PERMANENT - Leonardo DiCaprio

Chapter 42 - Memories

Wednesday 4.20pm

I looked down at my timetable for our week in Germany that I held in my hands. We had already been here for 3 days, and leaving early Saturday morning.

"Hey Lisa," I called out, without looking away from the piece of paper. Lisa was a 40-something, phenomenal woman who was on the road with us, organising everything we needed along with a small group of others that helped us get from place to place, booking our interviews and transportation.

"Yeah?" She said as she came into view round the corner in my peripheral vision.

I looked up from my timetable to her. "We're working til midnight on Friday? Since when?"

Lisa bobbed her head in understanding and sympathy. "Yeah, we've made extra bookings for you on your last day. Couple of high end magazines wanted to do a Titanic spread since it's so popular."

My mouth gaped open slightly - wether from the shock of finding out I was working 10 hours the day before we leave or that we're so in demand that journalists are willing to interview into the night hours.

"Yeah, I know," she replied, playing off my reaction. "But we figured 'Hey, the more publicity, the better', right?" She bragged proudly. That was the good thing about Lisa. She could find the positives in everything, which made her a terrific travel companion when you were working nearly 24/7.

I smiled sincerely "Right. Can't complain really, I'm blessed to be doing this job." I folded the paper in half and put it back into my bag.

"Well I'm glad you see it that way. Makes my job a lot easier. Can't say the same for a certain Leo, though." She said in a teasing tone.

"And what about me, Lisa?" I heard Leo's somewhat distant voice in the same playful tone as Lisa's say, as he stood leaning against the door.

"Ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear." Lisa retorted back, smirking and organising a pile of paperwork on the desk.

"And what exactly have I done to deserve that title?" He asked cockily, arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Leo, if you arrange one more 'meeting' with me, which I had to clear my plans for, just fyi, and then proceed to give me a list of demands for the week then leave, I'm quitting this job." Lisa finished and I turned back to Leo, eyebrows raised.

Leo pushed off from the wall and walked over to Lisa, putting his arm around her. "Hey, hey, you know I appreciate what you do, Lisa. I just like my home comforts that's all."

"Pffft, 'home comforts' my ass." She replied, to which Leo snorted. I laughed too. I knew Lisa considered Leo practically a son, and playful banter was their thing.

"Anyway, you ready to go?" he asked me, clapping his hands together once.

I looked back to see if I had left anything behind, then clipped my handbag shut. "Yeah, let's go." I walked towards him. "Bye Lisa, see you tomorrow." I smiled and squeezed her arm as I walked past.

"Get rested up sweetie." She grinned back in a smile that was so similar to my own mother's that it made me feel better, when nothing was really wrong in the first place.

"Bye you little rascal." She said to Leo, shaking her head as he smirked and placed her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving with me.

"Hear that?" He asked quietly as we walked down the corridor round to the back doors of the hotel, where security should be waiting for us. "I'm a rascal." He continued with a boyish smile.

I turned to look at him "Why you looking so smug? What's gotten into you? All day today you've been so....I dunno....unusually perky. Thought I was gonna have to smack you upside the head today during that interview."

"Perky?" He repeated. "What a word." I looked up at him and he burst out laughing just as we reached the doors, where security escorted us to our car.

"So, back to the hotel?" I asked as we were in the car, me in the passenger seat and Leo in the driver's. I glanced down at my watch. "Though it's only half past 4, it would be a shame to waste the day."

"Yep," he said confidently "Which is why we're not. I wanna take you somewhere."

I felt myself smile widely. "What? Where?"

He was smiling too, his perfect teeth showing "Now it's not much but..." he shrugged.

I sighed, smiling still "I'll go anywhere, really." He gazed at me, then leaned in across the seat to kiss me, but as he moved his head, I caught a glimpse of a large oncoming group (more like a mob) of girls, frenzied looks in their eyes as some of them waved paper around above their heads. Clearly they had already set their sights on Leo, as the car windows weren't tinted.

"Leo," he stopped at the sound of my voice and followed my gaze, where the security was now trying to hold the girls off.

"Shit," he whispered, exhaling a laugh. "Think we better go," he started the engine.

"Yeah, for our safety and theirs." I replied, just as he pulled away from the space the car was parked in.

//

"It's beautiful. So peaceful here." I marvelled, staring up at the enormous trees above us, creating an long arc that seemed to go on for miles.

"Leo we have to come here in the summer, this place would be like heaven." I blabbed mindlessly, still in awe at how stunning the scenery was. It was like we were in the woods, but there were cute little paths leading in every direction.

"Oer-Erkenschwick." Leo said beside me.

"Huh?" I asked perplexed, averting my eyes from the view to him.

"My mom was born around here." I raised my eyebrows, feeling a weird surge of happiness. Being here, made me feel closer to him in a way. I didn't know if he ever brought anyone else here, but it made me feel special.

"Yeah she uhh...she didn't live here all her life, moved to New York when she was young but...she always took me back here to see my grandparents." His eyes twinkled as he spoke of his memories fondly "She was always so adamant that I try and learn German. So I did. And every summer I would come back and I would come here. Right where we're standing. When I was a child I would play here with my cousins until dark. We actually put up a homemade swing right over there." He pointed to a thick tree to our left. "See, the rope is still wrapped around that branch?" He stifled a cute laugh "And then...as I got older, when I was visiting, I came here for peace."

I gazed at him lovingly. The way he talked about his family made my heart melt, and if this was a scene in a movie, I'm sure twinkly music would be playing in the background.

"So many good memories..." I snaked my arm around his waist and clung onto him, looking up at his face as he finally looked down at me, smiling.

"Thank you for taking me here." I breathed quietly.

"It's just...meeting your parents meant a lot to me, and I thought since we're here in Germany, I wanted to share a little more of myself with you." He replied, brushing a bit of hair that the wind blew in front of my face, away.

I pushed up and grabbed his jacket to pull him down to me, and our lips met in the sweetest kiss...