“I seem to recall this whole thing was your idea, remember?”
“But that was before he met with his editor . . .”
“I don’t mind if he goes to the book fair, I just want to make sure he comes back.”
“And what about the other reason for the trip?”
“All the more reason for a little nudge!” Arthur smiled.
“And how do you plan to convince him to turn up at this restaurant?”
“That’s where I need you.”
“You always need me.”
“I’m going to invent a dinner date with an important client and invite Paul along as backup.”
“You two haven’t worked together as architects for seven years. How much help could he be?”
“As a translator, maybe?”
“You speak French as well as he does, if not better.”
“He knows Paris better than I do.”
“And what’s the project all about?”
“Good question. I need to come up with something convincing.”
“Tell him it’s for a restaurant,” Lauren said.
“That wouldn’t be big enough for the agency, not so far from home.”
“A very big restaurant?”
“Ah. What about a beloved American restaurant considering a location in Paris?”
“Is that credible?”
“It’s perfect! I’ll say Alioto’s has decided to open a restaurant here. That’s his favorite place back in San Francisco.”
“So what role do I play in this little yarn?”
“If I ask him myself, he might think something’s up, or just flat-out refuse, but if you’re the one who insists, he’ll say yes. He’d do it for you.”
“This is a really dirty trick, Arthur.”
“Maybe, but it’s for his own good. He’ll be grateful.”
“Oh, I seriously doubt that, once he realizes you’ve taken him for a ride. And from that moment on, the evening will be a disaster. What are we supposed to talk about during the meal?”
“What are ‘we’ supposed to talk about? Nothing. We won’t be there!”
“So you’re planning to send him to dine alone with a stranger who accepted an invitation on a dating website, when he thinks he’s there to be talking architecture with a client?” Lauren burst out laughing. “I would love to be a fly on the wall for that meal.”
“Same here, but let’s not push our luck.”
“It’ll never work. They’ll figure out what’s happened before the first course.”
