by Nora James
“Ah, that stupid café. What do you need that for? You can serve me food any time. I’ll even let you do the dishes.”
“You’re a chauvinistic ass, do you know that?”
Elise stomped off, Dominique by her side and for an instant she thought Steve had given up as he stood immobile where she’d turned her back on him, but he soon started after them again.
“If you go back to your apartment he will know where to find you,” Dominique said quietly.
“I’ll stay in the café. Paul’s working. Steve needs to see me with Paul.”
Dominique nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
Within minutes the women were at the Café des Amoureux. It was busy, full of people sipping coffee, eating and reading the newspaper. Elise spotted Paul in a corner, waiting tables. She hurried over to him.
His eyebrows shot up. “I thought you were at the Cordon d’Or this morning. Is everything all right?”
Steve burst through the door, squinting, probably waiting for his eyes to adjust to being indoors.
“Steve’s here,” Elise blurted and threw her arms around Paul. She kissed him passionately, conscious of all eyes being on her, although the only person she truly wanted to take in the scene was Steve. He had to understand once and for all that she was no longer his.
“Steve’s here?” Paul asked, incredulous once she’d pulled away. “This is not a goodbye kiss, is it?”
Dominique laughed. “That imbecile there is the one she’s trying to get rid of.”
Elise looked into Paul’s eyes, hoping he’d believe her. “Steve just won’t listen. I have no interest whatsoever in being with him. He’s a cheat, a liar, a gambler. I don’t love him. I don’t want to see him. Ever.”
Paul let out his breath and Elise saw relief on his face.
Steve approached, his lips curling down with disdain. “You won’t have me because you’ve hooked up with some waiter? I’ve come all the way from Australia. What has this guy ever done for you? Unbelievable!”
Paul stood nose to nose with Steve. “Believe it.”
“I believe nothing,” Steve said. “Party’s over. She’s coming with me.”
“Please leave.” Paul was firm. “I will only ask you once.”
“Or what? You’re gonna make me eat a croissant?” Steve chuckled with misplaced pride and turned on his heels to leave.
Elise and Dominique relaxed, but suddenly Steve spun around, his fist flying straight at Paul. Paul stopped the blow with his forearm, grabbed Steve’s arm and pulled him closer. He wrapped his left hand around his attacker’s neck and lifted him off the ground.
“Next time I’ll break your bones,” Paul whispered. He looked Steve in the eye, without flinching, to make sure he got the message once and for all.
“No worries, mate,” Steve managed. “There won’t be a next time.”
“There’d better not be.”
Paul slowly returned Elise’s harasser to the floor and released his grip and Steve shot out of the café without so much as a glance at his ex-wife.
Elise threw her arms around her hero to the cheers of the café’s patrons. “Thank you,” she said, her heart exploding not only with gratitude but also with pride. “You were amazing! You really know how to handle yourself. He didn’t even surprise you when he turned around to punch you.”
Paul shrugged. “I know his kind. He worries me.”
“Don’t let him. If he ever turns up on my doorstep again I’ll call the police.”
“If I were you I’d keep this one nearby.” Dominique pointed to Paul. “He can cook, do dishes and fight off idiots. There’s nothing more valuable in a man.”
“There’s always room for improvement.” Elise smiled. “I could teach you to iron.”
Paul grinned. “I can do that too, as long as you don’t mind burnt clothing.”
The three of them laughed but a sadness filled Elise’s heart. If only she could keep Paul! She could see herself with him forever, could easily imagine getting old and grey by his side.
Dominique was right, Paul was a keeper. Elise longed to stay with him with every fibre of her being.
How could she? She was flying back to Australia in less than a week.
******
Dominique wrapped her arms around Elise in a giant bear hug. They’d spent a couple of hours at the Café des Amoureux drinking and eating and it was time for Dominique to go.
Elise understood that she was saying her goodbyes. “We don’t have to do this now. I’ll see you again before I catch the plane.”
“Non, you don’t have the time. Spend every minute with Paul. But write to me, OK? I expect an email within forty-eight hours of you getting home.”
“I will. And thanks, Dominique. I might not have survived Le Cordon d’Or without you, or survived Steve, for that matter.”
Dominique pointed at her and started up the street. “De rien! Besides, it’s mutual. I could not have put up with the old witch without you to distract me. Keep in touch.”
Elise ran after her and gave her one more hug. She was thrilled to have found such a good friend in Dominique and determined not to let that change.
Still, she was acutely aware of how distance and time could eat away at the best of relationships and one day turn people who cared for each other into total strangers.
Nothing replaced physical closeness and it scared her.
******
That afternoon, as they waited for Julie in the café’s kitchen, Paul flashed his teeth at Elise in a grin he hoped seemed cheeky and playful. He was trying his best to distract himself from the thoughts that kept popping uninvited into his head, thoughts of Wednesday when Elise would be boarding a plane to Australia.
He wanted to stop thinking about Steve, too. Steve worried him, and not because he thought that lame excuse for a man might seduce Elise again. No, he trusted Elise, but he was scared that Steve would harass her once she was back in Australia. Paul sighed. It didn’t bear thinking of. And Elise’s departure was too close for comfort.
