Chapter 4
Just as he promised, Louis calls Fi. Louis has a good command of English from the time that he worked in New York some years ago. He worked at La Crepe in Greenwich Village. He liked the job a lot – until the robbery. He was in the basement counting the takings for the week. Someone hadn’t secured the main door after the restaurant closed for the day, and a couple of men just blithely walked in. He heard them coming down the stairs, but he was alone at La Crepe at the time. They tied him up and stole the takings. He was very shaken. But fortunately unharmed. New York was rather too exciting so he quit the job and returned home to Paris. But his time in New York had dramatically improved his command of English – which he speaks with an American accent (although unmistakably French) as a result.
So the fact that Fi speaks barely any French doesn’t matter. He thinks she is very beautiful – just like the young Brigitte Bardot.
The day after her arrival and before the Fashion Show at Masque – he called her at her hotel offering to take her to see some of the sights of Paris. He has taken the day off and will he thinks woo her with his charm. “Louis and Fi” had a certain ring to it, Louis thought. But he was getting ahead of himself. She has a job in the UK and perhaps it is just going to be a holiday romance for her. Perhaps she wasn’t interested in him romantically. But Louis felt there was an immediate spark when he first saw her at Charles de Gaulle airport.
(Image above created using original photo by Vlad-B on unsplash.com; & image below on photo of La Cure Gourmande by Marcellin Bric on unsplash.com)
(Image above created with an original photo by pexels-shvets-anna on unsplash.com) above created.
The speciality is tagine. Louis orders his favourite, lamb tagine – and Fi, being vegetarian orders the mushroom tofu tagine. It looks very good!
Louis asks Fi if she would like to go that evening to Belle Lune night club. Fi’s heart flutters and she says “Yes, that would be lovely”. Louis will pick her up in his sports car. Belle Lune is a wonderful old night club but of a week night it is often rather empty. He doesn’t want any competition from any other guys. Seduction is rarely far from a young man’s mind when there is a very attractive woman available.
Fi is suitably impressed as they drive along – seeing how beautiful Paris is.
(Image above left on an original photo by Bastien NVS on unsplash.com; image above right on an original photo by Luca Lago on unsplash.com)
Fi asks Louis about the child seat that she couldn’t help noticing when he collected her from CDG Airport in his van. He tells her that he is going through an amicable divorce from his wife Columbe. The seat is for their little girl Coco. Columbe wants to leave Paris and will be moving to near Lille. They’ve been married about two years but realised they want different things. He loves their daughter, but the relationship with Columbe went pear shaped. What about Fi? What is her situation – does she have a boyfriend back home? He likes her a lot!
Blonde model Malvina had a one night stand with Louis some time ago and was disappointed when he didn’t call her as he said he would. She has had a few drinks and gets rather upset as she watches him dancing with Fi. He didn’t say anything or acknowledge her. This might get awkward as the fashion show she’ll be one of the models for, is being held at Masque Grand Magasin – where he is the manager.
The Morning after the Night Before
Fi only planned to stay in Paris for a couple of weeks in order to see the fashion show. But everything has changed now. Louis has told her he wants her to stay. And what’s more, he’s asked her to move in with him.
If she stays longer than 2 weeks she will have to give in her notice at Fitz Dolz (the vintage department store that she manages in Mossy Well). And find a tenant for her apartment. And what if it doesn’t work out with Louis – what then?
Perhaps Fitz Dolz might let her just take extended leave of absence. And Mister Tiprego could carry on as manager in her absence? That might work, she thinks.
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