The Odd Couple in Paris

by Patricia M Swayze

“Good choice—nice Italian dinner. I want to tell you something. If I wasn’t married already, I’d marry you in a minute.”

  “You don’t have to say that.”

  “I’m serious. Sometimes when you come from a wealthy family you don’t always have a choice in picking your own wife. It’s much more complicated. Your wife is supposed to be rich also. You’re very special to me. Always remember that. I won’t have a lot of time in Paris. Maybe I will see you sometime in Los Angeles or San Diego. You might have a boyfriend by then, but we can still be friends. Let me give you my business card.” Raphael wrote down his private number. “You can reach me by my direct number. I don’t give out this number to many people. And if you ever need a job, I can help you if you want to work in the jewelry business in some capacity. Well, you never know. You could practice your Italian and live in Rome.”

  “I don’t want to be someone’s mistress. Your wife would probably find me and have someone kill me.”

  Raphael laughed. “She would never hurt anyone. We are much more civilized than that. She would just get revenge by sleeping with someone. One of my friends, probably.”

  “If she didn’t care about you, she wouldn’t be worried about you staying so long in Nice.”

  “She’s possessive. She wants to do what she wants to do but still have control over me.”

  “This is becoming more than I want to know about.”

  “You’re right. Let’s not talk about it anymore.” He put her drink down and told her that he would give her a massage. It didn’t take long for her to get turned on. She wondered how he had such stamina. She would definitely miss him once he returned to Milan. They fell asleep, and then Raphael woke up before Lulu. He took a shower. Lulu woke up when she heard Raphael in his shower. She put on her robe.

  When he came out, he put his arm around her and called her topolina—little mouse.

  Lulu kissed him and called him caro—an affectionate term like dear. By the time that she got out of the shower, the dinner had arrived. “This looks so wonderful. You really spoil me. I’ll be sad when you leave for Milan.”

  “You can always move to Italy. With your degree you could teach English. I would help you find an apartment. You could live near Milan if you wanted too.”

  “I would still have to return to the States first. It’s something to think about. Would you visit me if I lived in Italy?”

  “Of course, but I couldn’t guarantee how often.” Lulu didn’t like the sound of that, but didn’t say anything. At least he’s honest, Lulu thought.

  12

  Returning to Paris

  They were packed and ready to go at 7:00 a.m. Lulu and Raphael took the taxi to the train station.

  “When we get ready to board, you go and find a seat in the first-class station. I’ll sit by myself at first. Then once the train leaves, I’ll find you.”

  “Why is this so secretive?” asked Lulu.

  “I don’t want Lorena’s cousin to see us together, in case he’s still looking for me.”

  Lulu found a seat and stretched out. She liked the first-class train section—definitely more comfortable than the second-class. She took her shoes off, pulled out the ottoman, and propped up her feet. She closed her eyes and drifted off for a few minutes. She opened them when she heard a porter pushing a tray around. Just when she began to wonder when Raphael would show up, she saw him. He slid into the seat with her and put his bag under the compartment.

  “They will be bringing refreshments soon, and you can pick what you want from the cart,” said Raphael.

  “Did you see your wife’s cousin?” asked Lulu.

  “No, he probably didn’t think that I would leave this early. When we get to Paris, I’ll put you in a taxi, and we can meet up later. I have to stop at the Tiffany shop then go to my hotel.” Raphael took out a little journal and asked Lulu to write down the apartment address and the number there. The porter came by and Lulu pulled out the tabletop. They both took coffee and the pastry with the fruit.

  “I really like first class.”

  “This is how you should always travel. You pay a little more, but it’s well worth it. Tell me about your family. Is it a happy family?”

