Chapter 20
20
DAY FOUR
Now
As Minnie and Jesse exited the Eurostar arrivals, into the throng of Gare du Nord and its shops: Relay, Paul and Carrefour Express, Jesse pointed to the sign for the steps down to the Metro. ‘I’m going that way, M4 to M8. Porte Dorée.’
The way he said it sounded alarmingly French and made Minnie more nervous for her own pitiful efforts. She seemed to have forgotten all of her GCSE French in the past ten years and thought that she would prefer it if Jesse could stay with her. She looked at the note on her phone.
‘My agent told me to get a taxi to Le Lapin Bleu.’
Jesse nodded.
‘You know it then?’
‘I’ve not stayed there, but I know it’s very cool.’ He narrowed his eyes to think. ‘OK, so you’re going to the fourth.’
‘The what?’
‘The fourth arrondissement. I’m going to the twelfth. Further out.’
‘So where shall we meet then? And when?’
Jesse mulled it over in his mind’s eye.
Minnie sighed in defeat. ‘Shall I just get your number?’
Jesse seemed cautious, what about her rules? ‘How long will your audition take?’
She looked at her watch. It was only 9.30a.m.
‘Well, my audition isn’t until midday. And it depends how well it goes, I guess. I imagine I’ll be a couple of hours, three to be safe?’
‘OK, which train did you book back?’
‘The last one. Just after 9p.m. I think.’
‘Same. OK, let’s make a plan. I imagine I’ll be done at the zoo by mid-afternoon, so I’ll head to you for… four-ish?’
‘Sounds good.’ Although 4p.m. felt like an awfully long time in the future to Minnie, when she had only just got her head around the joy of Jesse turning up for this playdate.
‘Then why don’t we grab some dinner before heading back?’
‘Perfect. I don’t really know Paris though.’
‘That’s OK.’ Jesse rubbed the emergent stubble on his chin. ‘Le Lapin Bleu is near Notre Dame, which is near the fifth arrondissement – so let’s meet in the Latin Quarter. The Jardin du Luxembourg is nice.’ Again he said it in a perfectly French accent that threw Minnie, but she understood the word jardin and understood Luxembourg. She’d remember that. ‘Four o’clock yeah? There are some nice places to eat around there.’
As he said it, 4p.m. felt like an awfully long time in the future to him too when there were so many other things to catch up on. But Minnie had her audition to focus on.
‘Will I find it?’
‘Easily. Just cross the river at Notre Dame and walk up Boulevard Saint Michel. Straight up. Or zigzag through the Latin Quarter. You’ll find the jardin with your iPhone for sure. It’s really pretty.’
‘Nice.’
‘Grab a chair in the gardens and I’ll find you.’
‘Fair dos,’ Minnie said, not fully sure of herself. The audition nerves were really taking hold and she almost thought about sacking it off and spending the day with Jesse.
‘You’ve got this, yeah?’ Jesse said, putting a palm on the curve of each of her shoulders. She looked up at him intently as they stood facing each other in the bustling station as the morning commuters weaved around them. Neither Minnie nor Jesse wanted to break apart. Minnie wanted to bury into him. To smell his neck and bite it. Jesse wanted to tell her that she was going to be amazing and kiss her beautiful lips.
He nudged her, a friendly bump on the arm with a regimental fist.
‘Good luck, yeah?’ he said. Minnie nodded. She felt sick.
Minnie got into the back of the taxi waiting at the front of the rank and asked the driver to please take her to Le Lapin Bleu in English with a French accent. Damn, Jesse sounded native. She wished he were coming with her. She had a few hours to kill before her audition. But then she reminded herself, any time with him today was bonus time. And she’d be much better company after her audition anyway.
As the driver pulled out, Minnie looked back into Gare du Nord and saw Jesse disappear into the stairwell for the Metro. She put her palm to the window and felt a longing. She then felt stupid for trying to bend the rules of her own game and ask him for his number. She was in Paris, potentially for the biggest break of her career. And she wanted her time with him. It wasn’t very Bechdel of her. Which reminded Minnie.
She awakened her phone to call her mother: Minnie always called her mum before an audition if she could, for a pep talk or some sage advice. But this morning, as the driver beeped his horn at a dawdling tourist, Minnie felt an overwhelming desire to call her mum and tell her that she might have accidentally fallen in love.