Matchmaker Mayhem
Chapter 87: Challenge 3 - The Louvre Love Hunt

Chapter 87: Challenge 3 - The Louvre Love Hunt

The Louvre was breathtaking, even for someone as preoccupied as Ava. The towering glass pyramid reflected the golden morning sun, while tourists and art enthusiasts bustled around the courtyard.

But today, the Louvre wasn’t just a museum.

It was a matchmaking battlefield.

Margaux Duval stood at the center of the courtyard, looking as pristine as ever in a designer trench coat and oversized sunglasses, sipping an espresso like she was born to orchestrate chaos.

"Bienvenue, matchmakers," she announced, her voice carrying over the noise of the crowd. "Today’s challenge is about connections—not just between people, but through history, art, and fate."

Ava nudged Ryan, whispering, "Why does she always sound like she’s narrating a perfume commercial?"

Ryan smirked. "It’s the French elegance. We Americans just say things like ’Find love at Target.’"

Ava stifled a laugh as Margaux continued.

"Inside the museum, you will receive a list of riddles—each leading to a different famous artwork. Your job is to guide your assigned clients through the museum, solving clues while subtly encouraging natural chemistry. The couple that finds all their destinations first wins extra points. Oh, and no using phones for navigation."

Ava’s stomach sank.

"No phones?" she echoed in horror. "You expect me to find my way through a maze of priceless art without Google Maps?"

Ryan grinned, already rolling up his sleeves. "Sounds like a fun challenge."

Ava narrowed her eyes. "You would think that."

The moment they stepped into the Louvre’s grand halls, the challenge started.

Ava’s assigned couple, Daniel and Sophie, were surprisingly easygoing. They chatted as they walked, marveling at the paintings and sculptures like they were on a casual date.

Ryan, however, was not so lucky.

His couple, Marcus and Isabelle, were total opposites.

Marcus, a history professor, was enthralled by every single detail, stopping every few steps to read plaques and offer impromptu lectures.

Isabelle, an impatient fashion editor, was bored out of her mind and clearly only here for the competition.

"Can we move faster?" Isabelle sighed as Marcus admired a marble statue. "It’s just another naked guy in stone."

Marcus gasped in academic horror. "That’s Michelangelo’s Dying Slave! A masterpiece of Renaissance artistry!"

Isabelle checked her nails. "Still just another naked guy."

Ryan, desperately trying to keep them moving, pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is going to be a long challenge."

Ava, walking beside him, smirked. "Want to trade?"

Ryan sighed. "Too late. I’m already emotionally invested in this train wreck."

---

Their first riddle led them to the Egyptian exhibit, where they were supposed to find the Seated Scribe—a statue known for its lifelike eyes.

Sounds simple, right?

Except one of Ava’s clients promptly disappeared.

"Where’s Daniel?" Ava asked, looking around.

Sophie turned pale. "He was just here a second ago—oh my God, did we lose him?"

Panic set in.

Losing a matchmaking client in the Louvre? That felt like grounds for professional disqualification.

Ryan, ever the problem solver, scanned the room. "He couldn’t have gone far."

A beat of silence.

Then, a distant voice: "Uh... guys?"

Ava turned toward a huge sarcophagus display, where Daniel had somehow managed to wander behind the glass barrier.

Security was already closing in.

Ryan stared. "How did he even—?"

Ava grabbed his arm. "No time! We need a distraction!"

---

Enter Mei: The Ultimate Distraction

If there was one thing Mei knew how to do, it was steal the spotlight.

As security approached Daniel, Mei dramatically collapsed onto a bench, clutching her chest.

"Oh mon dieu!" she wailed, her voice echoing dramatically through the hall. "I... I feel faint!"

The guards instantly pivoted, rushing toward her instead.

Harold, completely unfazed, handed her a bottle of water. "Your commitment to theatrics is remarkable."

Ryan took the opportunity to quickly yank Daniel back over the barrier before security noticed.

Mission: Success.

As Mei "recovered" under the concerned gaze of the museum staff, Ava grabbed Ryan’s hand, pulling him forward. "Come on! We still have five more clues to solve!"

After a few successful finds—including the Mona Lisa (which was impossible to miss, thanks to the mob of tourists)—they made their way toward their next destination.

That’s when Ryan encountered his greatest enemy.

A revolving door.

"After you," Ryan said, motioning Ava forward.

She smirked, stepping through with ease.

Ryan, however, hesitated for a second too long.

The door swung forward, knocking him halfway inside before shoving him back out.

Ava burst into laughter.

Ryan, scowling, tried again. This time, he got halfway through before it jerked to a stop.

Stuck.

Ava doubled over, clutching her stomach. "Oh my God, you’re trapped in a revolving door!"

Ryan glared. "This is not funny."

It was absolutely funny.

The museum security guard sighed before manually forcing the door open, freeing Ryan from his glass prison.

Ryan dusted himself off, turning to Ava. "Not a word."

Ava, still giggling, linked her arm through his. "Whatever you say... door warrior."

Ryan sighed. "I’m never living this down, am I?"

Ava grinned. "Not in this lifetime."

Despite the chaos, they managed to find all the clues in record time.

Ava’s couple, Daniel and Sophie, were laughing together, their shared adventure bringing them closer.

Even Marcus and Isabelle had softened toward each other, Marcus realizing he needed to be less academic, and Isabelle surprisingly admitting, "Okay... maybe that statue was kind of impressive."

Margaux, tallying the results, nodded approvingly.

"Well done, Miss Lee. Your instinct continues to impress."

Julian, who had been watching from the sidelines, scoffed. "Luck."

