Page 55 of Rescue

Chapter Eleven

Lennon

We spend the first morning of our week in Paris at the venue, taking a tour and meeting the production team that we’ll work with for the broadcast. They take us up into the balcony so we can get a sense of the size of the stage. It looks small from up here even though I know that the venue, though not the biggest we’ve ever played in, is larger than what we usually play. I lean against the railing and wonder if Haylee has ever played anything bigger then feel angry at myself for thinking about her so much.

“Hey, Len,” Levi says, joining me at the railing. “Karen wanted me to ask you to lunch.”

I cock an eyebrow at him. “Really? You haven’t seen her in weeks, and her first full day with the tour—her first full day in the most romantic city in the world—and she wants to have lunch with me?” I smirk at him. “What’d you do to piss her off?”

He makes a face at me. “Lunch with you isn’t exactly my top choice, bud, but for reasons that I can’t quite comprehend, she says she misses you.”

I grin at that. I like Karen. Like her for Levi. When she came out on tour with us last summer she changed him, transforming him from an uptight worrier (mostly my fault) to someone who could actually have some fun once in a while.

“Sure,” I say. “Lunch sounds good.”

We meet Karen back at the hotel and walk the few blocks to a cafe the concierge recommended. We’re staying in the Latin Quarter, and the neighborhood is littered with restaurants, patisseries, and cafes. The smell of baking croissant is pretty much ubiquitous.

“I can’t believe I’m in Paris,” Karen says, looking around happily. “You know, before I met you guys I’d never been farther away from home than Atlanta.”

“I’m just happy we have the chance to actually spend some time here this time,” Levi says. He has his arm wrapped loosely over her shoulders, and every once in a while he’ll reach up to finger her hair. I wonder what it would feel like to be that comfortable with Haylee.Stupid to think about, I tell myself.She would never want to be in that kind of relationship with you.

“You’re spacing, buddy,” Karen says, reaching for her wine glass.

“Sorry.” I blink a few times to clear my head. “What’d you say?”

“I asked if you had the chance to see much of the city on the last tour.”

“A little bit,” I say, determined not to think about Haylee anymore. It’s nice that Karen is here. Levi looks happy, and God knows he deserves a little happiness. I don’t want to waste the day being mopey. “It’s a really cool city. Probably my favorite in Europe.”

“What’s the best thing to do?”

“If you like art museums, this is the place,” I say.

I expect her to make a face, the way my brothers do when the subject comes up, but she sits a little straighter. “Do you think they have anything showcasing photography?”

“I’m sure they do. Why?”

“Karen’s really getting interested in photography,” Levi says, his chest puffing out a little bit. “She’s great.”

She looks down at the table. Is she blushing? “Karen Simpson,” I say in mock shock. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you shy.”

“Shut the hell up,” she mutters, and I grin.

“That sounds more like you.” I grab another piece of bread from the basket. “I’m sure we can find something.”

“To be honest, I bet Paige already has the entire week planned out,” she says, grimacing at me. “I heard her saying she was picking something special for each of us.”

“Oh, God,” Levi says.

“We have a lot of work to do,” I remind him. “I don’t think we’ll be able to run around the city with Paige every day.”

“I’m sure she’ll find a way.”

Our food arrives, and we eat in silence for a minute. This is one of my favorite things about Paris, even more than the museums. Their culture of food—the predominance of restaurants, the focus on good wine, the way they linger over their meals, talking for hours—I love that.

“So, Len,” Karen says after a few bites. “What’s with this girl you’re in love with?”

I choke on my croque monsieur, and Levi pounds me on the back while I cough.