The Little Paris Patisserie

by Julie Caplin

  ‘Are you going to tell me what’s going on with Sebastian?’ he asked in a low voice.

  ‘No,’ said Nina. ‘I thought I’d made it clear. You’re my brother. Not my keeper.’

  ‘So, there is something going on.’

  ‘I didn’t say that.’

  ‘But you didn’t deny it.’

  ‘Nick, whatever is or isn’t going on, is nothing to do with you.’

  ‘Yes, it is.’

  ‘No, it isn’t.’

  ‘He’s … my best friend.’

  ‘And that’s not going to change, unless you let it.’

  ‘So there is something going on.’ He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him.

  Nina sighed and shook his hand off. ‘For God’s sake, just leave it.’

  ‘Are you sleeping with him?’

  ‘Nick!’

  At her outraged tone, he had the grace to look a little ashamed which made Nina feel a tiny bit more conciliatory towards him. ‘I’m not sleeping with him but even if I were, it has nothing to do with you.’

  ‘Sorry, I was a bit out of line.’

  ‘A bit!’

  ‘It’s only because I care. I don’t want you to get hurt.’

  ‘And I’ve been trying to tell you for a long time, I’m a big girl. And why would Sebastian hurt me?’

  ‘Well … I know you had a crush on him when you were younger. But you’re not his type.’

  ‘Thanks a bunch,’ said Nina, all her insecurities flooding back. ‘And you don’t think he could possibly fancy me?’

  Nick paused and pulled a variety of different faces as he realised he’d put himself between a rock and hard place. ‘I’m just looking out for you.’

  ‘And like I said, I’m a big girl.’ Hurt at his earlier words made her tone harsh.

  ‘Hey, I’m sorry. Force of habit.’

  ‘Yeah, well you need to break it,’ said Nina with a snap to her words. ‘I’ve really enjoyed being out here, meeting new people and doing my own thing.’

  ‘I gathered. Are you going to tell me what you’re up to tomorrow morning?’

  Nina bit her lip. Confessing to Nick before Sebastian didn’t feel right.

  ‘I’m meeting up with Maddie, one of the friends I’ve made on the course. But I’ll be free after lunch to see you.’

  ‘Fair enough.’

  Chapter 31

  Everything alright with Nick? He didn’t suspect anything?

  Nina wasn’t sure quite how to phrase her text back to Sebastian as she sat on the edge of the bed. Despite her brother’s prying, and it really was nothing to do with him, she hated lying to him. And she wasn’t going to lie to Sebastian either, well, not about this. And she was irritated by his less than lover-like text.

  He asked a few awkward questions, which I refused to answer.

  Sorry to put you in a difficult spot. I wish you could have come back here with me. I’m missing you. xxx

  OK, that was a bit more like it.

  Good. xxx I miss you too.

  How does that happen? How can I miss you now, when we’ve been apart for all these years? Wish you were here. xxx

  Nina’s heart did a little flip as she stared down at the words on the screen. With a smile, she quickly ran her fingers over the screen. I wish I was there too. Weird that I’m here in your apartment in your bed. xxx

  I have had a few thoughts about you being in my bed. xxx

  Now that really did have her heart racing. She looked at the second set of pillows on the bed, the ones she’d not touched since she’d been here.

  Are we sexting? xxx

  Best not, having a cold shower at this time of night with this cast is a bit of a palaver. xxx

  She laughed out loud.

  Wouldn’t want you to suffer unduly on my behalf. Night xxx

  Night Nina. Sweet dreams (in my bed) xxx

  Night xxx

  Nina slept with the phone next to her on the pillow, a smile on her face when she woke at a ridiculous hour. Getting to the bakery at seven had quickly become a habit, and she’d become a dab hand at knocking up enough pastries to start the day off. Marcel had been the one to suggest that she limit the amount she made, to keep things exclusive. From ten o’clock when the patisserie opened there was often a queue waiting and usually by two they’d sold out of everything.

  Today she wanted to practise a few finishing touches to make them look that bit better, ready for the judges next week and she need to get herself super organised to be ready to cook up a batch on Tuesday morning before the judges arrived. Oh dear God, another thing she was hiding from Sebastian. She knew it was cowardly, not telling him about the patisserie’s transformation, but now that … they were finally on the same page, she couldn’t bear to risk it.

