Chapter Six More Than the View
Buildings passed slowly beside them, tall cream-colored stones with iron balconies, flower boxes hanging over the streets, small cafés on almost every corner.She was already reaching for her phone.
“I have to take some pictures,” she said softly.Camille had the window lowered now, the cool air brushing against her face as she started taking pictures.
“Oh my God, look at that building,” Camille said, leaning forward to get a better angle.Simone looked out the window.
Then she pulled her own phone out. Camille was so focused on everything outside she didn’t notice.Simone turned her phone and started recording.
Camille’s face lit up again as they passed another café.
“Look at this street,” she said, holding her phone up again.
“It literally looks like a movie set.”Through her screen, she watched Camille smiling, turning toward the window again as she kept taking photos.
“Simone look.”Simone turned her head. They were passing a small market, beautiful and colorful flowers lined neatly on a table.Camille was already snapping pictures again.
“It’s so pretty.”Simone nodded.“It’s beautiful.
”But she wasn’t looking at the market. She was looking at Camille.A few seconds later Camille leaned back into the seat, quickly scrolling through the pictures she’d just taken.
“These are actually good,” she said, impressed with herself.
“You sound surprised.” Simone said.“I usually take terrible photos.”Simone tilted her phone, looking down at the videos she’d just taken.
Camille looked over.“Simone?” Camille said.
“What?” Simone locked her phone.Camille squinted slightly.
“Did you record a video of me?”Simone didn’t answer.
Instead, she lifted her hand and pointed out the window.
“Look.”Camille frowned for a split second before turning toward the glass.
And then she saw it. The river, the sunlight shimmering across the water.
Stone bridges arched over it gracefully, boats gliding slowly along the surface.Camille gasped.
“Oh my God.”She leaned forward, to get a better look.
“Simone!”Her phone was already back in her hand as she started snapping pictures again.
“This is It?!”Simone smiled.“Yes.”Camille laughed in disbelief.
“ I still can’t believe you did this!” The car rolled slowly along the road beside the river, giving Camille a perfect view of the water and the bridges ahead.
She took another picture, then another. For a moment she just stared out at the river.
Then she turned back toward Simone.Her eyes were bright.
This was exactly the reaction Simone hoped for.
The driver brought the SUV to a smooth stop.Simone reached for the door handle.
Before she could open it.“Simone.”Simone paused and turned.Camille was still sitting down, looking at her with that same expression she’d had earlier at the restaurant.
“Yeah?”“We just had brunch reservations at a restaurant that’s booked months in advance.
”Simone didn’t say anything.“And now,” Camille said, gesturing toward the river outside the window, “we’re at the Seine?
”Simone nodded.“We’re not just here.”Camille frowned.
“What do you mean?”Simone smiled.“We have seats.”Camille’s mouth dropped open.
“You’re kidding.”Simone shook her head. Camille leaned back in her seat, shaking her head slowly in disbelief.
“Why, Simone?” Simone looked but she didn’t answer.
She just shrugged. Camille looked at her longer this time.
“And that,” she said.Simone took a breath.
“What?”Camille pointed at her.“This is the second time today you’ve just looked at me without saying anything.
”“I just wanted us to have a good time.” Simone said.
Her voice was softer than she expected it to be.Before Camille could respond, A loud horn echoed from the dock.
They turned toward the window.One of the river boats was preparing to board.
Simone smiled.“That’s our cue.”She opened the door and stepped out, turning back toward Camille.
“Are you coming?”Camille stared at her for another second.
Then her face broke into a grin.“Yes, I’m coming.
”She slid out of the car. Simone laughed.
“Then come on.”Camille stepped out of the SUV.
But instead of walking past her right away, she stopped directly in front of her.Her eyes locked onto Simone’s.
Simone felt her heart start to pound again.
Camille pointed a finger at her.“This isn’t over.
”Then she turned and started walking toward the boat.
Simone stood there for a second, watching her go.Then she smiled to herself and followed.
Camille moved ahead of Simone toward the dock.
“Simone, look at this.”Boats floating along the current, their glass tops reflecting the sky and the bridges overhead.People were gathered along the dock, couples, families, tourists holding cameras, all waiting to board.Camille turned slowly, taking everything in.
She lifted her phone again, snapping another picture of the water and the bridge just ahead.Behind her, Simone watched the scene with the same curiosity.
Even though she had planned this part of the day, actually standing there made it feel different.Simone watched her for a moment before looking around.
The river felt calmer than the city streets they had just left.A small check-in stand sat near the ramp where passengers were boarding.
A staff member greeted them politely.“Bonjour, mesdames.”Simone smiled.
“Bonjour.”“Name for the reservation?”“Simone.”The staff member checked the list in front of him, then nodded.
“Yes, madame. Two guests.”He handed Simone two small boarding passes.
“Your table is inside. Please board when you’re ready.
”“Merci.”Camille looked over at Simone. They both smiled.
“Come on.”They walked down the short ramp toward the boat.
The wood beneath their feet creaking as the river moved below.Camille paused halfway down the ramp, looking out across the water again.
“I still can’t believe y ou planned all of this.
”Simone said nothing. Camille shook her head, smiling then continued down the ramp.
A crew member stood at the entrance of the boat.
“Bonjour, mesdames.”Simone handed him the passes.
“Welcome aboard.”Camille stepped onto the boat first. She looked up at the glass ceiling above them.
“Oh my god Simone!”Simone stepped in behind her.
And for a minute, they just stood there, taking it all in.Rows of tables stretched through the center of the boat, the glass walls giving a full view of the river on both sides.
