Did I Seduce You Mr Jacques Read online

  The Portrait of Eve

  Author: James Alexopoulos

  Copyright James Alexopoulos 2018

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-copy, recording or otherwise, without prior written consent of the copyright owner. Nor can it be circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on a subsequent purchaser.

  The right of James Alexopoulos to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988

  The Portrait of Eve was originally published in Greek.

  James Alexopoulos is the pen name of Dimitrios Alexopoulos. He is the winner of four Literary Awards from the Panhellenic Association and Two International Awards in poetry.

  English translation from the original Greek by Joanna Lazarou.

  Unexpectedly, I found myself confronted by her magnificent presence. In the middle of the road, very close to the area where I was staying, only ten minutes away from the centre of Paris.

  I was on my mobile phone talking to a client when I saw her crossing the pavement next to me. My heartbeat started to increase rapidly. My mouth was dry.

  ‘It’s her…’ I whispered, as I lowered the mobile that was pressed against my ear.

  We gave each other a brief and hesitant look that took my breath away for a moment.

  Looking into her deep blue eyes, I froze for a few seconds and couldn’t concentrate on anything else. Her face shone, she had a slim silhouette and she was walking in a graceful manner, while having a kind and charming expression.

  I felt like I was reborn! It had been a long time since I had the wonderful feeling of my heart racing and this indescribable ache in my chest that seemed like an annoying tingle.

  As I was walking, she was near me, the intense scent of her perfume was prominent in the air and I took a subtle and deep breath that made me smile. I had just passed by her, not wanting to let her out of my sight when I heard a noise behind me. I turned around to see what had happened and noticed the beautiful girl, who had drawn my attention, lying on the pavement. I ran towards her to help her.

  “Are you ok?” I whispered, while holding her hand. The same sensation came back in my memory… her soft and slender hand that made my palms sweat.

  “Yes, I’m sorry. I just got dizzy and tripped.” She looked at me a bit strangely. She frowned and was staring at me confused. As if she’d known me for years. I seemed familiar to her, from what I could gather.

  “Do you want me to take you somewhere?”

  “No, thank you and I’m sorry for the trouble that I caused you.” She faced me. “Do I know you from somewhere?” she asked perplexed.

  I didn’t answer. I kept staring with my eyes fixed on her.

  “Goodbye and I apologize for the inconvenience,” she said smiling and left.

  “Wait,” I whispered spontaneously. She hadn’t heard me. She just gave a last charming glance and went on her way.

  I had been subjected to her undeniable beauty. Her eyes, her voice, her figure, everything about her had charmed me.

  A long time had passed, constantly thinking of how wonderful she was and I was praying every day to meet her again; in vain. I hadn’t seen her for months. Apart from being a beautiful woman she seemed like a nice person. At least that was my first impression. She looked like a girl who had morals and principles and that impressed me.

  It was a rainy day in Paris and I was coming back from work when I saw her standing drenched on the pavement, while holding her handbag over her head to avoid getting further wet from the rain. I recognized her immediately and gave her a signal with my car’s headlights so she could see me. Thinking that I was someone who wanted to harass her, she turned her head the other way with indifference.

  When I was beside her, I rolled down my car window and told her to get in and that I would give her a ride wherever she wanted so she wouldn’t get wet, for no reason.

  She refused without taking any notice, until her eyes met mine and she seemed a bit confused. Then she remembered that she had seen me before and gave me the most beautiful smile of my life.

  “Is it you again?” she asked, taking me aback that she had remembered me after so long, even though we had met accidentally for no more than five minutes.

  “It’s me again.” I got out, opening the door for her as a sign of courtesy.

  She hopped in the car hastily because it was raining even harder now.

  “Jacques,” I introduced myself, while driving.

  She stared at me awkwardly for a while. She seemed to be trying to remember something as she was looking at me. Then she introduced herself.

  “I’m Eve.”

  “Eve?” I asked, not being able to take my eyes off her.

  “Eve. Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “I’m sorry. I just remembered something, nothing important.” I softly sighed, after making sure it was her… Definitely!

  “Are you from Paris?” I asked, breaking the silence.

  “Yes, I grew up in Paris but I have Greek roots as I was told.”

  “Incredible!”

  “Why are you astonished?”

  “Because I’m half Greek and half French.”

  “What a coincidence… And you live in Paris permanently?”

  “Yes, I’ve settled here, in the city of Love,” I replied, gazing into her expressive and mesmerizing eyes.

  “I remember you; we had met on the street a while ago”

  “I remember you too. You were passing by my house and I accidently saw you. I thought you were hurt” There was an awkward pause from both of us.

  “I felt dizzy. That was all.” she answered, looking out of the window at the rain.

  “So, where shall I take you?”

  “I don’t want to trouble you and it makes me uncomfortable. Drop me off at a metro station and I’ll be on my way”.

