French Fling to Forever

by Karin Baine

  ‘Obviously.’

  Lola poured juice into the tumblers lined up on the marble work surface and slid one over to him. ‘How are things with Gabrielle at the minute, Doctor?’

  ‘Henri.’

  ‘Pardon?’

  ‘I’ve gatecrashed your quiet night in, and my nephew is probably destroying your living room as we speak, so I think you could drop the formalities and call me Henri.’

  ‘Okay, Henri.’ It sounded weird to say his Christian name out loud, as though they had some sort of personal relationship going on. Which they didn’t, of course, outside of concern for his niece’s welfare.

  Henri cleared his throat and watched his juice as he swirled it in the glass. ‘I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned about her.’

  ‘No progress, then?’ It was worrying when a girl that age shut herself off. Lola knew how quickly loneliness and despair spiralled into something more sinister. At least Gabrielle had a mother and a father figure to support her through whatever was going on. All it would take was a little trust for her to open up to them.

  ‘She locks herself in her room all night and barely eats. I was surprised when she agreed to come with me tonight, but she seems genuinely interested in this new hobby. Thanks for offering your services—it’s very much appreciated. I have another big favour to ask you, though. If she tells you anything that could help us get to the bottom of this, will you please pass it on?’

  The impassioned plea was difficult to ignore when there was a pair of big brown eyes accompanying it. Gabrielle’s behaviour didn’t sound any different from that of a certain junior doctor, and Lola was starting to see why her brothers were on her case so much. It came from a place of love. Both she and Gabrielle were lucky to have such caring families, even if they were too close to see it for themselves.

  ‘It’s down to Gabrielle if she wants to talk about it. I’m certainly not going to push the subject and make her think we’re somehow tricking her. But be assured I want to help wherever I can.’

  Lola understood Henri’s desire to find out the truth at all costs, but she also needed Gabrielle to feel safe here. For her, baking was a way to escape everything negative in her life, and she wanted it to be the same for her new protégée.

  Although his frown was ploughing grooves into his forehead, Henri didn’t argue with her.

  ‘I’m hungry.’ The young boy, whose strong Belfast accent differed so greatly from his uncle’s, appeared at the kitchen door. ‘You got somethin’ to eat?’

  He did, however, have the Frenchman’s directness.

  ‘We’ll go soon, Bastien. Sorry—I promised to take them for fried chicken.’ Henri grimaced and set down his glass.

  ‘And ice cream?’ Bastien reminded him.

  ‘And ice cream.’

  Henri winked, and Lola marvelled at his relaxed relationship with the child. If anything, he was a push-over with these kids, and this visit showed he would do anything for them—including sacrifice his pride to ask her for help. Despite her initial impression, Henri was a nice guy after all.

  Bastien clapped his hands and reminded her that he was present—and hungry. An idea formed in her head to accommodate his needs and those of his sister.

  ‘Fried chicken and ice cream sounds yummy. You know I haven’t had any dinner yet, either.’

  Henri picked up the ball and ran with it. ‘Would you like to join us?’

  ‘I would love to. Why don’t you and Bastien go and fetch the food whilst Gabrielle and I set the table?’

  Bastien ran off to share the news with his sister.

  ‘It will give me a chance to talk to her,’ she explained somewhat unnecessarily to Henri.

  At least this way any prying now wouldn’t sully their baking time in the future.

  ‘I know. Merci beaucoup.’

  Henri kissed her on the cheek, and just like that the touch of his surprisingly soft lips on her skin short-circuited all her anti-hunk defence systems.

  Once Henri and Bastien had left, there was an air of expectancy between the girls for the conversation they needed to have. But Lola wanted to ask questions in a way that wouldn’t frighten her off. She held the cutlery out to Gabrielle, as if she was trying to coax a skittish animal out of hiding with some food.

  ‘How’s the eye?’ She carried on arranging the placemats on the table to prevent her concern from seeming like a big deal.

