Chapter Five The Way She Watches
Simone headed toward the café, Camille followed a step behind, her mind still circling the same words from the elevator.She kept thinking about what Simone said.
She said it so easily. Too easily. Camille tried to push the thought aside as they crossed the lobby, but the sentence stayed in the back of her mind.
Before Camille could go any deeper into it, she noticed something as they got closer to the restaurant.
The smell.Warm butter. Fresh bread. Coffee.
Something sweet she couldn’t name. By the time they reached the entrance of Le Relais Plaza, Camille’s thoughts had vanished.
“Oh my God,” Camille said quietly.“What?”Camille inhaled again as a server passed them carrying a plate.
“That.”Simone looked over. Camille pointed at a plate a server was carrying.
“I want that.”“You don’t even know what that is.
” Simone laughed. “I don’t care. I want it.
” Camille said. “That’s a bad way to order food.
” Simone shook her head, smiling.Camille grinned.
“And yet somehow I survive.”They both laughed as they stepped up to the hostess stand near the entrance.The hostess looked up, offering a warm professional smile.
“Bonjour, mesdames.”Simone smiled back. “Bonjour.”“Do you have a reservation with us this morning?”“Yes,” Simone said.
“It should be under Simone.” The hostess looked down at her screen for a moment before looking up again.
“Yes, Madame, I see it here. Table for two.”“If you’ll follow me, mesdames.
” The hostess picked up two menus. She stepped out from behind the stand and led them into the dining room.
Camille walked next to Simone. The smell of coffee and pastries smelled even stronger inside.Camille leaned closer to Simone as they walked.
“I’m serious though, whatever that was,”Simone chuckled under her breath.
“We’ll find out.”Camille smiled.For a second, she forgot completely about the question that had been bothering her.The hostess stopped beside a table near the tall windows where morning light shinned across the white tablecloth.
“Here we are, mesdames.”She placed the menus neatly on the table.
“Enjoy your brunch.”“Merci,” Simone said.Camille sat in the chair across from her, glancing once more around the room as the hostess walked away.
The place felt calm but alive.A moment later a server approached, carrying a small basket and a glass bottle of water.
“Bonjour, mesdames,” he said warmly.“Bonjour,” Simone replied.He set two glasses on the table and poured water into each before placing the bottle between them.
Then he placed the basket of bread down along with a small dish of butter.
“Fresh bread.” “Thank you,” Camille said.
“De rien, madame.”“I’ll give you a few moments.
”He stepped away, but Camille barely noticed.
Her attention was already on the basket in front of her.
The bread was still warm, the smell of butter rising with the steam.
“Let’s see how the bread is.” she murmured, reaching for a piece.Simone smiled as she broke it open, spreading butter across the soft center before taking a bite.
Camille closed her eyes for a second as she chewed.
“Damn” she said slowly, nodding. “Is this how bread is supposed to taste?”Simone laughed.
Camille reached for another small piece before glancing up.
That’s when she noticed it. Simone wasn’t looking at the menu.
She was looking at her.Not a quick glance.
Not casually. Just watching her. Camille looked up mid-bite, eyes wide.
“What?”Simone blinked, like she realized she’d been caught.
“Nothing.”She picked up the menu, finally looking down at it.
Camille watched her for a second longer before she finished chewing.But she was thinking about it.
The way Simone was looking at her. Simone lifted the menu, her eyes scanning the page, but she didn’t read a word yet.Across the table, Camille had already gone back to the bread, breaking off another piece like she’d completely moved on.Simone knew she hadn’t.
Camille noticed things. Always had.Simone forced her attention back to the menu, pretending to study it, but her focus kept drifting back to Camille.Camille was leaning forward now, elbow resting on the table.
Simone picked up her water glass, taking a slow sip as if that might calm her nerves.
She set the glass down carefully.Across from her, Camille had her menu and was looking over the options.
She planned this morning down to the smallest detail.
Camille just didn’t know it yet. Camille flipped another page of the menu, her eyes moving slowly down the list.“Okay,” she said, almost to herself.
