by Glynis Astie
I gobbled the chocolate and chased it with some more wine. Though it was probably a stupid idea, I was trying to eat and drink my way into serenity. Why was I making such a big deal out of this? I mean, I was only going to France, right? There would be delicious food, copious amounts of wine and many, many happy people. So what if I didn’t speak the language? I could pantomime with the best of them. So what if I knew nothing about life on a farm in a small town? I would learn how to milk a cow! So what if tongues were already wagging because I’m a spoiled American? I…would…win…them...over…
Oh, who am I kidding? I gave up and drank straight out of the bottle. Kate’s jaw dropped to the floor. “Sydney Julia Durand!”
Maya laughed so hard she had wine coming out of her nose. A most disgusting, yet satisfying sight. I would have something to mock her with for at least a week. I giggled uncontrollably while Maya grabbed a stash of napkins.
Kate was truly appalled at the pair of us. “Alright, ladies, let’s break this down.”
Maya finished mopping the wine from her chin. “Break what down? Do you want to place odds on how long it will take Syd to lose her mind?”
Kate shot death rays at Maya. “No, as fun as such a bet might be, we have more important things to discuss.” She pulled a notebook and pencil out of her purse. After checking off a few items, she turned her gaze to me. “Syd, you have everything but the wedding party gifts taken care of. You can easily shop for those before you leave.”
Maya cleared her throat. “I have a few ideas. Maybe I could help you?”
I eyed her cautiously. “None of your ideas involve replicas of genetalia, do they?”
She regarded me with a straight face. “Absolutely not. Tasteful, traditional ideas. I promise.”
I peered over at Kate who nodded. In my current state of mind, I needed a second opinion on Maya’s ability to define “tasteful” appropriately.
I held up my glass to her for a refill. “Thanks, Maya. I would really appreciate the help.”
Kate beamed. “When you get back from the wedding, the French wedding, you’ll only need to make your final phone calls to all the vendors confirming your orders. See? No big deal.”
I was starting to feel a little tipsy, but was clearheaded enough to know Kate was right. One way or the other, I was going to have to go to France to meet the Durand family. I could pull the usual Crazy Sydney fare and freak out all over the place or I could make a serious attempt to change my perspective. It was time I saw the positive side of things. I was so tired of living on the dark side. (Even if Darth Vader is undeniably awesome.)
I looked back and forth between Maya and Kate. “I can do this.”
Kate laughed. “Silly girl, of course you can!” She kicked Maya under the table.
Maya sprang into action. “What are you worried about, Syd? They’ll adore you! They’ll be thrilled to have you as a part of their family.” A bit much for Maya, but I appreciated the sentiment. The girl was really trying.
I nodded. “Piece of cake.” I was totally full of it, but I had to put on a brave face for the two of them. I took comfort in knowing they would both be with me for the majority of the trip. They would protect me from the scary French contingency if things got ugly. Kate can talk her way out of anything (And she speaks French!) and Maya is quite scrappy.
Maya winked at me. “And besides, you’re already married to Louis. So if they have a problem with you, they can suck it!”
I really love her.
After Kate and Maya left, I snuggled down on the couch to watch Sense & Sensibility. While the opening credits played, I reminded myself I would do my best to make a good impression on Louis’ family, starting with learning a few basic French phrases. My accent was absolutely heinous, but the effort had to be worth something. My mom had given me a lesson in French food and my dad had given me a lesson in French history (Though I’m pretty sure his view is skewed, since he kept referring to Louis’ countrymen as “those crazy French bastards.”) But the bottom line is some knowledge is better than none. Kate and Maya were helping me plan my wardrobe, along with hair and makeup, for all the wedding events. It was of vital importance to me that I look as good as possible. There HAD to be one area in which I wouldn’t be judged harshly.
I closed my eyes, hoping as hard as I could this trip would go well. At least Louis and I had repaired most of the damage to our crippled marriage. I felt much better knowing he would hold my hand if things got rough, because come hell or high water, Sydney Durand was going to France.
