Page 38 of Once Bitten

Chapter Sixteen

“Mademoiselle, Mademoiselle, steak-frites pour vous, ce soir? Ou l’escargot, ou soupe a l’oignon gratin? Come, come seet down, I will take care of vous!”

“No, mademoiselle, come try our roast pork on the spit, see? It weel be ready in cinq minutes! I will give you free bordeaux for you and monsieur!”

The chaos was electrifying. Our car had let us out at the quartier latin, the famous Latin quarter, home to the bohemians and tourists looking for a cheap but delicious feed. I was drooling at the window displays, the ideal target of the maitre’ds standing in the doorways selling their food wares.

“Oooh look at that...” I pointed to the lamb sizzling on the rotating spit.

“Nope.” Finn replied, infuriatingly. He had refused all my requests, which were basically every restaurant. “You won’t like that.”

“I’m sooo hungry, I bet even the menu will taste good.”

“Well, then at least let me take you to the place with the best tasting cardboard.”

“Ugh, I’m bordering on reporting you to the UN. Poor hungry American in Paris, starved to death by own compatriot.”

“Maybe you should conserve your energy by less talk.” He pulled me in and kissed my cheek affectionately. “Just kidding, not far now, sweetheart. I promise it will be worth it.”

I concentrated on not tripping on the cobblestones and wondered at all the souvenir shops, the colorful postcards and aprons, coffee trays and hats, the words “I love Paris” on every inch of the stores, each identical to the next. I reminded myself to pick up a fridge magnet for Mai.

Finn, his hand on my shoulder, keeping me close to him, led me firmly down an alleyway, “Rue de Sommerard,” I read off the little blue sign. The street was instantly quieter, a little further off the main road, but still alive with couples and families following their noses for their dinner.

We came to a sudden stop in front of bustling restaurant with a fading burgundy awning. The smell emanating from it made my knees buckle and I wiped the drool collecting at the corner of my mouth.

“This is one of my favorite restaurants in Paris, no escargots here, maybe we can have some another night. This is bonafide real deal Tunisian cuisine, best anywhere you’ll find outside of Tunisia, of course.”

“You’ve been there?”

“Few times,” he replied, making me feel even more uncultured and sheltered than ever, “do you want to sit inside or out?”

“Should we wait for someone?” I asked, knowing the answer even before the question left my lips.

He grinned, “I’m not one for waiting. Let’s go inside, be a bit quieter.” He ushered me into the orange decor’d restaurant, and found an empty table in the back, away from the main activity in the front of the store.

“Feen!” A gorgeous, tall dark skinned woman called across the restaurant. “You scoundrel!” She rolled her r’s in the most decadent way.

Finn grinned and waved her over. “Kara, this evil woman is Mati, she just kinda hangs around the restaurant stealing food off people’s plates. So beware!” The two grinned at each other and launched into a conversation my high school French couldn’t quite follow. I let them catch up and scanned the menu, everything looked and smelled and sounded delicious, and I decided to let Finn order for us.

“Ah bon, I weel be back.” Mati winked at me and scurried off into the direction of the kitchen.

“Is she the owner?” I asked, fascinated by her.

“Oh no, she likes to think so though. But she’s always taken care of me since I first came here eons ago.”

“She’s amazing.” I wondered how plain I looked compared to the women he’d known around the world. “So, um, can you order for me?”

“Oh no. I’m not allowed to order, and even if I did, she’d just bring me whatever she thinks I want anyway.”

I laughed, this culture was so different to what I was used to in America.

“Oh, speak of the devil,” Finn smiled at her affectionately as she laid out bowls and bowls of delicious smelling food in front of me

“Vite, vite! Mangez, ma cherie, you are too skinny!” She threw her hands up in the air and stormed off in a cloud of patterned cotton.

I would’ve laughed if my mouth wasn’t already stuffed with rice and a mouth watering concoction of lamb and prunes.

“Oh my god, this might be the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth,” I sighed, barely done with the first mouthful before I stuffed another spoonful of food into my mouth.