Simple Twist of Fate

Friday 

8:26 PM - "It's a match"

10:28 PM - "Good evening :)"

Saturday 

7:12 AM - "Good morning Marco." 

She's an early bird. 

8:20 AM - "Good morning Elise. How are you?" 

That's the best I could come up with? 

8:23 AM - "Fine, thank you. And you?" 

Ok, we're still in.

8:25 AM - "Not bad at all. A little bit of sunshine, a little bit of music, the weekend..." 

8:38 AM - "What are you listening this sunny morning?" 

What do I tell her? WHAT do I tell her??? Fuck it, let's just go with the truth. 

8:46 AM - "Little Italian mix that I made. Jovanotti, Eros Ramazzotti, Laura Pausini, Zero Assoluto..." 

8:48 AM - "Not bad. I was at Eros's concert in Turin a couple of weeks ago. But I'm not that into his music, only when I'm nostalgic." 

8:51 AM - "He is nostalgic. I guess that's why I'm listening it today. I woke up like this. But I'm more into rock usually." 

8:55 AM - "Me too :)"

This is getting interesting... 

9:01 AM - "So you were in Turin? How was it? That's one of the cities on my list." 

9:10 AM - "Like a places to visit list?" 

9:11 AM - "No, places to make love list :)" 

Man that was lame! We need that "unsend" button ASAP. Or at least "are you sure" when we're texting/chatting with someone we like. 

9:11 AM - ":) It was great! I've visited the Egyptian Museum, Teatro Carignano, Parco del Valentino, Borgo medievale and plenty other things. It wasn't my first time either, it's such a magnificent city." 

Not bad, exactly the things that I would like to see. With the Juventus stadium on top, of course. 

9:13 AM - "Sounds great, you just moved it a little bit higher on my list :)" 

9:17 AM - "What else is on that list?" 

I don't have an actual list, but let's give it a go.. 

9:24 AM - "Since I moved here only recently, I would like to explore France before anything else. To start with Provence. Then Turin and the lakes of northern Italy. Rome, Naples, Sicily. Spanish coast, Scottish highlands, Scandinavia... Experience Aurora Borealis somewhere up north. Berlin, Pripyat, Saint Petersburg, Moscow. Do the Trans-Siberian railway all the way to Vladivostok. 

Swim in the Dead Sea. Greek islands, Route 66, Cuba, Tijuana, Peru..." 

9:29 AM - "This list is magnificent!!! Trans-Siberian railway??? I've been dreaming about it for years. Pripyat? I thought I was the only one crazy like that :) And the rest of the list... I've been to some of the places you mentioned, but I wouldn't mind to revisit them :)"

Oh you would, wouldn't you. Smooth, very smooth now. 

9:36 AM - "So you can show me some of the places :)" 

Not the smoothest thing I could say, but not the worst either. 

9:40 AM - ":) And Provence? I'm from Provence." 

I love her!!! 

9:43 AM - "You're fibbing, aren't you?" 

9:43 AM - "I fib you not :) I'm from a little town northeast from Aix-En-Provence. Of course, I live in Paris for almost ten years now. And you? You said you moved here only recently?" 

I should've done this ages ago! 

9:46 AM - "Oh yes, I moved here about year and a half ago from Croatia." 

9:52 AM - "I've been to Pula. That's Croatia, right?" 

9:52 AM - "More or less :)" 

9:54 AM - "What do you mean?" 

9:56 AM - "Never mind :) Yeah, that's Croatia. How often do you go down there?" 

10:06 AM - "To Croatia? I've only been once." 

10:10 AM - "Lol, no. Not Croatia. I meant to Provence. But I see why that wasn't clear :)"

10:12 AM -"I don't go that often. A couple of times a year. I don't have many family left there." 

10:23 AM -"It must have been amazing growing up there. All the beautiful colors, scents... I envy you :)" 

10:59 AM -"I can't say the contrary :) And how was in Croatia? You lived somewhere near the sea? 

1:52 PM - "Sorry, I went for a walk and I left my phone at home. It's my way of relaxing." 

2:16 PM - "It's OK. I like walking too." 

2:18 PM - "I was farthest from the sea that you can possibly be in Croatia :) But it was good. Until the war..." 

2:22 PM -"Yes, the war :( Too close, too recent..." 

2:30 PM - "Yes, sadly..."

Sunday 

5:56 PM - "Good afternoon Elise, how are you today?" 

7:23 PM - "Good evening Marco. I am fine, thank you. And you? Have you had a good day?" 

7:41 PM - "Not bad. I had lunch with my family, and then went for a walk to clear my mind a bit. With some music, of course :) What did you do?" 

7:42 PM - "I spent the day in my garden. What music was it this time?" 