Sunlight shined through the roof, reflecting off the water outside.Camille turned slowly.
“This is beautiful.”A crew member approached them with a polite smile.
“Bonjour, mesdames. May I see your passes?”Simone handed them over.
The crew members looked down at them, then nodded.
“Perfect. Your table is just this way.”He gestured toward a small table near the window.
Camille followed, still looking around as they walked.Other passengers were settling in, some already taking photos, others leaning toward the windows to watch the river.They stopped beside their table. “Here you are.”
“Merci,” Simone said. Camille slid into the seat. Simone sat across from her. Camille leaned toward the glass, looking out at the river.
“You can see everything from here.”Simone smiled.
“That was the idea.”Camille looked back at her.
“You really thought of everything.”Before Camille could say anything else, a low rumble moved through the boat as the engines started.Outside, ropes were being pulled in from the dock.
Camille turned back toward the window.“Wait, are we moving already?”Simone leaned toward the window.
The dock began to drift away from them. The boat eased out onto the water.Camille laughed in disbelief.
“Oh my God.”She lifted her phone again.Simone watched her for a moment.
Then she pulled out her phone again. Not to film the river.
But to capture Camille watching it.Camille leaned back in her seat, looking out the window.
“This is amazing,” she said quietly.Simone sat across from her, resting her arm on the table as she watched Camille take it all in.
“Oh my God,” she said, turning the camera toward one of the bridges ahead. “Look at that.”
Simone looked toward the window. The stone bridge arched across the river, people walking along the top while boats drifted underneath.Camille looked up. But she was too focused on the river to notice Simone recording. A voice came through the boat speakers.
“Mesdames et messieurs, welcome aboard.”Camille lowered her phone, listening.
“As we begin our journey along the Seine, you will soon see one of the most famous landmarks in Paris…”A pause.
“Notre-Dame Cathedral.”Camille turned toward the window.
“Where?” Camille asked. “I don’t see it yet.
”Simone moved in her seat, looking out the window.
“It should be coming up.”Camille leaned closer, one hand pressing lightly against the table as she tried to look past the reflection on the glass.
“Hold on,”She adjusted again, tilting her head.
“I think I, no, wait.”Simone looked at her smiling, amused.
“You’re doing the most right now.”Camille didn’t look at her.
“I’m trying to see it.”Simone shook her head, smiling, then leaned forward closer too. “There,” Simone said softly.
Camille followed the direction. And then she saw it. The towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral rose in the distance, detailed and massive, standing quietly along the river as the boat moved closer.
Camille smiled.“It’s just like pictures, but better.
”She leaned in just a little more without realizing it.
“That’s beautiful.”For a minute neither of them moved.
Simone didn’t move her hand away. Both of them looked.
Then Camille looked at Simone. She didn’t move right away.
Simone felt it. The closeness.That pause.
Camille blinked, like she just realized how close they were.
She leaned back slowly into her seat.“Okay,” she said softly, almost to herself.
“That was worth it.”Simone leaned back too, though her eyes lingered on Camille for just a second longer before looking away.The speaker came on again.
“Mesdames et messieurs, as we continue along the Seine,”Camille picked her phone back up, still looking out the window.
“On your right, you will now see the Musée d’Orsay, one of Paris’ most renowned museums, housed in a former railway station.
”Camille looked across the river. She didn’t speak right away.Outside, the boat moved past the buildings lining the water.Camille leaned back, then looked up.
Simone was already looking at her. Not quickly.
Not like she just happened to look up. She was already looking.Camille didn’t say anything this time.
She just looked for a second. Simone blinked, like she’d been caught again, and reached for her glass of water.Camille watched her.
She smiled, just a little. She didn’t tease.
She didn’t question it. She just noticed.Simone took a sip, trying to play it off, but she could feel it.
That shift. Camille looked away first, turning back toward the window.But her expression changed.
The speaker came on again.“Mesdames et messieurs,”Camille looked back toward the river.
“On your right, you will now see the Louvre Museum, one of the largest and most visited museums in the world.”Camille’s eyes widened.
“The Louvre?”She leaned closer.“Simone, that’s the Louvre?
”Outside, the river moved calmly beside them, the city stretching along both sides like something out of a movie.For a second, Camille just sat there.
Quiet. When she looked up, Simone was looking again.
“You keep doing that.”Simone paused.“Doing what?”Camille tilted her head slightly.
“Looking at me like that.”Simone picked up her glass, buying herself a second.
“I’m not,”“Yes, you are,” Camille said softly.Simone took a small sip, then set the glass back down carefully.
Camille leaned back slightly in her seat, still watching her.
“First at the restaurant,” she said. “Then again just now.”Simone let out a quiet breath through her nose.
“You’re paying a lot of attention.” Camille smiled, leaning in just a little.
“So are you.”Simone looked at her again.
This time, she didn’t look away. Now, they were looking at each other, eyes locked.After a small second, Camille asked in a softer voice.
“What is that?”“What is what?”“That look,” Camille said.Simone hesitated.
For a split second, everything in her wanted to answer honestly.
But she wasn’t ready.So instead, she leaned back in her chair.
“You’re reading too much into it.”Camille watched her.
“Am I?”Simone didn’t respond, Camille didn’t look away.The boat moved steadily along the river, carrying them deeper into the city.
Sunlight shined through the glass above them.Camille kept her eyes on the water.
But her thoughts weren’t there anymore. They were sitting right across from her.And for the first time since this trip began.
She wasn’t just wondering what Simone had planned. She was starting to wonder why.