  ‘Fine.’ As before, Gabrielle kept her head down so her hair fell across her face.

  Lola knew that trick. She’d used it countless times to hide from her brothers’ prying eyes.

  ‘You know you can talk to me if there’s anything bothering you? Sometimes it’s easier to tell a friend your problems than family. They’re not as emotionally involved, and therefore tend not to rant as much.’

  ‘Thanks.’ The young girl lifted her head to afford her a half smile but her eyes were glassy with tears. Whatever her burden, she had clearly found no relief since their meeting at the hospital.

  ‘I had a few “accidents” in high school myself—falling over people’s feet and into their fists. It’s all I can do these days not to slap those who tell you that your schooldays are the best days of your life.’

  ‘Ha!’

  The teenager’s vocal outburst echoed Lola’s thoughts on the subject.

  ‘Exactly. I couldn’t wait to leave. If I’d believed that was as good as my life would get I’d never have made it out.’

  She’d had more than her inner turmoil to escape in high school, but it was important that Gabrielle knew there was light at the end of the tunnel if she was experiencing the same problems.

  ‘And things did get better?’

  Her interest sparked, Gabrielle halted her arrangement of the knives and forks. It gave Lola more than a hint that she’d touched on the right nerve.

  ‘They did. I’m happy now.’ Although she still bore the mental scars, if not the physical ones.

  Gabrielle’s sigh didn’t sound as though she was convinced.

  ‘I know things may seem insurmountable now, but in the grand scheme of things I’m sure they’re not as bad as you imagine.’ Lola had gone through some horrific times—to the point where she hadn’t wanted to wake up in the mornings. But she’d fought through and come out the other side a better person than those who’d tormented her.

  ‘Right now they’re pretty bad.’

  The soft voice made more impact on Lola than tears ever could. It was the sound of someone who’d already accepted defeat.

  Lola could play twenty questions again, and get no further, or go with her gut feeling about the matter. Gabrielle was a beautiful girl with an exotic mother. People had a tendency to find fault with anything out of the norm, and Henri’s niece was sensitive enough to take criticism to heart. Teenage girls—and boys—could be unforgivably cruel.

  ‘Is there someone in school giving you a hard time?’

  It would explain the truancy, as well as the mood. Lola had skipped her fair share of classes to avoid those making her life a misery. She’d had to put in a hell of a lot of hard work at home, to catch up on the lessons she’d missed, but it had been easier than listening to cruel taunts and mocking laughter.

  Gabrielle’s silence was deafening.

  ‘In another few years those people and their opinions won’t matter. You’ll probably never see or think about them again.’

  The white lie was for the girl’s benefit. Lola doubted there was any point in telling her she spent a good chunk of her life reliving the nightmare over again. Gabrielle came across as a stronger personality than the young Lola had ever been, and there was every possibility she would find it easier to move on after high school if they could resolve the issue quickly.

  ‘You have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t
let small-minded bullies prevent you from reaching your potential. The more school you miss, the harder it will be to catch up. And I’m speaking from experience.’

  She’d be a lot further along in her career by now if she’d lived by her own words. Those years she’d wasted living in perpetual fear would never be recovered, no matter how hard she tried.

  ‘You probably think I’m being stupid, but I just can’t face it any more. They tell everyone who’ll listen that my mum’s a stripper, and that I must be adopted because I’m so ugly. Even if I don’t see them in school they send me text messages and say horrible things over the internet.’

  Gabrielle’s shoulders sagged under the weight of the abuse, and her eyes brimmed with sorrow.

  Lola swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to retain her composure. It wouldn’t do to swamp the girl in an overemotional hug.

  She wasn’t sure knowing the truth made the situation any easier. It was no wonder Gabrielle couldn’t confide in her family. Angelique would be horrified to find out she was the cause of her daughter’s suffering, and Henri might well use the information to stop his sister doing what she loved. Knowledge could be a dangerous weapon, and Lola had managed to land herself with a ticking time bomb.

