✦ ✧ ✩ Curtain Call ✦ ✧ ✩ - Charlie Gillespie

Chapter 35

"God Eri turn that thing off" Matthew said, putting his book down "Did someone die or something?" he continued, now letting out a laugh.

"That's not funny. What if something actually happened?" I said, quickly opening Maeve's chat and then Owen's to find just a lot of "pick up your phone" texts with angry emojis and a couple of hope you are doing great. Then I opened Charlie's.

"Hey Eri, where are you? I'm at the airport, I can't find you"

"Eri please pick up the phone I need to talk to you. It's really important please."

There were ten messages just like that. I felt my stomach turn as I slowly put my phone down in my lap.

"Are you ok?" Matthew said through a smile "You look like someone did die"

"Yeah, no, I'm fine" I replied, trying to snap out of it "I think I got the basics Matt, let me just go wander around the city alone for a bit ok?"

"Sure, go ahead" Surprisingly nonchalantly "But I'm taking you out for dinner tonight. Be ready at 8."

"Sure" I replied, not really paying attention to him.

I went out for a walk around Paris and felt my heart flutter. Like everything that tied me down anywhere else disappeared. Matthew. Charlie. Maeve. My family. No one could influence me right now. I was there for my very own dreams, and they were a meeting away from becoming a reality.

I walked around until I got to Rue Montorgueil and sat down there in a little café now finally alone. But my peace was again interrupted by my phone buzzing as I connected to the Wi-Fi in case of an emergency. It was a FaceTime call from Maeve.

"GIRL" she said when she heard my voice at the other end of the line "Why are you ghosting me? That's incredibly rude. I didn't even know if you even made it to Paris. Did you even call your mom?"

I chuckled a bit and let her go off on me.

"I'm sorry Maeve, I really am. I was really jet-lagged and today I just got absorbed by this magical city" I said, and turned the camera around so she could see.

"Is it everything you dreamed of?"

"And more"

"Is Matthew being good?" She asked.

"He's been surprisingly pleasant for who he is" I said, and found myself smiling.

"I can see you smiling. Please don't tell me Paris is getting to you"

"No, I would never." I said, and laughed "Talking about loved ones, is Owen ok? He called me the same amount of times you did."

"He was just worried. And other things. You'll find out about them soon. Promise"

"You two love being mysterious."

"So what are your plans for today?"

"Apparently I agreed to go out to dinner with Matthew" I said, as a text from him reminding me came through, "so I guess that."

"Oh" I heard her say and look out for someone "Ok"

"Don't worry Maeve seriously, he is being kind, I just want to enjoy myself here, and he knows his way around. Are you with Owen?"

Maeve let out a little laugh, but she still sounded a bit concerned.

"Yeah yeah I am he says hi" She said, and turned the phone around when he tried to come say hi to me. I couldn't help but laugh at his expression, "So do you know where the two of you are going?" She said, and then I heard her hiss unintelligibly something at Owen.