by Lacey Legend
“It has nothing to do with your skin, chéri,” Emmanuelle replied. “You’re a true gem.”
“Thank you,” Diamond replied warmly. “Here I go.”
She ran out the door. Should she have told Emmanuelle that she was going on a date with Baptiste Laurent? It seemed like bragging. No, she’d rather just have it be her little secret.
“Mademoiselle,” the driver said, greeting her outside the door.
“Bonsoir,” Diamond replied.
“Monsieur Laurent is waiting for you at the cafe,” the driver said, opening her door.
“Merci,” Diamond replied, thankful that she would have a few moments alone in the car to compose herself. In the rush to get ready, she hadn’t yet applied even a touch of lipstick.
Chapter4
Cafe Jardin was alive with diners, and the tables spilt out into the main plaza of Veules-les-Roses. Diamond was standing outside the car, just taking it all in for a moment. There was chatter, cigarette smoke, glistening glasses of wine, shining in the evening light. Waiters wearing crisp white coats were running around in a frenzy, carrying trays of mussels and fresh lobster, onion soup in little crock pots and baskets of frites.
“Just breathe,” Diamond said to herself, intimidated by it all.
“Right this way,” the driver said, leading Diamond to the patio.
“Tell me, does it look like I’m shaking?” she asked, hoping for an honest opinion.
“You look beautiful, Mademoiselle,” the driver said by way of reassurance. He led her to the stand where the Maitre’D stood, looking over his floor chart with the utmost seriousness.
“Bonsoir,” he said, looking up from his stand.
“I’m here to meet . . .” Diamond began to say.
“I know, Mademoiselle,” the Maitre’D said with assurance. “Right this way.” Diamond was led to a table that wasn’t on the main patio, but rather, in the back right next to the creek. There, she was greeted by a little table set for two. There were no other diners, no chatter, and no cigarette smoke. Baptiste quietly sat there, reading a newspaper.
“Hello,” Diamond said. Baptiste set down his paper and looked up, inspecting Diamond from head to toe. She felt self-conscious under his inspection, but from the look in his eye, she could tell that he was happy with what he saw.
“Bonsoir,” Baptiste said, standing and coming close. He kissed Diamond on one cheek, and then the other. As he did so, he placed his hand upon her elbow. His touch was warm and gentle, and Diamond felt goosebumps come to her skin yet again. “Please, sit,” Baptiste said, pulling out her chair.
“Thank you,” Diamond replied, seating herself. Once she was seated, Baptiste helped her to push the chair into the table. Then he sat himself and straightened his collar. It was the first time that Diamond saw Baptiste Laurent not wearing a full business suit. He was wearing a handsome pair of slacks and a perfectly white buttoned up shirt. Baptiste’s hair was expertly groomed, as always, and he wore a Cartier watch upon his wrist.
“This is a nice color on you,” Baptiste said, picking up his menu.
“I’ve had this dress forever,” Diamond said, half-apologizing.
“For good reason. It suits you.”
Diamond could feel her heart racing, and she attempted to calm herself by taking a sip of cool water that already sat upon the table. She looked around and was overcome by the charm of it all. There was a candle that gently flickered on the table, the sound of rushing water was just nearby, and there were charming little lights hung in the trees. It was absolutely perfect, and for a moment Diamond thought that she might be in a dream.
“Would you be offended if I ordered for you?” Baptiste asked.
“Oh . . .” Diamond said, picking up her menu. She was so overcome with the ambiance that she hadn’t even looked yet. “I think you know better than I do.”
“This is where des locaux come. The locals, as you say. It’s not for tourists,” Baptiste explained.
“Oh, I like that sort of thing,” Diamond replied.
“I have been coming here since I was a little boy.”
“How wonderful,” Diamond said with a smile.
“Monsieur,” the waiter said, approaching the table. There was a white napkin draped on his forearm. Diamond thought that it was a cliche, and you only saw that kind of thing in movies, but in reality, French waiters were just like the stereotype.
