Wish Upon a Star

As we rose even higher, Bryan reached me. I could feel his hot breath on my hair, and I winced involuntarily, turning my head away. Bryan chucked darkly and snaked his hands around my waist, tugging me close to him. I ducked my head, but I couldn't move away. There was no room. I looked around to see if anyone was watching, but everyone was absorbed in the view – and nobody was going to pay attention to a young couple, anyway.

"You just can't stay away, can you?" Bryan purred at me, his hand slipping under my shirt and stroking my stomach. "Nice try, hanging on to Dale all day, but I knew I'd get you to myself sooner or later."

My breath was shaky. I tried to suck my stomach away from his hand, but it only served to give Bryan a gap between my stomach and the waistline of my shorts. He didn't miss a beat and slipped his fingertips into my pants. I could feel his penis resting against my ass and knew how turned on he was.

I'm not sure what he would have done next, but the lift slowed to a halt before he could continue. We all trooped out, two at a time, so the elevator could refill with those heading back down. I tried to hurry away from Bryan, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back toward him. Jared glanced at us, looked away shamefaced, and disappeared into the crowd. I was alone.

"Come on, sweetie," Bryan crooned, holding my arm with an iron grip. "Let's go see the view."

I had very little choice to but to obey. I spoke no French – Bryan did – and there was literally nowhere to run. He dragged me to the edge of the platform and positioned me in front of him again so his body was pressed against my back.

"Does Dale know?" Bryan asked, trying to get his hands back in their previous positions.

I bloated my stomach so he couldn't get in my pants again, but Bryan was not to be deterred. He just went up instead of down, rubbing higher on my stomach with one hand and slipping the other down toward my crotch.

"Does Dale know?" Bryan asked again, his lower thumb tugging at the flap covering the zipper on my shorts.

His upper hand stroked my stomach with a warm touch, but I felt chilled to the bone. I also felt numb, inside and out, as I pretended to stare at the gorgeous view beyond. How I wished I was down there, one of the barely-visible ants that crawled, busy and unmolested, across the city.

"No," I finally whispered, barely audible, lying to protect the man I loved.

Bryan grunted what I took to be approval and ducked his head, reaching to bite my neck. I whimpered and tried to block his lips, but this only served to encourage him. He grasped me more forcefully, his hand now cupping the bottom of my left breast. He ground his hips into my back; I could feel his penis highly erect through his jeans. I looked away, tears forming in my eyes as Bryan moaned gently into my ear.

I looked up at the sky, mentally crying out for help. As my gaze rose, and I caught sight of a star – just one, shining through the glare of the lights. As Bryan continued to kiss and massage my body, I shut my eyes tightly and wished. A lone tear slid down my cheek.

Without warning, Bryan stopped. I could feel his muscles tense against me. I didn't move, not wanting to trigger anything. Bryan turned his head, and I realized what must have stopped him. Another lift was arriving.

"Keep your mouth shut," Bryan threatened, obviously not wanting to be caught in a compromising position in case Dale was en route.

I nodded numbly, and Bryan whipped around on his heel and left. I heard the lift doors open, and I rushed toward it to get on and go back down. Dale was the third person out, followed by Brad. Brad saw me, grinned devilishly, and disappeared. Dale stopped a few feet away, but he didn't see me.

"Dale?" I whispered hoarsely.

He looked up, his eyes landing on me. They immediately read my terror and pain.

"Oh, God, Sarah," he said, his entire frame going limp. He took a step toward me, his arm out, as the lift emptied.

"Just get me out of here," I cried softly, entering the elevator.

Dale followed. As more people filed on, I stared out the window blankly. I still couldn't feel anything, and I couldn't talk. Dale understood and stood silently by as we traveled back down to the second level. At one point, another passenger brushed against me, and I jumped, cringing, into a corner.

Once on the second level, Dale looked down at me again. I could feel him behind me, but I still didn't feel safe. I wanted to be as far away from Bryan as I could get. I rushed over to the elevator down to the ground and waited for it to arrive. Dale came with me.

He cleared his throat, obviously wanting to say something.

"Uuuhh...," he began.

I shook my head.

"Can we get to the ground first?" I asked, looking directly at him for the first time since the top.

Dale nodded and moved closer, but he avoided touching me. I was grateful for his discretion.

We finally reached solid ground, and I walked swiftly away from the exit, stopping only when there was enough clear space for us to sit on the ground together. Then I collapsed, the reality of what had happened sinking in all at once.