Paul had to have some fun to get through this and he suspected Elise did, too. He playfully rubbed his leg against hers. She jumped more than he expected as his knee came into contact with hers and Paul wondered if it was from the sensation itself or the unexpectedness of his touch in the café’s kitchen with Yvonne and Pépette walking in and out, tidying and putting away dishes as closing time was nearing.
He raised his eyebrows a few times, rolled his eyes and winked, and Elise burst into laughter. Her reaction warmed his heart. It pleased him no end that he could cheer her up so easily with his antics.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, as seriously as he could.
Elise’s lips twisted with amusement. “Nothing. I thought I felt a spider on my leg.”
“A spider? Really? I am not that hairy, am I?”
They chuckled and then Paul glanced at his watch. Julie, who was now more energetic and more determined than ever, after her short stint in hospital, to make the most of every minute, was running late. She’d given them a rendez-vous to be brought up to speed on their latest trials and plans for the Café des Amoureux, plans that the couple had been working on solidly and had already implemented in part.
Paul took a peek through the glass in the door to see if he could spot the boss. She didn’t seem to be around, although it was difficult to tell: the café was still crowded even though it was approaching closing time. Paul had added a few twists to the usual menu and allowed his creativity not to take over but rather to shape the traditional foods of their kitchen, and ever since people had been lining up to sample the new cuisine.
He returned to the table. “I don’t think she’s arrived but it’s hard to tell. There are so many people still out there she could be chatting to someone.”
Elise let out a sound of satisfaction. “I knew you could make this place a hit. You should be proud.”
He was, although pride had taken a back seat. Soon he would be losing Elise a
nd it coloured all his feelings. Still, he made an effort. “I am, thank you, but it’s not all my doing. You were the one who set me on the right track with it. I owe you.” He owed her for so many things, not least of which was restoring his faith in love.
“Shall we go over the summary one more time?” Elise asked.
“Sure.” He fiddled with the notepad in front of him. “So we’ve identified our strengths: our food is always good.”
“Great.”
“Thank you.” He looked into her beautiful hazel eyes and enjoyed the warmth to his shoulders. She was like the summer sun: she made him relax and feel good wherever he was.
Elise corrected him with a chuckle. “I mean, the food is always great. You are, too.”
He laughed with her and let his gaze linger on her incredible smile, but then he took a deep breath. He had to concentrate and keep his mind on work, not on the beautiful and amazing woman beside him, the woman who was about to disappear from his life. He continued. “We have a regular clientele who want that same dependable, wholesome French food, although after a survey recommended by my stunning companion…”
She shook her head. “Don’t say that to Julie.”
Well, it was the truth. Elise was absolutely stunning. She lit up the room and his life, but he obeyed. “OK. I will try and keep it dull. So, after a survey recommended by Miss Reid on the basis that we need to know our market, we found that nearly all patrons were open to some changes or experimentation. In fact, they were eager to experience small but exciting modifications, what I would call traditional cuisine with a twist: one ingredient added for pizzazz, one substituted for something a little more unusual. Different but the same is what we are aiming for and so far the results speak for themselves. Since implementation our takings have increased greatly. ” He pointed to another notebook. “Then I show her the figures.”
Elise’s eyes sparkled as she clapped and he felt like taking a bow. It was wonderful being with someone who supported you so much. He’d been put down so often by Nicole who had always had a penchant for sarcasm even in the early days. He hadn’t realised how much it had hurt him until he’d met Elise.
She took over. “And I’ll talk about the difference between branding and marketing if you like, and the advertising we’re planning on doing.”
“I’d appreciate that. I understand it, but you are an ace at it.”
He saw the flush of pink in her cheeks. It was so very touching to witness the effect he had on her. He couldn’t bear to think about how he was going to be able to carry on without her. She’d quickly become a brilliant, dependable colleague, a close and wonderful friend, and a lover better than any he’d ever dreamed of.
What was he going to do without her? He felt like someone had thrown a blanket of sorrow over his head when he thought about her departure.
“Are you all right? You’ve gone all pensive on me.” Elise leaned closer to him and placed a hand on his forearm.
He wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let her go but now was neither the time nor the place, so he simply nodded. Thankfully he didn’t have to explain himself as Julie walked in at that moment, as light as ever on her feet, as if her trip to hospital a few weeks earlier had never happened. He jumped up and pulled out a chair for her.
“There’s no need to fuss, Paul. I am not about to collapse.” Julie sat and placed her perfectly manicured hands on the table. “I can’t wait to hear what your plans are for the future of the Café des Amoureux. These are exciting times. The best is yet to come!”
They should have been exciting times indeed. Transforming the business, putting into practice his ideas and dreams, working alongside Julie and especially Elise were all a thrill to him and yet his heart was heavy and getting heavier by the day. He was finding it harder and harder to hide the fact that he was dizzy and nauseous from standing on the edge of an abyss, the abyss of loneliness he knew was approaching. For him, the best was not yet to come, far from it. The best was the here and now. How he wished he could stop the clock!
