Chapter 1.3: Calls and Visitors

Life continued as normal for Evelyn after she returned home, with one exception: she kept getting bothered by men calling her to ask her out on dates. She had no idea why they suddenly started to call her when she was no longer interested in any of them. The first time she received a call she was flattered, but turned down the offer since she was still holding out for Gustave, hoping he’d call.

The second time she received a call, she was a little irritated since she was woken up by the call. She had never met the guy calling her and she certainly wasn’t going to go on a date with someone she’s never even heard of. Needless to say, she turned him down a little more harshly than the previous caller.

 

 The third time it happened, she was more than a little irritated. The caller this time was at least someone she knew, but that did not change the fact that she most definitively did NOT want to go on a date with him.
 
“Are you out of your freaking mind? You’re MARRIED for crying out! I don’t care if you’re a cheating bastard, but at least keep me out of it!”
 

She answered each call she received in the hopes that it would be Gustave, but every time her hopes were crushed her irritation grew. The fourth call from an unknown number finally caused her temper to snap, causing her to answer the phone with a little more vehemence than usually.

 

“What is it?” Evelyn snarled into the phone. “If you’re calling for a date then you can spare your breath and get lost right now,” she snapped.

A stunned silence followed her sentence before a familiar voice sounded from the phone.

 

“Uhm, okay. I’ll just-” Evelyn’s expression immediately cheered up at the voice she’s waited so long to hear. She interrupted him before he could finish the sentence and hang up.

“Gustave! I’m sorry! I didn’t realise it’s you! I’ve been bothered quite a lot over the last few days, so when I didn’t recognise the number I assumed the worst. I’m so sorry,” she explained, hoping that he wouldn’t hang up on her. His reply in the form of rich laughter immediately laid her fears to rest.

“It’s fine,” he assured her, his voice still heavy with amusement. “I understand completely.”

Evelyn smiled in relief at his assurances.

They continued talking late into the night, swapping stories and jokes until Evelyn finally realised she had to get some sleep if she wanted to be able to function the following day at her work.

They called each other constantly after that first call. It soon became a ritual: as soon as Evelyn got back from work, she either called him or he called her. They spent hours talking to each other, regaling the other with stories from recent events. It was only a couple of weeks after they started having regular contact that Evelyn decided to take the next step.

“I’ve been wondering…” Evelyn stated during one of their numerous calls. “We’ve been calling each other quite a lot now, so I’ve been thinking that…maybe…we should, well, see each other again,” she stammered uncertainly. A pregnant silence hung between them before he replied.

“I’m sure I’ll be able to get some time off to come see you,” he proposed. “Unless you were planning on coming here again?”

“I would love to,” she assured him, “but why don’t you come here instead? It’ll be my turn to show you the wonders of Sunset Valley, which is, admittedly, not nearly as intriguing as Champs Les Sims, but still something to see,” she suggested.

“Sure, sounds like a good idea,” he agreed. “I’ll let you know as soon as I can get a flight, so I’ll probably see you in a couple of days.”

The days following that call seemed to slowly creep by for Evelyn. Finally, after a couple of long days, Gustave finally arrived at Evelyn’s house, causing Evelyn to immediately run outside to greet him.

“Gustave! I’m so glad you could come!” Evelyn exclaimed. Gustave smiled happily at her and wrapped his arms around her.

 “I’m glad to be here. It’s really good to see you again,” he replied with warmth in his eyes. Evelyn smiled at him before inviting him inside, showing him where to stow his things. A few hours later, they were ready to hit the town.

Over the next couple of days, she showed him everything she could. She showed him the beauty of Central Park, where they spend hours enjoying the other’s company, holding hands and talking about whatever was on their mind.

She showed him the beach, where they wasted time lazing around on the beach and cooling down in the sea, playfully arguing philosophy.

In the nights, she took him to the local dancing club, where they enjoyed drinks together and danced away the night, losing themselves in the music and the beat.

After spending long and busy hours braving the town, they always winded down their evenings with a quick bite at the bistro, where they regaled the other with jokes and stories, usually discussing the events of the day.

Finally, the last day of Gustave’s visit arrived. For one last time, they spent their time on the beach, swimming in the sea and generally just enjoying the other’s company, until at last, the sun descended behind the horizon. Evelyn laid in his arms, both of them watching the sun slowly disappear beyond the sea.

“I don’t want this day to end,” she whispered softly, hoping beyond reason that the sun will never disappear behind the horizon. She heard Gustave sigh behind her, his breath moving her hair.

“I know,” he murmured. “I don’t want it to end either.” They spent a couple of minutes in silence, just staring at the sunset, before Gustave stood up, gently pulling her after him. “Come on, we have to get going,” he said softly, his tone filled with regret. Evelyn said nothing in response, merely wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Do we really have to?” Evelyn questioned softly, loath to move from the spot and return to her house where the dream would come to an end. Gustave chuckled at her question, tightening his arms around her.

“Unfortunately, yes,” he replied, the regret heavy in his voice, “but I guess we can stay a couple of minutes longer.”

Evelyn sighed softly, listening to his heartbeat and revelling in his warmth, the sound of the waves breaking in the background slowly lulling her. All too soon, Gustave stepped back, softly planting a kiss on her forehead.

“We have to go, Evi,” he reiterated. “Besides, it’s not like it’s the end between us. We’ll see each other again,” he promised. Evelyn wiped her tears away, trying to calm herself.

“I know,” she murmured, “but who knows when that’ll be? I wish you could just stay here, but I know you can’t,” she said regretfully. Gustave gave her one last hug in reply before gently taking her hand, leading her back towards reality.

By the time they arrived at her house, it was already dark. Evelyn glanced up at the sky before stopping, her breath taken away by the sight.

“Beautiful,” she whispered in awe. Gustave followed her gaze and softly murmured his agreement.

“Let’s stay here a bit,” he whispered in her ear before taking a seat on the grass, his gaze fixed on the sky. Evelyn smiled and took a seat next to him, her smile widening when she felt his arm snake around her waist. They spent a long time under the stars, pointing out the different stars and constellations and talking about the tales surrounding the constellations.

 

Again, all too soon, the magical moment came to an end. Gustave pulled Evelyn into his arms, holding her for a couple of seconds before gazing into her eyes.

“Thank you,” he said softly, his eyes shining with gratitude. “My visit here was simply amazing,” he said before leaning in and softly kissing her. Evelyn gazed into his eyes after the kiss had ended for a few seconds before making a decision.

“It isn’t over yet,” she disagreed, taking his hand and leading him inside. They soon arrived in her bedroom, where she playfully pushed him to the bed, getting rid of their clothes along the way.

 

Needless to say, things escalated rather quickly after that.