  It might be wrong, but she’d waited so long, she wanted to enjoy these magical, spinetingling feelings.

  Perfect Parisian weather, she thought as she danced up the steps to meet Nick, Dan and Gail outside the Musée d’Orsay in glorious sunshine. Having passed the museum so many times and not been in, it had been her must see in Paris suggestion.

  Although now she was beginning to regret it a little; the place was huge and she’d already put a busy few hours in at the patisserie this morning. How she would have managed without Maddie and Jane’s help this morning, she didn’t know. If she were to do this full-time, she’d need an assistant.

  Spotting her brothers and Gail already in the queue, she looked at her sister-in-law, wondering what she’d have to say about Nina’s idea. Would it be possible to persuade the family to make the farm shop café into more of a destination tea shop selling her fancy Anglo-French fusion cakes? At the moment, it was a coffee shop with a few cakes and biscuits, a useful stopping off point for coach tours in the area and for locals who fancied a coffee out, but it could be so much more.

  ‘Hey, Nina,’

  ‘Sebastian!’ She hadn’t spotted Sebastian in his wheelchair behind the others as she approached and, now she was terribly conscious of him. The chambray shirt he wore made his eyes looked bluer and the warmth in them made her swallow hard as her heart leaped at the mere sight of him.

  Her face lit up and then realising that Nick was looking at her, she turned to show she was delighted to see all of them.

  ‘Hi all, how was this morning?’ she gabbled ignoring Nick’s narrowed eyes.

  ‘Afternoon,’ said Nick, stepping in front of Sebastian and giving her a big bear hug and lifting her up.

  ‘Put me down,’ she muttered against his chest. ‘What have you been doing?’

  ‘Charming,’ said Nick as Gail laughed, saying, ‘We’ve been to Galeries Lafayette this morning.’

  ‘Isn’t it gorgeous?’ enthused Nina. Maddie had taken her there one afternoon last week.

  ‘Pretty swanky,’ agreed Dan as Gail nodded, holding up a little string handled bag with the Chanel logo on the side.

  Gail linked arms with Nina. ‘We’ve had a fabulous morning.’

  Nina shot a quick look down at Sebastian being pushed along in the wheelchair by Dan. This was torture being so close and not being able to touch or say anything.

  In the busy crush, when they were queuing to get inside, she brushed her arm against his. Stupid but she was desperate for a connection, to reassure her that she hadn’t imagined last night.

  She felt his fingers slide up her arm in silent acknowledgment and breathed a small sigh of relief even though neither of them were looking at each other.

  The first sight of the light airy space, the curved glass roof and the extravagant golden clock was so utterly glorious it made her chest hurt and even silenced her brothers. The soaring roof arches, perfect symmetry and the sheer artisty and engineering involved made her stop dead. She might be a complete philistine when it came to paintings or sculptures, but it didn’t matter because she’d completely and utterly fallen in love with this amazing, gorgeous, huge, wonderful building.

  Transfixed, she stood and stared upwa
rds.

  ‘Something else, isn’t it?’ murmured Sebastian beside her, stretching out his index finger from where his hand lay on top of the wheel to very lightly graze her leg just above the knee.

  ‘Wow, this place is huge,’ said Gail looking upwards before ducking her head to look at her guidebook. ‘Now, where do we start?’

  She and Dan began bickering about what they wanted to see and Nick chipped in deliberately winding them both up.

  Ignoring them, Nina was happy to stand and stare, conscious of Sebastian’s quiet stillness next to her as her gaze traced the lofty arches, the light spilling in the through thousands of panes of glass.

  ‘Incredible, isn’t it?’ he said to her in a quiet voice.

  She nodded. Both of them seemed in tune with the reverential hush. Despite the large numbers of people wandering about, it was if the vastness of the space made people talk in whispered hurried bits of conversations, too much in awe to risk disturbing the sacred air.

  Nina’s eyes were drawn back to the golden clock dominating the huge arched glassed wall at one end of the former station and it was easy to imagine a passenger hurrying along the length of the station, one eye on the clock, and the billowing steam of the trains waiting like magic iron dragons waiting to be let free.

