We Will Always Have Paris

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

California was like nothing I'd ever seen before. It was warm without being hot, and it was humid without being stuffy. Gerald and I spent the night at a Comfort Inn across from the venue for the afterparty. The night sky was bright even at 3 am because of the city lights, and it made me think of Paris. Once I had told Gerald that I didn't miss home, but if he asked now I would tell him that I did. I missed my life with Emilie back in the City of Love, and I missed being with Gerald there.

"What did you think of the show?" he asked me as he stepped out of the shower.

"You've had better ones, you seemed off tonight." I turned and hugged him tightly.

"It's my first show since I overdosed. I think that's enough of a reason to not perform at my best."

"I suppose it is." I kissed him softly, "Is it bedtime yet? I'm tired."

"Oh you're tired, are you?" he bit my lip and pulled back slowly, "I guess we'll have to do something about that..." he pulled me to the bed and dropped his towel. We slid beneath the sheets and Gerald spooned me. "Goodnight Frenchie." He was asleep in seconds, and it wasn't long before I was too.

In the morning we had breakfast with his brother and mother, who had come from San Francisco to surprise him. His mom had black hair that was going gray at the roots and a wide smile.

"It is so nice to finally meet you!" she exclaimed when she saw me sitting with Gerald, "He talks about you all the time but never once bothered to introduce us!" she talked very fast, which made sense as to why Gerald because a rapper instead of a blue's singer. She talked nonstop the entire time and teased Gerald for being too skinny and for being too tall.

"He gets his height from his good-for-nothing father. And the drugs, he got that from him too." The table got silent suddenly and for a moment no one dared say anything. Then the waitress came and the minute passed. Gerald's brother, James, looked just like Gerald except he didn't smile once, not even when he had walked in.

"So James," his mother said, "I missed what you ordered, what did you get."

"Hash browns, mom. That's all I ever get."

"I love hash browns," I told him, "It's the only breakfast food I'll eat at breakfast."

James gave me a small uplift of his lips; not exactly a smile but close enough. "Me too, I can't stand anything else. Eggs can be eaten for dinner just like steak."

"Yes! Exactly!" I smiled at him as we were served our hash browns.

"You're weird." Gerald said, then he kissed me on the cheek.

After breakfast his mom said she wanted to take me shopping, but we had to catch a plane to Indiana for his next show. We said our goodbyes and then went to the airport.

"Did you like my family?" he asked

"Well it's more of a family than I've ever had." He frowned

"That wasn't what I meant; I mean could they become a family to you? My mom loves you and so does James, but would you love them back?" it was my turn to frown

"I don't know." Gerald had given me the window seat and I used the window as a distraction for the rest of the trip. When we landed a crowd of paparazzi was waiting for us.

"G, would you say that..."

"Where does your inspiration come from?!"

Then the cameras started flashing and somebody shouted, "That's her! The girl from the emergency room!"

"Just smile," Gerald whispered, "They'll leave us alone sooner that way." He pulled me under his arm and walked through the crowd, occasionally signing autographs and thanking people for their support.

"Are they always this bad?" I asked once most of them had left

"Only when they know the most beautiful girl in the world is by my side." He kissed me deeply, and a camera flashed. Gerald laughed, "That better be on the cover of everything by tomorrow morning." He warned the photographer.

"Will do sir! What's your name, little lady?"

Gerald answered, "The love of my life is Marilyn deBoncoeur."