thirty year-old man in his prime.
He reminded her so much of herself and how she would
often find herself sinking back into the character she was so used to playing.
It had been so long since she had been someone that could be considered
‘self-assured’ but when she was with Cameron, confidence came easy.
She supposed that when two people who were both
inexplicably damaged, met and clicked, a kind of magical forcefield
encapsulated them, shutting off their insecurities. Although, Cameron seemed a
little more ‘off’ than usual and she wondered whether that was because it had
been weeks since they had last spoken.
“Hey, you? You okay?” Cameron asked as he appeared
in front of her. Maria suddenly caught herself, as she realized he had been
waiting for her while she was lost in thought.
“Oh, yes, I’m fine. I was just thinking how nice it
is to have ... found you.”
There was a pause, then Cameron -- humble as ever-- shrugged
and said, “I think we both know I’m the lucky one here.”
Maria felt a wave of compassion then, for this man.
The only man she had ever known who had made her feel important, even if this
was only the second time they had met.
She laughed, basking in the glow of his
unintentional charm, borne probably of his lack of self-esteem.
“Something tells me you’re wrong there, Cameron, but
only time will tell, I suppose.” She said, nudging his arm playfully. Cameron
smiled, bumping her back gently before skipping off down the street dodging a
small group of youngsters sporting extravagantly decorated costumes.
Maria skipped after him, laughing. Above, the early
evening sky was a deep soulful blue, complimented by the glowing light from the
line of tall street lights, each one looking like an antique throwback from a
hundred years earlier.
The perfect location for a blossoming romance, she
thought. A wonderful feeling of anticipation flooded through her.
Cameron sounded and ‘felt’ right from the moment she
met him on that lonely street in Rome, the perfect tonic for a girl almost
completely given over to despair.
She made a mental note to call Emma and thank her.
Chapter Two
As they strolled, slowly, almost nonchalantly, the
couple enjoyed a moment of silence that was broken only by the occasional car
horn or nearby conversation. It seemed to Maria like Paris injected a feeling
of harmony especially when you had someone to share it with. Paris was made for
two, and she guessed Cameron was feeling the same. Every few seconds, his
sky-blue eyes would shift in her direction, the message clear.
“You know, I hardly have any idea where we are. All
I know is that’s the Eiffel Tower and this is Paris. I like it that way ...
it’s ... what’s the word ...?” Cameron said, his voice thoughtful.
Maria nodded in agreement, “I think you mean it’s
‘comforting’ right?”
“I think we are comfortably lost,” he replied.
Cameron smiled, and Maria looked on enjoying the way
his smiling face was back-lit by the bright red of the lights lining the Eiffel
Tower behind him. He smiled so easily, as if it were new to him.
Was it always that way? She wondered if he, like
her, returned to reality at the end of the evening and wished that life had
dealt him a different hand?
In time, she hoped that would no longer be the case.
Cameron, she hoped, would play a penultimate role in helping her reach that
point.
“You really do ‘get me’ don’t you, Maria. I mean
even on that first day in Rome, when I pulled up in my limo all cocky and brash,
you seemed to see through all that bravado and bring me down to Earth,” Cameron
said, stepping aside to allow a young couple to pass by with a flourish of his
hand.
The couple smiled and moved on. The magic of the
Paris evening clearly alive within their hearts too.
Maria found herself blushing and instinctively
turned away, but Cameron didn’t notice and instead turned and continued
walking, the ever-present smile
He reminded her so much of herself and how she would
often find herself sinking back into the character she was so used to playing.
It had been so long since she had been someone that could be considered
‘self-assured’ but when she was with Cameron, confidence came easy.
She supposed that when two people who were both
inexplicably damaged, met and clicked, a kind of magical forcefield
encapsulated them, shutting off their insecurities. Although, Cameron seemed a
little more ‘off’ than usual and she wondered whether that was because it had
been weeks since they had last spoken.
“Hey, you? You okay?” Cameron asked as he appeared
in front of her. Maria suddenly caught herself, as she realized he had been
waiting for her while she was lost in thought.
“Oh, yes, I’m fine. I was just thinking how nice it
is to have ... found you.”
There was a pause, then Cameron -- humble as ever-- shrugged
and said, “I think we both know I’m the lucky one here.”
Maria felt a wave of compassion then, for this man.
The only man she had ever known who had made her feel important, even if this
was only the second time they had met.
She laughed, basking in the glow of his
unintentional charm, borne probably of his lack of self-esteem.
“Something tells me you’re wrong there, Cameron, but
only time will tell, I suppose.” She said, nudging his arm playfully. Cameron
smiled, bumping her back gently before skipping off down the street dodging a
small group of youngsters sporting extravagantly decorated costumes.
Maria skipped after him, laughing. Above, the early
evening sky was a deep soulful blue, complimented by the glowing light from the
line of tall street lights, each one looking like an antique throwback from a
hundred years earlier.
The perfect location for a blossoming romance, she
thought. A wonderful feeling of anticipation flooded through her.
Cameron sounded and ‘felt’ right from the moment she
met him on that lonely street in Rome, the perfect tonic for a girl almost
completely given over to despair.
She made a mental note to call Emma and thank her.
Chapter Two
As they strolled, slowly, almost nonchalantly, the
couple enjoyed a moment of silence that was broken only by the occasional car
horn or nearby conversation. It seemed to Maria like Paris injected a feeling
of harmony especially when you had someone to share it with. Paris was made for
two, and she guessed Cameron was feeling the same. Every few seconds, his
sky-blue eyes would shift in her direction, the message clear.
“You know, I hardly have any idea where we are. All
I know is that’s the Eiffel Tower and this is Paris. I like it that way ...
it’s ... what’s the word ...?” Cameron said, his voice thoughtful.
Maria nodded in agreement, “I think you mean it’s
‘comforting’ right?”
“I think we are comfortably lost,” he replied.
Cameron smiled, and Maria looked on enjoying the way
his smiling face was back-lit by the bright red of the lights lining the Eiffel
Tower behind him. He smiled so easily, as if it were new to him.
Was it always that way? She wondered if he, like
her, returned to reality at the end of the evening and wished that life had
dealt him a different hand?
In time, she hoped that would no longer be the case.
Cameron, she hoped, would play a penultimate role in helping her reach that
point.
“You really do ‘get me’ don’t you, Maria. I mean
even on that first day in Rome, when I pulled up in my limo all cocky and brash,
you seemed to see through all that bravado and bring me down to Earth,” Cameron
said, stepping aside to allow a young couple to pass by with a flourish of his
hand.
The couple smiled and moved on. The magic of the
Paris evening clearly alive within their hearts too.
Maria found herself blushing and instinctively
turned away, but Cameron didn’t notice and instead turned and continued
walking, the ever-present smile
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