“Sounds great,” he said. “Can I come too?”
“If you want to,” Janine said, laughing. “Maybe you can help me pick the park.”
“Jardin du Luxembourg,” he said decisively.
She had seen it already but…“Okay,” she said with no perceptible hesitation.
“Be over in half an hour,” Sandy said. “See you then, kitten.”
“All right. ‘Bye.”
As soon as she had set down the receiver Janine turned to check her reflection in the mirror. As usual, her hair fell free around her shoulders and she wore no makeup. She was wearing green linen pants and a print muslin blouse along with sandals. “Well, he can’t expect me to wear a skirt to a park,” she said, and felt a vague sense of relief.
Sandy was five minutes early and whistled approv ingly when he saw Janine. She smiled back, equally impressed with his well-tailored brown pants and blue short-sleeve pullover. “You’re one of the best-looking men I know,” she said frankly.
“Of course!” Sandy said with a grin, “and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Give me a minute and I’ll be ready,” she said.
Actually, Janine just kept him waiting long enough to stuff a comb, keys, money, and rubber bands for her hair in her pockets. She was glad of a moment to compose herself. She never quite knew how to react to things Sandy said, and there was always the danger she would take him too seriously.
When they were finally on their way to the park, Janine asked, “Why did you pick the Jardin du Luxembourg?”
Sandy smiled at her and shrugged. “Dunno. I guess because it’s the first place that came to mind, and I don’t like to spend time deciding things. It’s one of the places Alan must have mentioned, and I guess it stuck because he said there’s a shallow pool where children sail toy boats and things.”
Sandy’s smile was infectious and Janine returned it. There was so much about this charming man she did not know. Had she thought about it, Janine would not have expected Sandy to remember a park on the basis of a comment about toy boats and children. “Do you like sailboats?” she asked.
“Only the toy size,” he answered with a selfconscious laugh. “I always get seasick on real boats. But I love toy ones. When I was a boy I had quite a collection, most of which I built myself. I had everything from a small raft with a handkerchief for a sail to a model clipper ship someone gave me. Of course, I wasn’t actually allowed to try to sail the clipper ship.”
“Where did you sail your boats?”
“The bathtub and a park near our apartment when I was really little; and later, when we moved to the suburbs, there was a fishpond in the backyard. And a swimming pool. Not that I was ever given permission to use the swimming pool for my boats. But the pool made a nice ocean and I was reasonably careful, so no one stopped me.”
“Is it hard to make sailboats?” Janine asked, pretending she knew nothing about the subject.
“Oh, no!” Sandy exclaimed and launched into a description of various types of sailboats and the problems in building each.
He was still explaining sailboats to Janine when they reached the park. At first Sandy and Janine wandered aimlessly since Janine could not remember where the boat pond was. Janine was grateful for the park’s coolness and was feeling oddly content as she walked beside the flower beds. Sandy was also feeling happy, Janine guessed, since a careless whistling had replaced his discussion of sailboats.
They were not quite walking at random, however. Without consciously intending to, Sandy and Janine found themselves moving in the direction of the children’s voices. At first Janine was puzzled to see so many children running through the park, since the French school year didn’t end so soon and it couldn’t be another holiday. Then she remembered that Wednesday is a day off for French children. She passed this information on to Sandy, who nodded. “I’d hate to be inside on a day like today.”
As Sandy said this, he spotted a group of children and, beyond them, the pond. It was a large, shallow octagonal pool about a hundred feet across with a fountain in the center. The pond was circled by children, many of whom had little sailboats. “Look!” Sandy said, pointing to the far side of the pool. “She must rent the boats!”
Obediently Janine looked at the old woman Sandy was pointing to. She sat next to a large, flat-topped cart that was covered with boats. The woman was placidly knitting, pausing now and then to hand a boat to a child and collect some coins in return. “Can we rent a boat, too?” Janine asked eagerly.
He laughed. “Two of them! Come on.”