  ‘It must have been an amazing sight when it was a station,’ said Sebastian, following her gaze.

  ‘You read my mind,’ said Nina. ‘It’s beautiful. I could stand here all day.’

  ‘Me too.’ He glanced at her family. ‘Although the ants in the pants pair there are desperate to get moving.’

  ‘Philistines,’ grumbled Nina with a grin, tuning into their conversation.

  ‘I want to see some Monet,’ Gail was saying and Dan was looking at the map as Nick tried to take it from him.

  ‘Maddie said that one of the best things is to go to the fifth floor, if you like impressionists,’ chipped in Nina.

  ‘Right then, that’s where we’ll go,’ said Nick, pointing upwards at the sign denoting a flight of stairs.

  Sebastian folded his arms and raised his eyebrows

  ‘Sorry mate,’ said Nick. ‘Forgot. Must be a right ruddy pain.’

  ‘Tell me about it, but it’s been six weeks now, so I’m about used to it. I’ll take the lift.’

  ‘Race you,’ said Nick immediately. ‘Ten euros we’ll beat you up there.’

  ‘You’re on,’ said Sebastian and wheeled himself round to head towards the lifts back in the entrance hall.

  ‘Want me to come with you, in case you … need some help?’ asked Nina.

  ‘That would be great,’ said Sebastian. ‘Right Nick, clock starts ticking now.’ And he pushed himself off hard, wheeling quickly towards the lift.

  ‘Bugger,’ said Nick. ‘Come on, Dan.’ The two of them began weaving quickly through the crowd following the signs to the far end of the huge space.

  Gail met Nina’s eyes and laughed. ‘Can’t beat em, join em,’ she said setting off after her husband. ‘See you up there.’

  Sebastian had a good head start and she caught up with him by the lifts. As she arrived and went to press the button to call the lift, he caught her hand and placed a lazy kiss in the palm.

  ‘There’s no hurry,’ he said with a wicked twinkle that had her hormones dancing about in a very discombobulated way.

  ‘But … what about the bet?’

  Tugging on her hand, he pulled her down until her head was level with his, eyes dancing with merriment. ‘It will be the best ten euros I’ve ever spent,’ he said as he kissed her quickly on the lips.

  Unfortunately the lift was in big demand, so they were squashed in but Sebastian held her hand the whole way up, gently squeezing her fingers. When the lift stopped, just before the doors opened, he kissed her knuckles.

  ‘God, I can’t wait for them to go. Talk about bad timing. And then I’ve arranged to go to Lyon tomorrow, I won’t be back until late on Monday.’ He sighed as she pushed the wheelchair out of the lift.

  ‘Don’t worry. I’ve got lots to do.’

  He gave her a quick quizzical frown.

  ‘I’m … seeing Maddie, helping Marguerite with a computer thing.’ She pasted a bright smile on her face as inside her stomach lurched. She still hadn’t told him about the patisserie.

  ‘You’ve made good friends with them. I’m glad. It’s going to be Tuesday before I see you again.’ With a huff, he shook his head. ‘Our first proper date, in the fracture clinic at the hospital.’ He pulled a face. ‘Not exactly…’

  ‘Beat you!’ panted Nick appearing with Dan close behind. ‘You owe me ten euros mate. ‘And a glass of cold beer,’ added Dan, ‘Where’s the nearest bar?’

  ‘We’ve only just got here,’ said Nina, knowing him well. She watched her sister-in-law arrive serenely behind him, not seeming at all out of breath. ‘You can’t leave until you’ve at least seen some paintings.’

  Dan grumbled something and Gail cuffed him gently around the head.

  Nina followed them all slowly to the gallery, keeping behind Sebastian, her head a mix of conflicting emotions.

  Chapter 32

  The morning of the judging brought with it another day of blue sky and bright sunshine, creating dappled patches of shade on the pavement along the tree lined boulevard. Nina felt as if she were having a slightly out of body experience as she veered from excited nerves to terrified foreboding. Today was going to be a day of reckoning.

  Her family had finally left yesterday evening after a couple of gruelling days of sight-seeing which left her feeling as if she’d walked every inch of Paris. She’d also been cross-examined by Nick who’d overheard Gail say to Dan that there was no way on earth that there wasn’t anything going on between her and Sebastian.

