Free Spiraling Deception by Noree Kahika Page A

to sit on
the lush grassed area of the Trocadero Gardens and enjoyed a picnic
dinner together in full view of the magnificent Eiffel Tower.
    Courtney sighed. “I can’t believe we’re
actually here. Everything is just so perfect.” She leaned back onto
Jake’s chest and he wrapped his arms tightly around her.
    “ It’s beyond perfect,” I
murmured in agreement.
    It was beyond perfection; not only Paris
itself, but being here and experiencing it all with my two best
friends. And for the second time since we’d arrived in France, I
thought the moment to be bittersweet: here we were, all together in
this magnificently beautiful city and on the threshold to closing
one chapter in our lives and beginning the other. Court and Jake
were getting married and starting a family and I was leaving the
safety and comfort of performing with the troupe and embarking on a
career in teaching.
    Jake nudged my shoulder with his. “So,
kiddo, are you really going out to dinner tomorrow with
Knight?”
    I tilted my head and studied Jake for a
couple of moments. His question on the surface sounded benign
enough but from the tightness around his eyes, I could tell he was
concerned about me. I gave him a warm smile. “Yeah, I am. Besides,
with me out of the way for a few hours, you two can enjoy a
romantic night out together without me spoiling your fun.”
    “ That’s not what I meant—”
Jake began, concern troubling his face.
    “ I know what you mean.” I
quickly cut him off. “We’re in Paris, Jake, the most romantic city
in the world. You two should let loose a little and have a night on
the town without me being a third wheel. Before long, this little
one…” I nodded to Courtney’s rounded baby bump. “Will be here and
it’ll be all diapers, bottles, and sleepless nights.”
    “ Argh, don’t remind me.”
Courtney groaned and gave her belly an affectionate rub.
    “ Charli, that doesn’t mean
you have to go out with some—”
    “ Jake,” Courtney warned,
scowling. “Don’t even start with the big brother speech. Roman
likes Charli and from the way she blushes around him, I’d say she
likes him too. This is Paris, after all. I say Charli should
climb—”
    I shot daggers at Courtney. “Don’t even
finish that sentence, Court.”
    Moving my eyes between both Jake and
Courtney, I gave them a pointed stare. “It’s just dinner, guys.
There’s nothing going on, okay? And the last thing I want to do
right now is to discuss Roman Knight. Come on—look at this amazing
view.” My eyes swept across the park and I silently prayed they’d
let the subject of dinner with Roman drop.
    “ Yeah, you keep telling
yourself that, sister,” chimed Courtney, drawing my gaze. She had a
mischievous grin plastered on her face. “I saw the two of you
together last night and again this morning while on the plane. There’s
definitely some sizzling chemistry between you two.”
    “ What part of ‘I don’t want to talk about Roman Knight’ do you not get, Court?” I snapped. God, I loved
her but there were times when Courtney knew how to press all my
buttons like nobody else.
    “ Come on, you two.” Jake
sighed. He rose to his feet, grabbed Courtney’s hand and hauled her
up. “It’s getting late. We should head back to the
hotel.”
    I gathered the empty
wrappers and cups from our meal, catching Courtney’s eyes as I
placed the rubbish in the bin. She mouthed an I’m sorry , and I mouthed back It’s okay and threw her
a wink. I could never stay angry with Court for very
long.
    The next day, we again rode the bright red
double-decker bus, this time getting off in the Latin quarter of
Paris located on the left bank of the Seine in the 5th and 6th
arrondissements. The atmosphere was eclectic, with a definite
bohemian flare with its vibrant outdoor cafes, quirky little
boutiques, and trendy bars that seemed to attract a more youthful
patronage.
    Stubbornly, I refused to analyze my
attraction to one very hot, but