I pierced the water with both hands.
I shot down, down, down. My eyes were glued shut to save them from the salt.
Down.
Down.
Down.
When I opened my eyes, I was perched on the pier again, exactly where I stood just four seconds earlier.
Or was it four years earlier? I checked my phone. It was 2015. I was twenty-four years old. A guy was sitting next to me, dangling his feet off the pier. He had blue eyes that sparkled in the moonlight.
We'd randomly met at a Friday-night event earlier that evening. He strode up to me and said hi, and I'd said hi back. He asked me what I was working on, pointing to my laptop. I'd frequently attend the Friday evening social event at my coworking space with my laptop in hand, tinkering with something or other while soaking up the vivacious energy in the room.
"Oh, I'm just building a little mobile game for my sister's Christmas present," I said as I pointed to the screen. "It's called Drunken Alex. She has to catapult her head into the beer bottles and chocolate bars to see how many she can knock over."
"So, it's kinda like Angry Birds?" he asked.
"Yeah," I grinned. "I cut out photos of all her friends and put them in the background, cheering her own. Anyway, it's just a bit of fun."
He smiled. There was something warm about his smile. There was something alluring about his charisma. I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
He asked me another question, and I asked him one back. And then he asked me another question, and I asked him one back. And in the space of an hour, it felt like we'd talked for eternity.
He already had plans to catch up with a large group of friends that evening after the event, so he invited me along. We talked and laughed some more. Then we met up with some of my crew and wandered through the night markets together.
And then, when everyone split at two a.m, this stranger and I somehow found ourselves in a karaoke bar singing God-awful renditions of popular songs. We finally stumbled out of the bar after two rounds of incessant laughter.
"I don't want the night to end," he said as we exited the karaoke joint. "Want to go on another adventure?"
"Where to?" I asked. "The night is young, and so are we."
"What's your favorite place? Where do you like to hang out?"
And that's how we ended up here, on the pier, overlooking the harbor. He sat next to me. He looked lovely in the moonlight, with his thick, brown hair and blue eyes.
"What's your big dream?" I asked. "What have you always wanted to do?"
He smiled to himself as he looked up at the cosmos. "I want to move to France. I've always wanted to move to France, ever since I was a teen. I just love the language and the culture and... I don't know. I just see myself there."
"So why don't you?" I asked. "Just do it. Just go."
"Well, it's a bit complicated. I'm only working on my startup part-time at the moment, but the French Tech Ticket program would be the perfect way to move there. The French government gives you a four-year visa and some money. We applied last year but didn't get in, so we'll just have to try again this year-"
"Oh!" A connection fired in my brain. "I was actually in France this year-"
"Where abouts?"
"In Toulouse."
"On holiday?"
"No. I was speaking at a conference. Anyway, Benjamin, the CEO of the company that flew me out there, is involved in that French Tech Ticket program. He was telling me all about it when we were hanging out in Albi. I'm not sure if he's on the board or a judging panel or something, but I know his company hosts the recipients. I can introduce you, if you like. Maybe something will work out."
"That would be amazing! I'd love that!"
"No problem. I'll email him tomorrow. I mean, today. Geez. It's five a.m. Where did the time go?"
"I don't know, but it's been a really fun night. I'm glad I met you, Nikki."
"I'm glad I met you too, Jesse."
"Hey, so, can I take you sailing on Sunday?" he asked. "I can bring my little catamaran around and pick you up from your place, and we can head out on the harbor."
"You have a catamaran?!"
"Oh," he laughed. "Just a small hobby one. Not one of those big cats out there." He pointed to a sleek two-hulled boat that bobbed in front of us. "Mine is way more fun, anyway. Sailing is such an incredible feeling, with the water spraying your face and a sail full of strong wind."
