LUXURE

34. WILL YOU?

The plane ride there was actually pretty enjoyable. Giovanni had bought first class seats so Jordie and I were living it up in luxury. He spent the whole time watching movies from the wide selection, while Giovanni and I sat and talked about anything and everything. Conversations with him just flowed so easily, we understood each other, we shared the same jokes and laughs and I have never felt more comfortable with anyone else. I feel so protected and truly cared for around him. We also may or may not have joined the mile high club...

The plane landed and we made our way through customs and baggage claim. Giovanni led us outside to a man with his name on a piece of paper who was standing in front of a black mercedes.

"What did you pack for me, anyways?" I asked as the man loaded our suitcases into the car.

"Well, I picked out the outfits that I've always liked on you." He smiled down at me and his cheeks looked a little red, like he was blushing. 

I was curious to see exactly what outfits he meant. 

The car pulled up in front of a small older building with ivy running up the front. A doorman stood out front under a large awning.

"Wow." The building was breathtaking. I've never seen this sort of architecture before, I've only ever seen it in pictures but never in person.

"Bonjour, bienvenue au grand hôtel royal." the doorman said as he held the door open for us. 

"Merci" I replied with a smile. 

The inside of the hotel was just as beautiful as the exterior, grand with smaller Parisian details throughout. Giovanni checked us in and we headed up to our room. 

The room was large with 2 separate bedrooms. One with a large bed and the other with two twin sized mattresses. When you first walk in, the first thing you see are the large windows that look out towards the street with a view of the tops of the other buildings. It was stunning, a view I've seen in so many pictures before. I walked out onto the balcony and the cool air sent a chill through me. I smiled as I took a deep breath.  A pair of arms wrapped around my waist as Giovanni planted kisses along my neck. I leaned my head back on his shoulder and closed my eyes. I felt at peace, but I couldn't help the twinge of guilt I felt. Our mom always dreamed of traveling to Paris and yet, here I was, without even the ability to tell her let alone take her. 

A tear fell down my cheek as I turned around and nuzzled my face into Giovanni's chest.

"Happy birthday, my love." He said as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. 

"Scar! Scar!! Have you seen all this chocolate stuff?" Jordie called from inside the room. 

"No? What is it?" I asked as I walked up to the platter of what looked like chocolate dipped fruits. There was a note in the middle of the platter. I picked it up and read it.

Happy Birthday Mrs. Russo. It was a note from the hotel. I blushed at the simple mistake of calling me Mrs. Russo but smiled at the thought.  

We were all pretty tired from the travel, so we went out for a simple dinner and spent the rest of the night watching Roman Holiday in French on the TV. Jordie had fallen asleep at the beginning of the movie with his head in my lap and Giovanni's arm around my shoulder's, pulling me into his embrace. 

We spent a few days exploring the city and embracing the culture. We drank way too much coffee, ate way too many delicious pastries, and bought way too many tacky souvenirs. Today though, we were finally going to the Eiffel Tower. I had been dying to go ever since we landed in Paris, but Giovanni told me no and I knew it was because he had something planned.