As he sat back down and gazed at the few notes he’d prepared, he tried to push away the sinking feeling, the rock that weighed heavily in his stomach, the dull ache in his shoulders, but it was difficult to ignore. He knew all too well that change was just around the corner, and not a change he welcomed. In fact he was dreading it.
If only he could keep things just the way they were.
If only he could keep Elise all to himself forever more life would be perfect.
Chapter 24
Elise slipped into her favourite dress, the white one with the square neckline. It was a present from her mother, one she didn’t like that much when she’d been given it, but since Paul loved it she now had taken to wearing it often. It flattered her neck, he’d told her, the neck he always wanted to kiss.
They wouldn’t be doing too much of that today, though. They were going on a family outing with Christine. As Elise tidied her ponytail and slipped on her shiny sandals she couldn’t help but think of that word and how it applied to them. The truth was family didn’t apply to them no matter how much she wanted it to. She’d be back in Australia by the end of the week.
She locked her door and headed to the Metro. She was meeting Paul and Christine at the Bir-Hakeim station and then they’d be climbing the Eiffel Tower together. They had let Christine pick the activity for today and Elise didn’t mind in the slightest that she’d already seen the famous steel tower. She was going to be with Paul and Christine and she didn’t care about anything else.
******
“Elise!” Christine came running as soon as she saw her, waving her arms about like she’d spotted Father Christmas on his sleigh.
“Bonjour Christine.” Elise bent down and the little girl nearly knocked her over as she threw herself into her arms. It warmed Elise’s heart no end that a child would show her so much affection after such a short time, and it touched her all the more that this was Paul’s daughter. He was part of her, in her eyes, her smile and the way Christine stood with her hands on her hips and her left foot forward.
“She is nearly as happy as I am to see you.”
Elise looked up at Paul. He was a sight for sore eyes, with his olive skin and almond eyes, so handsome he could grace any billboard advertisement for perfumes or luxury leathers and give the professional male models a run for their money.
Paul placed his hand on Elise’s and it sent a jolt down her spine. She hadn’t expected his touch in front of Christine. He’d always kept his distance when she was around. Christine still believed they were nothing but workmates and it was better that way, even if it had meant not spending the entire night together most of the time. Where was the sense in breaking a child’s heart when the relationship was destined to end?
Christine turned and pointed ahead. “The Eiffel tower’s that way.”
Paul quickly stole a kiss from Elise while his daughter wasn’t watching and it made Elise chuckle.
Christine came back. “What’s so funny? It is that way.”
“Yes, it is, ma chérie.” Paul wrapped his hand around his little girl’s. “And there it is again.” He pointed to the metal structure that rose above the slate rooftops like a giant.
Christine held out her left hand. “Elise, you have to hold my hand, too, so we don’t lose each other. Because we belong together, you, me and my papà.”
The look on Paul’s face as he glanced at Elise said it all: he was stunned by his daughter’s remark and both pleased and pained by it. Elise recognised his expression instantly because it was exactly the way she felt. It sometimes took a child to say the obvious. She bit her lip and they walked, the three of them hand in hand, to the tower.
At the end of the street they found themselves in front of it. It was impressive to say the least, dwarfing every human existence. Even though she’d seen it before Elise couldn’t help the sense of awe it inspired. To think that it was a temporary structure meant to be torn down after just one exhi
bition!
Paul leaned closer to her as he spoke. “It’s incredible to think this was meant to be torn down after just one exhibition! I can’t help the sense of awe it inspires in me even though I’ve seen it lots of times.”
Elise burst into laughter. Their brains worked the same way. The same things surprised them, saddened them, thrilled them. It was both wonderful and strange. This is what people meant when they talked about a soul mate—well, it was part of it.
Christine shook her head and tut-tutted. “It’s not nice to laugh when someone explains something to you.”
This time Elise giggled at the cuteness of Christine’s comment. She took a breath and concentrated on appearing serious. “You’re right, sweetheart. I’m sorry.”
The child smiled, content, and then and ran ahead to the queue to climb up the Eiffel Tower.
“Stop right there, Christine!” Paul took giant strides as he hurried after his daughter while Elise did her best to keep up. The little girl stopped and Paul relaxed, slowing his pace. He turned to Elise again. “What made you laugh in the first place?”
“I was thinking exactly what you said about it being built for an exhibition, virtually word for word.”
“Really?”
She nodded as they caught up to the runaway child.
“It happens a lot with my daughter, too.”
Christine frowned. “What does?”
“That we think alike or say the same thing at the same time, right?”
“We do, Papà!”
“In English we say ‘snap’ when that happens.”
Christine shrugged. “We don’t snap at each other. We laugh, don’t we, Papà?”
Paul nodded. There was a sudden sadness in his gaze and Elise wondered if he was thinking her thoughts again, anticipating the pain that was in store for them on Wednesday. She couldn’t bear to ask.
Instead she took in the length of the queue and how little it was moving. “We could be here a long time.”