They came back from La Defence quite early and still had plenty of time before the ride to the airport. Matthew copied all her photos on his laptop. He was surprised by how many great shots she had taken. Some of them were so amazing, suitable to be advertising posters. He already got permission to print some of them. Then he packed his laptop and got his stuff ready.
“Jo, are you tired? Do you want to go for a walk?" Matthew asked, taking his suitcase to the corridor next to the front door.
"I am not. I just finished packing too." Jo said as she thought where they could go somewhere for 2-3 hours.
"Let's go for a walk."
"Fine, but not too long a walk. We have a journey to the airport and a flight ahead of us."
She was already tired but didn't want to admit it. She was in her beloved Paris and wanted to enjoy every minute of it. She had no idea when she could be here again so she had to make the most of every moment to enjoy herself.
The plane from Paris was delayed by almost thirty minutes. Mike had no choice but to leave his car in the carpark. He sent them a message to inform them of where to find him and decided to wait for them in the coffee shop in the arrival hall. "Isn’t too late for coffee, dude?" Matthew approached him poking his left shoulder. Mike was sitting in the corner of the café and had a large cup of black coffee with a plate with a big piece of Napoleon cake on the side. "Hm… Sweets!" Jos’ eyes shone as soon as her eyes landed on his cake. "Doc, you’re setting up a great example! Matthew, would like to have a cup of coffee and dessert at half past eleven?" "Why not? What can I order for you, Jo?" He didn’t joke as he wanted to sit in the cafe and eat something light. "Regular cappuccino and pavlova cake or that Napoleon will do." She pointed at Mikes’ cake which looked tasty. She wasn’t hungry but wouldn't mind having a piece of any delicious gateau. Th
The next morning, they all got ready without talking much. Matthew and Mike watched Jo closely from the moment she got up. They knew she was angry, primarily because she was hungry but they couldn't do anything about it.On the other side, Jo was terrified of her visit to the clinic as she was well aware that an unpleasant examination awaited her soon. She had a similar one a few years ago and had no good memories of it. She had vomited all day. Just the thought of it made her have goose bumps on her back.All of them left Matthew's apartment at the same time in complete silence, taking the elevator down to the underground parking lot."Beauty, don't be afraid! You are going to a reputable, private clinic." Finally, a worried Matthew broke the creepy silence in the elevator. He gently stroked her head and tucked a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. "Our dear Doc," He pointed at Mike "will do absolutely anything to make sure that everything goes smoot
Jo woke up in a hospital bed facing a screen made of green fabric. A similar one stood on her right side, while on the other, there was a white wall. The place looked like a cell, not a hospital room. ‘What a terrifying place!’ She thought.She felt the warm sunlight coming from overhead. There had to be a window there. When she tilted her head slightly, she saw a glass wall behind her, partially covered with blinds. She wanted to get up but as soon as she raised her head, she gave up. She felt dizzy and nauseous. In addition, she found a drip attached to her right hand and she wondered what had happened to her again."She should wake up soon. I have to check on her. I will see you later."She heard a familiar voice. Mike was talking to someone."See you later."Jo heard another male voice. This time it seemed like it belonged to an elderly person."I will review your data as soon as possible. I will send you my assessment
"Could we eat now?" Natalie repeated impatiently.The three of them looked at her shocked. She immediately noticed their astonished gaze."What?" She asked innocently. "I am really hungry, guys!" Without waiting for their approval, she started to eat."Mike, you at least have good manners!" Matthew joked. "These days the younger generation lacks a strict upbringing." He laughed."Matthew, let it go, please. I had a night shift at the emergency department and after that I had to stay a few extra hours. Since morning, I have been chasing after my brother. I haven't eaten breakfast yet." Natalie said with a full mouth.In the meantime, Mike had disconnected the drip in Jo's hand and taken out the cannula. He also brought two chairs from the next room that he put around his desk before pulling out some paper napkins, disposable tableware and cutlery for everyone."How do you feel? Would you like to try some food?" He asked Jo whose eyes sh
“Traitors you say… that’s interesting… very interesting, my best buddy.” Matthew said sarcastically. “Of course ‘best’ in the past tense.” He continued with a strong stress on the word ‘best’.“Bro, you won’t understand.” Mike was truly furious. His little secret was uncovered and his long friendship was in danger.“What should I understand? You have been hiding under my roof for over two months and I don't even know the real reason for this hide-and-seek play. You owe me an explanation.”“It’s complicated… ““Be a man, bro! The wording ‘it's complicated' is a typically female explanation for the guy they want to get rid of. Something synonymous to ‘let's be friends’. Did you get it?” He waited for a moment, but there was no reaction, so he continued. “I am expecting a meaningful answer!”
The new carpet was so soft that Jo wanted to test its comfort. She lay down and did some stretching exercises on it. As she felt her tense muscles loosen, she tried to clear her mind also. She wished she had a phone with her so she would have listened to some relaxation music. She analysed today’s events. After a few minutes of lying down, she felt relaxed.A sudden knock on the door and Natalie’s voice interrupted her considerations.“Come in!” Jo invited her.“Hi, I brought you four dresses and a few pairs of matching shoes. The salon is closed on the weekend so I preferred to be sure that one would suit. Will you try it?”Natalie brought in several dresses on hangers. She was shocked seeing Jo lying on the floor.“Are you ok? Do you need to see a doctor?” She asked worriedly.“I am fine, Natalie. I had to do a few exercises to relax my tense muscles.”Natalie walked to the
When Jo and Matthew arrived under a beautiful late-gothic chapel, there were already a lot of people waiting outside with many cars parked in the make-shift parking lot.“Are we late?” Jo asked. She was concerned because she wasn’t one to be unpunctual or even be fashionably-late.Matthew checked the time on the navigation system in his car, then he looked at his watch. “No, we are 30 minutes earlier.”“Maybe there is some other wedding being held in the chapel.” She speculated.“I don’t think so.” Matthew said, opening the car’s door for Jo. “I just saw Chris at the side entrance so everything looks fine. Let’s get ready and find Natalie.”“Ok. I really feel sorry for her; it must be extremely difficult for her that her brother's friend, and not her father, or brother will lead her down the aisle.”“Life, babe.” He was appalled but th
Before everyone had cooled down and was ready to enter the church, the music had already stopped. From the very beginning of Mendelson's march, everyone's eyes were not on the aisle but at the back of the church and the entrance. The guests saw that there was some commotion outside of the building, but also that the entire retinue was waiting inside. This brought a shock of consternation amongst everyone as they tried to figure out what was going on.One of the worried guests even left the church to ask if everything was okay.“Do you need a doctor? Is everything all right here?” He asked approaching the retinue."Thank you for your concern, Sir. As soon as the music starts to play, we will begin with the processions. Please return to your seat.” Immediately, the event planner calmed him down and escorted him back to his seat.After a while, the music began playing again. As soon as the heavenly voice started singing Ave Maria, all conve