I arrived to Paris, France with the money Mr. Carver gave me for the painting. With it I have enough money to last me a whole month. Maybe I can sell enough paintings here so I could out bid the couple. 

Now all I need to do is become inspired once again.

Paris is a beautiful city, I've always wanted to live here. But I was born and raised in America, and I want to stay there. As I was sightseeing I found what I was looking for, the Louvre. As I walked towards the Lourve, I saw the Lourve Pyramid, a Paris landmark. Suddenly I remembered my favorite book, The Da Vinci Code. At the end of the book when Robert Langdon figured where she rests. I looked around to see no one looking, I went down to one knee with my head down to Mary Magdalene. I quickly got up and headed to museum to buy my ticket for the Louvre.

I accidentally bump into a huge guy in a black suit. He stared at me with a blank stare under his black sunglasses.

"Sorry, sir. It was my fault." And I quickly walked the other way.

I remember a man named Art Buchwald saying that he saw the three famous artworks of the Louvre. The Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory in five minutes and fifty-six seconds. I would like to see I would top that, but it would be like an Olympic runner trying to top the score of a dead man. But I would like to see the artworks themselves, with no time limit. 

I'm planning to see the Winged Victory, then the Venus de Milo, and last but not least, the Mona Lisa. I headed to the first artwork, a stature of a headless lady with wings as arms, her position looked like she was about to take flight. 

I have a love for Greek and Roman myths, and was a bit obsessed with Greco-Roman art. The Winged Victory, is based on the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. I smiled to myself, when I learned about this the first thing I bought was a pair of Nike shoes, it made sense with the sports footwear and victory. 

I saw another man wearing a black suit, and wore black glasses. He just stood beside the statue like he was waiting for someone. He checked the watch, he must be waiting for someone. I looked back at the statue, the statue looked like it was about to fly, about to be free. But since it didn't have a head, it was at a limit, all it could do was be flightless. I wonder if the head was gone on purpose, or it fell off after all of these years. I guess we'll never know.

After a short walk, I reached the Venus de Milo. I looked around to see no one dressed in a black suit. I wonder what's with all the FBI agents for. Did something happen in the Louvre. I tried my best to not smile, but was there a murder like in the Da Vinci Code.

It was a theory that the statue is of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Maybe it is, she is quite stunning, but naked. I did my best to just train my eyes on her face, and nothing more. I don't want to be some perverted kid looking at a famous statue of a naked woman. Both of her arms were cut off, maybe she was reaching out to someone, or trying to cover herself. Like once more, we'll never know.

I turned to head to the Mona Lisa, best comes last, right? As I turned, I saw a girl running towards me. She was stunning, maybe a year or two younger than me. She had long light brown hair flailing behind her as she ran, and her emerald eyes looked very determined. She ran elegantly, but at the same time it looked like she was having a hard time. She touched the the pedestal of the statue, glancing at me with a smirk, then ran to the direction I came.

Was she doing what I think she was doing, trying to beat the time of Art Buchwald? I strangely found it amusing and smiled, to myself. Maybe she will beat the record. I hope she does, but then really enjoy seeing the artworks afterwards.

At first I was really mad because it was two gorillas fault. They were the bodyguards my father hired for me. They both look very similar. They wear matching suits, black sunglasses, and an earpiece. They can pull off as Men in Black. The only difference is one of them had a tan with short black hair while the other one had a bit of a lighter tan with brown hair. They never talk, all they do is carry my bags and stay by my side. Fending off every cute guy in a ten mile radius. And so far, my trip hasn't been any fun at all. 

I glared at them, arms crossed. "Well? Do you guys talk at all?"

The just stood in front of me, not saying a word.

"You guys do know that you'll be stalking me for a month." I reminded them. "Do you really want me to call you Thing 1 and Thing 2?"

They still didn't reply.

"We're not in America anymore, we're in Paris, France. So you guys should also know I could call the French police right now and say that two scary men are following me ever since I left America. I'm quite the actress, you know."

One of them glanced the other.

"My name is Stuart," the bodyguard with brown hair said. "And this is my partner, Jerry." He referred to the one with black hair.

"We were hired by your Father to protect you from any danger in your stay at Paris." Jerry told me. "And we would appreciate it that you would let us do our job, rather than report us to the police, Ms. Hampton."

