by Lacey Legend
“As you can see, I already have,” the chocolatier said humorously, placing his hand on his belly. “You are English.”
“American.”
“On holiday?” he asked.
“Well, in a way,” Diamond explained. “I will be here for a while, though.”
“I am happy to hear it. My name is Jaques,” the chocolatier said.
“My name is Diamond,” she replied with a smile.
“Mon dieu,” Jaques replied. “Diamond! What a beautiful name.”
“Thanks. My momma said that when I was born, my eyes sparkled like diamonds,” she replied with a grin.
“They still do,” Jaques replied congenially. There was something jolly and avuncular about his presence, and Diamond was comforted by it.
Just then, a group of three tourists came into the shop. Diamond could tell that they were tourists because they immediately took out their phones and began to take photos and videos of the chocolate shop, without even taking a moment to savor the atmosphere.
“May I help you?” Jaques asked.
“No, we’re good. Just getting some pics,” a man said.
“I gotta post this now. Do you have Wifi?” a woman asked Jaques.
“No,” Jaques said with a deep frown.
“Bummer,” she replied, barely looking up from her phone.
“Does anyone want any chocolate?” the man asked.
“These are the best chocolates in northern France,” Jaques explained.
“For real,” the woman said, looking into the case.
“Hey,” the man said, turning towards Diamond.
“Hello,” Diamond replied. The man was looking at her in a peculiar way, and Diamond didn’t quite understand it. Like he was seeing a ghost or something.
“There’s a whole lot of chocolate in this shop,” the man said with a leery smile. Diamond froze, feeling embarrassment and unsure how to reply. Jaques’s eyebrows rose to full height and rage filled him.
“Get out of my shop, you imbécile!” he yelled.
“What’s your problem?” the man replied.
“Dégénéré!” Jaques called, chasing the tourists from his shop.
“Asshole!” the woman called back, running from the shop. Once they were gone, Jaques closed the door behind him and heaved a sigh of relief.
“I’m very sorry for that,” Jaques said.
“It’s okay. That kinda stuff happens all the time,” Diamond replied.
“J'en ai marre,” Jaques said with a huff. “Here, I have something for you,” he said, his demeanor changing as he thought of something exciting. The chocolatier ran behind the counter and opened the glass door, taking out one single chocolate with a pair of tongs and placing it on a little china dish.
“What is it?” Diamond asked.
“Special for today. Framboise.”
“What is that?”
“I believe that you call it raspberry,” Jaques replied.
Diamond brought the dark chocolate to her mouth and bit it. Inside, there was a jellied raspberry that tasted so sweet and fresh, Diamond couldn’t believe her own taste buds.
“Oh my God,” Diamond said.
“Oui . . .” Jaques said with satisfaction. “Framboise de mon jardin. From my garden,” he explained.
“I’m not going to lie,” Diamond said, holding the second half of the chocolate in her fingers. “This might be the best chocolate I’ve ever had.”
“There is plenty more where that came from,” Jaques said, crossing his arms in front of his chest in satisfaction.
“Well I guess I’ll just have to come here every day,” Diamond teased.
“I think that’s a very good idea,” Jaques replied.
When Diamond left the chocolate shop her heart soared. She felt as though she had made a new friend; one that she could trust. She’d most certainly be returning to the chocolate shop at least once a day, if only for the goal of sampling one of everything that Jaques had to offer.
Walking back down the main street, Diamond was trying to decide which shop to enter next. A vintage clothing store caught her eye, and she went in, eager to find some new clothes to wear. She still had on the dress that Baptiste gave her, and she couldn’t believe how comfortable and appealing it was. Everywhere she went, Diamond was turning heads. It inspired her to find another dress that would be just as appealing, but one that she wouldn’t have to return at the end of the day.
“Bonjour,” a woman said as Diamond entered the clothing store.
“Bonjour,” Diamond replied. She found whom she assumed to be the shop owner, sitting behind the counter and wearing a pair of eyeglasses. She was a woman perhaps in her 50s, with a tight bun of black hair resting at the nape of her neck.
“Are you on holiday?” the woman asked.
“Well, kind of,” Diamond explained. “I’m living here for a few months.”
“Oh, we are so happy to have you. In that case, let me show you some of our best pieces. My name is Angelique,” the woman said.
“I’m Diamond.”
Angelique proceeded to show Diamond the very best dresses in the store, as well as some very impressive vintage handbags and shoes. Diamond was in heaven. She loved vintage clothes, especially those that had a designer tag.
“This Yves St. Laurent is from the 70s,” Angelique explained.
“It’s gorgeous,” Diamond replied. It was a satin pink wrap dress that felt like cream in her hands. It looked as though it had barely been worn.
