The Odd Couple in Paris

by Patricia M Swayze

  J. P. put the suitcase in the trunk and hopped into the car and sped off. “What if he’s dead? You looked like you did karate on him.”

  “I have a third-degree black belt in karate. I only use it when I have to. I could have killed him. He’ll wake up after a while. Those sewer rats don’t die that easily. What was he trying to steal anyway?”

  “My Gucci watch. It has a safety catch, and I kicked him too. He probably would have gotten it off if you hadn’t hit him.”

  “Did he hurt you?”

  Lulu looked at her wrist. It looked red. “It’s a little sore, but I think it will be OK.”

  “Why are you wearing that watch anyway? Isn’t it the watch that Raphael gave you?”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “Dillon told me. You should put it in your purse. And don’t wear it on the street in Rome. I can sell it for you and send you the money.”

  “It has my name inscribed on the back.”

  “That doesn’t matter—someone will still buy it for a good price.”

  “I wasn’t born yesterday, Jacques.”

  “I’m just going to ignore what you just said. The last thing that I need is your money; I have plenty of my own.”

  “I don’t believe in blind trust. I’ve only known you for a few weeks,” said Lulu.

  “That’s fair. Ask your uncle about it.”

  “Anyway, I’m not that poor that I have to sell the watch. I was going to give everything back to Raphael, but then after Dillon said that he didn’t deserve it back, I decided to keep it. You don’t know the whole story, so you can’t make that judgment.”

  “Of course, it’s your decision. But I’m a man, and I know what I know.”

  At the airport J. P. and Lulu exchanged addresses and phone numbers. “You can call me at my apartment or the bookstore from Rome, collect,” said J. P.

  “I might call before I return to the States. Are you going to call the police about the man that you hit?”

  “I’ll report the crime when I return. But he’s probably gone by now, and the police won’t do anything. This happens all the time.”

  J. P. gave her a long hug and a passionate kiss on the lips. “Bye, my little jewel.”

  21

  Viva La Roma

  “Hi, Martin. Thanks for picking me up from the airport.”

  “You look good. You have a tan.”

  “I was at a lake in Rouen a few days ago with Dillon and a mutual friend, Jacques. I really like this French guy, but I wanted to see Rome before going back home. I’ve had a very interesting summer so far. Why didn’t you ever call?”

  “I did call a few weeks ago. I spoke with Dillon and he said that everything was great, and you were all going to a cancan show. I was going to offer to have you come to Rome then. I thought it strange that you never called me because I left the number with Dillon. I decided to send the postcard and invite you again.”

  “Dillon never told me. He probably didn’t want me to leave. But then I wouldn’t have gotten to know J. P., so it all worked out.”

  “I’m surprised that Dillon didn’t tell you—sounds a little selfish to me. But I’m glad that you had a good time in Paris.”

  “Someone tried to mug me today just before I got into J. P.’s car. My wrist is still a little sore. He tried to get my watch. I kicked him but J. P. hit the guy in the face. He has a black belt in karate, which I didn’t know. The thief laid in a heap as we drove away. J. P. didn’t want to wait around for the police. This guy looked foreign—maybe a gypsy—I don’t know.”

  “What did J. P. say that the guy was?”

  “A sewer rat.” Martin laughed. “Where is your watch?”

  “It’s in my purse. But I have to tell you the whole story later. It’s a very expensive watch that I received from a wealthy man in Nice.”

  “I can’t wait to hear your story,” said Martin.

  “How has your summer been in Rome?”

  “Fabulous. But it always is. All this masculine energy. I saw my friends and made some new ones. Had an affair with a married Italian man.”

  “Don’t you feel guilty messing around with a married man?”

  “No, because I’m not breaking up a family. It’s for a few weeks, then I’m gone. This guy probably does this with other men besides me.”

  “Why doesn’t he just come out of the closet?”

  “It’s not always that easy. Especially if his relatives are very traditional and if he wants children.”

