[people chattering]
[plane engines roaring]
-[Narrator] Most passengers
barely noticed Gina on her flights.
They didn't look up when she gave the safety demonstration,
avoided eye contact when she took their drink orders,
and ignored her polite request to put
their tray tables in their full and upright positions.
- Bye-bye, have a nice day.
Thank you.
-[Narrator] Leaving the plane, they walked right by her,
moving on to their next destination
without giving her a second thought.
- Bye, thanks.
-[Narrator] But Paul was different.
She met Paul on a flight to Boston,
where he was traveling to an academic conference.
He liked her warmth, her sad smile.
On trips, she missed him terribly.
She sent him notes from every new place she visited,
and brought back gifts to furnish the home they shared.
Gina thought it was a grand romance,
the kind she always dreamed about,
like something out of an old musical.
But Paul was in another world.
Left alone in their empty home,
surrounded by memories of Gina,
he became increasingly despondent and obsessed.
"Dear Gina," he wrote her,
"I know you don't love me anymore.
"Maybe you never did.
"The gifts, the postcards, they can't hide the truth.
"You're only traveling to escape me.
"I don't blame you.
"I wish I could escape myself.
"Maybe now I finally can.
"Goodbye.
"Paul."
- Paul?
Paul?
I'm sorry I'm late.
Paul?
[screams]
[haunting music]
[sobs]
[mournful music]
-[Narrator] Gina returned to her job almost immediately.
She didn't know where else to go or what else to do.
Her coworkers, Lorraine and Faye,
had become her only friends.
Gina would never say to them that Paul had killed himself,
only that he'd passed on.
They tried to act as if everything was normal,
but secretly feared for her sanity.
[plane engines roaring]
[cars rumbling by]
-[Lorraine] All right, see you later.
-[Gina] See you at 7:00.
-[Lorraine] Okay.
[door creaks]
- Paul?
Paul?
- Gina, you left the door open.
Why aren't you changed?
Come on, we're ready to go.
[laughs]
come on, let's go.
-[Narrator] On their layover,
they forced Gina out for an evening on the town.
"A special surprise," they said.
What Gina didn't know is that her friends
bribed the fortune teller just moments before,
requesting she give Gina a good reading.
-[Fortune Teller] So, I see a new man in your future.
Have a card.
- Oh, that looks very bad.
- That's the devil.
You do what you want with it.
It's just dangerous, but you can use it,
turn it as you want.
Another one, here.
The sun.
- Is this good?
- Yeah, the best card in the world.
So, this one is love.
And this one is a start.
It's gonna be a new love.
Give me your hand.
The man has something in his eye.
Something in his eye...
- What does that mean?
[people chattering]
-[Narrator] Though she didn't like to talk about it,
or anything personal anymore, Gina had been reading
her horoscope religiously every morning since Paul's death,
and wanted to believe in fate,
that everything really was meant to be.
Lorraine's guidebook recommended the Green Inn,
an upscale venue for authentic French cabaret.
and the club had become very different in recent years.
[upbeat music]
- You want a Pinot grigio?
- Do you want a Pinot grigio?
[scattered clapping]
-[Jerome] So, where are you from?
-[Faye] Uh, the US.
- And you are here for holiday?
-[Lorraine] We're on layover for one of the airlines.
- Airline hostesses.
Flight attendant.
- Okay, you work in a plane.
- Mm-hmm.
- You know all the world?
-[Faye] Pretty much.
- And the moon, too?
-[Faye] Uh, not yet.
-[Lorraine] Someday.
- Yeah.
[dreamy music]
I like uniform of flight attendant,
because it's very sexy.
[laughs]
No, I am serious, huh?
Give me your hand.
This one, yeah.
I can see...
Here.
We can take a taxi together and go to my place,
most beautiful place in Paris,
and this is my place, is here.
- This is your place?
- Yeah, it's my place.
I have fresh champagne in my place,
and we, I can...
[laughs]
We can, you know, you and me, and you?
And we can, you know?
- Oui.
- We can have a good night, a very good night together.
Early.
And you can't go to my place,
because you, where you live?
- A hotel.
[panting]
-[Narrator] Maybe it was the reading,
maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was Paris,
but when she saw Jerome, for the first time
since Paul's suicide, Gina felt something.
- Ah, Jerome, a condom?
- What?
- Do you have a condom?
- I prefer natural.
[groaning]
[moaning]
- Did I wake you?
- Huh?
Who are you?
I'm kidding.
It's a joke.
[laughs]
- Are you hungry?
I got you breakfast.
- Yes.
Yeah.
Thanks.
Okay.
Breakfast for you?
- Oh, I will eat at the airport.