Dale sat with me, facing the exit in case the other guys were on the next lift down. I didn't think it was likely, but I knew he thought it wouldn't be wise to get separated.

"Shit, Sarah...," Dale said again, looking at me.

Dale reached for me and gathered me into his arms. It was something I'd wanted him to do for years. In the current situation, however, it didn't quite have the impact I had always imagined it would have. I leaned into him, burying my face in his chest, the silent tears at last coming as my fear was released.

No words were spoken as I cried. Dale held me gently against him, and as I calmed down, I realized he was breathing roughly. I wiped my tears on his now-damp T-shirt and looked up at him.

To my surprise, his eyes were watery. I had never known Dale to cry, but he was visibly fighting back tears. He looked down at me and smiled.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Dale shook his head.

"For what? Some protector I am, letting you get into that elevator."

"That's not your fault," I said as he released me.

I didn't want to let him go, but Dale was shifting his seat. I sat up and straightened my clothes, the first time I had done so since Bryan had touched them.

"How is it not my fault?" Dale wanted to know. "I told you I wouldn't leave you alone with him, and I did. And he got to you. I can tell he got to you."

"Please don't blame yourself," I pleaded. "It just happened. There's nothing you could have done to stop it, and it's over now. It's over. It's over."

I had to repeat that last bit to myself for reassurance. Dale stared me straight in the eye.

"Will you tell me what happened?" he asked gently. "Or do you not want to talk about it."

I smiled wanly and looked away.

"It's all right. He touched me. That's all."

Dale nodded, gazing at me for a moment before rising to his feet.

"Will you be all right on your own for a moment?" he asked. "I need to use the bathroom."

"I'll be fine," I assured him, not entirely believing it, but making my voice strong enough to be convincing.

"Be right back," Dale said, walking swiftly away.

I watched him go, and then turned to watch the exit in case Bryan appeared. After a few minutes of people-watching, I looked up at the sky again. My star was still there, shining brightly. I smiled and mouthed a silent 'Merci.' It twinkled back.

When I looked back down, Dale was walking back to me. At the same time, the other three guys emerged from the Tower. I took a deep breath as my eyes flicked from Dale to the others, wondering who would spot me first.

They all saw me about the same time. Dale smiled with what looked like relief, and Bryan followed my gaze over to him. At that point, I knew Bryan knew. He knew that even if Dale hadn't been aware of what was going on before, he was now. His face darkened, and I shivered in the warm Parisian air.

As we regrouped, Bryan tried to snag Dale. I could guess why – he wanted to gauge how much he knew and try to sway his mind. I ignored the whole charade, focusing instead on getting back to the hotel. Once on the bus, the conversation shifted to the plans for the next day.

"We heading to Amsterdam tomorrow?" Brad asked.

"Can't do it tomorrow," Dale replied. "My dad's checking in with us, remember?"

"What time?" Jared asked.

"Not till 3 p.m. So we wouldn't have time to get to Amsterdam after that."

"Yeah, we could," Bryan said.

He'd obviously taken some time at the Internet café (we e-mailed our parents daily to check in) to check travel times.

"Seriously??" Jared sounded excited.

"Yeah, we could catch the 3:55 train and get to Amsterdam about 8 p.m."

"Sweet," said Brad, obviously gung-ho about the plan.

"Guys, we just got to Paris today," Dale said. "Can we just spend one more day here? I really wanted to see the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame and the Tuileries, and I promised my mom I'd get her something."

"Why can't we do that tomorrow morning?" Bryan pushed. "We'll have plenty of time before we meet your dad."

"Time for all that?" I asked. "No way. The Tuileries alone will take as long as the Louvre did today."

Brad rolled his eyes as we pulled up at our hotel.

"Look," Jared, the ever-diplomatic dipshit, said. "Why don't we just push Amsterdam off for one more day? That train runs daily, right, Bryan?"

"Yes," Bryan admitted grudgingly.

"So we could do one more day here, and then head out on Friday. Why wouldn't that work?" Jared looked from Dale to Bryan to Brad expectantly. I was deliberately left out of the loop.

"Sound great," Dale said, a little too enthusiastically for the rest of the group. "And don't forget, we booked the hotel for two nights, anyway."

"Whatever," Bryan caved, glancing at me.

I could guess the reason for his acquiescence. He knew I wasn't going anywhere without Dale, and Dale wasn't leaving Paris until Friday.