  Martin paid the taxi driver and carried Lulu’s suitcase to the apartment. It was on the first floor of an old ornate building. “Do you have a dead body in here?”

  Lulu laughed. “I’m sorry that my suitcase is so heavy. I really should learn to pack lighter. I don’t use half the clothes that I bring or the shoes.”

  “This will be your bedroom. You have your own bathroom.”

  “It’s wonderful. I’m so excited to be here. I’m going to unpack and then go to bed.”

  “We can go to the city in the morning, around 9:00 a.m., if you like.”

  “I’ll be ready by then. See you in the morning.”

  Martin had left a bottle of water on her nightstand. She pulled back the curtains and saw a lovely patio garden outside. She ran a warm bath. She thought about Dillon as she stretched out relaxing in the tub. Had he been selfish, or did he want her to spend more time with J. P.?

  Martin was an early riser and was already up reading his newspaper when Lulu came to the kitchen.

  “Buongiorno,” said Martin.

  “Buongiorno. I think I’ll have some coffee too.”

  “Help yourself to the croissants,” said Martin.

  “I left my watch in my dresser; I don’t want to wear it until I get back to the States. I met a wealthy Italian man in Nice while I was with Dillon. We were in a restaurant, and he invited us to eat with him. His name is Raphael Sabini, but he uses other names. He’s a jewelry designer and married. He’s quite a player but very nice. So I fell for him and didn’t know that he had a mistress in Paris in addition to his wife. He’s very good looking and well educated. Long story short, I wouldn’t do it again. I think he has a connection with the Gucci family.”

  “You can tell your parents that I got a really good deal on the Gucci watch because I know someone with connections, and the watch is a graduation present to you.”

  “Thanks, I didn’t know how I was ever going to wear it around Mom and Dad.”

  “Would you like to see the Trevi Fountain? There are always tourists there, but the fountain is known for making your dreams come true.”

  “Yes. Can we walk there?”

  “Yes. It’s near here. There’s so much to see in Rome. One week really isn’t enough but you can see the famous sites.”

  “My French friend J. P. might be calling here. He and his father own a bookstore near Philippe’s apartment.”

  “Is he a young guy in his twenties with brown hair and blue eyes?”

  “That sounds like him. The bookstore is called Le Hune.”

  “I’m familiar with that bookstore. I think I met the father of J. P. Nice man. He helped me find a book that I was looking for.”

  “I really like J. P., but I haven’t known him that long. Dillon met him in Nice, but I was busy with Raphael. I wish now that I had spent more time with J. P. Dillon told me J. P. really likes me and would wait for me. He wants to visit Dillon in the States and me also. He said that I could probably find a job in Rouen as an English teacher. He wants to move there eventually. He almost married his last girlfriend, but she wanted to live in Sweden. He doesn’t want to leave France.”

  “Let him visit you while you’re in the States. You probably could find a teaching job in France. Rouen is a great town. It’s a better place to live than Paris, if you’re going to l
ive in France. But don’t rush into anything. You could always inquire through an agency about working in Rouen, if you’re serious about it.”

  “I see the fountain. A lot of people buzzing around.” They walked down the cobblestone street and over to the fountain. Lulu took out a coin and stood there thinking for a moment and then threw in her coin.

  Martin caught the image with his camera and then he threw in a coin.

  “Let’s walk over to that garden and walk through it,” said Lulu.

  “That’s a beautiful white dress that you’re wearing. It looks expensive.”

  “It is. A Chanel dress that Raphael bought for me. He bought me a black one too.”

  “I would expect an Italian jewelry designer to have great taste.”

  “He was always dressed so well and so handsomely. He didn’t have to buy me anything; I would have gone with him anyway.”

  “He probably wanted you to be as well dressed as him. Italian men are very picky about fashion. You know how your dad is, but I’m sure Raphael is worse.”

  “Dad is picky, but not as bad as Raphael, that’s for sure.”