Chapter Eleven
The following week marked a very important event in the Durand household. (We are a now an established household!) The one year anniversary of the day I met my incredible husband. I smiled, remembering we were also four days away from our six month wedding anniversary. The whole thing seemed so completely bizarre. A year ago I thought I was going to be alone for the rest of my life. And only a few hours later, everything changed dramatically. My life would never be the same again.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning and I lay in bed for a few moments contemplating what Louis and I would do to celebrate this momentous occasion. Perhaps some of Louis’ delicious crepes? Maybe he even splurged on a bouquet of flowers! It would be really nice to have a small amount of indulgence today, since we had been living so carefully for the past few months. I felt giddy as I practically jumped out of bed in search of my husband. I couldn’t wait to tackle him and remind him why he married such a frisky American.
After a quick detour to the bathroom to brush my teeth, I wandered into the kitchen expecting to find Louis. Hmmm. Maybe he ran out for some brunch ingredients? While I fervently hoped he wouldn’t go overboard (money was still pretty tight), I noticed a note on the counter. Crap. It seemed Louis would be at the martial arts studio all day. I had forgotten Bastiaan was leaving for Holland for a month tomorrow and the studio would be closed for the duration.
I guess it made sense that Louis would want to get in as much time as he could before his departure. Thai boxing with Bastiaan was one of the only activities he had enjoyed since his job search began. I begrudgingly decided to be understanding of his absence, but was still disturbed by the lack of mention of our very important anniversary.
With no Louis to pamper me, I took matters into my own hands. I made myself French toast, eggs and bacon for breakfast and sat down in front of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Audrey Hepburn was the model of grace and elegance. Maybe some of her style and poise would rub off on me before my trip to France.
This thought caused me to guffaw in a most unladylike manner. Watching this movie millions of times wouldn’t enable me to have even a microscopic portion of Audrey’s sophistication. My French relatives were simply going to have to deal with the neurotic, klutzy, paranoid mess that I was. I was starting to feel sorry for them.
As I pondered the pros and cons of implanting a microchip in my brain to control my outbursts, the phone rang. Thank God! Louis remembered our anniversary! I grinned and ran for the phone, forgetting to check the caller ID first.
“Hi, handsome!”
There was nothing but silence at the other end of the line. How odd! Louis always enjoyed my compliments.
“Thanks, Duck! A father needs to hear that sometimes.”
Oops! I giggled. “Sorry, Dad, I thought you were Louis.”
He pretended to sniffle. “You mean you don’t think your poor father is handsome?”
I sighed. “Of course I think you’re handsome, Dad. I was expecting a call from Louis.”
“To wish you a happy anniversary?”
I paused. My dad didn’t have a good memory for dates. “Did Mom remind you?”
“Duck, I do have the capacity to remember things. I’m not that old.”
Uh huh. Not buying it. “Dad, you have a great memory for things which are important to you. Anniversary dates do not fall on this list.” He could; however, tell you the price of his favorite Cadbury bar every year since nineteen
fifty-two. Because knowledge of this sort comes in really handy in today’s day and age.
He cleared his throat. “She may have said something about it.”
I chuckled. “I thought so.”
Just then my mom joined the conversation. “Happy Anniversary, Syd!”
“Thanks, Mom!”
My dad chimed in. “Yes, Happy Anniversary, Duck! It is really ironic you two met on Bastille Day.”
Here it comes.
He took on his instructional tone. “Since, as you know, Bastille Day is the French version of Independence Day.”
This never gets old, Dad. Please tell me more.
“And the day he met you was the day he lost his independence.” My dad laughed. I had no doubt my mom and I were rolling our eyes in unison.
My mom sighed. “What are you and the fabulous Monsieur Durand up to today?” My mom loved to hear the details of Louis’ romantic plans. I didn’t have the heart to tell her there was a very good chance he had forgotten.