I smiled. "Well, at least I know you guys can talk. My name is Angeline Hampton, and it's nice to meet you Stuart, Jerry. But I'm here at Paris for my time of my life, and so far life it running away from you guys."

"Then we'll try our best to give you your space, Ms. Hampton." Stuart reassured me.

We began to sight see all of Paris. Paris is a beautiful city, everything about it was so grand. I can even see the Eiffel tower in the distance. I'm planning to go there at the last day I'm here, it would be more worth it like that. 

I also found out more about Thing 1 and Thing, I mean Stuart and Jerry. Stuart has a wife and kid back home, his kid got kidnapped once so he knows what my father feels about me going alone. And Jerry is a doctor, so he'll be there if something happens to me and my heart. It seems my father thought of everything for the trip. 

We were eating ice cream and walking through Paris. It was a bit amusing for me to see people watch a girl eating an ice cream cone with two huge bodyguards eating ice cream too. I'm glad I'm not the only one enjoying themselves. Even though the two of them seem hardcore, they buy as many souvenirs and post cards for their wives and themselves. But there are also some tourists like me, I even saw some guy really absorbed to the sights of Paris.

As we were walking, I saw an art museum. But not just any museum, The Louvre. 

"There. Let's go there," I told them. 

We quickly paid our tickets and headed into the museum. The place was really quiet, everyone was whispering even if they're two feet away from each other. But I didn't mind about the people, it was the paintings I loved. Many of them were some artists I recognized, some were famous and dead. 

I noticed Stuart yawned.

I punched him on the shoulder, knowing that didn't hurt him at all. But he looked at me with curiosity.

"Did I do something to offend you, Ms. Hampton?" He asked me.

"Yes." I told him. "I noticed that you yawned, right here in the Louvre."

I heard Jerry snorted, his partner is being scolded at by an 18 year old.

"I'm sorry but I still don't understand." He said. "How are you offended by this? And why are you being so protective of this museum?"

"When I was 13, I read the famous, mystery-detective novel by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code." I told him, getting a bit pissed off. "It's one of my favorite books of all time, I even brought a copy of mine to this trip."

I opened my small backpack and got the book, my own copy. I went to the bookmarked part and read from it.

"... a full sprint through the museum to see the three most famous objects: the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. Art Buchwald had once boasted he'd seen all three masterpieces in five minutes and fifty-six seconds." I snapped the door shut.

"That is what I want to do. I want to try it myself if he really saw all of the artworks in under six minutes, maybe even try to top it." I said with a smirk.

Jerry stepped forward. "I must object, Ms. Hampton. We can't let you let you sprint for about six minutes, especially with your heart."

"It is only for six minutes." I protested.

"And in your medical records, you limit is about five minutes. And even then, you collapsed from exhaustion."

"Please," I said, making Bambi eyes at them. "It's only for about six minutes. If I run fast enough, it could be for four minutes, tops."

"But the faster you run, the faster you heart beats." Jerry reasoned once more. "You can collapse on your way to the second artwork."

"Please. Pretty please on a cherry on top." I begged. "I've always wanted to see if I could beat the record when I was little. This may be my only chance before I... before I die." I put my face into my hands, trying my best not to cry.

There was a short pause, but then Jerry sighed. "Fine, just this once will we let you run. But after that you must listen to us, for both your health and safety."

I hugged them, revealing that I was faking. They both looked at me with alarm.

I shrugged. "I told you I was a good actress. Now let's go."

After carefully studying the map, I finally memorized the route to all three artworks. I really have always wanted to this ever since I read the book. I bet I could even do it faster since Art Buchwald must be a  middle aged man when he made this record.

Jerry stood by the Mona Lisa with a stopwatch ready. "Are you really sure you want to do this, Ms. Hampton? I could do it myself and test if I could beat the record."

I shook my head. "It would be memorable like this. Then I could live knowing I've seen all three artworks in under six minutes, beating Buchwald's record."

He sighed, knowing his doctor instincts are against this. "As you wish."

I held to running start position. It will only be for about five minutes, I reminded my heart. Please just survive this one time.

Jerry then said. "Ready. Set. Go!"