- Perfect.
What?
- Your eye.
It looks really terrible.
- My eye?
You need go now for a walk?
- Uh, yeah, I do have to go soon,
but I think you can stay here until eleven.
- No, no, no, I am okay.
I need a walk, too.
I go, you know.
-[Gina] I'm flying Paris this whole month.
- Really?
-[Gina] Yeah, all month.
- Cool.
I give you my number.
You have a pen?
'Cause I don't have.
Don't lose it, huh?
- I won't lose it.
-[Jerome] Okay!
[whimsical music]
- Wish I was still there.
[text chimes]
[shop bell dings]
Hi.
- Hi, how may I help you?
- May I please have Plan B?
- Sure, Plan B.
- Okay, here you are.
And would you like some ointment for your eye.
- Oh, no, thanks.
- Are you sure?
- Yeah, yeah, it's okay.
Hey, did you get my text?
[text chimes]
[plane engines roar]
-[Narrator] Jerome's conjunctivitis spread across
Gina's eye, causing it to redden and swell and ooze.
It became cloudy, and she could barely see straight anymore.
- Jerome.
- Ah, American girl.
Hello.
Yeah, I like it.
It's sexy.
Very sexy.
I will take a flight.
But I don't have my ticket with me.
[glass shatters]
- Oh, I'm sorry.
-[Girl] Yeah, we will take it. - You want a drink?
Yeah.
No, it's okay.
- Cheers.
- Julie, American girl.
[moaning]
- You want me to do it again?
- Yeah.
[camera clicks]
what are you doing?
- Nothing.
- You came to my place.
- Yeah.
Is that okay?
Sorry, I've been up for a long time.
- Yeah, it's okay, it's okay.
It's okay.
- I have to go to work pretty soon.
- Oh, yeah?
Maybe you can stay for a few minutes, no?
- Okay.
Just a few.
- Yeah.
to mention Paul's death to Jerome.
She could just tell he knew.
He instinctively understood her pain.
- I like you, too.
I like you.
But long-distance is very difficult,
and I know that, but because of my last girlfriend,
she was traveling every time...
- Long-distance is hard.
- Yeah.
- I've been thinking about moving to Paris.
[laughs]
[upbeat music]
- I'm not from New York.
I'm from the state of New York,
but not the city of New York.
- So you're not from New York.
- Yeah, it's very depressing where I am.
-[Charlie] So, you're from New York,
but you're not from New York.
- Correct.
I've been to the city, and it's cool.
I've been there.
-[Charlie] You've been there?
- But it's not the same thing.
- Let me give you my number so that I can show you around.
My name is Charlotte.
I mean, Charlie.
Everybody calls me Charlie.
- Charlie? - Yeah, Charlie.
- Gina.
- Gina?
Oh, that's a beautiful name.
- Okay, I'll see you.
- Bye, see you soon.
[laughs]
-[Gina] Good night.
- Good night.
[haunting music]
[doorbell buzzes]
[phone keypad tapping]
-[Narrator] With nothing left for her back in New York,
Gina was looking for a sign, any sign, to remain in Paris.
- Very pretty.
Do you have another...
Do you have another apartment with the sign
that looked out onto the street?
Okay, um, I have a friend.
- She says that it's more
expensive than the other apartment.
She said that there was a lovely couple
that used to live here.
- It's perfect.
- Really?
- Yes, perfect.
No, I just, I need a break.
[voice chattering over phone]
Yeah, I just, well, just tell him that...
I can use my vacation days.
I just really need some rest.
Yeah, it's okay.
Oh, Lorraine, Lorraine, I have to go.
I have to go, bye!
-[Narrator] She knew Jerome had positioned himself
on that corner specifically so she could see him
to coax her outside and come talk to him.
- Jerome!
You?
- Yes.
But what are you doing here?
- Oh, I just was in the neighborhood.
- I was talking through the neighborhood. I saw you.
- Yeah, but, no, I mean, what are you doing in Paris?
- Oh, I decided to stay.
- Really?
You really live in Paris now?
Okay.
- It's great, huh?
- I give my eyes to you now.
It's my fault.
Do you want stuff?
The rest of medicine?
For my treatment for that in my place.
- If you want, I can give you-- - Oh, that'd be great, yeah.
-[Narrator] As the antibiotic drops soothed
her diseased eye, Gina became elated and thankful.
She had found someone who knew how to take of her.
- Sorry, I have to leave.
- Hm?
- I have some stuff to do.
- Oh, what do you have to do?
- Because it's my birthday party tonight.
- Tonight?
Is today your birthday?
- Yeah.
- It's your birthday today?
