As I approach, he rises to his feet.
Of course he does.It dawns on me that after spending four days in Antoine’s company, I’ve come to expect nothing less than impeccable manners from him. Holding doors, pulling out chairs, standing up when I arrive… I’ve never been with a man this gallant before. The funny thing is, it’s so automatic with him, it’s second nature.
Is that a common trait in tattoo artists who cannot draw?
Ah, I’m probably overthinking it. I’m sure there’s a good reason for his polished manners. Maybe his parents are very old school or very religious, and he had a strict upbringing. Incidentally, his brother Henri seemed to be the same way around his fiancée. There are such families in every social class.
Antoine greets me, “Good morning, Laura.”
“Top of the morning to you, laddy!” I quote from theFriendsepisode we watched at the hotel.
He smiles, recognizing the callback.
I slide onto the sofa next to him. We sit close together, knees and hands touching. I catch a faint whiff of his familiar cologne. It’s a delicious scent, especially when it’s the only thing he has on.
Maybe, just maybe, this crazy passion between us?—
I shut that thought down, not daring to take it to its logical conclusion.
“Laura!” Isabelle turns to me. “How’s life post-Sardinia?”
“Great,” I say. “I’m drowning in laundry, but other than that, no complaints.”
Everyone laughs politely.
“What about you, Antoine?” she asks.
He takes my hand. “What Laura said.”
I can’t believe how handsy he’s become since our kiosk adventure!
One of the experts, Amelie Krafko, leans forward. “From the footage I’ve seen, it looks like the honeymoon was a resounding success for you two. I don’t need to know the bedroom details, but would you agree with that?”
I do my best not to sound too hyped. “We’re still figuring each other out, but all things considered?—”
Before I can finish, the door opens again, and the remaining two couples rush in. Once everyone’s settled, Isabelle claps her hands, signaling the start of the session.
“All right, everyone!” she exclaims. “I hope you had a chance to catch your breath after your honeymoon. Let’s dive in, shall we?”
Everybody nods.As if we had a choice…
She flashes her megawatt smile. “First, let’s talk about the honeymoon. How was Sardinia? The hotel? The activities? The food?”
A wave of obligatory gushing and raving follows. Someone declares Cala Stella to be the most incredible hotel in the universe. Another praises the couple challenges as “a great way to nurture the bond.” I declare in all honesty that the food was amazing, especially the desserts. Antoine remains silent.
When Isabelle asks him specifically, he takes the same escape route as before. “What Laura said.”
After fishing for compliments a bit longer, Isabelle shifts gears. “Now, let’s get to the real reason we’re here. I’ll let Amelie speak.”
Amelie Krafko stands up. “Now that your honeymoon is over, we’re moving into the next stage of this experiment.”
On Isabelle’s cue, we clap.
“You’ll spend this week apart,” Amelie continues, “catching up on work, chores, and taking care of any urgent personal matters.”
“Sounds like a vacation,” a male voice mutters from across the room.
A few people laugh nervously.