Quick, Sydney, make something up! “Um, well, he’s at the martial arts studio for the day, since Bastiaan is leaving for Holland tomorrow and will be gone for a month. So, we’re going to have a romantic dinner at home tonight.”
My dad scoffed. “At home? You kids should be going to a nice restaurant.”
My mom must have taken her extension to the back where my dad was sitting because I heard him say, “Ow!” His comment must have earned him a good smack upside the head.
“Ted, you know they’re watching their pennies.”
“Going out once in while won’t break the bank; besides the Olive Garden has a very good early bird special.” My dad fell in love with the Olive Garden on his last trip out here. Endless supplies of bread he could slather with butter was his idea of paradise.
I heard them bickering quietly in the background and started to chuckle. I really missed them. Even in these moments of conflict.
“Mom! Dad! Don’t worry. I’m going to make Louis an amazing dinner tonight. I’ve planned all his favorites.”
My mom whispered something with emphasis to my father and then turned her attention back to me. “I’m sure dinner will be lovely, Sydney. Please pass on our anniversary wishes to Louis as well.”
“Yes, Duck, please remind our son-in-law how lucky he is.”
I laughed. “To be married to me or to be part of our family?”
My dad thought for a moment. “Both.”
OK, it was time to go. “I love you both! I’ll speak to you tomorrow.”
“We love you too.” They spoke in unison. I hoped one day Louis and I would exhibit such glorious synchronicity.
A few hours later, I had prepared a delicious meal and had dolled myself up for what I hoped would be a deliciously satisfying evening. I wasn’t sure exactly when Louis was coming home, so I had the chicken francese, roasted potatoes and asparagus warming in the oven. The smell was heavenly and I was doing my best not to pick too much at the Tuscan chick pea dip I had prepared. Keeping dinner in the oven was a deliberate deterrent for me to sample the main dishes, since my klutzy nature would have led to a few nasty burns. Spending the night in the emergency room was not part of the plan for our romantic evening. I sipped on my second glass of wine and wondered if it was time to hit the chocolate.
Once eight o’clock rolled around, I became nervous. I had tried calling Louis’ cell phone a few times during the day, but only reached his voicemail. My heart sank as I wondered if he had decided to go out for dinner with the guys from the martial arts studio. He would have called me to tell me he was going to be late, right? We were in such a good place; please, please, please let him have remembered what today is. Please let him have concocted an awesomely romantic plan. Please! I need this.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard Louis’ key turn in the lock. I stood up and smiled only to be greeted by a very sweaty Louis followed by Bastiaan. What the hell was HE doing here?
My face froze in a forced smile as Louis took in the atmosphere. While he surveyed the dim lights, romantic music, candles and the mouthwatering aroma from the kitchen, his face morphed into a state of confusion.
“What is all this, mon coeur?”
I walked over to the light switch and returned the room to its usual level of brightness. Poor Bastiaan seemed like he wanted to flee. As I blew out all the candles, I locked eyes with Louis and said, “Happy Anniversary!”
Louis’ face fell. “Today is July fourteenth, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “That it is.” I was more resigned than shocked. Louis and I had made great strides in our relationship, but this didn’t mean he wasn’t feeling the pressure of his job search. He was still not quite himself.
Bastiaan began to back towards the door. “Listen, man, I don’t want to interrupt anything…”
I suddenly felt terrible about the awkwardness in the room; it certainly wasn’t Bastiaan’s fault Louis forgot. “Please stay, Bastiaan. I made a really delicious dinner. I’m sure you’re quite hungry.”
Louis snapped to attention. “I am so sorry, mon coeur, I was so focused on today being Bastiaan’s last day; I completely forgot.”
I sighed. “Don’t worry, Bluey. Why don’t you jump in the shower? I’m ravenous.”
Louis turned to Bastiaan. “Why don’t you take the first shower? There are towels in the cabinet next to the sink.”
Bastiaan nodded and left the room as fast as he could. He had to be feeling pretty damn uncomfortable right now.
