I Don't Mix Business with Pleasure

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓝𝓲𝓷𝓮

                                      𝓕𝓵𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮

"I've never been so full in my life," I mutter, clutching my stomach as we walk out of the cafe.

"You did order an extra sandwich. Where do you even put it?" He asks, adjusting his pants.

"Where do you put it? I think you might be skinnier than me." I laugh.

"That's my cue to start hitting the gym again." He side-eyes me as we walk down the sidewalk.

"You think we can manage the rest of the day without arguing again?" I ask him. I try not to laugh, but I'm being partially serious.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"If you don't bring up what happened the other day. If not, I think we're good."

"Deal," I smirk, glancing over at him.

"Oh, the tables have turned. Have I rubbed off on you?"

"You might have. Let's hope not."

We keep walking. I'm not sure either of us even knows where we're headed, but I don't care. This is all too beautiful to pass up. The way everyone dresses, the scenery, and the smell of freshly baked bread wafting in the air. I could get used to this. There's a park nearby and we both walk over to sit on a bench. My feet are starting to kill me.

"How many times have you been to Paris?" I ask, breaking the silence.

"Too many to count. I used to spend my entire summers here. Want to know something?" He asks, his eyes turning sad.

"What?"

"This is my first time being back here since my mom passed away." He lets out a deep sigh through his nose.

Instinctively I want to reach over and grab his hand to comfort him, but I stop myself. That's just the type of person I am. Instead, I intertwine my own fingers together and rest them in my lap. He has a way about him that makes me feel sorry for him.

"Really? This must be difficult for you then?" I ask.

"Yeah- honestly, it is. That cafe I took you to, my mom and I would go there at least twice a week. It was her favorite place. Once we stepped in, I wanted to immediately leave. But- I'm glad I went. It brought back a lot of memories with her."

He took me to his mom's favorite place to eat?

"Oh, Landon. I'm so sorry."

"No- don't be. This place feels more like home than New York."

"Have you ever thought about living here?"

He looks down at his lap intently thinking.

"Yeah- actually, I think about it all the time."

"Then why don't you?"

"My dad and brother. I don't have anyone here. My grandparents passed away before my mom. If I came here, I'd just be me."

"You seem to want to be alone all the time though," I whisper.

"Not all the time." He looks at me, scanning my face.

"You sure have an odd way of showing that."

I'm going to go mad if I don't figure him out soon. One minute he seems to be giving me hints and the next, he seems like he hates me along with the entire world. Sometimes the way he looks at me sends a warm feeling in my stomach and I immediately try to shake the feeling.