9. Lauren
CHAPTER 9
LAUREN
L auren hurried across the campus to her last class of the day. Her mind was a blur after the confusing and surprising conversation she’d just had with Nico. She could hardly believe that she’d agreed to have dinner with him again. The romantic in Lauren hoped things would be different this time, even if the realist in her knew that people didn’t change and Nico was the same man who’d left without saying goodbye just a few weeks ago.
Her unease was compounded by the fact that she hadn’t gotten a lunch break. She ate a granola bar from her purse on the way to class and chased it down with a few sips of water from her bottle. Thank goodness she’d at least been prepared enough to bring provisions.
Lauren was so distracted during the next class that she couldn’t have described either the students or the subject matter when the hour ended. After the students left, Céline pulled her aside.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes. I’m so sorry if I was acting strange.”
“Just a little. But don’t worry about it. Is teaching not all you dreamed it would be? Or did you not enjoy your French class?”
“Nothing like that,” Lauren said. “It’s just a little drama in the romance department.”
Céline’s eyes lit up at that and she pulled Lauren over to one of the desks.
“Please share, if you want to.” Céline took a seat. “I have to admit, I’ve been in a relationship for about seven years now, so I just don’t get the kind of fun relationship drama other people do. Although I love Jean deeply, of course.”
“Well, if you’re in the mood for fun relationship drama, I think you’ve come to the wrong place. This isn’t exactly fun.”
“Oh.” Céline frowned. “Well, if you don’t want to talk about it, you really don’t have to. But I’m here if you do.”
“It’s a little embarrassing.” Lauren hesitated, then the whole story came spilling out. “My first day here I was lost, and a handsome French guy saved me. We ended up spending the day together… and then the night…”
“Ooh.” Céline’s frown lifted into a grin. “So far, so good.”
“Right. We just really clicked, you know? We talked the whole time and it seemed like we had a real connection. But when I woke up the next morning, he’d left without saying goodbye. There was a note, but no contact information.”
“Oh, no.”
“Exactly. I don’t really blame him, really — some people prefer one-night stands with no follow-up, and maybe we should have discussed expectations before spending the night together. But I also thought we had a real connection, so it hurt to find out that he didn’t feel the same way.”
“He sounds like a jerk to me,” Céline said loyally. “I know we only just met, but I’m definitely on your side.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.”
“Is that what’s been distracting you today? The guy walking out on you?”
“Kind of, but there’s a little more to the story. Today, I walked into the French class here at college and guess who I saw?”
“The guy?” Céline’s eyes were wide with interest.
Lauren nodded. “The guy. He was my professor.”
“What’s his name? I might know him.”
“Oh, no. I don’t want to complicate any professional relationships you might have. I don’t want to say.” Lauren bit her lip and raised her hand to her grandfather’s ring.
“Fair enough, but we only have a few French professors. I think I can figure this out. Let’s see. Antoine is a little old for you… and married to a man. So, I don’t think it can be him. Then there’s Elise and Geneviève, so I can rule them out. Unless…”
Lauren shook her head. “No, it was a guy.”
“Okay. That just leaves Nico Lefèvre. Ooh, I see you are blushing. It was Nico, right?”
“Yes.” Lauren dropped her head into her hands.
“I’m surprised. I always thought Nico was a nice guy. But we also don’t know each other well. What happened when you saw him in class?”
“Well, after class was over, he called me over to talk to me. He asked if it would be possible for us to interact professionally, and I said yes, although I was a little offended that he would even ask. I can be professional — although I did make one snarky comment. Then I started to leave, and he called after me. He said he was sorry for how he’d left things and asked me over for dinner so he could explain.”
“And what did you say?”
Lauren shrugged. “I said yes. I mean, I think almost everyone deserves the chance to explain themselves. And, to be honest, I wanted to see him again. Which I know is probably a terrible idea.”
“Maybe not.” Céline shrugged, too. “I’m on your side, like I said. Maybe he does have a good reason for leaving.”
“Maybe, but why not just tell me the reason in the note he left? Or today in class?”
“I don’t know. But it sounds like he wants an excuse to see you again.”
Lauren sank her head into her hands again. “It does seem like it. But I don’t know what he wants from another meeting. It’s all a lot to think about.”
“I get that. But if you like him and want to give him a chance to explain, I think going makes sense.”
“I do like him.” Lauren sighed. “I just don’t want to get hurt.”
“If you never get hurt in life, I’m not sure you’re really living.” Céline winked. “That’s my advice for you as a slightly older friend.”
“Thanks. And I’m really sorry for unloading all this on you. I know we’ve only just met, and you’re my boss.”
“Please.” Céline waved a hand. “I asked you to tell me. Plus, I think we’re already friends. Don’t you?”
“After this conversation, I hope so.”
Céline grinned. “What are you going to wear tonight?”
“Oh, no!” Lauren sat up straight again, her eyes wide. “I didn’t even think of that. What should I wear?”
Céline chuckled. “The good news is, this was your last class of the day. You’ll have a few more hours to reach a decision before you need to meet Nico. But I think you need something elegant and flattering, to show him what he’s missing, but also casual and simple, to show you aren’t trying too hard and don’t care what he thinks.”
