Paris Summer

by April Lynn Kihlstrom

  “I hope I gave a better impression,” Janine said seriously. “I can see that it would be easy to misunderstand someone who does not speak your language well.”

  Helene smiled. “I think my family was pleased with you. You are so sympathetic to Paris. I am sorry about Jacques, Janine. He is not usually so rude. I cannot understand it, and I am sure it is not because he dislikes you.

  Janine smiled and shrugged. “In a way it made him seem like a brother, and I’ve always wanted one. Actually, I think you have a nice family.”

  Helene smiled affectionately. “Well, we shall certainly see you again before you leave Paris. And perhaps you and I can meet in the city before then. I will call you when I have a few days free. Ali, here is the station. I am sorry I cannot wait with you, but I must stop at the market for my mother on my way home.”

  They separated and Janine hurried into the station feeling rather contented. She wondered what sort of holiday it had been that allowed Helene and her brother to be home today. She should have remembered to ask. Oh, well, it didn’t matter. She tried to picture Rena visiting Helene’s family and had to admit they would not have liked each other. As she boarded the train, a few minutes later, she was looking forward to a quiet evening by herself.

  Janine woke early the next morning, trying to remember what it was she had planned for Tuesday. She knew there was something, but not in the morning. Shrugging, she decided not to worry about it. If she couldn’t remember, it couldn’t be important. She went out to buy a croissant and then prepared cafe au lait back in the apartment. It was nice, she thought, to be able to make it strong the way the French did. Rena, unfortunately, preferred her coffee American style and while she had been there, her preferences had prevailed. Janine opened Rena’s map of Paris as she savored her croissant. The map was a good one, showing all the major points of interest as well as one or two of the large department stores. On the back were Metro and bus maps. As Janine considered the possibility of walking over to Notre Dame, she noticed some buildings a little farther east on the map on the Left Bank. They looked very familiar. “Of course! What a ninny I am!” she exclaimed. “The algebra seminar.

  Janine smiled. She was looking forward to the seminar and not just because the subject interested her. Janine intended to prove to Mark that she did indeed have a respectable grasp of mathematics. In a way it was a challenge, and she could never resist a challenge. Most of her life, it seemed, she had been answering challenges. As an undergraduate, Janine had encountered a number of professors who felt girls shouldn’t be in mathematics. This had angered her, and she had set out to prove them wrong. It was the same thing now with Mark. She was not going to let him sneer at her. “I must remember,” she told herself, “to tell Mark, the next time I see him, how interesting the seminar was.”

  She sighed. She could almost hear her mother saying, “Jenny, that is not the way to attract a man! All you’ll do is antagonize him.”

  Quite true, probably, but then Mark was Rena’s fiance so it didn’t matter. There was no question of trying to attract him. She wished her mother were wrong, but if men preferred intelligent women then why was Rena so popular? Not, of course, that Rena was stupid. She just never let men know she had a brain. Well, it’s no use trying to imitate Rena, Janine thought. I can only be myself. If men don’t like it I’ll just have to get used to being single. Free! she corrected herself sternly.

  Janine opened the window and stood looking out over the paved courtyard where two little girls were playing. Still, she thought wistfully, it would be nice to have children.

  Glancing quickly away from the children, Janine noticed the sky growing cloudy. I hope it doesn’t rain, she thought. I’m sure Rena doesn’t have an umbrella I could use.

  Rena did not believe in umbrellas. Nor did she like rain. But she liked meeting men. “When you stand in a doorway looking helpless,” Rena had said, “men can’t help offering to let you share their umbrella. And you have to stand very close together or one of you will get wet. And when a man is feeling protective like that, he is most susceptible to a girl’s charm.”

  Janine turned away from the window with a laugh. Trust Rena to turn any situation to advantage with regard to men. Well, if it did rain, she could always take the Metro and she wouldn’t get too wet. But, she thought, I’d better change back to regular shoes.

