The Odd Couple in Paris

by Patricia M Swayze

  “What does your wife look like?”

  “She has dark hair and eyes. About the same height as you, but she’s a little meatier. The Italian women love to eat. They’re not like the French girls.”

  “Have you ever had a French lover? ”

  “I had a fling with a French woman. It lasted about a month. She was very thin and always smoking. She never wanted to eat very much of anything. Really neurotic but beautiful.”

  “Have you been with an American woman?”

  “Only while I was a student in New York. I wanted to marry her but changed my mind because it was just too complicated. I wanted to live in Italy, and she wanted to stay in New York. And then my parents were expecting me to marry Lorena. Are you in France to have a fling?”

  “What a question! I’m here to see Paris and now Nice. It’s a vacation for me.”

  “Lots of women hope to have a fling when they go to Europe. Then they have something to tell their girlfriends when they get back to the States.”

  “Oh, that’s just another cliché.”

  “Life is a cliché. You have to live and love life. Italian men are more romantic than the French men. The French are too intellectual. Have you met any French men yet?” Raphael took Lulu’s hand and kissed it. Then they walked holding hands.

  “No, I haven’t met any French men.”

  “Don’t bother. It will be a waste of your time.”

  “Next, you’re going to tell me that Italian men are the best lovers in the world.”

  “I don’t know about all Italian men, but I wouldn’t disappoint you.” Lulu laughed.

  “You’re so cute when you laugh. Let’s go to this café and sit outside on the patio,” said Raphael.

  Raphael pulled out the chair for her then kissed her on the back of her neck. She got the same goose bumps as the night before when he did the same thing. She couldn’t think of any American men who did that. The waiter brought the menu. Raphael suggested that they eat a salad so they could swim later.

  Raphael ordered the Nicoise salad with mineral water. “This is good,” said Lulu.

  “Yes, it tastes really fresh. Have you been to Tiffany’s?” asked Raphael.

  “No, it’s very expensive. I don’t see the point in going there when I’m not going to buy anything.”

  “It’s fun to look. I can show you the jewelry that we make.”

  “I would love to see your jewelry. Have you been to any of the museums in Nice?”

  “Many years ago, I visited the museums. I studied art history and design. It’s all connected: the art, the architecture, the music. I really like Baroque art,” said Raphael.

  “You must be a romantic at heart.”

  “Most artists are. Are you romantic? You certainly look so in your dress with the roses.”

  “Yes, I’m romantic but not extremely. I have a practical side too. Excuse me while I go to the ladies’ room.” Lulu took her hat off to straighten out her hair. She wondered if she should just say goodbye to Raphael or if she should take a risk and be bold.

  Raphael waved to the waiter and took care of the bill. Lulu came out with her hat in her hand. “Let’s walk over to my hotel so we can go for a swim in the gorgeous pool.”

  “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” said Lulu.

  “So what are you going to do with the rest of your afternoon then? Sit in your hotel room staring out from the balcony or going for a walk with Dillon, your gay sidekick?”

  “How do you know that he’s gay?”

  “He looks very soft. And you look like an odd couple together.”

  Lulu laughed. “I suppose you’re right. How old are you?”

  “I’m thirty-two. You look nineteen but seem more like twenty-five.”

  “I’m twenty-six.”

  “You’re the perfect age for a woman. Still young, but not too young.”

  “There’s my hotel. It was a five-star hotel, and Lulu realized that her hotel looked shabby compared to this. They entered into the lobby with its marble floor. Let’s go into that boutique,” said Raphael as he took Lulu’s hand.

  “Bonjour,” said the sales assistant. Raphael told the woman in French that he wanted to find a bathing suit for the young lady. There were rows of bikinis in all different colors. Lulu looked at one in a green.

  “Beautiful. It will match your eyes. Your eyes look hazel, no?”

  “Yes, my eyes are hazel. But this seems really expensive.”