  “Don’t even think about it! I insist! With a storm like that I’m not letting you go on your own”.

  “Thank you but it’s not necessary. I was just leaving work and I was going home but there was a strike in the centre as usual and I couldn’t find a taxi”.

  “It’s okay; it was for the best…” I whispered on purpose and saw her smiling, letting me know that she understood my hidden meaning.

  She gave me her address and after a while we arrived at the building where she lived. I got out the car and opened the door for her, giving her an umbrella that I had in the back seat of my car so she wouldn’t get wet.

  I stood on the pavement, outside her building and I gazed at her, waiting for her to go in.

  As she was walking hastily towards the doorway, she kept turning her head and waved for me to get into my car and not get wet.

  “The umbrella? When am I going to give it to you?” she shouted in the storm, giving me an exquisite smile as usual.

  “Don’t worry. It will give us a chance to meet again” I replied, winking at her.

  A faint smile was present on her face and she thanked me with a cheerful gesture by placing her right hand on her chest. Then, with small and hasty steps in her high heels she arrived at the entrance and looked at me. When she was on the last step just before she entered the building she stood, while holding the door open and she smiled at me in the sweetest way, whispering one more time, “thank you”.

  I was waving my hand, goodbye. The entrance door shut…

  I was standing outside the building and was looking at her. I didn’t mind the rain at all at that
point. I didn’t even mind that my clothes were clinging to me, I didn’t care about anything! The only thing I wanted was to gaze at her, even though I was standing in the storm… For me, it was a beautiful and sunny day!

  I wanted to give her my phone number badly, to ask her if she wanted to go out, but I couldn’t do it. I was stumped and could not utter a word. Many years had passed since I had felt that beautiful sensation of shame and awkwardness towards a girl. I’d say since I was an adolescent.

  From that day and every day since then, I passed by her house and gazed at where she lived without speaking. I don’t know what was wrong with me but I hesitated to go near her and I was content only to look at her house. I felt like a teenager! We used to do stupid things like that when I was at school and look; things were repeating themselves even though I was forty years old.

  One night I saw her returning to her house weeping, while the distinctive tapping of her bright red heels on the pavement suggested that she was in a hurry and worried for some reason. She was walking at a quick pace crouched over, while wiping her tired eyes with a handkerchief. Watching the drops of tears roll harmoniously down her white cheeks, I was saddened. Honestly, I had a knot in my stomach that made me anxious. She was the one for me and so sweet that I couldn’t stand seeing her like that.

  I didn’t know her phone number or I would have called her, so I walked up to the building’s entrance and scanned the doorbells one by one, trying to find her name written on one of them. When I saw it, I paused for a while and thought

  of leaving, but I turned round quickly and without a second thought I rang it and waited for her to answer.

  “Hello?” I heard her voice coming from the intercom, which made me even more nervous.

  “Eve, I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. It’s me Jacques, if you remember me…” I hesitantly replied. I waited for a while outside the building’s entrance but I didn’t get an answer.

  Everything was tumbling down inside me within seconds! I was greatly disappointed that she hadn’t opened the door for me and I had started walking away slowly, till I heard the entrance door opening!

  I swiftly ran back before it shut and managed to get in! My joy was indescribable. I wouldn’t have been so happy even if I had been given permission to enter a royal palace.

  There was only one problem… I couldn’t recall which floor was written on the doorbell and from my anticipation to see her I didn’t think to open the entrance door and look. I was going up the steps of the building, checking all the apartments and looking at the doorbells. On the bright side, every floor had only two apartments, on the downside she lived on the 4th floor!

  When I arrived at the corridor of her apartment, I softly knocked on her door waiting for her to open it.

  I could hear steps coming closer to the door and was lost in my own thoughts. My nervousness and my happiness had become one! I could hear the doorknob turning and much to my surprise a large man opened the door!

  Everything went dark around me. I was shocked. I didn’t know that she was in a relationship or that she was living with a man. Whenever I passed by her house she was always on her own and I presumed that she wasn’t in a serious relationship.

  “Good afternoon,” the man said in a deep voice.

  “Hello, I just thought that…” I was speechless! I didn’t know what I was saying and fortunately Eve came in time to save me.

  “Hello Jacques. Come in,” she said and looked as though she was happy to see me.

  “No, I don’t want to impose. I accidently saw you in the street and I wanted to make sure that you’re okay.” I was confused.

  She looked right into the man’s eyes and then turned her look on me.

  “You’re not bothering us at all. Let me introduce you to Christiano. Come inside and sit with us.”

  “Maybe some other time. I just wanted to see if you’re okay. Thank you anyway. It was nice to meet you Christiano,” I replied and left her apartment.

  I couldn’t imagine her with another man. In my mind I had this image that she was single. I had even thought what her reaction would be, if I approached her and asked her out for dinner. In my fantasies there was a prominent idea of what are lives would be like if we lived together, planning our future. I was so determined and sure about us; or could it be that I was so in love that I was planning our lives together in my own world.