“That’s so much for an outfit to do.”
“I know.” Céline winked. “Go home and see what you can find. Then tomorrow at work, tell me how it goes.”
“I will.”
Lauren and Céline said their goodbyes, then Lauren gathered her things and walked back to her apartment. Now that the afternoon was fully in swing, it was warm out and the air felt fresh and summery. Lauren wished that she could just enjoy the walk, but she couldn’t stop herself from wondering what Nico would say this evening. What explanation could he possibly have that he couldn’t have already told her? And if he did have a good reason, would she be willing to forgive him and have a shot at a real relationship? Did he even want a relationship?
Questions swirled through Lauren’s mind and she almost missed the turn to her apartment. When she made it home, her worries only grew. She’d packed most of her wardrobe from Nebraska, ranging from the sundress she’d worn when she first met Nico to formal clothing that was appropriate for work, to some jeans and a flannel shirt that she used to wear for hiking. None of it seemed quite right for tonight, though. Céline had been right. Lauren needed something both elegant and casual.
After trying on and discarding a few possible outfits, Lauren gave up and decided on a white blouse and a blue skirt that ended just above her knees. She might be a little cold later in the evening, but it was the closest she had to the outfit she needed.
Left with several hours to fill, Lauren attempted to distract herself with a walk, then some yoga at home, then a novel she’d just started reading, then some music. Nothing could hold her attention, though, not when she was so full of questions about tonight.
Finally, it was time to go. She took a shower, put on a very light amount of makeup, and put on the skirt and top she’d chosen. She finished the ensemble with a pair of small silver earrings and her grandfather’s ring. Then she made her way to Nico’s house, which she was interested to discover was only a short bus ride away. It made sense, though, she decided as she disembarked several stops later. Nico needed to commute to the same college she did.
After consulting the address Nico had given her, Lauren identified his home as one of a line of brick rowhouses. There was a small garden in the front, which was slightly overgrown but still looked nice. Lauren examined the outside of the house closely, as though it might give her clues about what would happen tonight, then realized she was stalling and took a deep breath. It was time to do this.
Lauren strode across the garden and up a few steps to the front door. Then, as confidently as she could, she pressed the doorbell and waited. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the door opened. Lauren steeled herself to come face-to-face with Nico again… but Nico wasn’t there. Instead, a little boy stood in the doorway. He was perhaps seven or eight years old, with big dark eyes and short, slightly messy brown hair. He was holding a toy dinosaur in one hand.
“ Pardon ,” Lauren said, her French sounding a little awkward to her own ears. “ J’ai le … wrong… maison .”
The little boy frowned at her. Then, in perfect, hardly accented English, he said, “You have the wrong house?”
Lauren was embarrassed that a young child spoke English better than she spoke French, but there was no point dwelling on it.
“Yes. Sorry. I’ll go.”
“Please wait.” The little boy turned and called something into the house in French. Lauren made out a few words — Dad, woman, here . Then another figure appeared behind the little boy. For the second time in the same day, Lauren was surprised to find herself looking at Nico. And then, suddenly, it all made sense. The little boy had Nico’s hair and eyes and coloring. In fact, the boy looked almost like a miniature replica of Nico.
Nico had a son. This little boy was Nico’s son. A whirl of thoughts flashed through Lauren’s mind, but none of that was important right now. She needed to be polite to this little boy. Everything else she could figure out later.
Lauren bent down and extended a hand to the boy.
“Maybe I do have the right house. My name is Lauren. What’s yours?”
“Louis.” Louis took her hand and shook it firmly. He was a surprisingly good handshaker for such a young person. “Nice to meet you. Papa said a pretty woman was coming over.”
“Did he?” Lauren glanced up at Nico, who was watching them with a slightly concerned expression. “That’s nice of him to say.” She straightened up and Nico met her gaze.
“It’s almost Louis’s bedtime,” Nico said. “After he goes to sleep, I’ll answer any questions you have.”
Lauren nodded. “Okay.” She had a good guess now of why Nico had left so quickly. What she didn’t know was whether he had invited her to dinner just to explain or because he was hoping for something more.
“Can I show you my dinosaurs?” Louis asked. He reached for Lauren’s hand.
“Sure.” Lauren let Louis pull her through a small entryway, past a flight of stairs, and into a living room. It was nice and tidy, except for a parade of multicolored plastic dinosaurs across the center of the carpet. Louis released Lauren’s hand and plopped onto the floor, where he began showing her the different dinosaurs and regaling her with some facts about each of them.
“Louis,” Nico said gently, “our guest might want a drink and a more comfortable place to sit than the floor.”
“No, it’s okay.” Lauren took a seat beside Louis. “I like dinosaurs, too.”
“Really? What’s your favorite?” Louis’s eyes lit up.
“I like the brachiosaurus.”
Now the boy wrinkled his nose. “Only girls like the brachiosaurus best.”
“Well, I am a girl.”
“I guess so.”
“What’s your favorite dinosaur?”
“The velociraptor.” Louis held up the dinosaur in question by the tail.