Brad could tell when he was beaten and sat back in sulky silence. We reached the hotel a moment later and trudged up to our rooms, suddenly exhausted with our travels and sight-seeing. Dale, Jared, and I were in one room; Bryan and Brad had the other. All of us had even had room keys. What bothered me now, though, was the way our rooms adjoined. There was one bathroom between them, and the doors only locked from inside the bathroom. I was nervous about the fact that Bryan could enter our room whenever he wanted. I would have preferred a strong lock, or better yet, entirely separate rooms.

As Jared was in the bathroom preparing for bed, I mentioned my concerns to Dale.

"Don't worry," he assured me. "Remember, Jared and I are swapping off who sleeps on the floor? I'll sleep in front of the bathroom door so nobody can get in."

I felt better.

"Thanks," I said, relieved. "What about tomorrow night?"

"We'll work out something. You're safe in here for now. Get a good night's sleep, OK?"

"Yes, Dad," I teased him.

He tossed a pillow at me and I caught it easily.

"Thanks," I said. "I could always use an extra pillow."

"Nice try," Dale replied, holding his hand out. "I need that if you want me to sleep on this cold, hard floor."

"You volunteered," I reminded him. "I'd sleep on the floor if you wanted."

"No, you had that uncomfortable chair for two nights. It's your turn for a bed."

"And don't you forget it," I ribbed him, grinning. "I plan to snore so loud, you get no sleep at all."

"Funny," Dale snorted. "Verrrry funny."

I took a bow before climbing into bed. Like most European hotels, there was only a fitted sheet on the bed, topped with a quilt or comforter. I lay down as Jared came out of the bathroom, and Dale took his post next to the door. I flipped off my lamp and closed my eyes, listening to the sound of Dale breathing a few feet away. I wished I could just climb down with him, sleeping on his shoulder instead of a lumpy hotel pillow. My thoughts began to drift, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

*****

CHAPTER SIX: PARIS (DAY TWO)

Morning arrived late, but it came with a bang and shout. It sounded like our hotel neighbors were returning from a party.

"Ouvrez la porte!" a voice bellowed through the door. "C'est moi!"

I sat up, for a moment forgetting where I was and nearly falling out of bed. I looked around, gathering my senses. Dale was rising from his spot on the floor and heading for the door. He peeked out.

"Who is it?" Jared asked groggily.

"Dunno," Dale answered. "Qui etes-vous?"

"Francois, naturellement. Qui etes-vous?"

Nouse sommes Americains. C'est la salle fausse," Dale replied before he whispered a translation back to us.

There was a long pause, followed by a sound like a throat being cleared.

"Michel? Claude?"

"Non," said Dale, struggling not to laugh. "Americans."

Another pause.

"Pardon. Je suis si desole. Bonjour!"

As Francois' footsteps died away, the three of us burst into laughter.

"He was sooo drunk!" I exclaimed through peals of laughter. "I wonder what happened to Michel and Claude?"

"Probably in an entirely different hotel," Dale said, shaking his head. "I guess that's what too much wine will do to you!"

And so, in a wonderfully light-hearted mood, the day began. We joined up with the others after our showers and headed out.

The day was surprisingly pleasant, given the tension I was feeling. Bryan avoided me like the plague, Dale stuck to my side like glue, and the others pretended like nothing out of the ordinary was going on.

We met up with Dale's dad at a cute little café. We chatted aimlessly for a bit – he laughed heartily when Dale admitted I was the only female in the group, and he agreed to keep it quiet, provided nothing "sneaky" was going on. Dale shot a glance at Bryan, who was making gestures to four giggling French girls at a nearby table.

Dale's dad saw the look, and his face clouded.

"There's nothing going on, is there?" he asked, glancing from me to Dale.

I looked down; Dale swallowed hard. I knew from past conversations that Dale and his father were close, so I knew keeping the truth a secret would be tough, if not impossible. It was a hard decision, and luckily, one he didn't have to make.

"Hey, dude," Brad interjected. "Those chicks over there want us to come over. Sarah can talk to your dad. Come on."

Dale blinked.

"You go on," he said. "I'll catch up in a bit."

"Are you serious?!?" Brad replied. "Look at 'em – they're totally hot!"

"More for me," Bryan deadpanned. "Leave him here if he wants."

Bryan and Brad rushed off. Jared hesitated only a second, and then followed. Dale looked at me expectantly. I took the bait.