“Un bouteille de vin rouge,” Baptiste said without looking up. The waiter scurried away, knowing exactly what Laurent had in mind. Even though Baptiste had simply ordered a bottle of red, when he meant was a bottle of the best one that they had on hand. “I hope you like wine.”
“Who doesn’t?” Diamond replied humorously. Baptiste laughed. Diamond’s smile made him smile in response.
“I had my very first glass of wine in this cafe,” Baptiste said, looking up at the twinkling lights in the trees. “I was 10.”
If Diamond had been taking a sip of her water at that point she would have spat it out.
“I’m sorry?” she said, thinking that she didn’t hear right.
“This is very French, no? We learn to drink at an early age.”
“I suppose,” Diamond replied, lifting her brows. “I was told my daddy was drinking gin and juice soon after he came outta his mama.”
The two of them laughed at this, but Diamond quickly became self-conscious. Don’t be talking to Baptiste Laurent like you talk to Tanesha, Diamond thought to herself.
The waiter quickly returned to the table with a bottle of wine in hand. He presented it to Baptiste who inspected it for only a moment, and then it was swiftly corked and poured. Just a sip for Baptiste initially, who tested it and nodded in approval, and then a full glass was poured for Diamond. She reached over to pick it up by the stem and had her first sip. Diamond wasn’t one to drink red wine, but she could tell by the flavor that it was the good stuff.
“Do you approve?” Baptiste asked.
“This is lovely,” Diamond replied, content upon her face.
“Bisque de homard,” Baptiste said to the waiter without consulting his menu. “Salade aux lardons et croutons, Boeuf Bourguignon Linguine, Gratin de Macaroni.”
“Oui, Monsieur,” the waiter replied, not needing to write down a thing.
“What was all that?” Diamond asked.
“A rather large meal that I have just ordered.”
“It sounded like it,” she said with a smile. “Good thing I had a small lunch.”
They sat for some time and enjoyed the sound of the water, the wind through the trees, and the distant chatter of diners. The wine was smooth and complex, and Diamond enjoyed the taste of it on her tongue. There was an instant comfort between the two of them. They carried on with small talk, wishing to keep the deeper conversations at bay. For the time being, the evening was so delightful that there was no need to spoil it with words.
“Bisque de homard,” the waiter announced, and a warm cup of lobster bisque was placed before each of them.
“Oh, my,” Diamond said, looking down at her soup in wonder.
“It’s the best in France,” Baptiste said, enjoying the look of delight on her face.
“It smells amazing,” Diamond added.
“Give it a taste,” Baptiste said, wishing to see even more delight in her brown eyes.
Diamond picked up her spoon and took one dainty bite, thinking that something that smelled so good must be savored. Once she finally tasted it she thought that she might just keel over in bliss. The aromatic flavors combined with the creamy, oceanic taste sent her over the edge.
“This might be the best soup I’ve ever had,” she said.
“Did I not tell you so?”
“And, this could be a meal all on its own,” Diamond added.
“Oh, there’s much more to come,” Baptiste said. His statement seemed to have many different meanings, but Diamond brushed it off. The bliss of the soup was short lived, because Diamond managed to finish it al
l much sooner than she had intended. The salad was presented next, and it was light, green, and flavorful.
“Boeuf Bourguignon Linguine,” the waiter said. “Gratin de Macaroni.”
Placed before them was the pasta dish, accompanied by a side of Mac and cheese. Diamond didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Did you seriously just order linguine with a side of Mac and cheese?” she asked.
“I could not choose!” Baptiste replied with a boyish grin.
“Good thing you got a driver to take me home cause otherwise I’d need a crane.”
“Come now,” Baptiste said, leaning into the table. “You’re perfect in size.”
Diamond didn’t know what to make of this. She was flattered for sure, but she didn’t know how to respond.
“Well, I figured that when in France, let go of your restrictions.”
