Chapter 18
Having placed our orders, I sat back and took in the luxe surroundings.
‘What do you think?’ he asked.
‘About the hotel?’
‘Yes. I’m interested in a second opinion.’
‘OK.’ I rested my chin on my hand. ‘Well, it’s obviously popular, the restaurant at least. That’s a good sign.
The décor is rich without being too intimidating.
’ I cast my eyes over it again. ‘Actually, that’s a lie.
It’s incredibly intimidating but to be honest, everything feels a bit intimidating to me at the moment but it didn’t feel that way when I walked in with you. You’re a human intimidation shield.’
He laughed. ‘Go on.’
‘It’s probably just preference but the welcome at reception was a bit aloof for me. I mean, I’m sure that is “cool”.’ I made bunny ears with my fingers. ‘But the slightly snooty air didn’t really hit the spot for me.’
‘I agree. Anything else?’
‘The wine thing? You were right about that. I mean, I don’t know my Chardonnay from my elbow but still.
Actually, the most I know about Chardonnay is that the woman two doors down from the house we just sold named her baby that and the woman next door was livid and thought it was bringing down the tone of the neighbourhood. ’
‘Really?’ Ashok leant forward, his eyes glittering with mirth at the gossip. ‘And what did you think?’
‘I thought it was hilarious that next door had got so worked up over a baby name and took the new mum some barely worn baby clothes I’d found in the loft when I was sorting out for the move.
’ I took a sip of the crisp wine, letting the bubbles play on my tongue and tickle my throat as I swallowed.
‘Poor girl. She looked shattered. I remember those days.’
‘I expect it feels like yesterday?’ His voice was soft, sensing that memories of times long gone were drifting in my mind.
‘Sometimes. Sometimes, all of it feels like yesterday and then some days, it feels like everything was so, so long ago and I’m not exactly sure what I’ve done with all the time.’
‘Raised a child?’
‘Yes.’ I took another sip. ‘Anyway, what else?’ I steered the conversation back on course, afraid of the memories more reminiscing might drag to the surface.
There was a lot of my time in Paris I wanted to remember and fall in love with once more.
But there were also parts of that time I wanted to stay buried.
No good would come of that particular exhumation.
Together, we discussed things we liked and loathed about hotels in general and very occasionally, Ashok made a note until the starters arrived.
I looked over with suspicion at Ashok’s snails. Despite being adventurous in my taste as a young woman, I’d still not conquered the snails. They were, and always would be, garden creatures. Slimy garden creatures.
I took a small forkful of my steak tartare and nearly cried as the flavours exploded in my mouth – the sharpness of the capers and cornichons, the richness of the steak and egg, cut through with the zinging warmth of French mustard. It was like heaven in a mouthful.
‘Good?’ Ashok asked.
‘So good,’ I said, closing my eyes.
The main course of sole fillets in a rich, buttery, lemon sauce with dauphinoise potatoes and charred carotte de garde was just as delicious.
‘And for pudding?’
‘I’m full!’
‘No! You can’t be!’ he replied, laughing. ‘You’re my accomplice in undercover dining. You have to choose something.’
I didn’t take too much persuading and before long, a syllabub, lighter than air and flecked with vanilla, arrived and was finished far too soon, while opposite me, the glossy dark-chocolate bombe that Ashok had ordered was now nothing but a few scrapings of decorative drizzled chocolate and raspberry coulis.
‘I think we can put the food in the “Excellent” column.’
‘Definitely.’
‘What time is your meeting tomorrow?’ I asked.
‘Ten a.m. Thank God it’s France. I’d probably be looking at six thirty if it was the States.’
‘Whoever invented breakfast meetings needs a stern talking to. At least.’
‘Definitely. I refuse them if it’s at all possible.’
‘Don’t blame you. Are you going straight home after that?’
The smile faded. ‘Sadly, yes. The hotel you stayed at is hosting a wedding for a top Bollywood actress at the end of the week and although I know my team are more than capable, the bride-to-be has requested my presence for the entire week of celebrations.’
‘Tricky to wriggle out of.’
‘Impossible.’
‘Shame.’
‘Very much so. But with taking over this hotel and, if things go well tomorrow in talks for the next one here, I’ll likely be back and forth for a while. All of which gives me a legitimate excuse to come back to Paris as often as possible.’
‘I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.’ I did the action for added emphasis and Ashok echoed it with both hands.
‘Would you like coffee?’
‘Could I be terribly uncouth and ask for tea?’
He gave a chuckle. ‘I’m Indian so can’t be convinced there is anything uncouth about tea.’
‘I’m just going to nip to the loo.’
Ashok nodded and signalled for the waiter as I headed off towards the ladies’.
A few minutes later, ablutions done, I checked my appearance in the ornately framed mirror above the sink, took a thick towel from the pile and dried my hands before reapplying my lipstick.
Despite Sash’s best efforts, there was no disguising that I had two excellent shiners.
The bright-red lipstick I’d applied was striking but there was no detracting from the eye make-up nature had given me following my argument with the side of the bath.
I took one more look, sighed, gave my hair a fluff and walked back out into the restaurant.
‘Kitty?’ The nickname pulled me thirty years into the past. I stopped momentarily before continuing. Of course it wasn’t me being called. There were very few people who had ever used that name and they’d been gone from my life for a very long time.
‘Kitty?’ This time, I turned towards the woman’s voice. ‘It is you!’
There, in front of me, was the friend I hadn’t seen in three decades, still looking as glamorous as she had done all those years ago, if not more so.
‘Gabby?’
‘Oh, mon dieu!’ And suddenly, I was wrapped in the biggest hug, and enveloped in a cloud of perfume with a heady, but not heavy, scent. As it had always been with Gabby, enough but not too much. She pulled back, her hands moving to my forearms, not letting go. ‘You haven’t changed a bit!’
‘Hi,’ I said, immediately feeling pathetic that was the most I could come up with.
My old friend didn’t seem to mind. ‘Hi!’ she replied. ‘Oh my God,’ she said, laughing. ‘Thirty years and all we can say is “hi”.’
‘I know. Sorry.’
‘Non, non, non.’ She waved an elegant hand topped with a perfect manicure. ‘But what is this?’ She touched my face gently. ‘Are you in trouble? Can I do anything?’
With an overwhelming feeling of mortification, I felt the tears begin, powerless to prevent them. Gabby immediately led me back into the ladies’.
‘Now. Tell me everything.’