Copyright © 2014 Joana Acevedo Park/JoaJinPark
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or part of this book in any way.
Designed by: JAPInk/Park Productions (Korea & Paris, France)
Title by ParkProductionsKorea
Cover by JJPark
Colaborators/Consultants: Roger Tresemer, Alannis A Acevedo, Kelsey E Acevedo, Alex Barina & Christophe Azolay
Editing by Roger Tresemer, Alex Barina & Alannis
Acevedo
Manufactured in the United States of America
**This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or real is purely coincidental.**
Kim JunMyeon,
Vincent Lacoste, J'ai vu tous vos films (Jacky, mon préféré) Je sais que vous auriez ètè parfait pour mon histoire. Vous êtes tellement talentueux. Je vous remercie pour votre inspiration! Bonne chance dans tout ce que vous faites!
Omar Yanez, Amazing, Amazing, Amazing. That’s all I can say. Thank you for your constant love and inspiration.
Tom Hiddleston, the voice that narrates my life. Thanks for your
inspiration.
Un merci special àPaul Druet. Vous auriez jamais pensè que votre beau visage et vos paroles amicales auraient pu inspirer quelqu'un. Voici donc la preuve. Bonne courage pour tous vos projets.
Special Thanks to Jen.Ross, Melanie Falina, Patrick Muscia, Angie Nolan, Sandy Angell, Janet Smith Ross, Olivia Cintron, Nancy L. Morrison, Kacey Overall Baldwin, Julia Kawka, Mercie Acevedo, Daniel Acevedo, Emily Garcia, Georgis Mendes Santiago, Maribel Vega, Maritza Rodriguez Rosa, Justin Unger, Brian Geise & Roger Tresemer for your constant love and support.
Jordan, Kelsey, & Alannis, Thank you for letting me know every day that I’m special. I love you my babies!
My furry babies Toby, Wheatie, Carter, Zora, Chow Mein & Ghee. Thank you all for hanging around me while I write, without comments.
Special Thanks to my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Flickr Friends. Without your love, friendship and support this book would not have been possible…
Une
Table
Pour Deux
(A Table for two…)
Joana A Park
Every woman goes through a moment in her life when she feels she needs a change, something new, a boost. Why not get that boost in Paris? After years of looking at the beautiful Eiffel Tower in pictures, I was finally going to actually see it. I had recently gone through a difficult divorce and this trip was exactly what I needed to refresh myself. My best friend Mark and I planned our trip perfectly, from the hotel we were to stay at, to sightseeing, to the food we were going to eat. A budget for this trip did not exist. We wanted the best and nothing less. We had decided to spend a whole month there, why not? At this point we were both successful and just wanted to experience the trip of a lifetime. The only thing I wasn’t looking forward to was the flight. I hated to fly. So, of course our trip would start out a bit rough due to turbulence and the flight was so long but we were determined to make this the best trip ever.
As the plane arrived at the Charles de Gaulle airport, our spirits had become lighter, excitement was pouring out of our pores. We both stared out the window of the plane, like two kids in a candy store.
“Oh my god Gia, can you believe we are here? We’re in Paris, baby!” Mark said.
I looked around and took a deep breath. “The airport is even beautiful.” I replied.
We both laughed.
“I’m really going to like it here, so much eye candy, girl, did you see how gorgeous?” Mark commented as a very good looking French man passed us.
I smiled and nodded yes.
“You want to get a drink before we get a taxi? Mark asked.
“Sure, after that flight, I need a shot!” I replied.
“I can’t wait to see Jacques, it has been years. I bet he’s still as scrumptious as the last time I saw him” Mark said.
“I know, I’ve missed him so much!” I mumbled.
“Girl, I’m going to find you a sexy French boy so you can finally get John out of your system. You are a beautiful single woman and you need a single young sexy French man.” Mark commented.
I smiled as I sipped my drink. John was my ex-husband, we were married for 10 years when he suddenly decided he needed something different. Someone younger.
