A Sign

Nadia arrived at the Hotel du Lilas in the 19th arrondissement. It wasn’t lilac coloured at all. A weathered limestone with cracks and water stains. 4 stories tall. A faded sign. The smell of cigarettes was familiar and sweet. She was here to do her assignment that Professor Delphine Arnaud set for them. Feel out a hotel lobby in Paris. Feel the magic.

Nadia lit up a cigarette. Sweet nicotine. Exhaling smoke. Her lungs blackened. The sky, overcast, moody, cold.

Xiao Mei hadn’t come around as much. She needed time.

Nadia stepped into the lobby. The smell of baked bread and mop water. The lobby had a few couches. The receptionist wasn’t to be seen. Nadia sat down. The couch legs wobbled.

Professor Delphine said that “the best hotelier can make magic in our hearts”.

She waited for a sign.

A man entered. He had a mess of wavy brown hair. Tall. Lanky. Thick glasses. He wore an oversized business suit. A blue shirt. Un-ironed. He was carrying a dozen textbooks. He was wobbling like the couch. This was going to be a catastrophe.

Just as the books tipped, Nadia caught the other side of the stack. Their eyes met. Blue eyes.