6. Anne
Chapter 6
Anne
There is a pleasant ache to my muscles as I wake up. I stretch out my arms and legs, taking up the entire queen bed. As I reach out wide, I realize Alexandre isn’t in bed. I sit up and glance around the large open space. The studio is awash in sunshine from the windows and the clock says nine. I slept so well.
I suppose great sex really does put you right to sleep.
But where is Alexandre?
I get up and nonchalantly make the bed. Maybe Alexandre went home already. He doesn’t seem like the type of guy that would leave without a goodbye. He’s so kind and thoughtful, more than just with lovemaking, but he genuinely seems to care. He asked me questions about my likes and dislikes, my family, and my thoughts on things. It’s nice to feel like the center of attention for a change and to feel like my voice matters.
With my ex-husband, it all started out great but everything sort of went downhill after our engagement. Although, I suppose it was actually after his promotion that he accepted a few weeks after we got engaged. Work was always more important than me. If the topic of conversation wasn’t related to his job, then it floated in one ear and out the other.
I don’t know why I clung so deeply to his promises of change. We never went on a honeymoon, we never traveled unless it was family or work related. I toss all the throw pillows back onto the bed before heading to the bathroom. As I wrap the fluffy bathrobe around myself, I hear the door open.
“Anne?” Alexandre’s deep voice calls out from the entryway.
God, I love his voice. It’s like a warm honey dripping over me.
“You’re here!” I don’t even try to hide the excitement in my voice. Alexandre is standing in my doorframe, holding two coffees and a small paper bag. He’s a little disheveled, his hair sticking up everywhere and his clothes from yesterday all wrinkled.
“But of course, mon trésor ! I didn’t want to wake you by trying to make coffee so I went out to grab some. Also, I grabbed some pastries. I know you said you like chocolate, so I got you a very classic pain au chocolat .” He sets things down on the kitchen island and comes over to kiss me.
Alexandre tugs at my robe’s belt, pulling me close to him. His lips are soft pressed against mine. The kiss is gentle. He lightly rubs his thumb over my lips before we untangle ourselves.
“The coffee smells amazing,” I say and make my way over to the island.
“What are your plans today?” he questions me as he pulls pastries out of the paper bag.
“Nothing is set in stone. It’s supposed to be on the hotter side today so I was thinking about a swim. Would you care to join me?” Alexandre laughs in response. My brows pull tight and I wrinkle my nose. “Why are you laughing?” I eye him suspiciously.
He removes his shirt as he continues to chuckle. “I’m not embarrassed about a few love bites, but I think you may not want me by your side for a pool day.”
Along his right clavicle and shoulder are multiple blossoming bruises. They range in size and different stages of purple and green.
“I’m so sorry.” I wince as I take them all in. I can feel a slight blush creeping up, my neck getting warm despite the A/C in the apartment. I tug my robe a little tighter, hoping it hides the red blossoming on my chest.
“Nothing to apologize for. We were in the throes of passion.” He kisses my forehead and hands me a pain au chocolat . This little moment makes me feel as if we live together, the two of us in sync as we move about my rental space.
“Okay, no pool day. Do you work? Should we get lunch later?” I munch on the pastry. It’s light and flaky with the right amount of chocolate. Alexandre knows his cafés. This is delightful.
“No, I texted Fran?ois this morning that I was taking another night off. He’s shocked, of course. I don’t think I’ve asked for two days off in a row for years.” He sips his coffee. “Is there anything you wanted to do but weren’t able to book?”
I can’t believe he’s taking time off to spend my vacation time with me.
“I checked out doing a dinner on one of those boats that cruises along the Seine, but they were already booked way out. Other than that, I do want to see the Basilique du Sacré-C?ur and wander around Montmartre . It seems like a lovely place to walk around without a plan.” I mull over my list of things to do if I had time in Paris. “We already had a picnic in a park, so maybe show me around Paris? It’s too nice of a day to spend inside a museum.”
“New experiences coming up for mon trésor .” He kisses my cheek. I can’t get enough of his kisses. “How about you take a bubble bath and I’ll run home to change? I can be back in an hour or two. I may swing by the restaurant and grab some small bites to bring along.”
“A bath does sound relaxing for my muscles. Okay, see you in a few hours.”
Alexandre cups my face in his hands and kisses my lips tenderly, barely lingering. We say goodbye, and I head to the bathroom as he gathers his things and leaves. He takes a second set of keys so I don’t have to follow and lock the door below behind him.
With a spring in my step, I look forward to walking around Paris with Alexandre. And perhaps, another night together.
Alexandre
I watch Anne as she heads to her bathroom. When I collect my things, I notice a bundle of papers with the Le Cordon Bleu logo on the top. I pick them up and look them over. It seems as if Anne is applying to the pastry track at Le Cordon Bleu here in Paris.
