An encounter in October
If the Mona Lisa is the world’s most beautiful thing he simply mustn’t exist.
Welcome, it’s so nice to meet you!
Enjoy!
A sunny day in October I make my way toward the railway station amid dogs and families with strollers. Felice is bringing me along to meet some of her friends from school and a visit to the Louvre. I see her standing outside the railway café in an auburn sweater and beige maxi skirt. With her hair up in a bun she looks every bit the art student. As I am about to cross the street a gust of wind sends my own bob flying in front of my face and I start the day off perfectly with almost being hit by a passing bicycle.
The encounter leaves me tripping back onto the concrete and instead wait for Felice to cross over to me. I will not be risking ruining my carefully chosen outfit a second time. I’m wearing a navy cable knit sweater over a white button up paired with my favourite black pleated trousers.
“Oh my god! I can’t believe we’re finally back together! Promise me you’re never ever going on another one of those courses again.” Felice looks me dead in the eye and holds out her pinky for me to swear on.
“You know I can’t swear on that. I’ll never get a Nobel if I don’t learn from the best. And it was only for two weeks.” I laugh when she starts pouting.
“I need my best friend here though. If I spend too much time with everyone else my real world brain will start to disappear into the culture void and then I’ll forget science is a thing and probably leave the stove on and burn my house down or something.”
“Yeah yeah, fine. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” We both laugh and continue walking. We’ve made it almost halfway to the entrance when I remember something.
“Oh right I need to tell you about this café I found in Copenhagen that sells the most delicious pastries. I went there with a few other students and they had this perfect macaron filled with real raspberries and a pistachio cream. I’m serious when I say you really need to try it.”
“What is this I hear? A winter trip to Copenhagen it sounds like. I’m expecting you to be free the last week of Januray then?”
“Yeah sounds great.” I giggle at her.
“We’re here!” Felice exclaims and I look up at the grand pyramid in front of the Louvre. “Let’s go, I got us direct entrance to the Mona Lisa and the others are there already.” She hurries me into the door and up the stairs and then I see him. A breathtaking brunette with eyes like the northern sea. He laughs at something his friend said and I stop in my tracks. His smile lights up the entire room. If the Mona Lisa is the world’s most beautiful thing he simply mustn’t exist. He must be some concoction of my mind. He’s standing right next to it and I can’t even bring myself to look at the painting. There is only him.
I break out of my embarrassing trance when Felice starts dragging me across the floor towards her friends. I must really have checked out here or something because I don’t realise it is the very same group of people Mr. Dream Guy was with until we’re two steps away. (Which is way too short of a distance to alert Felice of the fact she forgot to mention one of her friends is a literal angel.)
“Yay! You’re finally here.” A strawberry blonde girl jumps at Felice when we arrive behind the group.
“Yeah, Alicia almost got run over but we made it.”
“You really don’t have to tell them that. Can’t you let me make a good first impression?”
“Never.” She starts introducing me to all of her friends. The strawberry blonde is Kelly, and she’s in theatre along with a black haired guy called Robert. Howard, Jasmine and Peter all do art with Felice. Mr. Dream Guy introduces himself as Louis. He’s the only one out of the group not studying anything artsy. He’s apparently doing a bachelor’s degree in environmental systems.
After exploring the Spanish and Decorative arts for a few hours the group decides to head to a café. Going there puts me and Louis beside each other.
“So how come you ended up with this lot if you’re not in school together?” I ask him.
“I play music in my spare time. And I’ve helped Kelly and Robert out a few times with musicals. I usually play with the band.”
“Wow, I love playing instruments but I’m not very good. What do you play?”
“Well I started out on guitar but since then I’ve picked up piano and the saxophone as well. How about you?”
“I used to play the piano when I was little but I don’t remember much of it anymore.
“Maybe I’ll have to teach you then.” He looks me straight in my eyes and I can see his twinkling in the sunlight. It makes him look as if it would be the very best thing in the world to teach me piano.
“Yeah, maybe you will.” We’re quiet for a while before he asks me about my studies. From there conversation flows easily from studies into sports and further on to adventures we’d like to do. We find out we share a wish to visit Portugal and a love for hiking.
“It’s decided then. Next spring; a trip to Madeira for hiking!” I joke and laugh at him.
“Absolutely!” He has the same joking tone but it changes quickly to be completely serious. “But I should probably get your number then, so we can plan it.” As he says this he holds out his phone for me to take. It’s open to a ‘New contact’-page. ‘Shit he was serious!’ comes to mind. But It’s a welcome gesture as I for one thought we clicked perfectly. I take his phone and write my number and name before I give it back. Just as I hand Louis back his phone Kelly exclaims from the front of the group,
“We’re here!” And so our private conversation comes to an end as we head for a table large enough for everyone.
When I get off my bike outside my apartment later I have a text from an unknown number.
“So when are we starting those piano lessons?”