from every point of view and suddenly I felt the tremendous need to have that handkerchief, but damn I needed the right opportunity.
'Red like blood or red like love?' I asked her ironically.
I heard her laugh for the first time at my joking humor and that made me hold my breath for a few seconds.
'Only red' she said, laughing slightly and stood up 'I'll be right back' she said and I saw her go towards the bathroom.
I was smiling like an idiot, failing to even avoid the sides of my lips they rose in a smile.
<This girl will kill me> I thought and my gaze fell again on the handkerchief she had left on the table, today I think she did it on purpose to leave it on the table, as if to give me the right opportunity to take it but it has always been very mysterious while instead I was like a book for her, clear what my next move would be.
<and if she will notice it> I thought worried as I fought with my own will, when in a fit of courage my hand grabbed the handkerchief and quickly slipped it into my jacket pocket.
<what are you doing Marie> I thought, but I didn't have time to regret and put it back on the table when I saw her return, walking in the direction of the table.
'I apologize for the wait,' she told me.
'Oh there's no problem' I smiled at her
<Discreet and calm> I thought to myself.
'Oh where is my handkerchief?' She asked me looking straight into my eyes this time.
<Here you are fucked> My thoughts were traveling at maximum speed to find an excuse as my gaze was again locked in the almost hypnotic of hers.
'Oh I don't know, I think the waiters took it,' I said and that was the most plausible excuse I could find.
The evening was magnificent, she ordered a tea while I limited myself to my beloved whiskey, which in such a cold period like this was perfect to heat even if the major work was done by the girl sitting in front of me who gave me a warmth radiant in my chest every time she smiled at one of my words.
My gaze fell slightly behind her and for a second she felt my heart stop.
'Oh shit' I said not noticing it aloud.
'What?' Asked Sabrina, turning to see what caught my attention behind her.
'Oh don't do that, that's a girl I was dating a few months ago' I said placing my hand in front of my embarrassed face in an attempt of hiding myself.
'Oh do you like younger?' She said almost making me choke with whiskey.
'This was an evil one' I said laughing 'But well let's say I have some preferences'
'Oh' she said in an almost innocent voice that if I didn't know her now I could tell that she didn't know what she was doing.
'She was a student of mine,' I confessed.
'You had romance with your student?' For a second I almost regretted having told her the truth but by now... I couldn't change the facts.
'Just once'
'I didn't expect it,' she said looking at me holding the cup in her hands.
'Because I don't look like someone who likes people?' I asked giggling.
'Because you're a responsible mature woman who deserves someone who respects her' she she said surprising me.
I slowly looked up at her face, which showed me understanding and truth in what she had just admitted.
'For a second I thought you hated me' I told her, laughing slightly.
'Instead I like you' she said, making me smile.
'It rarely happens, I usually look like a bitch to people' I said sincerely
'Never judge the book by its cover'.
'Oh but I really am and I can prove it if I can't stand someone'I said laughing
Again that laugh that made me look up to see that magnificent sight that was better than any sunset and any sunrise.
'Instead you, how are you in the school?' I asked, initially I thought I was doing it for information, but now I think I did it because I was afraid she would feel alone like me there.
Her face changed slightly looking... Sad and that destroyed me.
'Well, there is this girl I think her name is Elise, she continues to annoy me and I don't know why,' she told me in a sad and broken voice.
'I know, she hates changes but she wasn't like that before' I reply.
'How do you know?'
'Well I know her pretty well, even if she and I don't have the best of relationships'
'Is she a bitch to you too?' She asked me
'Since her father's gone' I replied, moving my gaze to the now empty glass.
'Is she your..?'
'Daughter? Yes' I replied
'Oh, I...' She looked at me embarrassed, moving a lock of hair back her ear.
'Oh don't worry, I think the same too, I'm on your side,' I said, placing a hand on hers on her table.
She finally looked up at me smiling slightly and suddenly I saw her eyes sparkle.
'Look! The snow!' She said pointing to the window behind me.
'Haven't you ever seen snow?' I asked her in amazement.
She just shook her head to indicate that she never did before.
'Well then we have to fix it' I left a tip for the waiter on the table and took her hand, leading it outside where snowflakes fell from above and snowed the Christmas landscape.
I turned in her direction once we were out and saw her looking up at the falling snow and it was the cutest scene I had ever seen.
I picked up some snow with my hands and threw it in her direction.
'It was included in the first snow vision package' I shrugged shoulders when she turned in my direction with a shocked expression.
She burst out laughing doing the same to me.
'Hey! I have already seen her many times there was no need for you to throw it at me too'
I said laughing.
This is where something changed, in that exact moment as she walked in my direction and slipped on the ice that had formed on the ground and I promptly wrapped my arms around her, pushing her slightly towards me.
Our faces were close, too close, and our breaths heaving as she slowly placed her hands on my forearms for support.
'Are you okay?' I said in a faint voice
'I really don't understand how people don't like you,' she said in a whisper, closing her eyes.
I could feel her tremble in my arms as she moved closer to be warm, so I took off my own jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
'Oh but you'll freeze,' she said, holding my jacket tight to herself.
'I'll take you home, so you'll stay warm,' I said taking her hand so that she found the balance to walk as we headed towards my car.
The whole trip back was almost silent except for a little reproach of my damned smoking habit, but it was a comfortable, reassuring silence that allowed both of us to process what had been that evening and, as she got out of the car she handed my jacket and I greeted her with the promise that we will have a similar afternoon where I would show her how to make a snowman, her first snowman.
My gaze fell on my jacket, where the handkerchief that would serve to remind me of that wonderful day just before Christmas came out of the pocket making me smile as I reached my house thinking that may that Monday turned out better than I expected.