Mona Lisa My Love

Chapter Forty-nine

The next morning, I was at Sarah's apartment at six thirty as usual. During our run, I told Sarah all about last night's amazing developments, and she could see how excited I was by my accelerated pace during our run. "Slow down, champ. I know how excited you are, but give me a break, will ya?"

"Okay, okay. Let's walk. I am excited. Paris!" I said, and I twirled around.

Sarah was laughing at me. "I didn't know you want to go to Paris."

I got quiet for a minute. "Did I say something wrong?" Sarah asked.

"No. I had forgotten why I am so excited about Paris, that's all. It was my mom's favorite city. She would tell me all the time about different parts of the city. Do you know Paris is divided into sections? They are called arrondissements, meaning districts. Mom would show me on a map which arrondissements the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre are in. She spent a year there studying before she met my father. She even taught me a little French, but I have forgotten most of it. Now I will see Paris, although not with her. That makes me a little sad, but she would still want me to go. I know that."

"Of course, she would. I didn't know all that. I didn't know that your mom once lived there. It's wonderful that you get to go. Who else is going?"

I hadn't thought about that.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "Mr. Taylor Sr. told me what I had to do, but he didn't say anything about anyone else. I would guess his son."

"How about your Kitty?"

"Why? Jealous?"

"You should know never to play with a woman's jealousy. That will get you hurt in more ways than one." I noticed she was not laughing.

"I'm sorry. I don't know if Kitty is going, but maybe it would be a good thing if she did."

"Are you trying to be funny? Because it's not funny." Now she was beginning to look angry.

I thought a moment for the words. "Look, I like you. And I think it could be more than that. In some ways, I think I love you, but there is a question in me. It's not a question of how I feel about you...I know how I feel about you. It is about Kitty, er, Mona Lisa. I really should call her Mona Lisa." Sarah looked hurt or maybe confused, I couldn't tell. "There was a time when I loved her, I have always told you that, but I never knew if I was in love with her or with some figment of who I thought she might be. I'm sorry if this isn't making sense,"

She was frowning, "It might be. Please go on."

"It is like this for me -- if I am to be with you, then I want a clean slate. I thought if I was to marry you..."

"Who said I would marry you?" she interrupted.

I continued. "If we got married and got into a rough patch like I hear all marriages do, I would want to work on fixing it. I wouldn't want to think, 'What if? What if I had gone out with Mona? What if she was the one?'"

Sarah was crying now.

"I'm sorry. I won't go to Paris if it is going to upset you. I don't want to hurt you."

"No, I am crying because that is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me."

I started laughing, "Well, the bar wasn't set very high, was it?"

I jumped back when she swung at me.

"You and that damn sense of humor of yours. Or what you think is humor."

"Oh, so you do think I'm funny?" I asked, laughing.

"No, I don't," but the crack started with her lips and spread to a full smile. "You know, from anyone else, I would be concerned, but with you, it is the truth and the whole truth every time, isn't it?"

"Always. My sister says it is because I have no filters."

"I don't care, I love that about you," and she kissed me. "When am I going to meet Jenny anyway?"

"Jenny asked me the same thing, and she suggested you come to dinner tonight. Harry also wants to meet with us tonight at seven, and I think Jenny is coming along. I haven't told her what I am thinking about the building."

"You haven't told me either. What gives?" Sarah demanded as we arrived back at her apartment.

I smiled, "I know, but I have to go to work now." I kissed her and took off on my bike.