  Gabrielle sniffed, and reminded Lola that her welfare was the most important part of the equation. ‘I would urge you to speak to your mum or your uncle—they’re really worried about you. You should really let the school know what’s happening, too, so they can put a stop to it.’

  It was easier said than done, of course. In Lola’s case teachers and family had only made matters worse and marked her as a target. She didn’t even know how she could aid Gabrielle, short of being a shoulder to lean on.

  Gabrielle shook her head violently. ‘It’ll only make things worse. You don’t understand...’

  ‘I’ve been there, sweetheart. I was a bit of a tomboy when I was young. Not really by choice. My dad raised me the same way he raised my brothers. I may as well have been his fourth son—it was no wonder I attracted negative attention. If these people are allowed to get away with picking on you, things will never get better for you.’

  Sharing the horrors of her childhood had never been therapeutic for Lola—it simply reawakened that demon of dread in the pit of her stomach. She’d only opened up for Gabrielle’s sake, so she knew there was someone who understood.

  ‘It shouldn’t matter where you come from, who you are or what you look like. People should be free to be whoever they are.’ Gabrielle folded her arms across her chest and mirrored her feisty mother.

  ‘I agree. Unfortunately there will always be those who revel in making other people’s lives hell.’

  ‘What did they do to you?’

  Given her lineage, Gabrielle’s directness shouldn’t have come as a shock.

  For her own sake—and Gabrielle’s—Lola filtered out the most appalling aspects of her teen years. ‘They teased me that they weren’t sure if I was a boy or a girl.’

  Any attack on a girl’s appearance at such a vulnerable age would dent anyone’s confidence. Especially at a time when popularity and boyfriends had seemed the most important things in the world and her friends had been pairing off to leave her as the odd one out. Placing value on those things had cost her so much.

  ‘But you’re beautiful.’

  The compliment thrown Lola’s way was appreciated, but she would never get used to receiving praise without thinking there was an ulterior motive. Her trust had been smashed to smithereens in one summer afternoon, never again to be given freely.

  ‘And if I told you you’re beautiful would you believe me?’ Lola turned the tables back, doing her best to illustrate how skewed self-esteem became in these situations.

  ‘No.’ She glaned up at Lola from beneath lowered lids, every bit as cynical as she.

  ‘For the record, you are gorgeous.’ Lola cupped Gabrielle’s face in her hands and tilted her head up. She wanted to look her in the eye as she said it, willing her to believe. ‘But it’s more to do with how you feel about yourself, isn’t it?’

  Gabrielle bit her lip to stop it from wobbling.

  ‘I know it’s difficult, but don’t give those cowards power over you. Be strong.’ Lola’s words caught in her throat. She could easily have been talking to her younger self. In reality, it had taken years for her to heed that advice.

  ‘I’m fed up with being strong. I just want to forget about everything.’ Stress furrowed her youthful brow.

  Lola recognised the destructive nature of those locked-in emotions. The spectre of suicide had haunted the deprived council estate where she had grown up. Teenagers ravaged by the effects of drugs and alcohol, or those who just hadn’t seen a way out of poverty, had taken their own lives on a shockingly regular basis. It was only seeing the devastation of the families left in the aftermath which had prevented Lola from seeking the same escape when her life had become unbearable.

  Even though some of those issues plagued her still, Lola was glad she’d fought for the life she had today, and she would do everything to ensure someone in similar circumstances would get that second chance, too.

  ‘There’s nothing that can take your mind off your troubles better than a homemade cake.’

  She’d done as Henri had asked and knew when to back off. At least they’d made a start on talks, even if they had yet to come up with an effective solution to Gabrielle’s problems. It was clear that what this child needed was some fun to take her mind off everything—and that she could definitely help with.

