9
DANE
“This is all really great, Dane, but I don’t think we can afford this,” Ethan tells me as he glances over Hannah’s shoulder at the menu forLe Jules Verne.
Hannah is nibbling on the corner of her lip as her eyes bounce all over the menu, assuming she’s trying to find something in their price range.
They don’t list prices and it’s a prix fixe menu, so there aren’t many options to modify your meal. As there shouldn’t be. The chef creates each course to pair with the appetizer, entrée, and dessert down to the drink choice. It’s an entire culinary experience.
This is one of the areas I splurge on whenever I’m traveling. Visiting the world’s best restaurants and diving headfirst into the culture's cuisine.
“I know the manager and he owes me a favor so don’t worry about the price,” I lie as I respond back to Ethan without looking at him, because I hate lying. I do know the manager, but Hugo doesn’t owe me anything. I’ll just have him charge me without them knowing about it.
Speaking of, I see the tall, lean Frenchman in the corner ofthe restaurant talking to one of his servers. He side-eyes in my direction and tips his chin in acknowledgment, then holds up one finger in my direction. I smile and nod then turn back to Ethan and Hannah.
Hannah gave the menu back to the hostess and Ethan is standing next to her, holding her hand.
The thin strap of her floral sundress has fallen over her shoulder and the peak of her breast is holding her dress up with immaculate precision. Her sun-touched skin is glowing from our touring around Paris today, pairing perfectly with the bright yellow fabric of her dress.
Reaching out, I take the strap between my fingers and trail it back up her arm and over her shoulder. Goosebumps scale over her skin as I touch her, and there’s an audible hitch in her breath.
Her eyes meet mine and my cock stirs behind my pants and I peer over at Ethan who watches both of us with the same intensity he has been all day. There have been moments between each one of us throughout the day, lingering gazes, playful touches, flirty banter, and the best part, light-hearted and witty conversation.
I thought it would be a challenge to communicate with Hannah, but I’ve just been asking her questions she can easily answer and it’s been effortless to read her body language and facial expressions.
I suppose since I secretly understand the conversations they have when they sign to each other that makes me part of their conversation, too. But, I haven’t let them in on that little bit of knowledge yet.
Regardless, nothing they’ve done has made me feel like an odd man out. In fact, they both seem as interested in me as I am in them.
Other than Ethan, practicing his roadrunner skills themoment the sexual tension between us gets too high, then acting angry about it.
Neither one has mentioned the club again from last night. But, I’ve decided I want to take them there.
I have no idea how I’ll bring it up or what I’ll do to convince them, but wearegoing. Even if I have to give up a kidney or some other decently useful organ, I’m getting them there.
Today I took them all around the standard places you see when you go to Paris. The Louvre, Notre-Dame, the Palace of Versailles and now here, at the Eiffel Tower.
I originally wanted to take them off the beaten path. But now I have an excuse to hang out with them another day, since I have more places to show them that they won’t easily be able to find themselves.
Glancing at my watch, we have about two hours until Kobi gets here. We’re meeting him after dinner at Vortex, one of Paris’ most popular dance clubs, and I’m more than excited about the fact that they want to keep the night going. Apparently, Ethan hates dancing but Hannah loves it. He agreed to go because she’s clearly a weakness for him and I can totally see why.
I’ve gotten to know a little more about both of them today. They’re both likeable, in dramatically different ways, but I find myself so easily drawn to them.
It feels magnetic. One side of me is easily attracted to Hannah and the collision is unavoidable. While, it’s the opposite with Ethan and he repels the moment we get too close.
I glance over at Hannah again and she’s absolutely stunning. Her ocean blue eyes and dark hair give her a sultry look not many women can pull off, yet the bright color of her canary yellow dress paired with that universal smile she gives everyone makes her the easiest person to open up to.
My eyes trail over to Ethan as he glances around, taking in his surroundings. He’s so goddamn sexy and perfectlygroomed. Everything on him is put together. His hair, his outfit, even his five o’clock shadow seems to behave perfectly. All of that strict disposition trails over to his personality, too. Unlike Hannah, it took him a long while to warm up to me today, but the moments he did were full of laughter and fun. Then when the flirty tension got too high, he backed off, fighting that magnetic pull even though I wish he'd just give into it.
There were multiple times I felt it, I know they both did. Hannah would smile and flirt back. Ethan would shut down completely.
So, pretty much, he’s the exact opposite of me inallthe ways.
In any case, everything about today has been perfect with them and I just don’t want it to end.
“Dane!” Hugo walks up to me with his arms held out. He places his palms on the outside of my arms, kissing me on one cheek, then switching and kissing me on the other.
“I’m delighted to see you, it’s been too long. To what do I owe this pleasure?” His french accent is more apparent than ever, or maybe I’ve just been away too long.