  The rain held off, so Janine decided to walk, leaving herself plenty of time to stop and look in windows. She took small side streets and delighted in all the antique shops. Since she was not attending to her route, Janine was surprised when she suddenly found herself at Boulevard St. Michel. It was full of people and cars and noisier than she had remembered. She crossed quickly and headed into the maze of restaurants and pastry shops she had visited with Mark and Rena a few days before. Unable to resist the tempting smells that assailed her, Janine stopped and bought a pastry she had never seen before. It was sweet and sticky and when she had finished it, she unabashedly licked her fingers.

  Janine continued wandering toward Jussieu and the Faculte des Sciences in her unconcerned way, enjoying the shops, and finally arrived at the lecture hall.

  At first Janine had more trouble with the French at the seminar than the math, but the situation soon reversed itself. Halfway through the talk she began to feel a bit discouraged since it was difficult to think in French and math at the same time. The subject, however, was one that interested her and when, at the end, the professor announced that the talk would continue the following week, she resolved to attend. As the others filed out of the room, Janine went forward to ask a few questions. The mathematician noticed her and waited patiently. He was young, about thirty, Janine guessed, with dark hair curling over the collar of his dark green sports jacket. He smiled warmly at Janine and did not seem to mind answering all her questions. He had shifted to English almost as soon as she began speaking, and Janine admitted to herself that this was a relief. Afterward he asked her how long she would be in Paris and if she knew anyone. His name, she discovered, was Pierre and he was, of course, a professor at the university. Janine explained that she was on vacation and was a teacher herself. “How did you happen to hear about my talk?” Pierre asked.

  “My sister lives in Paris and her fiance, Monsieur Mark Renaud, mentioned it,” she explained.

  Pierre paused for a moment to think. “Ali, yes. I know Monsieur Renaud. He is a very good mathematician. You know him well?”

  Janine shook her head. “I just met him last week.”

  Pierre nodded. “Of course. Well, would you like me to show you where his office is?”

  “No, thank you,” Janine said hastily. “Thank you for your help. I must be going now.”

  Slightly puzzled, Pierre watched her leave. Then he shrugged. It was no concern of his that Mlle. Halonen did not like her sister’s fiance.

  Outside, Janine gave a gasp of dismay. It was raining and not with a gentle spring shower either-it was pouring. She walked toward the steps, careful to stay under the shelter of the building, trying to remember if she had seen a Metro station when she had arrived. Then she saw it, just across the street. Nothing to do but run and hope she didn’t get too wet. As Janine was about to step forward, she heard a voice behind her say, “I’ve got an umbrella. I’ll walk you over to the station.”

  Janine turned gratefully to find Mark standing behind her. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that,” she said honestly.

  Smiling, he opened his umbrella as he said casually, “I see you know the trick too.”

  “What trick?” Janine asked suspiciously.

  “Oh, you know. Rena’s trick for meeting men when it’s raining. Okay, let’s go,” he answered, taking her arm.

  Janine jerked free and said, “Thank you, but I’ve changed my mind!”

  She hurried out into the rain. A moment later Mark grabbed her arm. “Don’t be absurd. Just because I happen to know a little about the sort of tricks women use is no reason to get yourself wet. I’m not criticizin
g. In fact I think it’s rather clever,” he said sharply.

  Once again Janine tried to pull free, but Mark was holding her arm too tightly. She loved her sister very much, but that did not mean she wanted people to assume they were alike.

  “Blast it! What are you so mad about?” Mark demanded.

  Janine refused to answer. They were at the station, and he would have to release her now. But he didn’t. Instead he started down the steps with Janine in tow. “You know,” he snapped, “you should take a lesson in manners from Rena.”

  He released her arm to close the umbrella. “I’m sorry,” Janine said contritely. “Thank you for sharing your umbrella with me.”

  “You should be sorry!” he replied. Then more reasonably, “We’d better catch our train. I suspect we’re going in the same direction.”

  When they were seated next to each other on the train, Mark said calmly, “Now will you tell me why you were so angry?”

  Janine looked down uncomfortably. “It was your reference to Rena’s trick. She and I aren’t at all alike when it comes to men and, well, I resent it when people assume we are.

  “I suppose you’ll tell me you didn’t have an umbrella to use,” he retorted sarcastically, “and that you never play games with men.”