  “I’m an only child. My parents wanted more, but it just didn’t happen. I’m very close to my parents. We usually travel together during the summer. I like my dad’s parents the best. They’re both Italian and very easygoing. My mother’s parents are nice, but my grandmother is English, and she’s more formal. She paid for my trip to Paris, and I came with my uncle Martin, her son. He took off for Rome two days after we arrived in Paris. He left me with Dillon. He thought that we could keep each other company. Dillon is close to my age. Martin is thirty-eight. He’s not that much older, but he has friends in Rome that he wanted to see.”

  “Does Martin look like you?”

  “Yes, but he’s darker than me. He’s very good looking. He has green eyes and dark brown hair.”

  “Does he ever go to Tuscany?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m sure that he’s probably been there. Why?”

  “It’s a very relaxing and a beautiful place. Tell me about your English grandmother.”

  “My English grandmother is funny but kind of egotistical. Her husband is Italian American, but he doesn’t wear the pants in the family. You know what I mean?”

  “Yes. Do your parents get along?”

  “Yes. They both have their own interests. My dad can be dramatic sometimes. He hates it when my mother borrows his old T-shirts or pants to work in the garden. He yells in Italian. I always have to laugh. He’s an accountant, and my mother is a nurse. He does most of the cooking, which seemed strange to my friends when I was little. Most of my friends had fathers who never did anything in the kitchen. He taught me how to cook. I feel closer to my father. I love my mother, of course, but I have a closer bond with my father.”

  “My family is always fighting with cousins, uncles, and in-laws. Sometimes they even sue each other. I have just the one brother, Giovanni. We’re close. My parents present a united front, but they don’t spend much time together. It’s really disgusting how there is so much infighting among the relatives.”

  “Did you learn how to cook?”

  “No, my little angel. I grew up with servants. I have to read a contract. Do you want to take a nap?”

  “Yes, I think I will.” Lulu went to the sleeping cubicle that was across from her seat. She slept for two hours then woke up to the smell of lunch.

  “Did you finish reading your contract?” asked Lulu.

  “Yes, I just finished. What boring reading.” Lulu put her shoes on and went to the ladies’ room. There was an attendant in the first-class bathroom to assist the passengers with towels. Lulu decided then that she would only travel by first class in the future.

  Raphael got up to stretch his legs. He told Lulu to watch his briefcase and to pick out his lunch. The lunch porter came with his cart. Lulu chose two plates of seafood with pasta, a salad, and mineral water. She thought that it was too early to drink wine. She peeked inside his briefcase and saw a gun.

  After a few minutes Raphael returned. “You made a good choice.”

  They both ate their pasta first. “I can tell you have Italian influence by watching how you eat. Most Americans eat their salad first. I always thought that was peculiar.”

  “My dad always says that it’s better to save the salad for the end because it cleanses the palate.”

  “What would your dad think if he knew you were with me?”

  “He would be really angry. He’d want to kill you,” said Lulu. Raphael laughed.

  “Well, it’s a good thing that he’s far away from us.”

  After the porter came and took away their plates, Raphael told Lulu that he had a surprise for her. He reached into his briefcase and took out a small, black box. “Here.
This is for you.”

  Lulu opened the box to find the gold blossom earrings that she had looked at with Raphael while they were in Nice. “Wow, these are so gorgeous! I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much.”

  “Do you want to wear them?” asked Raphael.

  “Yes, let me take my earrings out.” Lulu put her crystal earrings inside her purse.

  “I can put them in for you,” said Raphael.

  Lulu took out her compact to look at her eighteen-karat gold earrings. She pushed her hair back behind her ears. “They’re so exquisite. I love them.” She kissed Raphael.

  “When you get off the train, push your hair back to hide them. You don’t want to walk around Paris by yourself while wearing them. A gypsy might knock you out and steal them.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, very,” said Raphael.

  “Do you ever worry about getting robbed when you’re carrying jewelry?”

  “Yes, that’s why I carry a gun. Usually I have bodyguards. You remember my cousins at the dinner?” asked Raphael.

  “Yes, the ones who couldn’t speak English very well.”

