When the Heart Falls(37)

"Great." I hope my lie is convincing. I haven't written anything in days, and I'm completely stuck. Again.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Look at what Larry got me." She holds out her wrist to show off a beautiful diamond tennis bracelet.

I run my fingers over the sparkling jewels. "Are those real?"

She laughs. "I'm pretty sure it's rude to ask that, but yes, they are."

I'm stunned speechless.

Autumn ruffles my head like I'm two-years-old. "Don't worry. You'll have someone buying you jewelry soon enough. Hell. When your book becomes a bestseller, you'll be buying all the jewelry you want."

I don't care about the jewelry. I just want someone to love me as much as she's loved.

Cade arrives, looking sexy as hell, and we take the metro to the museum. We haven't been to the Louvre yet, which sounds awful but when you're in school every day, it's harder to make time for a museum this size. It's a weekend project, some have said.

Three glass pyramids mark the entrance to the Louvre: a large one in the center and two smaller ones to the sides. I can't wait to walk through the middle one as we enter, but Autumn thwarts my plans by bypassing the pyramid and main entrance to take us through a private entrance. "Ah, I wanted to see the inside of the pyramid," I say. Cade laughs, and I elbow him in the ribs. "Don't mock. I know you did too, Mr. Architect."

Autumn eyes us both and smiles. "You can check it out later. We don't have a lot of time for your private tour."

The staff entrance is less than overwhelming, with offices and storerooms and very ordinary looking work areas. One guy waves a McDonald's french fry in the air as he greets Autumn. "How you doing?"

"Leafy as usual," she says.

They share a private chuckle as she keeps walking.

Leafy as usual? She has private inside jokes. Jokes with people she works with. I don't have private jokes with anyone. A twinge of jealously spikes in me for my sister's life. She's beautiful, warm and friendly, has a man who loves her and a career where she's respected and happy.

"Who was that?" I ask.

"Just a guy I work with."

"And he's eating McDonald's? At the Louvre?" I can't quite wrap my brain around these two things simultaneously.

"He's on lunch break, come on."

Autumn's enthusiasm rubs off on me, especially when we enter the first exhibit room, partitioned off with a fancy rope. Cade catches up to me and holds my hand. "Having fun yet?" he asks.

I nod. "I was the kid who wished she could walk into the movies and explore the sets, who once tried to climb off a ride at Adventureland so I could see how they made the creatures move. This is a dream come true for me!"

Autumn gestures to the artifacts around us. "These will be on display soon, but you're the first non-staff to see them." She points to a sphinx that takes up the whole wall. "This is the first time that piece has ever left Cairo."

We stand closer as she uses my camera to snap pictures. Getting silly, I strike my best 'walk-like-an-Egyptian' pose in front of a wall of life size art of old pharaohs and queens.

Cade takes pictures, moving around like a professional photographer. "Work it. Work it, baby." I'm trying not to laugh as he gives me instructions like "Be one with the wall" and "Show me scorn. Now show me lust."

For that one I stick my tongue out at him. He clicks another picture and pulls me to him. "Careful, my Queen, or I might find other things to do with that tongue."

Wow. My legs shake as we stare at each other.

Autumn clears her throat. "Come on, love birds. Time for the behind the scenes stuff."



The next room we enter is large, with tall walls and shelves full of ancient Egyptian sculptures that all look vaguely familiar.

Autumn's face pales, and she squeezes her legs closed. "Hey, guys, I have to use the bathroom. Excuse me."

While we wait for her to return, we walk around exploring the art. "This place reminds me of those halls where lords and ladies would dance," I say. "I feel so small in a room so big."

Cade holds out his hand, like he did the first night we danced together, and bows at the waist. "Would m'lady care to dance?"

Playing along, I curtsy and accept his hand. "But of course."

We spin and twirl, and I lose myself in his arms as music only we can hear guides us.

He pulls me closer, then spins me with a flare. I whip my hand out, like a ballroom dancer, and it knocks into something cold and hard.

And then I hear the crash.

We freeze, and I follow Cade's horror filled eyes to the corner where a priceless Egyptian sculpture lays shattered on the ground.

"Oh God. Oh no. NoNoNoNo!"

Autumn hollers from the bathroom. "What was that?"

"I just slipped," Cade says. "I'm okay. Nothing broke. No one danced here and accidentally kicked down a statue. Nope."

I swat his chest and mouth "Shut up."

"I'm okay," he repeats.

"Good!" Autumn groans like she's in labor. "God, this is a big one. Feels like baby Satan clawing out of me. Jesus." She goes silent, and I try not to think about what she just said. In front of Cade.