I can't believe it's your, mm!
Happy birthday!
- Thank you.
I am 40.
- Happy birthday.
- Thank you.
- Well, can I help you?
I'll help you buy some stuff.
I can make a cake.
- Uh, okay.
- Okay, okay.
Okay, hold on, let me just see.
Sorry.
- No, it's okay, it's okay.
- Oh, your--
-[Jerome] Oh.
- Okay.
[party music]
- Red wine?
Red wine.
-[Gina] Maybe I can help you pick.
-[Jerome] No, no, it's okay.
-[Gina] Oh, I like this one.
I like that.
-[Jerome] Yeah, but I think--
- What she's wearing.
- Yeah, no, no, yeah, this one.
Yeah.
Yeah, if you want, you can go down in the kitchen
and get some stuff, some food for everybody.
-[Gina] Oh, yeah.
Yeah, of course.
Yeah, yeah, good idea.
- Thank you.
-[Gina] Okay, I'll be back.
- Thanks.
- Oh, I'm on leave right now, so yeah,
normally, back and forth, but now I'm here for a while.
- Enjoying?
- Yeah, enjoying it a lot.
- Cool.
- Well, you have to be naked five days a week.
- Oh, but you're so beautiful, you don't mind.
- Why, do you want to work there?
- Oh, I don't think so.
- Not like a dancer, but like a waitress, or a dishwasher?
[laughs]
- I don't know if Jerome told you,
but I am a flight attendant.
- Oh.
Oh, okay.
And it's a very, do you have jobs?
- Teacher.
[piano keys jangling]
- So, she said you can't have your dessert
until you have your vegetables, and then she took them back,
and I mean, she's much older, she's been a flight attendant
for about 20 years longer than I have,
so she's a little bit older, and you know,
she's just always trying to make it fun
for everybody, you know, especially the customers.
Especially now, traveling has become very stressful,
I feel like, for a lot of people.
- I'll be back.
- Oh, yeah, yeah.
It was great to talk to you.
[rock music]
[doorbell rings]
- Hi.
[smoke detector rings]
Oh, my god.
Excuse me.
Sorry!
I burned the cake.
I'm sorry.
- Oh, hey, you're still here.
- Oh, yeah.
Where do you put your recycling?
- Oh, no, it's okay.
Stop, stop.
I can make that tomorrow.
-[Gina] Oh, okay.
- Yeah, it's okay.
- It was such a fun party.
- Yeah, but I'm tired.
- Me, too, I'm so tired.
Let's go to bed.
- Yeah, no, I'm so tired.
I can call a cab for you.
I call a cab for you.
- Now?
- Yeah, I'm exhausted.
-[Narrator] Gina wanted to acclimate herself
to her adopted country, so Charlie eagerly
agreed to act as her tour guide.
She offered to take Gina to the countryside for an overnight trip.
- Wait, I don't, I like it down a bit.
- Oh, sorry.
Just a little closer.
Can you smile?
[camera clicks]
- Did you get it?
- Yeah, they're perfect.
- No.
These are not good.
-[Charlie] You don't like them?
- Very bad.
I'm blinking in every single one. - Mm?
There is a little problem with your credit card. It doesn't work, so--
- Can you try it again?
- Okay, I'll try it again if you want.
[card reader beeps]
No.
- Oh, it's probably because of the traveling.
They sometimes, the bank, I don't think I have any cash.
Do you have--
- Yeah, sure.
-[Gina] Sorry.
-[Waiter] Sorry.
- Thank you.
I'm sorry, I'll pay you back when we get back.
[dreamy music]
- I drink a little bit actually, it helps.
If you can't drink enough already.
And now, you're just like, how do you open that, actually?
I'm gonna help you.
So, you do that.
And then, you do...
[hums tunelessly]
And very slowly, like that.
It's even better with a dress, you know?
because I wanted to just travel as much as I could.
When I was 18, almost 19,
so that's 18 years?
Oh, my god.
18 years.
[both laugh]
And so...
Yeah, I don't know how to do anything else.
I don't even know what I would do.
[cars rumbling by]
[haunting music]
- It's no good.
It's no good.
-[Gina] No?
- No.
-[Gina] Okay.
- It's no good.
- He wants you to be more like a model.
Maybe more cleavage, yeah.
Do it one more time, please.
Sensual, sexy.
The American accent excites men, every man.
- Okay.
- That's a bonus for you.
You need to learn to speak French a little bit,
just to engage with your customer.
- How do I know if they're VIP, though?
- We will tell you first. - Hey.
What are you doing here?
- I got a job. - Okay.
- Okay, so, one more time.
Crystal glasses, VIP clients.