“That is the smart choice,” Baptiste replied, taking a bite of the Mac and cheese. “Life is to be enjoyed, after all. It’s a French cliche, but here, we like to take pleasure in what is around us. Food, wine, good company,” he said, looking at Diamond intently. “I do thank you for coming here tonight.”
“Why did you ask me?” Diamond said, cutting to the chase. Seriously, she had encountered Baptiste Laurent a number of times in the past two days, and now they were having dinner. Some things needed to be explained.
“Why did I ask you to dinner?” he replied.
“Yah,” she said, taking a bite of her own Mac and cheese and closing her eyes in bliss.
“I don’t know. Beautiful woman that I keep running into. Why should I refrain?” he asked.
“And why is it you think that we keep running into one another?” Diamond asked.
“This is a good question,” Baptiste said, taking a sip of his wine. “This is the mystery of life, no?”
“I suppose. It seems odd, though. Maybe you’re just following me,” Diamond said playfully.
“Well, I could. It would be easy for me to do. I have the services,” Baptiste explained casually.
“You joking.”
“No, I’m being terribly serious. If I needed to have you followed I have an expert team that could accomplish it.”
“Well, I’ll just say it here and now,” Diamond said, holding a forkful of linguine up. “I don’t like to be followed.”
“Note taken, but we’ll see if it’s necessary or not.”
The whole interaction was playful, and Diamond and Baptiste looked into one another’s eyes and smiled, but then Diamond’s heart sank a little. Joking about such things was pleasant with Baptiste. She felt as though it was innocent, and she didn’t know why, but she also sensed that Baptiste could be trusted. This was not the case with Malik. She thought about how he tried to call her earlier, and the memory of it filled her with fear. How was she going to get that man off her back? She longed so desperately to have that part of her life behind her, and yet it was as fresh as a flower.
“What is wrong?” Baptiste asked, seeing the change in her eyes. “Have I offended you?”
“No, no. I was just thinking of something.”
“Well, disregard whatever makes you sad and return to this meal. There’s a lot more work to do,” Baptiste said, wishing to lighten the mood. Slowly, the smile crept back onto Diamond’s face and she returned to the pasta that sat in front of her.
If Diamond was to be honest with Baptiste, she’d tell him that it was the best meal that she’d ever had in her life, but she chose to remain silent and let the night speak for itself. Every so often they’d both look up and catch one another’s eye, then Diamond would look away.
“You are rather bashful,” Baptiste said with a smile.
“Oh, I’m not so sure,” she said with a laugh.
“You are also very unique,” he added.
“Because I’m black,” she said quickly.
“It has nothing to do with the color of your skin. There’s something special about you. I knew it the moment that I first saw you.”
Diamond looked up and met his eyes again. There was a remarkable tenderness there and it warmed her heart. She had a history of bad boys, she had to admit. Diamond always found herself with men that had some kind of shady history, and being in the presence of a good man was something that was new to her. She didn’t quite know what to make of it, but she was finally sure of one thing: she deserved it. After years of putting up with nonsense and bad behavior, Diamond was finally at a place in her life where she could allow a good man to be in her presence. Was Baptiste going to be that man? Time would tell.
“You have a beautiful home,” Diamond said, not knowing what else to say.
“You have seen my home?” Baptiste asked.
Diamond felt a flush come to her cheek. She feared that Baptiste might now think that she was spying on him. She quickly tried to explain.
“My landlady, Emmanuelle. She pointed it out to me.”
“So you spoke to Emmanuelle of me?” Baptiste asked with a pleased grin on his face.
“No . . . I—”
“It’s alright. You don’t have to explain. People are always inquiring after me,” Baptiste replied nonchalantly. He returned to enjoying his pasta.
“And you like that?” Diamond asked.
“It is what it is, I suppose. I don’t mind the attention, but I certainly don’t need it. I could live my life just as well in anonymity.”