Did she already apply?
Will she stay in Pairs if she gets in?
My heart races as I think about all the possibilities that this application could mean. She’s already filled everything out; nothing is missing. I look around to see if Anne is already in the bathroom. She’s out of sight and I can hear the tub water running.
I swipe her application. I know some people at Le Cordon Bleu and will check to see if she’s applied. If not, then I may hand these over, maybe put a good word in for her. Anne has all the passion and determination to make it through pastry school.
Plus, maybe if she gets accepted, she’ll stay.
This is crazy. I can’t just play with her life like this.
But the what-ifs are piling up and I need to decide now.
I take the application and leave. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, I’m going to head to the restaurant. I text Fran?ois as soon as I’m on the metro to let him know that I’ll be swinging by for some snacks and relationship advice. He replies with a string of emojis that I don’t even try to decipher.
I run my fingers through my hair. If Anne stays in Paris, we could take this little vacation fling and turn it into the real deal.
I enter the restaurant and notice that about half the tables are full. There’s a lot of chatter and the smell of garlic and fresh bread is really strong today. I wonder what the special of the day is to require so much garlic. While the restaurant isn’t jam-packed, it’s decently busy for the hour.
Good, this will keep Fran?ois on track.
Hopefully he’ll help me out quickly so I can go meet with Anne. I don’t want to waste any time. I head straight to the back and enter the kitchen, greeting everyone on the way.
“There’s our Casanova,” Fran?ois hollers from the line. He’s stirring a large pot. And from the looks of it, it’ll be a very rich and creamy fish stew. I take a closer smell and my stomach grumbles in response.
“Smells good. Can I taste?” I don’t wait for a response. I get a bowl from nearby and hand it to him. He scoops a small bite for me. It’s the right mix of salty and savory. I wish I could bring a to-go cup for Anne, but soup isn’t exactly a walking snack.
There’s a chance there’ll be another time.
“What’s up, Alex? You never take days off.” He continues to stir and adds some parsley to the mix. I finish the small bit of soup and set the bowl down.
I tell him about the past few days that I’ve spent with Anne and our dates. I don’t go into too much detail, but I do describe how I’m feeling about her despite the short amount of time we’ve spent together.
“I think I really am falling in love.” I comb my fingers through my hair. “And I don’t know about this pastry school application. Do I ask her about it? Do I go ahead and submit it as a surprise? Usually, I know exactly what to do, or pick a path and go down it.”
My gut feels all twisted up inside, as if I swallowed a bunch of seaweed and it got tangled up on the way to my stomach.
“First of all, you’ve known her what…” He squints at me. “…like three days? That’s not love, mate, that’s lust. You can’t be thinking about love already. I mean, hell, how long did it take you to say those three little words to that one girl you dated a few years back?”
I mull over his words. “I was dating her for almost a year before we discussed anything serious.”
“Exactly, and then you broke up like two weeks later. Clearly neither of you were actually in love, but that’s my point.” He takes a clean ladle and scoops a bit of the soup for me to taste. “Do I need more salt?” I take the spoon.
Cooking, tasting, experimenting in the kitchen – this is where I shine. Where I can make fast decisions and not look back. Relationships are a whole different beast.
I’ve known Anne for a handful of days, almost as long as it takes to make a good Toulouse-style Cassoulet. Yet, talking to Fran?ois makes me realize that this is the first time I’ve felt so strongly about another person. I want to cook for her and show her around the city I call home. I want her to fall in love with it. And me.
I want her to stay in Paris. I want to stay here with her.
I’m not even going to bring up Spain with Fran?ois now. First things first, I need advice on how to handle Anne’s Le Cordon Bleu application.
“Just a smidge of salt.” I hand the salt container over. “Okay, so maybe it’s too soon to think about love. But what about the pastry school application?”
“Ask her about it, and for the love of God, return it without her noticing.” He points his spoon at me, enunciating the last words.
“Okay, fine.” I cross my arms as I continue to think about the possibilities.
“When do you see her next?”
“In about an hour, actually. I just came by for some small bites and then I’m heading to her place.”
“Good. You can return those papers.” He places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes it. “It’s not love, Alex. No one falls in love this quick. Un coup de foudre isn’t a thing. And don’t think that this whole fling thing is going to postpone our discussion on Spain. I need your answer by the end of the week so we can work out the logistics.”
I can’t think about Spain right now.
“Sure, I’ll get back to you this week.” I grumble my appreciation and then collect a few items for later. Baguette slices, a small square of butter, some candied almonds, and other charcuterie board-type of foods.
I say goodbye to everyone as I head out. When I leave the restaurant, I fully intend to go straight to Anne’s place, but lost in thought, I find myself at the Le Cordon Bleu main building.
If it is love, then it’s worth the risk.