  “You should never tell your parents about this Italian affair that you had. It wouldn’t go over very well!”

  “Of course, I can’t tell them. Maybe in twenty years, if ever,” said Lulu.

  “Sounds like you had an interesting summer.”

  “Yes, but my best time was probably at the lake with J. P. We went skinny-dipping while Dillon went for a walk. J. P. almost hit a cow on a country road in his little sports car. Thank God he missed it. Dillon mooned a group of senior citizens on a bus tour.”

  “Sounds like you’ve become more adventurous in your young age.” Lulu laughed.

  “I’ve forgotten about my boyfriend in California. I never sent him a postcard. He probably went back to his high school girlfriend. They always seem to get back together. He’s too young for me anyway. I think J. P. is the perfect age for me. He’s twenty-nine.”

  “Let’s have lunch and then see the Colosseum. It’s huge. The admission is free. You can take lots of pictures,” said Martin.

  “OK.”

  “Do you like pizza?” asked Martin.

  “Who doesn’t like pizza?”

  “Does your dad ever make Italian pizza?”

  “Yes, but Mom prefers the American pizza. Ever since she visited Denver and ate the Godfather’s pizza, she doesn’t like the plain Italian anymore. I think it’s so funny.”

  “That sounds like my sister, but I prefer the thin-crusted Italian pizza.”

  “Me too,” said Lulu. They ordered a pizza in a little café and then caught a shuttle to the Colosseum.

  “Wow, this place is huge and so ancient. Think about all the activities they had here—the Christians having to fight each other. It was the Roman entertainment. Now we have football,” said Lulu.

  “Football is kind of barbaric too. Most of the players end up with dementia. It doesn’t seem like a civilized sport with all that body contact,” said Martin.

  “I’m going to sit here for a minute and take in all of this,” said Lulu.

  “Let me take your picture,” said Martin.

  “Look at the tourists coming. They look so American with their tank tops and cutoffs. One thing you should never do is wear shorts to the Vatican. They sometimes turn you away,” said Martin.

  “I heard that you should only order a cappuccino for breakfast and not after noon.”

  “Yes, that’s how it is in Italy. You would appear very crass and unsophisticated if you did after breakfast,” said Martin.

  “I wonder how many people this place could hold back then?”

  “I’ve read that it’s estimated it could hold fifty thousand to eighty thousand spectators,” said Martin.

  “I’m going to buy two bottles of mineral water; don’t go anywhere,” said Martin.

  “I’ll be here taking some photos.”

  Martin walked back toward the entrance. In the meantime Lulu saw a few Italian kids playing below where she was sitting, and she decided to walk down and see if she could take a few pictures. She said a few things in Italian and gestured to her camera. They were OK with her taking pictures. They ran off chasing a ball and Lulu saw an interesting looking stone and continued to walk a little farther. She saw two young men who looked American. They said hello and asked her where she was from.

  “I’m from San Diego,” said Lulu.

  “Is that near La La Land?” asked the taller one.

  “Yes, it’s pretty close.”

  “Let’s be nice, Ron,” said the shorter one.

  “We aren’t all nuts. Where are you from?” asked Lulu.

  “We’re from Sioux City, Iowa,” said Ron.

  “Isn’t that the home of the potato?” asked Lulu.

  “No, you’re thinking of Idaho,” said the taller one and started to laugh.

  “Iowa, Idaho, it’s all the same to me,” said Lulu.

  “Nice talking to you,” said the two men in unison as they walked away.

  Lulu walked farther and took pictures of some interesting trees. She had forgotten about Martin getting the water. Lulu headed back and realized that she didn’t remember which way she had come from. Everything looked the same. It was starting to get crowded. She didn’t see her uncle anywhere. Oh shoot, she thought. This could be really bad. She told herself not to panic. She didn’t have a good sense of direction and her uncle’s wasn’t the greatest either.

