Finding Paris

Rhythm of Love

“Come on. Let’s go out!” He exclaimed as he pushed himself up from the chair and collected his plate. I did the same and followed him to the sink. I stared at the water rushing to the plates.

“Where to?” I asked nonchalantly. It’s quite cold outside and the trees were swaying as if telling me to stay and just sleep the night off.

“I heard there’s a skating rink nearby, just a few blocks away. I think the owners are friends of Pierre,” he said, his eyes twinkling like a child’s. I hate skating rinks. They’re lame and I always lose my balance no matter how hard I try. I was always the laughing stock of the family when we go skating. Nobody ever seemed to have a hard time except me.

“I think I’ll just sleep tonight,” I told him while I cleared the table of the left-over food.

“And miss the night life of Paris?” He asked. He seriously thinks skating rinks are the night life of Paris. I laughed at that last thought.

“I don’t like skating rinks.”

“It’s not some lame skating rink. It’s not a roller skating rink.”

“What?”

“It’s an ice skating rink.”

“I just told you I don’t like skating rinks.” I saw his face fell. “Fine, let’s go. But you’ll treat me food after.”

“You’ll blow up if you eat again.” He muttered teasingly.

I went up and changed into something warmer. I opened the door and saw him waiting outside leaning on the stair handles. He smiled at me and said, “You look good.” I looked good in my orange parka, yeah right. I looked like every other person outside wearing a parka to fight off the cold. I ushered him inside and told him to hurry before I change my mind. My cheeks felt warmer than before against the orange parka.

I was quiet all the way to the skating rink, the thought of Thomas still lingering on my mind. If I could go all Clementine Kruczynski on him, I would but I can’t so I tried to erase thoughts of him with thoughts of me hanging on to the edge of the rink to keep from falling. It’s not a nice image but it’ll do.

“We’re here,” he said as he led me to what seemed to be a small indoor ice skating rink. It’s so quiet and I didn’t see people entering with us.

“Is this open?” I asked him as I felt my way to the entrance. It’s quite dark and the light was just little white light bulbs on the wall a few inches away from each other. “This is quite creepy. Why are there only small lights like these? And why this long hallway?” I asked him as he told me to hush.

“It’s creepy isn’t it,” he said excitingly.

“I just said that and now you’re getting creepy,” I said as I fell into a stop.

“Sorry. I just love skating rinks. They remind me of happy days in my childhood. It’s like yoga for me. And we’re getting inside from the back. There’s a long line out front. I think a band is playing tonight and the rink’s serving food and drinks.”

“On the rink?”

“No, silly. They have tables too, you know. You really don’t like rinks, I see,” he said while keeping himself from laughing.

“Oh,” was all I could say as I followed him to a big black door. He opened it and we were again welcomed by a new hallway. This time it’s less dark. I saw a chandelier a few steps away.

“This place is weird,” I told him.

“This part’s the owners’ residence already.”

“Are we even allowed here?”