Sandy took Janine’s hand and they half ran, half skipped down the steps toward the pond. The old woman eyed them oddly as they each selected a boat, but she smiled as they handed her the money. Finding an empty space, Janine sat on the edge of the pool. Sandy hesitated only a moment, then joined her. By that time, Janine had deftly unbuttoned the cuffs of her sleeves and rolled them up above the elbow. Both set their boats in the water trying to turn them so wind would catch the sails. Janine, however, was hampered by her long hair blowing across her face. She took her boat out of the water and set it in her lap as she fished for the rubber bands in her pocket. She quickly separated her hair and made two pigtails. After that she was quickly able to get her boat moving.
Sandy, preoccupied with his own sailboat, had not noticed Janine’s actions. He turned to point out a boat and burst out laughing. “Good Lord! Jenny, you look like you’re fifteen years old.”
Janine stiffened, irritated as always by comments on how young she looked. But Sandy had a cure for that. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “And you look irresistible,” he added softly.
Trying to hide her confusion, Janine pointed to the boats. “Look, Sandy, that boat! It’s going to go under the fountain and be capsized.”
“No, it won’t,” Sandy answered easily. “See, already it’s shying away from the fountain. Hey, look though. A school of fish.”
It took Janine a moment to see them, but Sandy was right. There was a cluster of five or six large fish swimming near the edge of the shallow pool. One of the children had also noticed the fish, and they darted away into deeper water as the child tossed a pebble at them. Janine laughed happily, enjoying the warm sun and light breeze. She was content to let Sandy fetch their boats whenever they came to a halt on the other side of the pond.
It was Sandy who first noticed the little boy crying. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Would you like to play with a boat?”
The child just stared at him until Sandy held out the boat. Then he said something in rapid French that neither Janine nor Sandy could understand. “Boat,” Sandy repeated, “would you like to play with the boat?”
Finally the boy seemed to understand. He nodded and smiled wistfully. When Sandy handed him the boat he grinned and said “merci” several times. Soon Sandy and the boy were friends. Janine let Sandy have her boat and she watched. After a few minutes she sat on the ground cross-legged with her arms resting on the edge of the wall containing the pond. Then she rested her chin on her arms.
Janine awoke with a start as someone nearby laughed. Sandy! “Wake up, Jenny. You’re going to be sore sleeping in that position.”
Janine tried to shake off her drowsiness. “How long was I asleep?”
“About half an hour,” Sandy said cheerfully. “And I think you’re going to have a sunburn. Maybe we should get in the shade.”
That woke Janine up quickly. “Sunburn?” she groaned. “I forgot about that possibility.”
Still laughing, Sandy helped Janine stand up. She felt a bit shaky. He looked at her anxiously when he returned from giving the boats back to the woman. “We really better get you out of the sun. I didn’t know anyone could sunburn so fast!”
Stretching, Janine answered wryly, “You were right about my being sore …boy, do my muscles ache! As for the sunburn, that’s one of the penalties for being blonde. I almost always burn instead of tan.”
As they walked along a
shady path Janine remembered to ask, “What happened to your little friend?”
“His mother came and took him away.” Sandy grinned as he recalled the scene. “I gathered from her tone that she was mad at him. And it turns out his name is Pierre. At least I think that’s what she called him. It was right after that I discovered my sleeping beauty.”
Janine blushed and Sandy smiled. Confused, she looked around and pointed to some of the small chairs along the path. “Let’s sit down.”
“Wouldn’t the grass be more comfortable?” Sandy asked.
“Not allowed,” Janine answered firmly, “and the French take it seriously.
Sandy shrugged and sat on the chair next to Janine’s. Curious, she said, “You really do like children, don’t you?”
“Yup,” he replied, not looking at Janine as he tossed a pebble across the path. “I’d like three or four of my own someday. You like kids, too, don’t you, Jenny?”
“Yes.” Then after a moment, “Wait a minute! Didn’t you tell me the other night you only wanted two?”
He grinned. “Aren’t I allowed to change my mind? Seriously, I don’t think I could marry a woman who didn’t want children. When I marry I want my wife to spend her time at home, taking care of me and my children.”
