Dancing With The Devil

Chapter 22

Alistair was trying to kill me, I was sure of it. Since we had settled in Paris we had walked for kilometer upon kilometers of distance. Now, five days in, I had seen what Paris looked like from the heights of the Eiffel tower, I had sampled some of the best hot beverages in various cafes all over the city, and marveled at the beauty that was Notre Dame. We had managed to buy more clothes and Alistair even insisted on buying me a wonderful digital camera, saying that it would help our tourist image. The house was now fully stocked as well after several grocery trips, which allowed our mornings to slow down and our spending to ease.

Now we shared quiet breakfasts in the large house while sipping freshly brewed teas. Most of the time it was relatively quiet, just the sounds of the French news coming off the television. Alistair would actually listen to the news, seeing as he was able to understand while I would just get lost within my own thoughts until he announced what he had planned.

But this morning I was in a foul mood.

My feet and back ached from wandering over the cobblestones all day. And the people, the people were absolutely everywhere all the time. I felt like I couldn't take a step without brushing against someone. It made the introverted part of me anxious and irritable. I knew that he was only trying to exhaust me to the point that I could collapse into my bed and sleep deeply for the whole night and it was wonderful of him to do that. But I still wasn't sleeping well as I would never be completely rid of the anxiety with Josh still hunting after me.

"So the Louvre-"

"Oh great, you can take me to another museum for a fake date." I snapped hotly.

Alistair seemed to recoil from my harsh reaction, but he was quick to cover up his emotions, as always. With a neutral expression he leaned back in his chair and met my eyes evenly, though I could see something storming beneath that intense green.

"I'm sorry, I'm tired." I blurted, already feeling awful.

I was also not ready to fight with only of the only people that was defending me right now.

"It's alright." He responded, "We can stay in for the day. I think both of us are physically and mentally drained. A day in might be a good idea."

So we had a quiet day.

Alistair spent the majority of his time in front of the television or beside the turntable that was quietly playing classical records. When I scooted out of my bedroom to grab a glass of water from the kitchen I could see his mouthing words along with the announcers on the news. And when he wasn't watching the news he was plunked in front of a computer with his brows furrowed and a firm frown on his face. I wondered if he was working on my case, or if he was trying to get in contact with his parents back in Canada. Unfortunately, my outburst made me feel awkward and embarrassed around him so I didn't say anything.

And while he worked away so seriously I was stuck in my bedroom reading a cheesy romance novel that I had managed to find in a drugstore. I slipped in and out of sleep while reading, clearly more tired than I had originally thought. When I became too groggy or annoyed with being in the same position I would tinker with my new camera, trying to understand what all the settings meant. Between the naps and my mild entertainment the evening came relatively quickly. And between my boredom and my loneliness I decided that it was time to face my awkwardness. Plus, I felt like I couldn't stare at the plain walls in that small bedroom without pulling my hair out.

I ambled out of the bedroom once more, prepared to see Alistair completely attentive to the news or reading something on his laptop. And he was watching TV, but he was splayed out across the couch, his eyes only half open as he watched a children's show.