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"Same, same, but different," Willem says

"More like sao to Cancún, you can sneak out into the real Mexico," he suggests "Tempt fate See what happens"

"Maybe," I allow, just iested a little freelance traveling

"Maybe I’ll go to Mexico one day," Willem says "I’ll bump into you, and we’ll escape into the wilds"

"You think that would happen? We’d just randomly bump into each other?"

Willem lifts his hands up in the air "There would have to be another accident A big one"

"Oh, so you’re saying that I’m an accident?"

His smile stretches like caraainst the curb I think of s I think of the color-coded schedule of all e since I was, like, eight I think of e applicationplanned I look at Willem, so the opposite of that, of me, today, also the opposite of that

"I think that s anyone has ever said to h"

"It says that you haven’t been flattered enough"

I bow and give a sweeping be-esture

He stops and looks at me, and it’s like his eyes are scanners I have that sa me, only this ti else

"I won’t say that you’re pretty, because that dog already did And I won’t say you’re funny, because you have hadsince I met you"

Evan used to telllike hihest forht there, and it would be enough

But he doesn’t stop there "I think you’re the sort of person who finds round and waves it in the air and asks if anyone has lost it I think you cry in movies that aren’t even sad because you have a soft heart, though you don’t let it show I think you do things that scare you, and that ee-jues"

He stops then I opencomes out and there’s a lu to cry

Because I’d hoped for baubles, trinkets, fizzy things: You have a nice ss You’re sexy

But what he saidI did once turn in forty dollars I found at the food court to le Jason Bournehe said, I don’t know if it’s true But I hope oing," I say, clearing et to the Louvre How far is it from here?"

"Maybe a few kilometers But it’s fast by bike"

"You want et a Vélib’" Willeray bicycles "Have you ever heard of the White Bicycle?" he asks

I shakehow for a brief time in Amsterdam in the 1960s, there used to be white bicycles, and they were free and everywhere When you wanted a bike, you grabbed one, and when you were done, you left it But it didn’t work because there weren’t enough bikes, and people stole them "In Paris, you can borrow a bike for free for a half hour, but you have to lock it back up, or you get charged"

"Oh, I think I just read they started so like this back home So, it’s free?"

"All you need is a credit card for the deposit"

I don’t have a credit card--well, not one that doesn’t link back to h he says he isn’t sure if there’s enough When he runs it through the little keypad, one of the bikes unlocks, but when he tries it again for a second bike, the card is declined I’ around Paris, sans heluely suicidal

But Wille it over to where I’ the seat He looks at me Then pats the saddle

"Wait, you want me to ride the bike?"

He nods

"And you’ll what? Run alongside me?"

"No I’ll ride you" His eyebrows shoot up, and I feel myself blush "On the bike," he clarifies