  I came home and stood at the door, looking at my dark living room. I didn’t turn the lights on. I walked towards my bedroom and collapsed on the bed, still wearing my work clothes. I didn’t have the strength to do anything.

  ‘She’s back in my life…’ I muttered and felt my eyes watering after many years. I sighed in distress and as I was staring at the ceiling I finally fell asleep around dawn!

  Since then I’ve never passed by her house. There were many times I made the attempt but at the last minute I changed direction. There was no point; I didn’t want to cause trouble in her relationship. I didn’t want to get between her and her husband, so from the moment I saw them together in the apartment I had decided not to go near her again.

  Time went by with the daily stress and routine but a day didn’t pass that I didn’t think of her charming smile.

  It was a glorious Sunday morning and I had gone jogging down town and later on I sat at a café to enjoy a hot cup of coffee.

  “Jacques…” there was a voice, it sounded like a women’s whisper. I thought I was delusional until I turned around and I was confronted with Eve’s glowing face.

  “Eve?” I asked puzzled.

  “Good morning Jacques.”

  “Good morning to you too; is this a pleasant surprise or what?” I asked with a smile that covered my entire face.

  “I came downtown for a walk and I saw you sitting by yourself and decided to speak to you.”

  “I’m glad you did. Are you on your own?”

  “Yes, alone…”

  “Your husband?” I asked intending to find out more.

  “My husband?”

  “Yes, Christiano…”

  “Christiano?” she asked perplexed and started to laugh. “He’s not my husband! Christiano is my brother,” she replied smiling and then I felt an indescribable sensation racing through my whole body. Electrifying; I was filled with happiness. I felt like I was flying, as though my feet weren’t touching the ground. But I remained calm; I didn’t want her to know how I felt. I stayed as composed as I could.

  “Oh, okay. I must have misunderstood,” I said, while sipping my coffee.

  “Obviously you misunderstood. Why did you leave in such a hurry the last time you came to my apartment?”

  How could I explain how I felt right now… that I wanted to be with her; that I made plans about us and that I was in love with her. There I was, thinking that Christiano was her husband! She’d realized that I had been mistaken and didn’t say anything else so she wouldn’t embarrass me.

  “I only came to your apartment the last time because I saw you crying in the middle of the street and I couldn’t bear not to come and see if you were alright…”

  “Thank you Jacques; it was very kind of you. Indeed, it wasn’t one of my better moments,” she replied, tilting her head slightly.

  “If I’m not imposing could I ask you what troubled you?”

  “I had just separated from my husband and had other things on my mind but I’d rather not talk about it. Let bygones be bygones right?”

  “Yes, you’re right. Let bygones be bygones…” I said giving her my full attention.

  “Do you want me to order you a coffee so we can talk some more?” I asked, looking for the waiter.

  “Wouldn’t you rather go for a walk round the city of Paris and we can talk while we’re walking?”

  “Great idea; I’d like that.”

  I left some money on the table for my coffee, which was a lot more than it actually cost but I didn’t have the patience to wait for my change and we left the café, walking side by side.


  We started walking through the streets of this magnificent but cloudy city, talking freely.

  “So, where are you working?” I asked while we were strolling.

  “I’m a manager in an advertising company.”

  “Hmm… that’s interesting. You must have good taste and a lot of patience, is that right?”

  “Patience for sure; but why should I have good taste?”

  “You must be able transform all the celebrities and famous people into beautiful and fit personas and not as they are in real life,” I replied and I noticed that her gorgeous lips had started to form a beautiful smile.

  “You’re right, it’s true. What do you do for a living?”

  “So it’s my turn now. Well… I work in an office that manages, restores and keeps secure works of art. We are like a bank for paintings and sculptures.”

  “That’s very interesting…”

  “It is. From a young age I was fascinated with art.”

  “It’s you that has good taste and not me,” she smiled.

  “I have good taste in paintings. You, for example, could be the most beautiful and attractive painting that I could ever imagine,” I said and stood in front of her pretending that I was taking pictures of her.

  Eve was laughing out loud and seemed to enjoy our walk.

  We were discussing various subjects and without realizing, it was late in the evening. You could barely see the sun behind the Parisian aristocratic buildings. It had started to get cold and windy.

  We walked until we reached her house and when we arrived outside her building she looked at me with her deep eyes and told me:

  “I really didn’t want this day to end. I had a wonderful time.”

  The happiness I felt was beyond words! I stood outside the entrance for a while and waited for her to go inside.

  “When am I going to see you again?” I asked pleading for a positive answer.

  “I was just going to ask you the exact same thing!”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Okay. Tomorrow’s fine, but I don’t know if I can walk for so long again.”

  “Agreed! No more walking. I’ll pick you up for dinner. Is eight okay?”