“You should try it on,” Angelique said.
“I guess I should,” Diamond replied.
Stepping into the dressing room, Diamond removed the dress that she was already wearing and noticed herself in the mirror, wearing only a bra and panties. Of course, every woman has things that they wish they could change about themselves, but for the most part Diamond was happy with her physical body. She was comfortable in her own skin. But looking at herself, she couldn’t help but wonder what Baptiste must have thought of her the night before. Then, this feminine self-consciousness was completely washed away by the memory of Baptiste’s body, how he had more or less devoured her, and the kind of tenderness and reverence that he showed. Diamond was almost dizzy at the memory of it.
She pulled the pink dress around her body and tied the sash. The effect was wonderful, because Diamond felt very pretty in the dress, and confident. She stepped out of the dressing room and found Angelique standing there, her hands clasped.
“Oh, Mon Dieu,” Angelique said, nodding her head up and down, and then circling Diamond in order to get a 360° view. “Perfect.”
“I really love it,” Diamond said, inspecting herself again in the mirror.
“It suits you perfectly.”
“Oh God, I haven’t looked at the price tag yet,” Diamond said with trepidation.
“Well, I suppose that I don’t know the price, myself,” Angelique replied, coming close to Diamond and looking for the tag. She found it around Diamond’s neck, and she pulled it out to inspect it.
“I can’t see a thing,” Angelique said, pushing her glasses higher up onto her nose. “Ah yes, now I see.”
Diamond waited in anticipation, hoping that the price wouldn’t be too much out of her budget.
“320,” Angelique said.
“Euros?” Diamond asked.
“That is the running currency,” Angelique said humorously.
“It’s a little high for me, but it was fun to try it on,” Diamond said, her heart sinking.
“We can leave it here in your name, if you’d like to pay in installments,” Angelique said, very much hoping that Diamond would eventually be the owner of the dress. If she had her way, she’d simply give it to the kind newcomer to town, but she did have her own expenses to pay, and Angelique was a very focused businesswoman.
“That’s not a bad idea,” Diamond said, still inspecting herself in the mirror and thinking of the corners that she could cut in order to buy the dress in a month�
��s time.
“Well then, that’s what we’ll do. Only we’ll make it 250 euro instead,” Angelique said with assurance.
“You don’t have to do that!” Diamond protested.
“No, it makes perfect sense. This dress will not look as good on anyone but you,” Angelique replied, returning to her post and writing down the price in her ledger.
Diamond went back into the dressing room and put the floral dress from Baptiste back on. She exited the little booth with her purse and stopped Angelique dead in her tracks.
“Did you purchase that dress from here?” Angelique asked.
“No, a friend of mine gave it to me.”
Angelique came out and took a turn around Diamond yet again, inspecting her.
“This was bought from my store this morning,” Angelique said in wonder.
“By Baptiste Laurent?” Diamond asked in dismay.
Angelique looked up at Diamond and her eyes went wide.
“What do you know of Monsieur Laurent?” Angelique asked.
“He’s just a friend,” Diamond said, a note of guilt in her voice.
“Just a friend? Well, in that case, why don’t you set aside this handbag and shoes as well,” Angelique said, suddenly full of excitement. If the new town-member was dating Baptiste Laurent, then she would need to have only the finest. Angelique picked out a lovely purple clutch and magenta shoes; the colors of which she thought would go perfect with the pink dress.
“These are marvelous,” Diamond said, filled with excitement.
“They’ll go perfect with the dress. These colors add the right touch of contrast,” Angelique explained.
“Well, I can’t thank you enough. I’ll be back to get them soon,” Diamond said.
“I do not doubt that,” Angelique said with a wink.
Diamond exited the shop and felt as light as air. It all seemed so effortless; as though everywhere she went she was making friends. Who would have thought that the denizens of the town would be so inviting?
Diamond’s phone rang again and she was hoping that it was Tanesha, so that she might tell her all about the chocolate and the pink dress, but of course, it was Malik who came up on her phone. It was getting out of hand. The calls were persistent, and Diamond simply didn’t want to deal with it anymore.
“Motherfucker,” Diamond said under her breath, clutching the phone.
“I’ve been called worse,” a voice said, and Diamond looked up to find Baptiste standing in front of her, an assistant following close behind.
“Oh God, I didn’t mean you,” Diamond said. Her heart began to race again, just as it had the night before. Simply looking at Baptiste Laurent did something impressive to her blood pressure.
“I know. I was merely teasing you,” Baptiste replied.
“Thanks for returning my clothes,” Diamond said in a hushed tone, looking from side to side. “I’ll return this dress tomorrow.”
“Keep it,” Baptiste replied with a smile. “It’s meant for you.”