  “I don’t!” she said hotly. “As for the umbrella, I left mine in New York. Otherwise I’d have used it today. And Rena doesn’t own an umbrella.”

  “Oh?”

  “Well, she doesn’t. I looked.”

  Mark was silent for a moment and seemed very thoughtful. Finally he said quietly, “I’m sorry. Rena did say you were very naive about men, but I didn’t take her seriously, I’m afraid.”

  Janine wearily decided to ignore the comment. After all, it didn’t matter what he thought of her. They were both silent then, both afraid of what they might say otherwise. At Mabillon Mark got off the train with Janine. “Do you live around here?” she asked.

  “No,” he answered cheerfully, “but you do. Seriously, I don’t want you getting drenched, and in your present mood I doubt you’d agree to let some stranger share his umbrella with you. Right?”

  Janine laughed and admitted it was true. Mark offered her his arm and then changed the subject. “How was the talk?”

  They discussed math until they reached the apartment. Janine thanked him for escorting her and asked if he’d like a cup of coffee. Mark shook his head and left, leaving Janine puzzled as she climbed the stairs.

  She fixed herself tea and watched the rain, glad that she did not have to go shopping for dinner this afternoon. Tomorrow, she told herself as she watched the puddles below, I’ll buy an umbrella.

  Janine was settling down to enjoy some coffee after dinner when the doorbell rang. Wondering who it could be, she cautiously opened the door. “Oui?” she said.

  There was a burst of laughter as Sandy confidently pushed into the room followed by Alan and a petite young woman with red hair and freckles. “Surprise!” Sandy laughed, brandishing a dripping umbrella. “Betty and Alan and I have come to take you to the movies. And, oh yes, deliver an umbrella.”

  As Janine watched, mystified, Alan produced an umbrella. It was clearly a woman’s umbrella with a swirl of pink and gold on the fabric. “From Mark,” Alan said off-handedly. “It’s Rena’s and he thought you might need it.”

  “But Rena doesn’t own any umbrellas!” she protested.

  “This one she does,” Alan said significantly as he flopped into the room’s one armchair. “Mark bought it for her a couple of weeks ago.”

  The red-haired girl giggled. “Such a scene! I was there,” she explained to Janine. “Mark gave her the umbrella and told her she wouldn’t have to depend on passing men anymore. He said it kind of oddly, without a smile or anything, as if it meant something. Rena said she didn’t want an umbrella, and Mark said she had better take it! So then Rena got very sweet and said `thank you’ and took it.”

  Janine looked at Betty suspiciously. “You’re not going to tell me that was the end of it. Rena was never that submissive.”

  “Lord, no!” Alan chuckled. “That night, when we left, Rena managed to hide the umbrella in his closet. Since then it’s been a running battle. Mark returns the umbrella and Rena hides it again in his apartment. God, what a pair!”

  Janine grinned in spite of herself. She could well imagine what the last few weeks must have been like. One quality the two sisters undeniably shared was a strong streak of stubbornness. “Well, at any rate, I appreciate the umbrella,” Janine said firmly. “You said we were going to the movies. What movie?”

  They confessed that that had not yet been decided. They discussed the merits of westerns, science fiction, drama, comedies… Eventually it was decided that they would see a comedy. It was an American film and the week’s Pariscope indicated the original version was being shown in a theater across town. They rode over in Alan’s car. Alan was his usual gay self and regaled them with funny stories. Janine sat next to Sandy in the back seat, and he used the opportunity to put his arm around her.

  “What have you been up to since Sunday?” he asked quietly.

  “Well, yesterday I saw an old friend and met her family. They’re French,” Janine replied.

  “Helene somebody or other?” Sandy asked. When she nodded he added, “Alan says she’s rather snobbish.”

  “Yes, I rather think she might give Alan that impression,” Janine admitted with some amusement, “but she’s really quite nice.”

  “Must have been boring for you to meet her family. But I suppose you couldn’t very well refuse.” He paused as a thought occurred to him. “Isn’t there a brother’? Did you meet him?”