["Born a Woman" by Sandra Posey]
- Jerome?
- Yes.
- A whiskey.
- Okay, on the rocks?
- No.
- Yes, a little bit.
- Yes, at the party.
- Okay.
- Um...
- Gina.
Thank you.
- I'll be right back.
-[Translator] You are beautiful, but you need
to be more committed to the customers.
-[Translator] You need to allow customers
to be friendly towards you.
Be more sexy.
- Look at me, please, Gina.
Gina, speak me.
Look me, please.
- This is what we call a
[speaks foreign language] in French.
A bad friend, because it makes you feel
that it's the same word as an English word, but it's not.
For instance, it's not a journey.
It's a day.
Like, [speaks foreign language]
sounds like a preservative, but it's not.
It means a condom.
- Condom?
[laughs]
- Yeah.
- How do we say, "I need you?"
- I need you, it's...
-[Lorraine] Gina, I haven't heard from you.
How are you feeling?
Give a call.
[voicemail beeps]
Just heard from Charles you're not coming back.
Even though we'll miss you,
we're so happy you're doing so well.
[voicemail beeps]
Just got the photo of you and Jerome.
He's so handsome.
[voicemail beeps]
We're flying Paris again this month, hope to see you.
[doorbell buzzes]
- Hi.
-[Gina] Hey.
[giggles]
- Oh, you already give me so much.
No, I can't take it.
- Please, open it.
Open it.
It's a trip for us.
- Oh, okay, it is not a surprise now.
- For tonight, to Giverny.
- Okay.
-[Gina] You know?
Monet?
- Yeah, but I'm working tonight, you know?
- Tonight?
- Well, you should call in sick. - No, I can't.
Franz need me, and, you know?
But go, it's beautiful.
- But--
-[Jerome] No, no, it's not possible.
- I already bought the tickets.
Can you call in sick?
- Yeah, no.
Go, go, go.
Enjoy, enjoy, go, go.
I'm sorry.
Bye.
See you soon.
[door slams]
[exotic music]
- Where's Jerome tonight?
- Oh, it's so great to see you.
- It's great to see you. - You look so beautiful.
-[Gina] Thank you.
-[Faye] You look awesome.
-[Gina] Thanks, so do you.
- How's the new, sexy boyfriend?
- Oh, he's really good.
He's great, yeah.
He's sick, so he's not here tonight,
but everything is very, very good.
- I'm so glad you're happy.
- Yeah.
Are you guys on layover?
- Yeah, we had to see you.
- Oh, wow.
It's so nice to see you.
-[Faye] Can you bring out some drinks? - Of course!
I'll get, um, you want shots?
-[Faye] Yeah, shots. - Yeah?
Okay, tequila, three?
Three shots of tequila.
Four, okay.
- He's not happy.
- Okay.
[doorbell buzzes]
- Hi, it's me.
- Gina.
-[Jerome] What are you doing here?
- Oh, I thought we had plans tonight.
- No, I am busy.
- Oh, um, could I use your bathroom?
It's an emergency.
- Hi.
Didn't realize you had company.
- Yes.
The bathroom is over there.
- Oh, yes.
Yeah, I remember.
- Yeah, go.
- Okay.
- Everything's okay?
- Yes, yes, okay.
Yeah, I'm fine.
- Okay.
- Oh, do you have any white wine?
- Just whiskey.
[whimpers]
- Cool.
- I said, you will come with us.
- Oh, yeah, okay.
I didn't put my name in!
I didn't put your name in.
- I put your name down.
- No, no, no!
-[Crowd] Gina, Gina, Gina!
[winsome music]
♪ Time is on my side
♪ Yes, it is
♪ Time is on my side
♪ Yes, it is
♪ That you wanna be free
♪ You'll come running back
♪ You'll come running back to me
♪ Time is on my side
♪ Yes, it is
♪ Time is on my side
♪ Yes, it is
♪ You're searching for good times
♪ But just wait and see
♪ You'll come running back
♪ You'll come running back to me
♪ My girl, my girl, where will you go?
♪ I'm going where the cold wind blows
-[Woman] You have such an amazing voice.
♪ My girl, my girl
♪ Don't lie to me
♪ Tell me where you slept last night
[eerie music]
[glass shatters]
- Gina.
I'm glad you're okay.
- Thank you for staying with me.
- It's okay.
- We'll do something really special tomorrow.
- What'd she say?
- She said, um--
- Do you wanna know about love?
- Yes, love.
- Okay.
- What does it mean?
- She said my real love is coming in my life, is here.
[phone ringing]
- What?
What?
- Uh, she said it's real.
It's now, it's fine.
It's now.
Go, go take your call now.