“Suppose she has other ideas? Suppose she wants to work?” she asked stiffly.
Sandy looked at Janine steadily. “She won’t. Not deep down. Deep down a woman is happy if she has a husband and kids. Oh, I know, lots of women think they want a career. They’ve been made to think they’re copping out or stupid if they don’t have one. They think they’ve got to compete with men and accomplish something. But my wife’ll know I love her and respect her just for being a wife and mother; that that’s enough. Given a choice between working eight or nine hours a day at some kind of career or spending her time taking care of kids-her own-and being protected and pampered, what woman would pick a career?”
Janine was silent. She had to admit it did sound attractive. It would be more fun to play with a baby than teach algebra to college students. And it would be nice to be loved and protected. Sandy watched Janine’s face, guessing fairly accurately the thoughts running through Janine’s mind. He smiled to himself and let her think. Finally, Janine shook her head. “Something is missing. I’m not sure what, but something is.”
Sandy smiled. “You might think so now, but you wouldn’t if you were my wife.”
“Is that a proposal?” Janine asked mischievously.
“Not yet,” Sandy said quietly. “You aren’t ready for me to propose yet. But I’ll be waiting.”
Janine stared at Sandy in astonishment. Was this one of his jokes? In a shaky voice she said, “You know, that ought to frighten me. But somehow it doesn’t. And that’s what bothers me most!”
Sandy smiled happily. “Don’t worry about it, kitten,” he advised. Then, as though the topics were of equal importance, “Hey, I’m hungry. Let’s go get some lunch.”
“Sure. Where?” Janine asked, relieved to have any change of subject.
They left the park quickly and found a cafe where they ordered Croque-Monsieurs. “What is it?” Sandy asked as he stared at it.
“A sort of grilled ham and cheese sandwich,” Janine explained. “But if you didn’t know what it was, why did you order it?”
“Alan said I should try one,” he said sourly.
Janine laughed. “Oh, come on. They’re really quite good… usually,” she said, noting the charred edges of his.
Carefully Sandy scraped off the burnt parts and then gingerly bit into his sandwich. “Hey, it’s good!” he said.
“Surprise, surprise,” Janine said, making a face as she ate.
“All right, so you told me it would be. Where shall we spend the afternoon?” Sandy asked.
“I don’t know,” Janine said thoughtfully. “That is, there are all kinds of things I’d like to see but I can’t decide among them.”
“I’ve got it,” Sandy said. “How about a trip along the Seine in one of those boats they’ve got?”
“Sounds great,” Janine said, then added, “but I thought you always get sick on boats.”
“I should be okay on the Seine.” He shrugged.
“Well, all right.” Then, more enthusiastically, she added, “I’d love it. Where do we find these boats?”
Sandy frowned. “Around lena, I think. At least that’s what it said in the Pariscope. It’s too far to walk, so I guess we should take the Metro.” Sandy felt his pockets, still frowning. “Here we go. I thought I had a map with me. Hmm, it’s a bit of a nuisance getting there. We’ll have to change trains at least once.”
“Which station do we start from?” Janine asked.
“Luxembourg. It’s very close,” Sandy replied.
As usual, Sandy insisted on paying for lunch and, a few minutes later, the Metro tickets. First class, of course, Janine thought with momentary irritation.
After a long, hot train ride, Janine was relieved when they emerged from the Metro station at Trocadero. It was only a short walk to the quaff where they walked by the side of the river looking for the tour boats. Janine spotted them first. Suddenly determined, she ran ahead. By the time Sandy caught up with her she had just finished paying for the two tickets. “My treat!” she announced.
“Now, Jenny,” Sandy began patiently, “you know I don’t like you paying for tickets and things.”
“Well, this time you have to accept it. I’ve already paid for them.”
“At least let me pay for mine,” he said.
“No,” Janine answered firmly. “My treat.”
“Then I’m not using the ticket,” Sandy announced.
Janine looked at Sandy. She felt exasperated, and he clearly looked as though he would not give in. Janine sighed. “All right. Here’s your ticket. It was ten francs.”