  ‘I can’t wait.’ Thankfully Gabrielle had now swapped her despair for a grin.

  ‘We will bake up a storm in here as soon your mum gives the go-ahead. Who knows? Maybe we can get her involved, too?’

  As keen as she was to have a cake buddy, she didn’t want to interfere in what should be a mother/daughter bonding exercise.

  The doorbell rang and sent Gabrielle scurrying back into her shell. ‘Promise you won’t say anything to Uncle Henri?’

  She was putting Lola in a very tricky position. Henri was her superior, and he would be actively looking for answers regarding his niece’s welfare. However, facing his temper against the consequences of betraying Gabrielle was the lesser of two evils. The child needed someone to confide in, someone to trust. As did Lola.

  ‘I promise. When you’re ready you can tell him yourself.’

  The buzzer went again, and again, until she was forced to answer the door in case the neighbours complained about the noise.

  ‘I’ll bet you anything that’s Bastien.’ Gabrielle finished setting the table and carefully arranged her emotions back in order.

  No good could ever come to someone afraid to express their feelings. At some point that bottled-up anger and sorrow would erupt into an almighty mess. It made Lola’s decision to stay loyal to Gabrielle that much easier.

  ‘Bastien, take your finger off the doorbell, please.’ An unamused Henri sounded on the other side of the door.

  She found him juggling takeaway bags and a mischievous child.

  ‘Someone’s impatient.’ Lola took one of the bags off his hands as Bastien dashed inside.

  ‘Sorry.’ Henri shrugged as he lost control of his nephew again. ‘I guess nothing stands in the way of a boy and his fast food.’

  ‘I guess not.’ Lola wished some of that devil-may-care attitude would rub off on his sister.

  * * *

  Henri walked back into the apartment as though this was an everyday occurrence for him. In fact this whole thing was surreal. He never imagined he’d find himself asking anyone for help regarding his family. Especially someone he hardly knew. Someone he wasn’t even sure was up to the job. Yet here he was, eating takeaway with her and praying she could fix his niece.

  ‘Did she tell you anything?’ he asked Lola a
s they unpacked the cartons in the kitchen.

  ‘She didn’t go into details, but I think we’re making progress.’ Lola kept her back to him as she plated the food.

  ‘So she told you something?’ He didn’t want Lola holding all the cards. This wasn’t her family. All that was required from her was to pass on the information and let him deal with it.

  ‘I swore to keep everything confidential, Henri. I’m sorry.’ Lola tried to bustle past him.

  As if he would be willing to leave it there. He sidestepped to block her path and forced her to look at him.

  ‘Don’t do this to me, Lola. I feel helpless enough without you holding back on me, too.’ He kept his voice low, imploring her to see things from his point of view.

  ‘I’m sorry. I promised.’

  ‘At least tell me if I have anything to be worried about.’ He couldn’t help but wonder if she enjoyed having this power over him. After all, he was now at her mercy.

  Lola raised her eyes to the ceiling and sighed. ‘If at any time I don’t think I can deal with this on my own I will let you know. For now, I think it’s better Gabrielle works through this the way she wants.’

  ‘She’s my niece—my responsibility. She shouldn’t be going through this on her own.’

  If he had his own way he would wrap her up in cotton wool and protect her from everything negative in the world. He was the only consistent male role model in her life. And what use was he if he couldn’t help her in her hour of need?

  ‘The food’s going cold.’ Lola pursed her lips. She could be stubborn when the mood took her.

  ‘I don’t give a damn about the food. I want to talk about this.’

  ‘What you want isn’t always the most important thing in the world. The sooner you learn that the better.’

  With a burst of bravado, Lola pushed past him and carried the dinner into the living room.

  When he did finally take his seat at the table he was forced to turn his frown upside down. Bastien was revelling in eating his chicken with his fingers, leaving grease and breadcrumbs everywhere. Gabrielle’s laughter at her little brother’s caveman manners was a glorious sound.