  “Don’t worry. It’s nothing. It gives me pleasure to buy this for you.”

  The sales assistant handed Lulu her bag with the bathing suit. “Merci,” she said.

  Lulu rode the elevator upstairs with Raphael. He was holding her hand again, which Lulu didn’t seem to mind. She told herself that she wasn’t going to get seduced by him. He was very handsome with his dark hair and eyes the color of the ocean. He was like the Italian cliché, she thought. She told herself that she wasn’t going to fall for him.

  “Wow, what a large room and with two separate bedrooms,” said Lulu.

  “It has two bathrooms too. Use this one, it’s empty of my things,” said Raphael. Lulu changed into her bathing suit and carried her dress in her hand as she emerged. She laid it over a chair. Raphael was still in the other bathroom and she could hear his shower running. She sat in a chair by the window. What a magnificent view of the ocean, she thought. His room was like a penthouse apartment. He must be really rich, and I must be crazy to be in his hotel room, thought Lulu.

  Raphael came out in a light robe and sandals. “Let me call down and get you a robe. You can’t walk around in the lobby in a bathing suit, especially when you look that good. They would have to call the fire department.” Lulu laughed. Raphael called downstairs. He opened up his mini refrigerator and gave Lulu a bottle of cold water.

  There was a knock on the door and a hotel attendant had a light, cotton robe in his hand. He glanced at Lulu and smiled. “Bonjour, mademoiselle,” he said.

  “You just made his day,” said Raphael.

  They rode the elevator down and Raphael gave Lulu a light kiss on the lips. Lulu didn’t resist. The pool was large with an oval shape and surrounded with tropical trees. On the side were some type of red flowers that Lulu had seen in Hawaii. The inside of the flowers had a pointed yellow stem that always reminded Lulu of a penis. These flowers definitely are erotic looking, thought Lulu. Two older couples were sitting in the shade. “Let’s get in,” said Lulu.

  Raphael took off his robe, and the two older women were looking and admiring his body. The men were looking at Lulu. Raphael was tan with just the right amount of muscles. It didn’t look like he tried too hard. He’s gorgeous, thought Lulu.

  “Let’s have a race,” said Raphael.

  For a few moments, Lulu thought that she was going to win, but at the end Raphael sped up. “I almost got you,” said Lulu while grinning.

  “Yes, you almost did,” said Raphael while pulling Lulu close. He kissed her passionately, but she felt that she was being watched. She turned and saw the two older couples looking at them.

  “They’re watching us,” said Lulu.

  “Oh, we’re giving them a thrill.”

  “Let’s get a tropical drink,” said Lulu.

  “Give me a few minutes; I can’t get out of the pool at this moment. Let’s swim a little,” said Raphael.

  They swan a few more laps then got out to sit under the palm trees. Soon a waiter came out and Raphael ordered two tropical drinks. “Do you like your Mai Tai?” asked Raphael.

  “Yes, it’s good. I feel so relaxed from the water.”

  The two older couples walked by, and one of the women asked, “Are you both on your honeymoon?”

  “Yes, we are. We’re from Rome,” said Raphael.

  “You and your bride look like you s
tepped out of a fashion magazine. You make a beautiful couple.”

  “Merci beaucoup. Ciao,” said Raphael.

  “What did they say?” asked Lulu.

  “They thought we were on our honeymoon, and they said that we make a beautiful couple. Just like we stepped out of a fashion magazine. I told them that we were honeymooners and that we’re from Rome.”

  “You devil. Are you from Rome?”

  “No, I live in Milan. I travel to Rome a lot for work.”

  “When are you going back to Italy?”

  “I’m staying here for a few days and then I have to go to Paris. What about you?”

  “I’m leaving Thursday to return to Paris,” said Lulu.

  “What a coincidence. Me too. We can go back together.”

  “I have to go back with Dillon. Since I came with him,” said Lulu.

  “It’s not a problem. We can all go back together.”