“This all looks good.”Simone lowered her menu and looked up.
“Find something?”Camille tilted the menu slightly toward her.
“I’m thinking about this,” she said, pointing to a line on the page.
“The French toast.”Simone leaned forward a little to read it.
“Brioche French toast,” Camille added. “With caramelized bananas.”Simone nodded slowly.
“That does sound good.”Camille kept scanning.
“But then there’s this too.” She pointed again.
“The eggs benedict.”Simone chuckled softly.
“You want two meals?”“I’m exploring my options.
”Simone rested her elbow on the table.“If you want something classic,” she said, tapping the page lightly, “the eggs benedict here is supposed to be really good.”Camille looked up.
“You looked this place up.”Simone didn’t deny it.
“Of course I did.” Camille smiled and kept reading.
“And this,” she added, pointing again. “The croissant with jam and butter.”Simone nodded.
“That one you definitely should try.”Camille looked up.
“Definitely?”“Yes.”Camille narrowed her eyes slightly, amused.
“You sound very confident.”Simone smiled.
“Trust me.”Before Camille could respond, the server returned to the table.
“Mesdames,” he said politely. “Are you ready to order?”Simone looked toward Camille.
“You first.”Camille closed her menu slowly.
“Okay, I think I’ll do the brioche French toast.”The server nodded.
“Very good choice.”“And a cappuccino,” Camille added.
“Of course.”The server turned slightly toward Simone.
“And for you, madame?” Simone looked down at the menu for a moment before answering.
“I’ll have the eggs benedict.”“Very good.”“And an espresso.”The server nodded as he wrote it down.
Simone looked back toward Camille, then added casually,“And we’ll also take the croissant with butter and jam.
”Camille looked up.“It’ll be a crime not to try that.
”Camille nodded.“Fair point.”The server finished writing and closed his notepad.
“Excellent. I’ll bring those right out for you.
”“Merci,” Simone said.“Merci, mesdames.”He stepped away again, leaving them at the table.
Camille reached for another piece of bread, looking at Simone.Camille watched her for another second.
That feeling from earlier came back. Something about Simone today felt, diffrent.And Camille still couldn’t figure out why.
Camille looked up at Simone, resting her arms lightly on the table.
“So,” she said casually, “what are we doing after this?”Simone looked up.
“Huh?”Camille tilted her head. “After we eat?”She leaned back in her chair.
“I’m sure you have something planned.”Simone smiled.
“I guess you’ll have to wait and find out.
”Camille narrowed her eyes playfully.“Oh,” she said.
“So, more surprises.”Simone looked up.“Maybe.”Camille leaned closer, her eyes on Simone.
“Why?”Simone blinked.“Why what?”Camille didn’t move or look away.
“Why did you do all of this?”She gestured around them.
“This must have cost you so much.”Simone took a breath before answering, her voice calm but steady.
“I wasn’t thinking about money when I planned this trip.
”Camille didn’t look away.“Then what were you thinking about?”
Simone paused. Her mind went completely blank. There were a hundred things she could say. The truth was sitting right there in the middle of them.But she didn’t know if this was the moment. Didn’t know if Camille was ready to hear it. Didn’t know if she was ready to say it.
She just looked at her.“Simone?”Simone inhaled slowly.
“You’ve been through so much this past year,” she said quietly.
“And I just wanted to do something that was for you.”She hesitated.
“I wanted to make,”She stopped herself.“I mean see you smile.”Camille just looked at her.
Simone looked back down. A few minutes passed in silence.Simone pretended to focus on something else, but she couldn’t.
Inside, she felt completely scattered, trying to steady herself after how close that moment had come.Every now and then she’d look up from her phone.
And each time she did, Camille would look up too.Like she’d been watching her.
Camille moved in her chair, about to say something.
Just as the server returned, setting the plates down in front of them.
“Mesdames,” he said warmly.Their food had arrived.
The server placed the plates carefully in front of them.
The brioche French toast sat stacked high, caramelized bananas glistening on top, a light dusting of powdered sugar catching the sunlight from the window. A small pitcher of syrup rested beside the plate.