  “They’re my bodyguards most of the time.”

  “Do most people in the jewelry business carry guns?” asked Lulu.

  “They do in Italy. But you worry too much. It’s just a precaution. I’ve never had to use it.”

  “I think I’ll stick to a job teaching or writing. No high stakes for me,” said Lulu.

  “That’s best for you—my piccolo fiore.” Little flower.

  “I’d rather be a little flower than a dead jeweler.” Raphael laughed.

  “We’ll be in Paris in a few minutes. Let’s get our things together.”

  After they disembarked, they got into a taxi and Raphael directed the cab driver to Philippe’s apartment where Lulu was staying. He asked the cab driver to wait for a few minutes. Raphael took Lulu’s suitcase in and checked the apartment. “Do you have maid service here?”

  “Yes, Philippe’s maid comes once a week. It looks like she was here while Dillon and I were gone.”

  “I’ll come back this evening and take you to a musical that’s playing at the opera house. Did you ever see Hair? They have a French version that I wanted to see.”

  “Sounds interesting. What time?”

  “Six-thirty. They serve a light dinner in the theater then the musical starts at 8:00 p.m.” Raphael kissed Lulu goodbye and then got back into his taxi. Lulu decided to unpack. She really wanted to just relax and stay home, but he didn’t give her a chance to think about it.

  “Good day, Mr. Sabini,” said the hotel clerk in French. Raphael was given his key and a bellhop took his suitcase up. He held onto his briefcase. He called Lorena and she answered. “My darling, I just checked into my hotel. Let me give you my number. What have you been doing?”

  “I just got back from the country. I visited my aunt and had a lovely time. Now I’m back at work—the usual grind. Were you able to get the contract renewed?”

  “I’m taking care of that tomorrow after I visit some other clients first. I will let you know. I’m leaving Paris after tomorrow. I can’t wait to see you. Ciao, Bella.”

  “Ciao, Caro.”

  Raphael went down to the gift store and picked out an expensive bag for his wife and a bottle of First by Van Cleef & Arpels—a new perfume that had just been launched. He wondered what she really was doing in the country. He decided to call his brother Giovanni. “Ciao, Giovanni. How is everything at work?”

  “We have some problems with Uncle Tito. He thinks that we cheated him in our last deal. He’s such an old fool. Maybe you can talk to him when you get back. When are you getting back?”

  “Day after tomorrow. I just spoke to Lorena. She was in the country visiting her aunt, so she says. Do you know what she’s been doing?”

  “She seems to have calmed down after her visit to the country. I hope you ended your little flirtation. You should have left the American girl for me. I’m the one that’s single. I really liked her.”

  “Sorry, but you should have made a move or told me the evening when we first met her. She’s going back to the States anyway. You would have fallen for her, and then she would have broken your heart. You’re too sensitive.”

  “And you’re too much of a playboy. It’s going to backfire on you one day. You should really give it up. You’re almost forty.”

  “Thirty-six is not forty. This is probably my last fling anyway. Lorena wants to start a family. She doesn’t want to wait any longer. I promised her last year that this would be the year.”

  “Well, I really hope that this is your last fling. I’m tired of making excuses for you. Good luck with getting the contract extended.”

  “Ciao,” said Raphael.

  13

  The Art of Saying Goodbye

  Raphael stopped off at Tiffany’s to visit his clients. He then went to a Gucci shop and picked out a watch for Lulu and had it engraved with the name Lulu. He asked the manager to make out a receipt for the customs so Lulu wouldn’t have to pay taxes on it. He was in a good mood because he was able to get a contract extended.

  He went back to his hotel to call Lulu to let her know what time he was going to pick her up. He told her to wear her black Chanel dress with her Gucci heels. This was starting to annoy Lulu because he seemed too interested in how she was dressed. She wondered if he told his wife how to dress. In a way it reminded her of her father. He was always looking at her mother’s attire when they went out. Her dad was a clotheshorse. Her mother once told her that Italian men were very vain and always had to be well dressed and impeccably groomed.