“That is a very cool dinosaur. You speak really good English, by the way.”
“Thanks.” Louis beamed.
“I spoke both English and French with him since he was a baby,” Nico explained as he lowered himself to the floor on Louis’s other side. “Louis, I know it’s exciting to have company, but we do need to get you off to bed.”
“Man.” Louis stuck out his lip. “Already?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Will Lauren read my story?”
Nico glanced at Lauren, who shrugged and grinned.
“I’d be happy to.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll go brush my teeth.” Louis jumped to his feet, selected a dinosaur to accompany him, and hurried up the stairs. Nico turned to Lauren.
“I know this must be a bit of a shock,” he said. “But I thought the best way to explain was just to show you.”
“You have a wonderful son,” Lauren told him. Nico chuckled.
“Thank you. But I’m not sure you’d say the same when he’s covered in jam and crying because he doesn’t want to go to soccer practice.”
“This is why you had to leave that morning, right?” Lauren asked.
Nico nodded. “I realized I was running late to pick Louis up, and I felt so guilty, I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“I understand now.” Lauren opened her mouth to ask another question, the question that was burning in the back of her mind. She did understand a lot. It made sense that Nico would have worried about his son and rushed out. And Lauren, as understanding as she tried to be, even empathized with Nico’s decision not to tell her about his son when they’d first met. They had been practically strangers after all, even though she had felt a connection.
That’s what she needed to ask about. Lauren had felt a strong connection between them, and some part of her hoped that Nico had invited her over this evening because he felt it too. But it also seemed possible that he’d just asked her to dinner to clear the air, so that they’d be able to function as professor and student for the rest of the quarter without incident.
Lauren had to know how Nico felt.
“Do you?—”
But before she could speak the words, a boy-shaped ball of energy came flying back down the stairs and into Nico’s lap. Lauren stopped her question abruptly. There was no way she’d ask about Nico’s feelings for her in front of his son.
“I’m ready for my story,” Louis said. Then, with a glance at his father, he added a slightly drawn out, “Pleeeease.”
“Okay, I’m ready, too.” Lauren got to her feet and Louis charged back up the stairs.
“Come on!” he called back to her.
Lauren followed the boy upstairs with Nico at her heels.
“This bedroom is his,” Nico advised when they reached the landing. Lauren turned into the room Nico had pointed to and found herself in a fairly tidy room populated by several more plastic dinosaurs, a train set, a shelf of books, and a little boy in a racing-car bed.
“Come on,” Louis instructed again. “You sit here.” Lauren obediently sat on the edge of the bed.
“What story would you like?”
“I’m not a baby,” Louis began. “I’m reading this book, see?” He held up what looked like a French early reader book featuring a helicopter-like contraption on the cover. “But I have a special bedtime book.” He leaned forward. “Mostly for my dad. He loves it.”
“Well, no one would call you a baby, that’s for sure. I’d love to see the book. We wouldn’t want to disappoint your dad.”
Louis seemed to determine that Lauren did, indeed, acknowledge that he was not a baby, because he took a book from the nightstand and presented it to her. The title was in French, but Lauren was able to understand a few words about family and love.
“My French isn’t very good, but I’ll give it a try.”
“Okay.”
Louis snuggled beneath his blankets and looked up at her expectantly. Lauren glanced at Nico, who was leaning against the doorframe with a strange expression. He gave her a little go-ahead nod, and Lauren began reading.
Despite it being a children’s book, the words were difficult, and Louis had to help Lauren when she stumbled over a few pronunciations. The boy was very supportive, though, and often chimed in with a “Good job!” when Lauren was able to read a sentence without any errors.
From the pictures and the words she understood, Lauren figured out that the story had to do with family and love and the stars in the sky. She was sure she was missing a lot of nuance, though. When she read the last page, Louis yawned.
“Thanks for reading my story.”
“No problem.”
“Good night, Lauren.” He smiled adorably up at her.
“Good night, Louis.”
“Good night, Dad!”
At that, Nico left his place beside the door and came to give Louis a kiss on his small, round cheek. The little boy grinned at his father, then snuggled deeper into bed.
Nico nodded for Lauren to follow him and they tiptoed out of the room, Nico shutting off the light as he went and closing the door.
They walked back down the stairs in relative silence. Once they reached the landing, Nico turned to Lauren.
“I’ll need a few minutes to heat dinner up. Would you like to wait in the living room?”
“I’d be happy to help if you need anything.”
“It’s all done, but you can come with me to the kitchen if you prefer.”
“Sure.” Lauren followed Nico down the hallway, past the living room where they’d briefly played with Louis’s dinosaurs, and through a door into a kitchen and dining room. The kitchen was gorgeous, all marble countertops and exposed brick walls, and the dining room was furnished with an old mahogany table that had already been set. At Nico’s suggestion, Lauren took a seat at one end of the table.
“So,” she said, searching for a casual topic of conversation while Nico put together the last bits of dinner, “what’s Louis’s bedtime book about?”
Nico hesitated, his hands stilling over the salad he’d just been mixing, and turned slowly to Lauren.
“It’s about Louis’s mother, actually.”