Chapter 44: Exploration

The stairs led into a room with a blocked doorway. I spotted a bar of metal off to the side, which turned out to be titanium. After clearing the rubble in front of the doorway, I checked the door for a handle or secret button that might open it. One of the bricks was loose, so I pushed it in and the platform underneath my feet started vibrating. I stepped off to the side and the door swung open, revealing a secret passage.

I cautiously made my way through the door into another room. This time the door was more obvious, but it had a locked chain around it. I collected some more bars of metal and a pile of coins. There was a platform with footprints on it. I stood on the platform, and it started vibrating. Flashes of light started coming out from it and then the chain on the door began to vibrate as well. After a few seconds, the chain broke and fell off the door.

I looked around in the next room and saw some more piles of rocks, another door locked by a chain, and a plaque on the wall. The plaque had a heart carved into it. I smiled. France had read my mind. I took this vacation because I was sick of being lonely. I felt like the plaque was telling me I would find love again, even though I was in a deep dark cavern. Of all the coincidences in my life, this one was by far the best.

My phone started ringing in my pocket. I picked it up and looked at the caller ID. It was Gustave.

"Bonjour, Sicilee. How are you?"

I loved the way he said my name, he sort of dragged out the last part of it, letting it linger in the air.

"I am fine. I found an underground cavern and I've searched two rooms so far, but I haven't found your object yet."

"You are ok? Tired, hungry?"

"I'm ok. A little itchy. Some bugs crawled on me."

"Ooh, desole, em, sorry! You are ok?"

I laughed at the way Gustave panicked when I told him about the bugs. I suppose it was a good thing since he probably felt like an ass for sending a tourist down into a cavern.

"Ha-ha, Gustave, I am fine. Um, tres bien."

"Ah, ok. I'll let you go now. I'll call later, yes?"

"Yes, au revoir, Gustave."

"Au revoir, Sicilee. Em, Sicilee? Merci, for doing this for me."

"You're welcome, Gustave."

I turned my attention back to the heart plaque on the wall. The pile of rocks I had just cleared revealed a heart that looked like it matched the one in the plaque. When I put it into the plaque, a glowing blue light enveloped me. The chain on the door started vibrating and then fell on the floor.

I was getting sleepy so I decided to pitch my tent instead of going all the way back to the hotel. I would continue this adventure in the morning. As I drifted off to sleep I started thinking about Gustave and if I would be able to find his object before my visa expired. I desperately wanted to spend some time with him. Maybe we could go on a date, drink some wine, and hold each other close. Tonight, he would invade my dreams.

The next morning, I got an early start at 7am. I stepped through the last door I had unlocked and looked around. Oh wow. I am so glad I came to France. I wasn't in the most glamorous of spaces at the moment, but I was still awestruck. I never would have seen anything like this back home. The room was beautiful. There was a large hedgemaze in the middle of the room with a few statues and doors off to the side. A hedgemaze was the last thing I had expected to find in an underground cavern.

I continued on into the room and entered the maze. There were several stone columns sitting near some parts of the maze. I passed one that looked like it had a bottle of wine on it. I doubled back. Wine? Down here? I picked up the bottle, and sure enough, it was a full, never opened bottle of wine. I put it in my pack and made my way to one of the side doors.

My phone rang again. Gustave was certainly true to his word for keeping in touch.

"Bonjour, Sicilee. You are ok?"

Oh, my heart was doing back flips in my chest again at the sound of Gustave's sexy voice. I could just listen to him talk all day even if I had no idea what he was saying.

"Bonjour, Gustave. Yes, I am ok. I found some wine!"

"Ooh, tres bien! Maybe we can share a drink when you get back, yes?"

Did he just ask me out? Oh yes. A sexy Frenchman just offered to have wine with me. I love my life right now.

"Oui!"

I happily agreed and we decided to hang out when I got back. I was more than determined now to hurry up and find that object. Half my day was gone already despite me waking up at 7:00 this morning. As luck would have it, the last room I went into was the one where I found Gustave's baseball. I laughed because I had just explored an underground cavern that seemed like it was hundreds of years old and found some wine and a baseball. I was excited though because now I had a half day and another full one to spend with Gustave.

"Sicilee! Good to see you!"

I walked into the store at nightfall. I was hoping Gustave was still there. His eyes lit up when he saw me and he practically ran towards me.

"I found your baseball, Gustave."

"Merci beaucoup, Sicilee."

I was so glad to see him. I was having a hard time not thinking of doing dirty things to His Hotness. I stared into his eyes as he talked to me. Everything about his appearance was perfect and he smelled so good.

"Gustave? I brought the wine. Would you like to drink some with me?"

"Aah, oui! Un moment!"

Gustave went back into a closet and grabbed some glasses. He didn't have wine glasses in his store, but any glasses would do really. He set them on a tray and gave it to me. I poured the wine. It smelled sweet like strawberries. I wondered how it would taste. Of course that led me to thinking how Gustave would taste.

After drinking a lot of wine, Gustave asked me the question I had been dying to hear from him. I stared into his beautiful eyes. He seemed a little nervous.

"Sicilee, will you go on a date with me? I will take you to a restaurant in town. It has very good food."

After our dinner, it was 1am. I didn't want the night to end. Gustave and I were standing outside the cafe next to a table with a big umbrella. It seemed like Gustave didn't want to go home either because he took me in his arms and sang me a song. It was so romantic even though I had absolutely no idea what he was saying. I wondered if I could take him back to my hotel and make love to him.

Gustave put his arm around me and rubbed my lower back. I rested my head on his shoulder, looking up at the sky. I felt Gustave touch my hair and then he leaned in close, kissing my neck and shoulders. Slowly he moved his hand down to my arm, taking my hand in his, and leading me to an open spot of grass. We sat close to each other and looked up at the sky together this time.

I was feeling euphoric just being close to him when Gustave leaned close to me and said, "I think I like you, Sicilee."

I smiled, glad that he was feeling the same things I was. I was still toying with the idea of inviting him back to my hotel room.

"That is not the only thing, Sicilee. I would very much like to kiss you."

My heart was beating so fast. I felt my palms get clammy and wet. I didn't know if he wanted me to answer him or what, but I couldn't talk. It was like I had a frog in my throat, which is ironic because I had frog legs for dinner. I felt Gustave put his hand on my lower back again and rub it gently. I wanted him to kiss me so bad. I still couldn't talk, so I looked into his eyes and leaned in close. He got my signal and brought his hand up to my face, brushing the hair out of my eyes. He gently put his hand on my cheek. I opened my mouth slightly to let him know I wanted a French kiss. Do they call it a French kiss when you're in France? Shut up, Sicily.

He put his lips on mine and sucked on my lower lip for a bit as if to tease me, but then he put his tongue in my mouth like I wanted. I touched his face and pulled him closer to me, kissing him back, enjoying every second. My hand moved down the side of his face, tickling his neck and collarbone. He let out a sigh of happiness when I touched his collarbone. I wondered if I had found one of his ticklish spots, and then I wanted to know if he had any more.