Lost In Versailles

Today we were going to Versailles. I don’t know about you, but I always feel more confident when I dress up. I slipped on a little black dress and explored the sickeningly large palace. If there’s one thing I learned, I discovered that sometimes being lost and alone in a giant sea of people is the best thing for you. I was accompanied by a kind woman in my group, but suddenly I lost her.  Panic destroyed me as I frantically looked around for her in the floods of tourists.

After getting dizzy from searching, I became drunk from the beauty of endless rooms. I accepted I was now on my own and moved along with strangers to room after room.

Finally we reached a place I became struck by; The Hall of Mirrors. The hall seemed to taunt me in a strange way giving a reminder that I was not entirely alone.

Have you ever really thought about mirrors? Are they good or bad? Are they there for us to “correct” our mistakes and flaws? Or are they there to show us that we are beautiful no matter what? Some of us spend hours in front of them and others do not. Mirrors show truth. They show our reflection whether we like them or not.

 As I stared at my own reflection and at the reflections of the hundreds of ever changing people with me, I learned my second lesson. Lesson #2: Life is a mirror and what you see out there, you must first see inside you. Everything that we want is on the other side of fear.

 Of course when I walked into the next room, I was reunited with my group. (Strange how that worked out, right?) After an hour of exploring the outside of Versailles we walked our aching feet back to the hotel. I couldn’t wait to see his face when I got back to the lobby. I lagged behind on purpose just so I would arrive last.

What I had in mind didn’t work. When I walked in he was speaking to both of my Professors. All of them were very, very concerned. My roommate did not join us that day and had found herself in trouble. He had to rescue her from a creep who was following her around Paris.

 I ran upstairs to check on her, and she was just fine, chatting away to our fellow group members and explaining what had happened in another room. I headed back to my  own room to get ready for dinner, but the door was locked.

“Kathryn! I am so sorry…I locked us out!" My roommate called from the other side of the hall.

Seriously?

Her eyes began to twinkle. “Go have the man behind the desk help us!”

She and the others exchanged glances smiling. Did she do this on purpose? Did they plan this? If looks could kill she’d be long gone.

“You’re coming with me.”

“No!! Not when I’m looking like this!”

In her little low cut cami her already red face turned 4 more shades of red. After some protesting I dragged her with me.

 We walked cautiously to the front desk.

“Um…I accidentally locked us out of our room.” My friend shyly said.

He looked at her…then he quickly looked at me. I could feel my face giving him a look of annoyance. I didn’t really mean to, but I also didn’t want him to think I was a stupid American.   

“I will help you in a minute!” he smiled.

Before I knew it we were bounding up the stairs after him. Down the hall he unlocked our door. My roommate dashed in barely giving him time to hold it open. She swiftly went to her side of the room.

As I walked down the hall he looked at me just the way I was hoping he would all day. Suddenly he did the weirdest thing! He shot me a very sly, cunning look and I watched his eyes scan my side of the room. What was he doing? I walked a little faster. When I got to him he looked down at me with a very playful look.

We stood there looking at each other in silence for what seemed like forever. It was like he knew something…

Finally I couldn’t take it anymore. “Thank you so much.” I smiled.

“You are very welcome mademoiselle!” He said almost laughing gleefully walking away.

Author's Note

Reviews

[Terry O'Leary]

Still intriguing...
Was he waiting for a tip?
Terry

[Richard🖌]

Kathryn,
The characters in your story seem so alive, so real and vital, as "if" (there's that word again) I can see them, hear them … amazing, really!

I wish he and she would just get a room … ha-hahhh!
On the other hand, what a turn the story would take. 😊

This (for me) is where it begins to really get interesting in a different way, not that it already hasn't been.

[Kathryn Smith]

haha! You and me both! It would've been so romantic to kiss him, he was just so tall and intimidating. I didn't want to scare the man...and I wasn't sure what would be considered rude in france. haha I remember as I was walking to him, he had a look in his eyes. Maybe I should have talked to him more? I don't know. It was all very dreamlike.