7:44 PM - "Nirvana and Foo Fighters. You have a garden? How great is that?" 

7:47 PM - "Pretty great :)" 

7:47 PM - "I know. I loved to help my grandparents with their garden when I was a kid. But been living in flats ever since..." 

7:50 PM - "Same here, I used to do the garden with them all the time and  I couldn't live without one." 

7:54 PM - "So, what do you have in your garden?" 

7:57 PM - "Some tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, strawberries, flowers..." 

8:01 PM - "Sounds great! So I'm guessing you're not in Paris intra muros?" 

8:12 PM - "No, 93 (Seine-Saint-Denis). And you?" 

8:15 PM - "91 (Essonne)." 

8:19 PM - "So, the opposite way completely :) I'm sorry but I have to start to get ready for tomorrow now. It was nice talking to you." 

8:22 PM - "I know, me too. Sunday evenings... Thank you, talk to you tomorrow, have a nice evening." 

8:24 PM - "Thank you, have a nice evening yourself." 

8:25 PM - "Thanks." 

Monday 

6:47 AM - "Hello Marco, how are you on this early morning?" 

6:59 AM - "Hello Elise. Would be better if I was still in bed, but fine in general :) And you?" 

7:13 AM - "I am good, thank you. Getting ready for the day..." 

7:22 AM - "I hope you'll have a nice one." 

7:29 AM - "Thank you, and a nice day to you too :)" 

7:35 AM - "Thank you :)" 

Tuesday 

6:26 PM - "Good evening Elise, how was your day?" 

6:42 PM - "Good evening Marco. Not bad, I just came home from work. And yours?" 

6:45 PM - "Pretty much the same here :) What do you do?" 

6:46 PM - "Oh, yes. We didn't even talked about that. I work in a bank, and you?" 

Shit, I knew it was too good to be true. 

6:48 PM - "A bank? So you went to the dark side? :)" 

6:51 PM - "LOL, I guess you could say so :) And you, still fighting the good fight?" 

I love this girl!!! Never mind the bank. 

6:52 PM - "Trying to :)" 

6:53 PM - "So? What do you do?" 

6:55 PM - "Oh, sorry. Uber." 

6:58 PM - "Well... You're pretty much in the gray area yourself there." 

7:00 PM - "I know... But I'm doing it just to pay the bills. I'm a writer, that doesn't pay anything." 

7:01 PM - "A writer? That's amazing!!!  I'm a reader :)" 

7:04 PM - "So, a perfect combination :) Well, a writer might be a little overstretched, since I haven't written anything for years. 

Writer's block. The second novel is the hardest to write... I'm a total cliché that way :)" 

7:08 PM - ":) Do you have anything published?" 

7:09 PM - "Yes." 

7:10 PM - "You're a writer, no doubt about it :) What do you like to read?" 

7:13 PM - "Thank you :) I like good storytellers. I prefer the style of writing to the actual content of the book. So I like Bukowski, Kundera, Viewegh, Nick Hornby, G.G. Marquez, Hunter Thompson, Kerouac... Just to name a few. And you?" 

7:20 PM - "I love some of them too. But I also love thrillers and some chick lit from time to time :)" 

7:24 PM - "I'm not surprised :)" 

Thursday 

7:12 AM - "Good morning Marco, how are you today?" 

7:21 AM - "Good morning Elise. Better and better as the weekend's approaching :) And you?" 

7:27 AM - "Exactly the same :)" 

7:32 AM - "Listen, I wanted to ask you if you had any plans for the weekend?" 

I'm always anxious as hell at this point. Please answer fast! 

7:39 AM - "No, nothing special. Why?" 

7:42 AM - "I was wondering if you'd like to meet and go for a walk or something?" 

Answer fast, answer fast! 

7:44 AM - "Yes, that would be nice :)" 

Oh, thank gods! Every single one of you. 

7:45 AM - "Great! Saturday afternoon?" 

7:45 AM - "Sure. Where?" 

7:46 AM - "There's a little cafe that I love near the Louvre, Coup d'état. Do you know it?" 

7:47 AM - "I do actually, been there a couple of times." 

7:49 AM - "Great! So we meet there around fiveish, and we'll go to Jardin des Tuileries from there?" 

7:50 AM - "Sounds good to me :)" 

7:51 AM - "Ok, I'll see you there. Looking forward to it :)" 

7:51 AM - "Me too :) Have a great day!" 

7:52 AM - "Thank you, you too :)" 

7:52 AM - "Thank you :)" 

Saturday 

5:09 PM 

- "Hi Marco, nice to finally meet you in person. Sorry I'm a bit late." 

- "Hello Elise, nice to meet you too. Don't worry about it. Shall we?"