“Did you ever think you were going to be such a success?” Diamond asked, figuring that someone who was so high-profile must crave that kind of victory on a daily basis.
“No, I did not,” Baptiste explained candidly. “When I was a child I was very afraid of the world. My mother and father sheltered me and I was perfectly happy living in that shelter. However, once they were gone, the realities of the world became quite clear. Filling my days with effort and focus passed the time, and I found that I became quite, well, addicted to achieving things.”
“That’s very honorable,” Diamond replied.
“It’s merely a distraction. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and a ruthless pursuit of success is merely a method of not slowing down and savoring things. That has become my life.” There was a hint of sadness in Baptiste’s voice and it was the first time that Diamond had heard it. It was the inner darkness that Baptiste took so much care to hide, and it was displayed before her as clear as day.
“I gotta say,” Diamond went on, taking another sip of wine. “There ain’t been much enjoyment for me in a while.”
“I don’t like to hear that,” Baptiste replied.
“Well, you know. Life just sorta creeps up on you, and the next thing you know, you haven’t had a good meal in years.”
“Every one of my meals is good, but I scarcely ever enjoy them as I have this meal,” Baptiste said, but there was no smile upon his face. He was serious, and Diamond felt those goosebumps rise on her skin again.
“I have really enjoyed it too,” she said with equal sincerity.
“However, it’s hardly over yet,” Baptiste added, wiping his mouth with his napkin.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Diamond replied.
“I do not joke.”
And apparently, he was speaking the truth, for they had yet to be served not only dessert, but also the cheese course.
“Le Petit Gâteau,” the waiter said, presenting the chocolate cake.
“Oh my God,” Diamond replied, bringing her hands to her cheeks.
“Et le assortment of fromage,” the waiter went on.
“How are you like, not 300 pounds?” Diamond asked Baptiste.
“This is the French way. You eat to fulfill the soul.”
“Well, my soul be swelling up 10 pounds more than it was when I got here.”
“That pleases me immensely,” Baptiste replied.
Diamond took a bite of her chocolate cake and felt her eyes roll back into her head. The rich, chocolatey fondant was perfectly paired with the ooey, gooey center. The flavor of the c
hocolate was so strong that the memory of the rest of the meal was scraped from her mind.
“Now taste the cheese,” Baptiste said eagerly, with the enthusiasm of a schoolboy.
“But I still got chocolate in my mouth,” Diamond protested, bringing one hand to her lips.
“That is the right way to do it. Chocolate and cheese are cousins,” he explained.
Hot coffee was served, and Diamond was thankful for it. She took another bite of cake and washed it down with the rich coffee, coming to the conclusion that she could actually live off of chocolate and cheese and die happy.
“That’s it. I’m never going to make it home,” Diamond said with a laugh.
“Then you are more than welcome to come to my home,” Baptiste said, taking a sip of his coffee.
Diamond raised her eyebrows in shock.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Exactly what I say. I would like you to come home with me,” Baptiste said.
Diamond put down her fork and brought her napkin to her lips. Her heart started racing. Was all of this going too fast? She didn’t know what to make of it.
“Will you excuse me for one moment?” Diamond said, getting up from the table.
“Of course,” Baptiste replied.
Chapter5
I’m a grown ass woman, so why is it that I can’t make one damn decision without Tanesha? Diamond thought to herself. She picked up her cellphone and dialed quickly. Pick up, girl. Pick up.
“You eatin’ snails or some shit?” Tanesha answered.
“Girl, I need your help right now,” Diamond said.
“You done been in France for two days and you already in trouble.”
“It’s that guy I told you about. The finance guy.”
“Now, you tell him that he gotta put a ring on it. Cause I be sick and tired of these fools getting you in bed and not havin’ no class.”
“We’re having dinner, and he just said he wants me to come home with him,” Diamond explained, desperate for some good advice.
“Shoot, honey. Do you not have one clear thought in that pretty head of yours? This is what all men do. It’s why he done asked you out to dinner.”