Ava smiled sweetly. "You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, Julian?"

Ryan, standing beside her, whispered, "I love it when you destroy him."

Ava smirked. "It’s my second-favorite hobby."

Ryan raised a brow. "What’s the first?"

Ava leaned in, voice playful. "Making you suffer, obviously."

Ryan grinned, pulling her just a little closer. "Lucky me."

---

After the challenge ended and the chaos died down, the competitors slowly filtered out of the museum, leaving behind the quiet hum of art lovers wandering the vast halls of the Louvre.

Ava exhaled as she leaned against one of the massive marble columns, watching the remaining guests trickle toward the exits.

Ryan, standing beside her, nudged her shoulder lightly. "Tired already?"

Ava rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it. "This place is a maze. I swear I’ve walked more today than I have all week."

Ryan smirked. "Sounds like someone needs a break."

She crossed her arms. "We just spent hours matching clients. Don’t you want to get out of here?"

Ryan shrugged, glancing around the emptying halls. "Not really."

Ava lifted a brow. "Oh?"

Ryan casually tucked his hands into his pockets, his smirk softening into something quieter. "We finally have a minute to ourselves. No competition. No Julian breathing down our necks. No Mei causing international bread incidents. Just you and me in the world’s most famous museum."

Ava blinked, thrown off by the unexpected sentiment. She wasn’t used to Ryan being serious. Playful, sarcastic, flirty? Absolutely. But moments like this—where he looked at her like she was the only thing in the room that mattered—they caught her off guard.

A slow smile crept onto her lips. "Are you asking me on a date, Kim?"

Ryan leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Well, we’re already here. Might as well take advantage of the setting."

Ava tilted her head, pretending to consider. "Hmm. Exploring the Louvre with a handsome but slightly annoying guy? I suppose it could be fun."

Ryan scoffed. "Slightly annoying? Rude."

She laughed, grabbing his wrist before he could protest further. "Come on, let’s go."

---

Without the competition looming over them, Ava and Ryan took their time, meandering through the quiet halls, admiring paintings and sculptures at their own pace.

Ava wasn’t an art expert by any means, but there was something calming about walking through these ancient corridors, surrounded by masterpieces that had stood the test of time.

Ryan, of course, found ways to make it entertaining.

"I swear that statue looks exactly like Julian." He pointed to a particularly smug-looking marble bust.

Ava snorted. "It’s the expression. All it’s missing is a superiority complex."

They moved through the Italian Renaissance wing, pausing in front of an elaborate painting depicting a dramatic love story. Ava tilted her head. "I love how every historical painting is basically ’man looks longingly at woman while tragedy happens in the background.’"

Ryan smirked, stepping behind her. "If this were a painting, I’d be the guy dramatically staring at you while chaos happened around us."

Ava turned to face him, arms crossed. "I hate how accurate that is."

Ryan grinned. "You love it."

Ava sighed. "Unfortunately."

---

As expected, the Mona Lisa had a lingering crowd despite the late hour.

Ryan, standing behind Ava, rested his chin lightly on her shoulder as they stared at the painting. "I don’t get the hype."

Ava barely registered his words, too aware of the warmth of his breath against her neck, the way he hadn’t moved away.

Ryan, clearly oblivious to the effect he was having, continued. "I mean, she’s cool, I guess. But why is she famous for having a slightly amused expression? That’s just your face every time I say something stupid."

Ava let out a breathy laugh, tilting her head just enough that their temples brushed. "Because it’s about mystery. The way she looks like she knows something the rest of us don’t."

Ryan hummed, shifting slightly so his lips hovered close to her ear. "Like you?"

Ava’s heart skipped.

She rolled her eyes, nudging him away with her elbow. "Don’t try to flirt with Da Vinci."

Ryan chuckled, but he didn’t move far.

Instead, he reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together.

Ava hesitated—but only for a second—before squeezing back.

---

After an hour of aimless wandering, stolen glances, and whispered jokes, Ryan pulled Ava toward a discreet exit that led to one of the Louvre’s private terraces.

A cool evening breeze greeted them, carrying the distant sounds of Parisian life below. The city lights stretched out before them, the Seine glittering like liquid gold.

Ava exhaled, leaning against the stone railing. "Okay, this is nice."

Ryan, standing beside her, bumped his shoulder against hers. "Told you."

They stood in comfortable silence, the weight of the day melting away.

Then, ever so casually, Ryan reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger just a little too long.

Ava’s breath caught.

She turned to face him, finding his gaze already on her.

Ryan smirked, but his voice was softer when he spoke. "You realize you don’t have to do this alone, right?"

Ava swallowed. "Do what?"

"Carry everything." His thumb brushed lightly against her knuckles, their fingers still intertwined. "This competition. The pressure. Dealing with Julian, the sabotage, all of it."

Ava exhaled, looking down at their joined hands. "I know."

Ryan tilted her chin up gently, forcing her to meet his eyes. "No, I don’t think you do."

Ava’s pulse quickened.

It would be so easy to close the distance.

For a moment, Ryan looked like he was about to.

And Ava?

She wasn’t sure she would stop him.

Then—

A sudden loud honk from the streets below shattered the moment.

Ryan groaned, dropping his forehead against hers in defeat. "Paris, you’re killing me."

Ava, despite everything, laughed.

Ryan smirked, his lips brushing against her temple. "This conversation isn’t over."

Ava, still feeling the ghost of his touch, whispered, "I know."

They stayed there a little longer, neither quite ready to let go.

Because for all the competition, the chaos, and the obstacles ahead—this? This was theirs.

And for now, that was enough.