  “We aren’t going first-class. You may not like that,” said Lulu.

  “Don’t worry. It’s not a problem.”

  “Let’s go in the pool again,” said Raphael. This time he dove into the pool. They were the only ones in the pool because most of the hotel guests were at the beach. They had a few more races, and then for the last one, Raphael let Lulu win. He told her that she had worn him out. He pulled her close, but she would always pull away as it got too intense. He was willing to play the cat and mouse game, but in the end he knew that he would win. They got out and ordered another drink.

  “We can shower and have dinner somewhere, later. If you want to invite Dillon, you can.”

  “It’s OK; Dillon can survive one night without me. He always manages to find someone to talk to.”

  “Yes, he’s a very likable guy.”

  “Can I use your phone in your room to call him?”

  “Of course.” After they finished their cocktails, they went back up to Raphael’s room.

  “What size dress do you wear?” asked Raphael.

  “I wear a size six, but why?” asked Lulu.

  “I was just wondering. I’m going down to the lobby while you call Dillon.”

  Lulu dialed Dillon’s room. Finally, he answered. “What are you doing?” asked Lulu.

  “I was just getting out of the shower. Where are you?”

  “I’m with Raphael. We went for lunch and then had a swim here at his hotel pool. It’s gorgeous here. We’re going out for dinner soon. I don’t know what time that I’ll be back.”

  “You know that he’s trying to seduce you,” said Dillon.

  “Well, I’ll decide that. Anyway, I’m having fun. I’ll see you later.”

  “OK, Chockey Bickey. You’re in over your head. He’s got you hooked already. Can’t you see that he’s a playboy?”

  “I don’t care. See you later.”

  Who is he to give me advice, thought Lulu. When she first arrived at Victor’s apartment, Dillon was having sex with some French man that he had just met, and his treat was to go for an ice cream afterward. The nerve of him, thought Lulu.

  Raphael returned to the room with two dresses for Lulu. “I didn’t know which one you would like, so I bought both of them. Very chic, no?”

  “Oh my God, these are Chanel. What are you doing?”

  “You don’t like Chanel?”

  “Of course, I like Chanel. But I don’t expect you to buy me expensive things.”

  “I have money. ‘Why not spend some’, I always say. I don’t have to spend money on women. They go out with me anyway, but I really like you. Try them on after you take a shower. I have to call my brother right now.”

  Lulu took the dresses with her and a small package that Raphael gave her. Inside the small package were two lacy panties wrapped in tissue paper. She had never been with someone so generous. Maybe it was because he’s married. Or he’s just really rich. She knew that her mother would be horrified, but then she would probably never see him again after she left Paris. Why not have a fling for a week? As long as no one gets hurt. She could use him just as much as he could use her. C’est la vie, mon ami, she thought. That’s life, my friend.

  While she was taking a shower, Raphael called his brother in Milan. His brother wanted to know why he was still in Nice. “Are you still chasing that American girl around?” asked Giovanni.

  “I have been struck by a thunderbolt. I’m crazy about her,” said Raphael.

  “Have you lost your senses?”

  “Just tell everyone that I need to relax and have some time off before I go to Paris,” said Raphael.

  “What about Lorena, what are you going to tell her?”

  “Don’t worry; I plan to tell her the same thing. I need some time away, that’s all. Besides, she’s no angel herself.”

  “All right, but don’t stay long in Paris. You need to come back to work.”

  “Ciao,” said Raphael.

  Raphael called his wife. She asked him why he wasn’t in Paris. He told her that he needed some time away from work and would leave for Paris in a few days. She knew that he was probably fooling around, so she planned on going out to the country to visit an old boyfriend for revenge. While Raphael was in New York attending design school, Lorena had a boyfriend. She wanted to marry him, but he didn’t come from a wealthy family like hers and Raphael’s. Her parents were against it. She loved Raphael but could have kept him as a good friend. She was always smitten by Raphael’s good looks, and he was a good lover, but she had known him all of her life. She wanted something different and had that while he was in New York. When he returned, they rekindled their romance. It was great the first five years, but now she was having doubts. She didn’t want to give him up entirely either. Maybe if she had a child it would bring them closer, she thought.

