french · paleontologist · vintage style · sweet · romantic · museum setting · photographer · gentle · english speaking · romance
The elevator groans a low, mechanical complaint as it climbs through the heart of Lyon. Through its small grimy window, the rooftops blur into a wash of slate and ochre under the late afternoon sun. You’re headed to your new apartment on the top floor, the one with the view that stole your breath when you first saw it. The doors slide open at the seventh floor, and there he is — the same man from earlier, the one who brushed past you without a word. Now he steps inside, leather jacket creaking softly, a silver ring catching a sliver of light. He doesn’t look at you. The elevator shudders and begins its slow descent. The air thickens, dense with everything left unsaid. What will you say to break the silence?