The hangover pounded in my head like a relentless wave against the Nice shoreline. The previous night’s pub crawl, a blur of faces and cheap drinks, felt like a bad dream. This wasn’t how I envisioned summer on the French Riviera. Seeking solace, I wandered onto the Promenade des Anglais, the salty spray a welcome change from the stale air of the bar.
The vastness of the sea mirrored the emptiness I felt. I pulled out my journal, its worn leather a familiar comfort. As my pen scratched against the paper, a splash of sunlight materialized beside me. A woman with hair the color of spun gold and eyes that shimmered like a stormy sea – an enchanting mix of blue and green – settled on the bench.
Caught off guard, I started writing about her in my journal, a silly grin spreading across my face. Mustering my courage,
I mumbled a hesitant “hi.”
It took a second try, a touch louder this time, but her smile, as warm as the Côte d’Azur sun, banished the awkwardness.
“Hi,” she replied, her voice a melody that chased away the remnants of my headache.
We fell into conversation as effortlessly as the sun dipped towards the horizon. Turns out, she was a Parisian with a heart as proud as the city she called home. We talked about everything and nothing – the absurdity of lost socks, the perfect shade of blue in the sky, the way the sun glinted off the water. Each question, each answer, painted a brighter picture of the person sitting beside me.
“You look like you could use a vacation from yourself,” she remarked, a playful glint in her eyes.
I chuckled, surprised at her perceptive observation. “Maybe you’re right,” I admitted. “This trip wasn’t exactly going as planned.”
“Well, then let’s rewrite the plan,” she declared, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Nice is beautiful, but there’s a whole world waiting to be explored.”
And explore we did. We snorkeled in hidden coves, the crystal-clear water revealing a vibrant ballet of fish. We hiked through fragrant lavender fields, the air thick with the scent of summer. With every shared adventure, a comfortable silence settled between us, punctuated by bursts of laughter and stolen glances.
One starlit evening, as we walked along the beach, the sound of the waves a constant murmur, the conversation turned more serious.
“This has been…” I started, searching for the right words. “Unexpected. Incredible, actually.”
She turned to me, her eyes sparkling. “Unexpectedly wonderful, I hope?”
A blush crept up my cheeks. “More than wonderful,” I admitted, my voice a touch hoarse. “It’s been… eye-opening.”
She smiled, a hint of something deeper in her gaze. “Maybe you needed to get lost to find yourself,” she said softly.
We stood there for a moment, the only sound the rhythmic crash of the waves. The next day loomed, and with it, my flight back home. There were unspoken questions, a yearning for this connection to continue. But as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in vibrant hues, a quiet understanding settled between us.
“I have to catch a flight tomorrow,” I finally said, the words heavy on my tongue.
“So do I,” she replied, a touch of sadness in her voice. “But hey,” she continued, a playful glint returning to her eyes, “the world is a pretty small place, right?”
That’s why I always keep some part of my life to randomness and destiny and you never know when you will have a fortunate stroke of serendipity.