I raced through the halls as fast my legs can carry me. Many tourists parted like the Red Sea as they saw me race past them, some of them even cheering on me. First is the Venus de Milo, I past through an arch and touched the pedestal. But I noticed there was one person observing the statue. He was quite handsome, I guess. A bit older than me, and he's tall and fit. He had short brown hair and bright blue eyes that glint in the sun. He was startled at my sudden appearance, making me smirk, then I took off towards the direction to the next statue.

I wonder if he would try this challenge too. But I shook the thought away, he must think I'm stupid trying to beat this record. 

Then I ran to the Winged Victory, having to climb the steps to reach it. Stuart was there to see I made it without collapsing. Many people were there, and gave me space to touch the pedestal. I waved hello to him and raced back to the Mona Lisa. 

My heart never beated this hard, this fast before. But I fought it and continued to run. Please, I begged my heart. We're almost there, almost there. But it just beated faster refusing to yield. I felt a stabbing pain in my chest that hurts so much. I took a deep breath and ran, turning a sharp corner. I saw Jerry, I past the painting with my arms in the air.

"I did it!" I said, not caring about the stares I received.

Then that's when I heard it.

BADUMP!

I crashed onto the floor, clutching my chest. I didn't blackout, but I just layed there on the ground, feeling the echoing beats of my heart. I could feel it's beats through my chest, so powerful yet so weak. I felt a bit proud of my heart, it made it this far, but at the same time I was mad at it. It quit when I finished, it must learn by now to never quit. Like I do, everyday of my life.

I felt hands lifting me up on my arms. Then carrying me to the bench, having me to lie down. I saw Jerry using a stethoscope to listen to my heart. Many people were watching what was happening. I slightly closed my eyes, panting heavily.

"Are you okay, Ms. Hampton? Do you want us to take you to the hospital?" Stuart asked.

I weakly shooked my head. "No. I want to stay. I just have to catch my breath."

I sat up and stared to the ground. Jerry and Stuart had the people to keep moving, to mind their own business. I looked at Jerry who sat next to me.

"What's my time?"

He checked his watch. "Seven minutes and 18 seconds."

Not even close. "Oh. I'm sorry for not listening to you, Jerry, Stuart."

"We're not holding it against you." Stuart said. "I would try it if I wanted to."

"But we should head back to the hotel now."

"Can I at least see the Mona Lisa?" I asked.

They nodded me to go ahead. I slowly stood up and looked at the famous painting before me. No one was around to look at her, it was as if they don't care much about her. They saw her and moved on. 

I looked at her. Her curly black hair with a black veil over it, wearing black clothing, has very pale skin and her famed smile. It's hard to figure out if she's a man or a woman, Leonardo da Vinci made sure of that. But nevertheless, many people say she's beautiful. 

I heard many rumors of the secrets Leonardo da Vinci made. There are pictures of animals molded into the background. The background itself it uneven, the right side is higher than the left. I also remembered I watched a video of who Mona Lisa was. In the end it was a middle class housewife in Florence, Italy named Lisa del Giocondo. She was no other than a normal person living a simple life, but ended up being famous after death. Maybe she's smiling because no one would figure out who she is, or smiling because she was finally found.

I couldn't help but smile back.

"She's very beautiful, no?" Someone asked me.

I turned to see the same guy I ran past at the Venus de Milo. His eyes were trained at the painting, but I knew he was talking to me. I saw Jerry and Stuart quickly stood up but I shook my head, telling them it was fine.

Turning back to the guy, I replied. "Yes, she's very beautiful."

"What do you see?"

"I see a lady who wears an endless smile like she knows a secret, and she wants me to find it out." I looked at him, he was was watching me as I speak. But his eyes darted back to the painting. "It's really lovely, but quite dull at the same time. Doesn't make any sense right?"

He chuckled at my answer. "No, I think you're very right. Maybe she does know a secret, and she wears a smile to taunt us."

I smiled that he agrees with me.

"What is your name?" He asked me.

I looked at him. He looked like a regular tourist. A collared shirt and skinny black jeans with sunglasses hung on his shirt, a black pork pie hat and a camera hung over his neck. He didn't looked a kidnapper at sorts, but he was still a stranger and we just barely met.

"I can't tell you my name, we just met."

He blushed and look back at the painting. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me to just ask-"

"But you can call me Ms. Heart."

He looked at me with a smile. Then he slightly bowed and kissed my hand. "Then I'll be Mr. Art."

I looked back at the Mona Lisa, who wore a smile saying she will keep this a secret.