  He arrived at 6:50 p.m. “You look fantastic—very sexy.” Raphael looked around the room, scanning the table where there was one empty water glass.

  “You’ve seen this dress before.”

  “I never get tired of it. I like your hair up. It shows off your beautiful earrings. Maybe the earrings will remind you of me whenever you wear them.”

  “Is that why you gave them to me?”

  “Maybe partly. But it’s a token of my appreciation. I want to take your picture so I can remember you. Raphael took out his camera. Let’s step outside where the light is still good.”

  “Let me get my camera too.”

  He took several pictures of Lulu in front of the apartment. Then he asked a man walking by to take a picture of them together. Lulu took a few pictures of Raphael, and then they went back inside to call a taxi. They sat in the taxi holding hands. “You’re very quiet this evening.” He kissed her on the cheek to avoid messing up her lipstick.

  “I don’t have anything to say. Are you flying back to Milan tomorrow evening?”

  “Yes, I have to get back. I finished my business here for the time being, anyway. How much longer are you staying in Paris?”

  “One more month. I’ll miss it for sure.

  “Are you going to miss me?” asked Raphael.

  “A little.”

  “Only a little,” said Raphael while squeezing her hand.

  “I knew from the beginning that it wouldn’t be a long relationship so I’ve had to remain somewhat detached. You can’t blame me for that. I can’t take this too seriously.”

  “Now I feel a little guilty. You’re my last fling.”

  “Wow, that’s good to know. I’m the woman that caused you to return to your wife as a reformed man,” said Lulu as she threw her head back and laughed.

  “Now you sound bitter,” said Raphael.

  “I’m not bitter; I’m just as guilty as you. I’m being candid.” They got out of the taxi and entered the theater.

  “Let’s enjoy our evening together, ma chérie.” Raphael continued to hold Lulu’s hand.

  They sat at a table fairly close to the stage. Raphael ordered a California wine.
<
br />   “Why a California wine?” asked Lulu.

  “Because California wine is now known to the world to be the best since judgment day in Paris.”

  “Was that the wine tasting contest that they had this spring?” asked Lulu.

  “Yes, it was a black day for the French. The famous judges tasted French and California wine and were sure that the best that they picked was French wine. It was such a shock for them. I don’t think the French will ever recover. I was so amused when I heard about it,” said Raphael.

  “That is quite shocking.” The waiter brought the wine and opened it. Raphael tasted it and said that it was good. He poured a glass for Lulu.

  “It’s very smooth. What should we order to eat?” asked Lulu.

  “I’ll let you pick something out.” Lulu ordered sandwiches and salad.

  “Dillon is coming back from Nice tomorrow afternoon.”

  “That will be good. You’ll have someone to keep you company.”

  “Yes. It’s more fun to have someone to do things with. I don’t think that I would want to be in Paris by myself.”

  “The show will be starting soon. I have something for you.” Raphael reached into the pocket of his blazer and pulled out a box.

  “Another gift,” said Lulu. She opened the box and inside was the Gucci watch.

  “Well, what do you think?”

  “It’s beautiful. Do you give all your girlfriends such expensive gifts?”

  “No. I love Italian women. That’s why you’re special to me. Look on the back.”

  Lulu turned the watch over and saw her name inscribed on the back. “Thank you, you’re too generous.”

  “I have to give you this receipt so when you go through customs you won’t have to pay a heavy duty-tax. And here is one for the earrings, just in case. Put them in your purse.” They were folded so Lulu didn’t see the amounts.

  It was a good musical, but Lulu wanted her fling to end. She wished that Raphael hadn’t given her another gift. “Can you stay at my hotel tonight? I have too many phone calls to make this evening. I don’t want to run up your phone bill. We can go over to your apartment so you can get some things.”