[phone ringing]
Uh, okay.
- Well, there's gonna be no way that I can come in tonight,
so can you please just make something up?
I don't know, Charlie.
Just lie for me.
Just say anything.
I don't care, please.
-[Narrator] Jerome didn't believe in fate,
in crystal balls or mysticism, but he had began to think
that maybe, just maybe, the tarot cards were right.
"Your true love is already beside you."
He had to go to her.
[rock music]
[crowd cheering]
[dreamy music]
[girls chattering]
Even in a sea of beautiful women, Jerome knew,
in that instant, that Clemence would be his wife.
Gina, meanwhile, began to spiral into despair.
She fell behind on her rent payments.
She couldn't motivate herself to bathe or eat
for days at a time, barely able to leave the couch.
[romantic music]
- I have work.
Why?
Come on.
I missed one day, and I have to work tonight.
Will you please go get Franz? I need to talk to Franz.
I have to work tonight.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
- Wait here.
Stay here.
I'll be back.
- Hey, Gina.
What's happening with you?
- Franz doesn't want to see you right now. He's, he's-- - - - Okay, I don't need your help.
- I just need to talk to Franz. - Let me talk to him first.
- I'll convince you to take him back. - I'm not going to fuck you.
- What?
You're not what?
-[Gina] I'm not going to fuck you.
- You're not going to fuck me?
-[Gina] That's right.
- What makes you think that I want to fuck you?
You want to talk to Franz? I'm gonna get Franz.
- Hello, again.
Hello, again.
- You're fired.
[haunting music]
[doorbell buzzing]
- Please, come back another time.
- No, I just had to find my earring. I left my earring here. The rose one, the red one?
- Okay, go find, go find.
- It's a red rose earring.
It was my mother's.
- Gina, Gina, stop, stop, stop.
You have to go now.
- No, I have to find my earring.
I can't leave without my earring.
- I can find it tomorrow.
- You have to go.
You have to go now.
Please, please, Gina.
I go away with you now.
- You'll come with me?
- Yes, I come with you.
- You have to go now.
- You have to go.
You have to go.
Come, come.
Come, okay?
- Yes, my home.
Yes, right here.
Yes, come.
- What? - Come, come.
[keypad beeping]
You want a drink?
Can I get you a drink?
- It is a joke?
It is a joke?
You live here?
Go to America!
Okay?
- But I love you.
- Yeah?
[door slams]
[eerie music]
[knocking on door]
[romantic music]
[knocking intensifies]
- I have a room under the name Gina Campbell.
- Okay, let me check.
Um, I don't have a reservation under Campbell.
I have Royalton Air, but nothing under Campbell.
There should definitely be a reservation under my name.
Can you please check with your supervisor?
- Oh, yes. - Thank you.
- I'm sorry, Madam, but you are not under the system.
There is no reservation under Campbell,
and the hotel is full.
- I'm really sorry, there is nothing I can do for you.
- Well, I stayed here a million times,
and I've been on my feet all day.
I would really love to just get to sleep,
- I understand, but there is nothing I can do for you.
I'm really sorry.
- The entire hotel is full?
- Yes, Madam.
[crickets chirping]
[romantic music]
[man grunting]
[screams]
- Get away from me!
No, get away!
Get away from me!
[shrieks]
-[Narrator] No great happiness comes without great pain.
As Gina stalked the happy couple for days,
trailing their every move, she suddenly felt
something change inside of her.
She knew she might have to hurt Jerome.
-[Tailor] Yes, I do, a little bit.
- Okay, I am pregnant.
- Oh, congratulations.
So, I need a dress that's going to, you know, that I can either expand in the stomach,
or that will...
- Sorry, can I let you five minutes, please?
- I will come back, Monsieur.
Thank you.
-[Tailor] Oh, good night.
[haunting music]
- Jerome?
Jerome!
Jerome, Jerome!
Jerome!
[haunting music]
Jerome!
Jerome.
Wait.
Jerome!
- Jerome!
[car screeches]
- Thank you.
Okay.
This is his belongings.
Thank you.
-[Narrator] The engagement ring fit perfectly,
as if it were made just for her.
[sighs]
[ventilator drumming]
[heart monitor beeping]
Jerome took such good care of her, Gina thought,
and now it was her turn to stay by his side,
to nurse him back from the dead.
[heart monitor blares]
[phone chimes]
[heart monitor blares]
[romantic music]
She wanted a photo.
Something to send to Lorraine,
but also something for herself, to remember that moment.
Some tangible proof that all of this, somehow, was real.
[camera clicks]
[romantic music]
["Thirst Street Theme" by Lindsay Burdge]