And then, one way or another, he'd know.
Whether Lucy was coming home.
Or whether she was building her life somewhere else.
June in Paris was sweltering.
The heat wave was unexpected—apparently June in Paris was usually mild. But this year, temperatures soared into the 90s and Lucy's apartment (with no air conditioning) became unbearable.
She spent most of her time at school, where at least the industrial kitchens had decent ventilation, or at cafés with working fans.
Finals were approaching. The end of the program. Decision time.
Lucy had interviews with all three restaurants Chef Laurent recommended. All three offered her positions.
Le Bernardin wanted her as a pastry assistant—starting immediately, with a clear path to sous chef within two years.
Pierre Gagnaire offered a six-month apprenticeship with potential for permanent placement.
Alain Ducasse wanted her for their new patisserie concept—a standalone shop focusing on modern French desserts.
Any of these would be incredible. Career-making. The kind of opportunities pastry chefs dreamed about.
Lucy said yes to all three, asking for time to decide.
"This is good problem to have," Amelie said when Lucy told her. "Three Michelin restaurants! Lucy, do you know how rare this is?"
"I know."
"So why do you look so miserable?"
"Because if I take any of them, I'm choosing to stay in Paris. I'm choosing to not go home."
"And that is bad?"
"I don't know. Is it?"
James, Amelie, and Lucy were at their usual café, studying for finals. But Lucy couldn't focus. The decision deadline was approaching—she needed to tell the restaurants by July first if she was interested.
That gave her two weeks.
"What does Jake say?" James asked.
"I haven't told him about the offers."
"Lucy."
"I know. I need to tell him. I just—" Lucy set down her coffee. "If I tell him, it makes it real. It makes the choice real."
"The choice is already real," Amelie said gently. "You're just avoiding it."
Lucy knew she was right. For two months, she'd been avoiding the decision. Working instead of thinking. Studying instead offeeling. Pretending she had all the time in the world when really, time was running out.
That night, Lucy finally called Jake. It was afternoon in Vermont—a good time to catch him.
"Hey," Jake answered. He sounded surprised. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. I just—I need to talk to you about something."