I say he had a mid-life crisis but who am I to judge. I had been in a slump, maybe it was because I kept comparing men to him but I was finally done and this trip was going to define that. As we rode to the hotel, I leaned my head on Mark’s shoulder. Mark and I had been friends for years, we worked together and finally opened a successful business together. When we arrived at the hotel, we went straight to our room. We were extremely tired from the flight but as we got into bed we couldn’t sleep much because we were too excited about being in France.
As the sun came up, from my bed, I could see in the far distance what I mainly came here for, The Eiffel Tower. I took a deep breath, just soaking it in.
“It’s so beautiful, isn’t it?” Mark whispered from across the room.
“I’ve been staring at it for hours.” He added.
I sat up so I can get a better view. “C’est magnifique.” (It’s magnificent) I responded.
“Oui, Oui Mon Chèrie” (Yes, Yes my darling) Mark replied.
We both laughed.
The smells were so different in Paris. I’m sure, to me the smells were probably enhanced because I loved France and the idea of waking up there was amazing. The smell of warm baguettes and fresh coffee were heavenly. For years, Mark and I dreamed of sipping coffee at a French café overlooking Paris and we were finally doing it! We quickly got dressed and went out for breakfast. There were so many cafès in the area but we decided to walk a bit and find one closer to the Eiffel tower. Mark and I walked in silence. The views were incredible, like real life paintings. We stopped now and then to soak in the beauty. It was so incredible. Mark suddenly stops me and points.
“There, we’ll have breakfast there. What do you think, mon amie (my friend)?” He said.
I nodded in excitement. He grabbed my hand and pulled me across the street.
“There are so many beautiful views out here, and I’m not only talking about the monuments.” Mark said with a smirk.
“I know, Mark. I don’t know if I want to go back home, I love it here and it hasn’t even been a day.” I mentioned.
Mark smiled and said “You never know, maybe some sweet French guys can sweep us off our feet and persuade us to stay.”
I smiled in agreement.
We made our way to this quaint little café that had two small tables out front. Café Les Jardin was its name. I remember it because of all the beautiful flowers that surrounded it. That sweet smell was so hypnotizing. We ordered our petit-dèjeuner (breakfast) and began to people watch. Mark and I were totally mesmerized, that we didn’t even notice the waitress had already brought us our food.
As I snapped out of it, I tapped Mark and said “I’m going to leave here weighing 500 pounds, the food is so good.”
Mark nodded in agreement as he took a bite of a bright pink macaroon. We were in the middle of an intense conversation when the weirdest thing happened. A gigantic monarch butterfly landed directly on my hand.
“Oh my goodness!” I reacted.
“Look at that! That’s a sign, Gia. Even the French butterflies like you.” Mark responded with a giggle.
I laughed. The butterfly seemed to be content sitting on my hand.
Suddenly a tall young man approaches our table from across the street and says “Excusez-moi”.
We both looked up at him then each other, he seemed 7 feet tall. He was beautiful. I had never seen a man with five o’clock shadow, wearing a blue knit cap look so attractive. His eyes were piercing.
“Savez-vous que cela ça porte bonheur?” (Do you know that is good luck?) He said.
I nodded and smiled and Mark answered “C’est vrais?”(Is that true?).
He smiled and replied “Oui!”(Yes!).
I smiled and whispered “Wow!”
The young man winked & said “Bonne Journèe.” (Have a nice day).
The butterfly sat there and flew away as the young man walked away. Mark and I just watched him as he reached the corner he turned back towards us and smiled.
“Oh my God, Gia, he said it was good luck? Really? Good Luck was bumping into that beautiful French pastry. Was that even a real butterfly or does he just come with them? Wow!” Mark asserted.
“He was adorable! Did you see that smile and that accent, wow! But how old was he, 16?” I joked.