  Janine smiled. “Yes. Jacques was very nice. He showed me his gardens.”

  “Be careful, Jenny,” Sandy said, frowning. “Jacques has quite a reputation with women. Don’t fall in love with him.”

  Janine laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous, Sandy! Jacques wouldn’t be interested in me…. I’m Ameri can, remember? I’m sure he’s only interested in dating French women.”

  Sandy shook his head. “There are other things besides dating. He’d try to seduce you, and since you’re American he’d feel he wouldn’t have to worry about your reputation.”

  Janine refused to take him seriously. “Maybe not, but he’d worry about the fact that I was Helene’s friend. I’m sure I have nothing to worry about.”

  “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you!” Sandy snapped.

  Janine stopped laughing abruptly. “Seriously, Sandy. I’m in no danger because I can’t possibly see myself falling in love with Jacques.”

  Sandy relaxed a little. “Well, I worry about you. Don’t get angry with me, but I also think I ought to tell you to watch out for Mark.”

  “Why?” Janine was curious.

  “Alan thinks he has a key to your sister’s apartment,” Sandy said, frowning, “and Mark’s also got a reputation for going after more than one woman at a time.”

  “But he’s engaged to Rena,” Janine pointed out. “Surely that makes it a different situation.”

  “Well…yes,” Sandy admitted cautiously. “Alan’s sure Mark will stay faithful to Rena. But I’m not. Of course, I don’t really know him, but from what I’ve heard and seen of Mark I can’t see him being satisfied with your sister.”

  Janine sighed. “No man, no matter who he is, is ever dissatisfied with Rena unless she wants him to be. No, I’m safe from Mark. Anyway,” she added mischievously, “I’ve got Ralph to protect me.”

  “Ralph?” Sandy demanded. “Who’s he?”

  “The cat Rena bought!” Janine answered, laughing. “Don’t you remember?”

  “Oh, yeah. Well, I hope you’re right about Mark,” Sandy said sourly. He made an obvious effort to shake off his bad mood. “Tell me, what did you do today?”

  “I went to a math seminar,” Janine replied.

  “Good God!” Sandy exclaimed. “How awful! I’ll bet you’ll be glad when you’re married and do
n’t have to go to such things anymore!”

  Hearing Sandy’s exclamation, Betty turned around. “What things?” she asked.

  “Math seminars!” Sandy said, grimacing.

  “Ugh! Did Mark drag you to it?” Alan asked.

  “No,” Janine answered in a small voice, “I went on my own.

  Alan shook his head. “The next time you’re that hard up for something to do, call me. I’m sure I could suggest something better than that! Hey, here we are, everybody.”

  Sandy bought the tickets while Alan was parking the car. They had plenty of time since the sceance, or commercials, had just begun. The theater was almost empty so the four friends felt free to make comments among themselves as the movie progressed. Sandy kept his arm around Janine’s shoulder, and she felt curiously secure with it there.

  After the movie they stopped for coffee at a nearby cafe. Later, in the car going home, Sandy’s arm was around Janine again. Feeling happy and relaxed, she let her head rest against his shoulder. Sandy’s free hand stroked her hair gently. For once, Alan had the sense not to joke about what he saw in the rear-view mirror. At seventeen rue Bonaparte Alan waited with the car while Sandy walked Janine to the stairs where, for the second time, he kissed her thoroughly. And for the third time, she fled up the stairs to the apartment.

  Janine’s heart was beating rapidly as she sat down on the daybed. Ralph stared at her with green eyes that almost matched Sandy’s in color. “Is this what I want?” she asked Ralph. “Am I falling in love?”

  Ralph was silent and continued to stare. Suddenly Janine clenched her fists. “Then why do I feel like running?”

  Wednesday was sunny and over breakfast Janine decided to spend the day at a park. She was trying to decide which park when the phone rang. “Alto “she said.

  “Hi, kitten!” Sandy’s voice answered. “How are you?”

  “Fine,” Janine answered calmly, her jitters of the night before already forgotten.

  “Have you got any plans for today?” he asked.

  “Well, I thought I’d go to a park.”