  She had a fear of getting lost ever since the time that she left the Catholic Pre-K one late afternoon when she was just four years old. She and her family were living in an apartment in San Francisco then. The Pre-K that she went to was near her apartment. A girl a year older asked her to come with her to go window-shopping since it was close to Christmastime. As it started to get dark, the other girl said goodbye and left Lulu by herself. The nuns were out looking for her. But Lulu never saw them. She just kept walking around in circles. It started to rain, and she became very cold. She finally saw a landmark. It was a store that she and her mother often walked by. She remembered that in the window there was a yellow stuffed rabbit and that helped her find her way back to the apartment.

  Her mother was just getting ready to look for her after the nuns called saying that Lulu was lost. She knocked on the apartment door soaked from the rain with a red face and shivering. That Christmas, she received the yellow rabbit for a present.

  It was getting very hot, and Lulu felt really thirsty. She shielded her eyes from the sun. Even though she was wearing sunglasses the sun was still glaring. She tried a different way and still couldn’t remember where her uncle had left her. She decided that she would have to go back to the entrance. She saw a man that looked American and asked him which way was the entrance. He pointed her in the right direction, and then she started to feel funny. He asked her if she was all right, and she managed to say that she was going to faint. He caught her and carried her to a tree with some shade and laid her on the ground.

  A group of young Japanese girls that were part of a performance group were walking by in costume and had their fans with them. When Lulu woke up, she saw white faces looking down at her while they were fanning her. For a moment she thought that she had died and was in heaven. She heard a familiar voice calling out her name.

  “Lulu, I’ve been looking all over for you. I thought that you were kidnapped,” said Martin.

  “No, she just fainted. She probably got dehydrated. I carried her over here,” said the man that came to her rescue.

  “Thank you. I’m sorry that I fainted on you,” said Lulu.

  “It’s OK, take care.”

  “Yes, thank you for helping my niece. Have some water, Lulu.”

  “Thanks. I feel better sitting here in the shade.”

  “I found you be
cause I was curious about the Japanese girls bending over something with their fans going. Then someone said a woman fainted.”

  “It was the weirdest sensation waking up and seeing those white painted faces. I really thought that I was in heaven.”

  “That’s so funny! Let’s walk back and catch a bus and get something to eat. It would probably be good to get out of this heat, as well,” said Martin.

  “I couldn’t find my way back because everything looked the same, and it was so hot. I should have worn my sunhat and brought some water along.”

  “Let’s continue to walk this way under the trees. It’s so much cooler.”

  “How far is Tuscany from Rome?” asked Lulu.

  “The city of Siena in the Tuscany region is only a few hours by bus. Are you interested in taking a day trip there?”

  “Yes. I think it would be fun. It must be beautiful in Siena.”

  “The countryside is gorgeous. Some people spend their whole time just in Tuscany for a relaxing vacation. We could stay there for a few days. If you don’t want to see the tourist attractions,” said Martin.

  “I think I would rather do the Tuscany trip and stay two days. I’m not that big on the tourist attractions. This time of year, there are hordes of tourists.”

  “I’ll see if I can rent a little cottage. Let’s take that bus back to the city,” said Martin.

  When they returned and after they had lunch, Martin decided to call a friend who lived in Siena. This elderly woman was always offering her house for Martin to stay. She had a few bedrooms that were never used. Her husband had died a few years ago, and she was happy for the company. She was very excited to hear from Martin, and when he told her that he was going to stay in Tuscany for two days with his niece, she insisted that they stay at her home. She was rather eccentric, but Martin decided that he wouldn’t tell Lulu about that part.

  “We won’t have to rent a cottage after all. My friend Anna has a large house, and she wants us to stay there. She’s around seventy years old. I met her several years ago when she and her husband had a restaurant together. They were fabulous chefs. She closed her restaurant a few years ago. I’m sure she will want to cook for us. But I’ll insist on taking her out one night at least.”