Silently Sandy handed her a ten-franc note and silently Janine pocketed it. Both were relieved to discover that the tour would begin shortly. Neither felt like speaking as they found seats in the boat. Unhappily Janine noted the glass roof, she wished the boat were open with a breeze to blow her hair about. Reluctantly, she removed the rubber bands from her hair and rolled down her sleeves. As the boat started, Sandy slipped his arm around Janine’s shoulders. “Truce?” he whispered.
Janine nodded and forced a slightly shaky smile. Sandy grinned in return. “It’s just that we both know I’ve got loads more money than you so why shouldn’t I pay?” he asked.
Janine sighed and decided not to worry about it just then. She concentrated instead on the guide and the view, and they both were soon relaxed. This was Paris as she had imagined it-romantic. At least, that is, until some children spoiled Janine’s reverie by fighting over a model of the Eiffel Tower. Janine grinned wryly, ignoring Sandy’s puzzled look.
Later, back on shore, Sandy began discussing possible restaurants they could go to for dinner. Instinctively Janine knew these would be expensive restaurants and impulsively she said, “Why not have dinner at my place? We could stop at the market on the way back and get the food and some wine.”
Sandy smiled, almost triumphantly, it seemed to Janine. “Sure, why not? It will give you a chance to show off your cooking.”
Too late, she realized how it must have sounded to Sandy. He probably thought she wanted to impress him with her “wifely” attributes.
At the market, Sandy insisted on paying for the groceries and selecting the wine. Janine had finally decided to serve chicken with a dried apricot stuffing; a simple but impressive dish. With that she could make potatoes and a dish of sauteed fresh vegetables. Coffee, of course, was no problem, and Rena had some Cointreau in a cupboard.
Sandy refused to relinquish his triumphant grin as he carried the food back to the apartment. Once there, Sandy sprawled out on the couch and picked up a magazine to read. He wanted, he indicated, to leave everything to Janine.
Sunday morning and rainy, Janine thought as she looked out the window. Wel
l, no time to waste worrying about it. I’ve got to be out of here before Sandy calls, she told herself.
Janine grabbed her purse and the umbrella Mark had sent over as well as the week’s Pariscope. Over a croissant and coffee she would decide which museum to visit. Not the Louvre, of course. Sandy might guess and find her. Janine had no wish to have him along to spoil things.
She chose a small out-of-the-way cafe for her petit dejeuner. As she sipped her coffee, Janine found herself pondering Sandy. Why had he been so persistent this past week, showing up nearly every day? And why had he insisted he wanted to spend today in a museum with her when they both knew he hated museums? If she had been like Rena, Janine could have understood it. But she wasn’t. His pseudo-proposal of Wednesday she simply dismissed. Not even in her inexperience would Janine have mistaken Sandy’s attitude for love or even infatuation. She shrugged. Perhaps he was just amusing himself, adding one more conquest to his list. Or trying to. All very well, but today Janine needed some time for herself.
Realizing she still hadn’t settled on a museum, Janine took out her Pariscope. Ah, the Cluny Museum. That sounded just like what she wanted. It was full of tapestries and exhibits from the Middle Ages. Janine checked her watch. There was still time to visit it this morning, but perhaps it would be better to go in the afternoon when the museum reopened. Janine looked through the list again, glancing at addresses this time. The Delacroix Museum was in the rue Furstenburg, nearby. Her decision made, Janine left the cafe.
The museum was small but uncrowded and had a pleasant collection of nineteenthcentury landscapes. The building itself had once been the home of Delacroix. There was no one to hurry Janine, and she felt completely relaxed as she studied the paintings. Now and then someone would comment to her that a particular painting was nice. Usually she would nod absent-mindedly and the individual soon drifted away. By the time she was ready to leave the museum the rain had stopped. She decided to begin walking toward the Cluny museum and find a place to eat lunch along the way.
It was five minutes after two when Janine arrived at the Cluny Museum. The guard was just opening the doors. She was still in the first room looking at sheets of manuscripts when a voice behind her said doubtfully, “Janine?”
Paris Summer Page 7