“Who freaken cares, he has to at least be 21, he was carrying a bottle of wine plus 21 is legal in America, probably ancient out here. Isn’t France’s age of consent 15 or something like that?” Mark said jokingly.
I nodded no with a smile.
“We need to meet more of those, where should we go?” Mark added.
“Follow the butterflies?” I added as I laughed.
Mark laughed and said “Finish, so we can get going. I want to find more of those butterfly boys.”
This was a great beginning to our trip. We were now more enthusiastic about it. We spent this day on a lovely sightseeing tour. I really don’t think we were really paying attention, we were just there. It seemed like a movie, like a dream. Mark and I stood in awe as we looked at the Eiffel Tower, it was way bigger than I thought it would be. So beautiful too. The architecture was mind-blowing. The aura around it was magical. I encountered a total soulful experience as I touched it. In Mark’s words, I had a soulgasm, through and through. We took so many pictures that our cell phones were totally full. We were such tourist at that moment, it was actually embarrassing. I had a permanent smile from that moment on.
Just one weird thing though. I don’t know but I could swear I kept seeing that young man from this morning, maybe it was just wishful thinking because he was gorgeous. I mean, even this morning’s event was weird but then I liked weird.
I didn’t mention it to Mark, I’m sure he would just make fun of me. We were in Paris, he would just say all French guys looked alike. This was a trip of a lifetime and we were having the time of our lives. Today would be the only day we would be on our own. Mark’s friend Jacques had the next few days planned for us and we were excited. Since he was from Paris, he could give us a different kind of tour. The underground style, you know. Jacques was a special friend of Marks; they met in Germany a few years back and liked each other but never really made a move, so I know he was all about impressing Mark. I’m sure his special tours would be fabulous.
First, we were to visit the Château de Versailles (Palace of Versailles), which was located about 15 miles southwest of Paris. It seemed farther due to all the traffic that day though. We could not believe how beautiful this place was. We were totally enchanted by France, everything was simply alluring. As we wandered around the palace, I saw Mark and Jacques were talking between themselves so I gave Mark the eye and heading in the opposite direction, you know to give them some space. I walked slowly behind them, just immersing myself in everything beautiful. The gardens were so exquisite. So many flowers, trees and butterflies. I laughed to myself at the thought of the young man from the other day appearing again. For some reason, I could not forget his laugh. After waking up from my daydream, I noticed I had lost the guys. I walked quickly towards the doors where a crowd of people stood. I thought the guys would be there.
The guide was talking in detail about all the elaborate furnishings.
Pointing here and there.
I looked around and they were nowhere in sight. This stuff was all so complex and gorgeous though! I couldn’t help but stop and listen. The guide was describing some jewels when I saw something that attracted my attention. I walked towards the window to get a better look. I could swear I saw the guy from the other day again. My mind had to be playing tricks on me. I walked quickly towards the door and to that area. I had to make sure I wasn’t going crazy. As I arrived at the spot, there were other young guys there but none that looked like him, so I was definitely going crazy.
Suddenly I hear Mark say, “Gia, where did you go? Oh my God, you are going to give me a heart attack!”
I smiled and approached them.
“You shouldn’t go off on your own like that G, strange things have been happening to women out here. It’s quite dangerous to be alone.” Jacques stated.
“Just wandering around, I’m ok guys.” I answered.
“Just don’t do that again, s'il vous plaît.” (please) Jacques exclaimed as he put his arm around me.
“Now we have to get going if we are going to make that party at Le LimeLight on time. Wait til you guys meet Vincent, he’s delicious!” Jacques added.
Mark looked over and smiled at me.
“Let us go then.” I replied.
“What are you going to wear, G?” Mark asked me.
“I don’t know, something short and slinky maybe.” I replied.
“Oui! (Yes) That will work!” Jacques added.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Mark and Jacques laughed amongst themselves.
“We want to find you one like the one from the other morning, remember him, ohhh la la tall, young and handsome. Oh don’t forget that smile, ufff I get the chills just thinking about it!” Mark replied.