"I'll be at that bookstore over there," I offered, rising. "I'd love to find a good French cookbook for my mom."

Dale nodded and immediately turned to his dad. By the time I reached the bookstore and looked back, Dale was talking rapidly, his hands clenching his glass of Coke. His father was absorbed wholly. I wondered what they were saying and what would happen. I shook my head and began looking around the store. There was no point in acting like a spy. Dale would tell me later, if I didn't find out sooner.

The next time I looked out, Dale's dad was writing something on a business card and handing it to Dale. Dale glanced at Bryan and the others, who were still chatting happily with the mademoiselles, and placed the card in his pocket. The pair rose. Dale shook his dad's hand like it was the closing of a business agreement. His father walked past the others, waving as he walked away, and Dale began looking in the general direction of my bookstore. I thanked the assistant for the books – I had actually found a cookbook in English, as well as a book for me – and walked out.

"Dale," Bryan called as Dale spotted me, "Dale, come on over. Miette wants to meet you."

Bryan indicated a dark-haired, sweet-looking girl with a sweep of his hand. Dale hesitated and looked over at Miette, who waved shyly. He looked at me. I shrugged and indicated I could continue shopping if he wanted to strike up a conversation with the little French thing.

"Come on, man," Brad hollered. "We've already told her you'd say hi. Don't be mean."

I watched in silence as Dale turned and slowly walked to the seat next to Miette. He shot one last glance at me as he sat down, and I forced a smile. There was a park bench nearby, so I sat down to wait while Dale and the others chatted with their new friends. Having nothing better to do, I pulled out my book and began reading. A few minutes later, I was startled when I heard Dale's voice above my head.

"You wanna come and join us?" he asked.

I glanced over at the table, where the rest of the group sat. Miette was watching Dale with interest.

I felt torn. On the one hand, I wanted to be close to Dale and the others; on the other, I didn't want to be the one to stifle his 'game' if he really was interested in Miette. Jealous lover or friend; friend or jealous lover? I really had no choice.

"Nah, it's cool," I said, smiling up at him. "I'm fine here, and if I get bored, I'll just do a little sight-seeing on my own. I know the hotel address if I get lost."

Dale looked back at Miette. She smiled and blew him a kiss. I looked down as Dale waved back.

"Are you sure?" Dale asked gently.

"Of course," I replied brightly. "I don't want to be a fifth wheel. You know that."

Dale sat down next to me.

"Hey," he said, prompting me to look him in the eye.

He looked very earnest as he spoke again.

"You arenevera fifth wheel. If I didn't want you at that table, I wouldn't have invited you."

I forced a small laugh, but I looked down at my book again as I spoke.

"No, you invited me because you felt obliged to. You just don't want me to feel left out."

"Well, that's true," Dale admitted, "but..."

"But nothing," I cut him off. "Go! Have fun. I'll be fine. We've already seen the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame, and I'm not that interested in the Tuileries like you are. Why don't you all go there this afternoon, and I'll check out some of the other sights. We can meet back here at 8 or so for dinner."

I looked up. Miette was watching us carefully, and Dale sat back. He was obviously making a decision as to whether I would be safe on my own.

"I'll be fine," I assured him. "Bryan will be with you, and you know I've been taking tae kwon do for two years now. Miette is waiting.Go."

Dale rose, eyeing me suspiciously. I avoided his gaze, but I watched his back recede sadly. I hated always having to play the friend. As he reached the table, Miette smiled up at him and patted the chair next to her. A moment later, they were happily conversing with the others. I waited a few minutes, and then rose and hailed a passing cab.

I asked the cab driver – luckily, he understood English – to drive down some of the more famous streets in Paris, and I killed an hour and quite a few dollars doing that. I then went back to the hotel. Sight-seeing wasn't much fun on my own, and I felt immensely hurt that Dale would choose some sweet little French girl over me. I knew I had no right to feel that way, but I did, just as I did whenever he announced that he had a new girlfriend. I decided to take a nap. It would kill time and keep my mind from focusing on the negative.

*****

By the time I woke up, it was 7:30. I had half an hour to dress and get back to the café to meet for dinner. I hurried as I touched up my make-up and hair and caught a bus that ran near the café. I arrived right at eight o'clock.

I looked around, anxiously hoping for some sign of the guys. No such luck.

My park bench from earlier had a couple at one end, but the other end was empty, so I took a seat. The couple looked at me, shared a few quiet words, and left. I was alone yet again.