Mom lights up. “Well, that’s great.”
“She wanted to come to Paris,” I explain, “but her clothing store was just too busy. Spring season.”
“She has a clothing store?” Mom asks. “We’ll need to go check it out.”
I smile. “Well, she lives up north now, in a small town. But I suppose that yes, we could visit her one day.”
Her phone pings and we both jump up like eager bunnies.
I’m taking care of all the cancellations,Mark writes.
I’m very sorry. I hope we can get past this. I still love you very much,Florence.
Mom looks completely deflated.
I wrap an arm around her shoulders. “You look like someone ran over your new puppy. Tell me honestly… Is it Mark? Or is it because it wasn’t Antoine?”
She looks up at me with vulnerable eyes. “It was because it wasn’t Antoine. He’s probably forgotten me already.”
I squeeze her tightly. “I’m sure he hasn’t.”
Her phone pings again.
Sorry, I was busy with a client. I’d love to meet you there but I can’t. How about we meet at the Marché aux puces tomorrow? You’d love it. Sophie told me all about what happened. I’m so sorry, Florence. :(
Mom is smiling wide. He’s made her whole day. I find this very interesting. Here is this woman who was just about to marry another man, completely smitten with this very sexy French silver fox. How much did she really love Mark?
“Mom, did you really love Mark?”
She cocks a brow in surprise, and is quiet for the longest time before she finally says, “I think I likedthe ideaof him, more than him,” she tells me. “The fancy dinners, the gifts, the adoration… the whole Cinderella thing…” her words trail as she stares off in the distance, looking at the books lining the walls, but not really seeing them. “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”
I wrap an arm around her. “No, Mom. You’re not pathetic. You’re a woman. You’re a romantic. You have a big heart. And guys like Mark take advantage of women like you. And you’re right… he does adore you. I can see it in the way he looks at you and treats you. But the problem is, he also adores lots of other women too. Men like him are addicted to women. They need their fix. They need the rush of attraction, the ego boost.”
She shakes her head. “A little voice kept saying he was too good to be true, but I kept telling it to shut up. He didn’t drink much or touch drugs. He had a good job and his affairs in order, lots of class and great manners. I guess I just chose to turn a blind eye to the women. I wanted to believe he was perfect.”
“What about Antoine?” I ask. “Is this another Cinderella thing? The whole sexy classy Frenchman thing. He certainly knows how to pull off a scarf.”
She laughs. “I actually like Antoine a lot… not just the idea of him. He’s sweet and kind, and real.”
“And not too hard on the eyes either.”
She smiles, and takes my hand as we head to the register to buy three books. She tells me she’s going to start on one right away… a welcome distraction.
My phone pings as we head out of the store. My pulse races at the sight of Oscar’s name.
Hey beautiful. I’m waiting. Naked and ready. And by ready, I mean… you know what I mean.
So admittedly not the most romantic text, but it does make me smile. And a little horny.
“So, um… Mom. Are we going back home?” I ask as we head back to the Plaza Athénée. There’s been a lot of walking which I’m not used to, but I’m loving it.
“Yeah, I think I’ll have a quiet day and get lost in my book,” she tells me.
I sidestep a small elderly woman and her little Bichon Frisé. “I’m going to head back to my apartment,” I tell her. She shoots me a scowl, and I wonder what I’ve done wrong.
“What’s the situation with you and Oscar?” she asks. “Is he seeing Sophie? I know you two are casual, but I thought you kind of had something special going. Does it make you crazy jealous to see him with her?”
It does.