Louis came over to me and put his hands on my face. “I can’t apologize enough. The showers broke at the studio and I didn’t want Bastiaan to have to drive back to San Francisco after working the whole day without getting clean, so I offered the use of our bathroom.”
I gazed into his beautiful blue eyes. “It’s OK. I made too much food anyway.” I was making an effort, but I couldn’t help being a little pissed.
He shook his head. “I have been so distracted lately. My job search has hit a wall…”
I rubbed my temples. “It’s fine. I’ve been wanting to get to know Bastiaan better anyway. He seems really nice.” Louis spends a good portion of his time at the studio now and Bastiaan has been able to help him in ways I couldn’t. I should show the man some gratitude.
I tilted my head towards Louis. “I’m going to change.” Suddenly the short black mini dress I had chosen seemed inappropriate.
After my wardrobe had been corrected to a more appropriate ensemble of a black V-neck sweater and jeans, I set another place at the table and pulled out my secret stash of chocolate. After the turn of events this evening, I deserved a little sugar. Who knew how long it would be before I got my sought after dessert?
Bastiaan turned out to be a really great guy. He had lived a very full and interesting life in his thirty two years. Over dinner, he regaled us with stories of his life growing up in Holland and the years he spent traveling around the globe during his time as a professional fighter. The truth was he reminded me a lot of Louis. I could easily see why my husband spent so much of his time at Bastiaan’s studio.
They were both very independent in nature, highly intelligent, well-traveled and very good-looking (Not that this last item made a bit of difference in their friendship; I was only making an observation.) It was too bad Maya was so in love with Devon. Bastiaan was a huge catch and he was looking for a woman to brighten his life. Maya would most definitely light it on fire.
I smiled genuinely as I said good-bye to Bastiaan. He thanked me profusely for dinner and promised to bring me back a huge stash of European chocolate. (It didn’t take him long to figure out how to get into my good graces.)
Louis kissed me on the top of my head. “I am going to walk Bastiaan out to the car.”
I knew Bastiaan could handle himself since we lived in a pretty safe neighborhood AND he made a living out of beating people up. This meant something was going on. I wondered what it was they needed to discuss out of my earshot.
Five m
inutes later, Louis called me to tell me Bastiaan’s battery had died and he needed to give him a jump. Funny, I thought I was his next customer.
Slightly annoyed, I went into the bathroom to take a shower. As the steaming water beat down on my back, I remembered Louis had not come back to the apartment for the car keys, which meant he had taken them when he went to walk Bastiaan out. Which is odd, because he didn’t keep car keys on his key ring, just the house keys. I was the main driver of the car. Something is definitely up.
Once I had steamed most of the tension out of my muscles, I dried off and put on my favorite cotton pajamas. They had blue skies and clouds all over them, which was exactly what I needed. Blue skies and sunny days…
I walked out to the living room, trying to dream up an excuse to avoid the dreaded task of cleaning up the kitchen. Wait. It’s awfully dark in here. Didn’t I leave the lights on?
“Happy Anniversary, mon coeur.” Louis’ sexy voice permeated the room.
As I took in the candles, flowers and CHOCOLATE CAKE on the table, my shoulders relaxed for the first time that day.
I beamed at him. “What did you do?”
He put his arms around me. “I put together an anniversary more worthy of you.”
I kissed him tenderly. “This is wonderful. Thank you.”
He looked into my eyes. “No, thank you. You were so incredibly gracious with Bastiaan and with your…dumbass husband.” He sighed. “I am sorry I let you down.”
I shook my head. “Don’t give it another thought. I love you so much, Bluey.”
He smiled. “And I love you, mon coeur. More than you can ever imagine.”
After Louis pulled out my chair for me, he removed a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator.
I gasped. “Where did you get that?” We couldn’t afford champagne!
He grinned. “It was a gift from Bastiaan.”
“I see. So the whole thing with the battery was…”