I smiled and looked away.
We arrived to the hotel with enough time to shower and get ready. Of course, Mark took longer than everyone did to prepare himself. He is such a diva! I walked out of the bathroom wearing a small black dress and red shoes.
“Jolie, You need some bright red lipstick to finish that ensemble. Come here.” Jacques said as he rummaged through my makeup case.
“You look very nice, Jacques.” I said raising my eyebrows.
He laughed. “Merci Gia, but you look better.” Jacques responded.
“She is beautiful, but not enough to make me change my ways. Uh no.” Mark shouted from the bathroom.
We laughed out loud.
“Are you ready yet? We must head out already, Mark. We don’t want to be too late!” Jacques shouted back.
“Oui Oui mon amour” (yes yes my love) Mark said as he came out of the bathroom looking gorgeous.
“Let’s go, Paris party life awaits.” Mark sang as he grabbed his jacket.
“Attendez une minute! (Wait a minute!), I have some rules for you both. So listen!” Jacques affirmed.
“Gia, pay attention, no wandering off, s'il vous plait, it’s for your own safety and Mark, you are my date tonight, so no funny business, no wandering eyes.” Jacques added. Mark and I smiled.
The taxi got us there in less than 10 minutes. We arrived at this tall, dark building. You could hear the dance music playing outside. The line was long but Jacques got us in with no problem. He knew the owner. He even managed to get us a table in the VIP section also.
It was so exciting, so many people dancing, the music was loud and bumping. The wine flowed like a river. We had been there not even five minutes and we had a few drinks waiting for us at our table. We were like superstars. I stood next to the table and looked around. There were people everywhere. Even some people dancing in cages. Yes cages. Very unique. As we walked through Jacques squeals with excitement.
“Oh putain!, Mon DJ préfère est la. J’adore PAUL ! Allez ! On va dancer !” (My favorite DJ is here tonight! I love PAUL! Come on, let’s dance!) Jacques added as he pulled Mark onto the dance floor.
Jacques and Mark were in their own world, dancing, kissing and just being themselves. As Daft Punk’s music began to play, I screeched out loud and began dancing. The music was so loud, I felt surrounded by it. I closed my eyes and swayed back and forth to the rhythm. It was enlightening. As I danced in my own world, a mob of people came through bumping into me, almost knocking me down. I suddenly felt a hand on my waist and a whisper.
“Pardonnez-moi.” (Pardon Me) A voice said.
I slowly turned to see who it was. It was dark but I could see that beautiful smile. Oh my goodness. It was him! The young man from the other morning and he looked even better than I remember.
He laughed and said “Je me souviens de vous.” (I remember you).
I smiled and looked over at Jacques and Mark.
Jacques got up and shook his hand.
“Vincent, Qu’est-ce que faites-vous ici de beau?” (What are you doing here handsome?) Jacques shouted.
He smiled and replied “La même chose que vous, à la recherche d'un bon moment.” (Same as you, looking for a good time.)
They both laughed and hugged each other. “Look, these are my friends, Gia and Mark from America. This is Vincent Rousseau.” Jacques introduced.
He smiled and replied “Enchanté.”(Nice to meet you.)
I just smiled. He then reached out his hand towards me and said “Come with me.” I looked over at Jacques and he nodded in agreement. We moved through the crowd to the bar area. Mark and Jacques wanted their privacy so getting rid of me was easy.
“That’s the guy we bumped into the other day? Remember I told you about it, the butterfly guy.” Mark commented.
Jacques laughed and responded “He’s a nice guy, he is the owner of this club. I’m sure he owns all the butterflies in Paris, he’s rich. If I could have one moment with him, I’m sorry I would take it.”
Mark smiled looking towards us and gave me thumbs up. Vincent moved me in front of him so I leaned against the bar because the crowd was dancing wildly.
As we stood there watching, he whispered “Seen any butterflies lately?”
I smiled and replied “Not till now.”