  “Wow, that fits you perfectly, and the black color is good for the evening. How does the white one fit?”

  “It fits like this black one. I really like them both.”

  “Can you go back two days earlier to Paris? I want to show you around Paris before I have to return to Milan.”

  “I already paid for my ticket and the hotel is paid for.”

  “I can upgrade your ticket to first class. Maybe Dillon will want to stay on for the rest of the time.”

  “He should be OK by himself here. I wouldn’t mind going back two days earlier if you have time to spend with me in Paris. I think it would be fun,” said Lulu.

  “Let me look at you. We forgot one thing though. You need a different pair of shoes.”

  Lulu looked down at her feet. She had her walking sandals on, which didn’t go with her Chanel dress.

  “I have a pair of heels at my hotel and a small evening bag.”

  “That’s a waste of time. Let’s go down to the lobby and see what they have,” said Raphael. He put his arm around her waist as they left his hotel room. They went back to the dress shop, and Lulu picked a pair of heels to go with her black dress.

  “I like the silver ones. Do you have a size eight?”

  “Oui, mademoiselle.”

  Lulu tried them on, and they fit perfectly. Then she asked the price, and Raphael told her that it didn’t matter and had her pick out a matching silver bag. “I don’t know how far that I can walk in these.”

  “We’re taking a taxi,” said Raphael. Lulu left her sandals and straw bag with the assistant who was going to have a bellhop take them back up to Raphael’s hotel room. The taxi took them to Chez Michelle, a very posh restaurant. Raphael helped Lulu out of the taxi and told her how beautiful she looked.

  “This is supposed to be the best restaurant in Nice for seafood,” said Raphael.

  “I like the ambience here. It’s very pretty with all of the candles and the flowers on the tables.”

  They were shown to their table that had a view of the ocean. “I’m going to order a b
ottle of champagne,” said Raphael.

  “What’s the special occasion?” asked Lulu.

  “Being with you is the occasion. What are you going to do when you return to the States?”

  “Look for a job. I might move to Los Angeles. I have friends there, and I think it would be more interesting than San Diego, but I’m not sure. My parents like to spend time with me. I’m their only child. If I move as far as Los Angeles, I would probably feel guilty.”

  “I go to Los Angeles at least once a year, sometimes twice. We can keep in touch. If you want a job at any of the Tiffany’s I can help you.”

  “What would I do at Tiffany’s? I have an English degree.”

  “They can train you. You would make more money than teaching.” The waiter brought their seafood dinner and opened the bottle of champagne.

  “Here’s to your future, and good luck, salute.”

  “Salute,” said Lulu. She noticed a very chic-looking woman staring at her from across the room. Lulu looked away, but, whenever she would glance over, she could see the woman still staring. Lulu had another glass of champagne. “This is wonderful champagne; it goes down so smoothly.”

  “It’s Dom Perignon, that’s why it’s so smooth.”

  “There’s a woman on the other side of the room that keeps staring at us. Do you know her?” asked Lulu.

  Raphael turned his head. He stared and then looked away. “Yes, I know her. Her name is Monique. I’m surprised that she hasn’t come over here. She’s French and lives in Paris. She works at Tiffany’s. I have to go to the restroom, and I’ll just say hello on my way. I won’t be long.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” said Lulu as she helped herself to the champagne.

  “Hello, Monique, I’m surprised to see you here. Are you alone?”

  “I see you brought Lorena with you,” said Monique with a sarcastic voice.

  “No, she’s a friend. She looks similar to Lorena. She’s American from the States. What are you doing here?”

  “Right now, I’m waiting on Carole. I’m just here for a few days—taking a little vacation. You should go back to your ingénue. How is your wife these days?”