  Irritated beyond anything, she’d finally snapped and said yes, there was something. Of course he’d then wanted details, which she refused to give him, not that there were any as it was all so new but there was no way she was going to tell him that.

  This morning she was doubly irritated when she realised that he’d gone off with her phone charger. Her phone was on the last bars of battery and in danger of dying any minute. She’d have to buy a new one later today unless Nick had remembered and left it with Sebastian.

  Sebastian hadn’t come back from Lyon until late last night, so there’d still been no chance to talk to him about the patisserie. But she was seeing him today, meeting him at the hospital. She’d worked out she could just about to get there for his appointment providing the judges didn’t stay longer than an hour. Surely an hour was more than long enough for a visit. There wasn’t that much to see.

  She was meeting Maddie and Bill early to give the patisserie an extra spit and polish, although she was already running late. Thankfully the hospital was right by Notre Dame according to Sebastian, so it would be easy to find without Google Maps.

  ‘You look very chic,’ said Maddie as Nina arrived in a billowing navy skirt, with a cute white shirt with bows on the cap sleeves.

  ‘Thank you. Inside I’m a bag of nerves.’ She looked around the patisserie with a critical eye.

  ‘Don’t worry. You’re rocking the Audrey look. If you weren’t so nice I’d be well jel. The judges are going to love you.’

  Nina pulled a worried face. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to do the talking?’

  ‘Nope,’ said Maddie, with a cheerful grin, her lips smacking together with a decisive snap. ‘We must all stick to what we’re best suited to. Today I’m armed and dangerous with cleaning products and I’m not afraid to use them.’ With an exaggerated swagger, she lifted her can of polish, aimed and fired it at the nearest table, before polishing with great gusto.

  ‘I’ll leave you to it.’

  ‘Bonjour, Marcel.’

  ‘Bonjour. You are looking very nice today.’

  Nina beamed at him, totally taken by surprise by the unexpected compliment. ‘Thank you, Marcel.’

  The fully stocked cabinet in front of hi
m was immaculate, the glass without a single finger mark or smear and everything arranged beautifully, although she could still hear the laboured hum of the refrigeration unit below. A frisson of pride sizzled through her at the sight of the rows of patisserie, the line of chocolat caramel suprême, each one gleaming with a single piece of gold leaf, the neat rows of strawberry and cream éclairs, the perfect rounds of coffee and walnut mini cakes, the glistening red glaze of her version of mille-feuille jammy dodgers, plump with raspberries and Chantilly cream.

  ‘Doesn’t it look lovely?’

  He inclined his head. ‘It does.’

  ‘Are we all set?’

  Nina whirled around at Bill’s voice. ‘Yes, I think we are. The new lights in the cabinets look great. Thank you for doing those.’

  ‘My pleasure, pet. I couldn’t get rid of the humming noise. Reckon she’s got a couple more years in her. I’ve had fun tinkering trying to fix her. Fact is, I’ve had more fun this last month, than I have for a long time. Living in Paris isn’t so bad after all. Funny old world,’ he mused. ‘Never thought I’d live aboard. But it’s not so bad. And I’m going to try and pick up a bit of electrical work. Peter’s recommended me to the caretaker chap at the place they’ve been renting and he’s asked me to put in a few lights and such.’

  ‘Oh, that’s good. Maybe Sebastian might need some work doing … he was complaining he couldn’t always get good tradespeople.’

  ‘If you can put in a good word, hen, that would be grand.’

  ‘What time is it?’ asked Nina for the fifth time, cursing her brother. Being without her phone was driving her nuts. Why did the whole world have iPhones?

  The kitchen was spotless, everything was put away. There was nothing for her to do. She couldn’t even rearrange the drawers. She folded the cloth by the sink and put it neatly beside the taps and then she moved it to the other side.

  ‘Time you got a watch,’ said Peter. ‘It’s ten minutes since you last asked.’

  ‘But they should have been here half an hour ago.’ She picked up the cloth again, refolding it and gave the clean sink, another wipe. ‘I’m supposed to be going to the hospital to meet Sebastian.’ If she didn’t leave in the next ten minutes, she was going to be late and even then, it was pushing it.