“It’s too generous of you. I don’t know that I can accept it,” Diamond replied.
“Well, if you try to bring it back to my home, I’m afraid the driver will return it to you promptly.”
Diamond laughed. There was no way of getting around Baptiste’s willfulness. She resigned herself to retaining the beautiful floral dress that hugged her body so comfortably.
“I guess I won’t argue with you then.”
There was silence and a moment of tension, as both Diamond and Baptiste wished to lean in and share in a kiss. Both refrained, if only for the freshness of things. Either one didn’t know where the boundaries lay.
“You refuse to have dinner with me tonight,” Baptiste said, his tone subtlety changing.
“Oh, that,” Diamond replied, unsure how to explain herself. “It would be so lovely, but I haven’t had a chance to sleep in my own apartment yet!”
There was a curious look on Baptiste’s face, as though he wished Diamond would never sleep in her own apartment again.
“Tomorrow night, then,” Baptiste said, becoming frustrated. Diamond could tell that he was a man that always wanted things his way.
“Um . . .” Diamond said, thinking things over. Baptiste gave her a stern look and she relented. “That sounds nice.”
“Perfect,” Baptiste said, turning to his assistant and dictating something in French. “The driver will pick you up at 8.”
“Okay,” Diamond replied. Baptiste was about to lean in for a kiss when Diamond’s phone started to go off again. “Shit,” she said, seeing Malik come up one more time.
“Is there some trouble?” Baptiste asked.
“No, no,” Diamond said, trying to keep her cool. “Just someone I don’t want to talk to,” she added with an apologetic smile.
Baptiste’s expression changed once again, as he could tell what Diamond was implying.
“I see,” he said.
“Well, I better be going,” Diamond said, suddenly uncomfortable by the unspoken understanding.
“I shall see you tomorrow,” Baptiste said, wishing to touch Diamond in some way, but playing the role of the perfect gentleman. “It will be a family dinner, I’m afraid. Cousins and nephews and such.”
“Oh,” Diamond said. She was in shock. How was it that she could spend one night with this man, and all of a sudden he was introducing her to family? It was all so surreal.
“Does that make you nervous?” Baptiste asked, genuinely concerned that she might be uncomfortable.
“No, not at all,” Diamond replied, lying ever so slightly. “It will be fun.”
“Very well, then,” Baptiste replied, leaning in and giving Diamond a gentle kiss.
Their lips seemed to fit together perfectly, and Diamond felt like she could stand there all day long, kissing Baptiste. She regretfully pulled away because she didn’t want to make a scene. It’s one thing to be a tourist in town, and it’s another to just show up and start dating the wealthiest man in France, making friends with all the townsfolk, like she owned the place or something.
Diamond walked away and she could feel that her heart was still racing. Was all of this really happening? It was like her life turned into some kind of dream overnight. The phone in her purse was the only reminder of her former life, and how it was still seeking to haunt her.
Meeting Baptiste’s family? What the hell? Diamond’s head was filled with nervous thoughts. It seemed too soon, and yet something deep inside her really longed to meet the only remaining family that Baptiste Laurent had. What the hell were they going to think about her?
Diamond tried to clear these thoughts from her head as she walked. She had already made some friends since coming to town, and she was glad for it. If only every day could be nothing but shopping for chocolate and dresses. Unfortunately, things didn’t work that way in reality, but for the time being Diamond was going to savor the delicious day.
It was lunchtime and Diamond was finally getting hungry. She popped into a little cafe that had some relaxed diners out on the patio, enjoying the afternoon sunshine.
“Le menu,” the hostess said, handing Diamond a document covered in plastic.
“Merci,” Diamond replied, inspecting it. She noticed a park just across the way, and Diamond wished to take her food into the park and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. She selected the baguette with fromage and ham, and the hostess went back to the kitchen to place the order. One of the diners at a nearby table was staring at Diamond, she wondered why. Then she realized that she was pretty much the only black person in town. She decided to not dwell on it and looked away.
“It is five minutes,” the hostess said with a heavy French accent.
Diamond’s phone kept ringing and she knew who it was without looking. She’d have to answer at some point, to face Malik, face her past, face everything. It seemed too soon to do all that, but it was inevitable. Maybe that night she’d actually pick up the phone, but she’d only do it with a stiff drink in her
hand.
“Voila,” the hostess said, handing Diamond a plastic bag.
“Merci,” she replied, taking the bag in her hands and walking towards the park in the warm sunlight.
A feeling came over her that Diamond was not acquainted with. It was a feeling of peace. She felt at home, safe, and comfortable. Diamond couldn’t remember the last time that she felt that back in Chicago. All the time she was on-edge, never knowing what new calamity was going to come her way next. But in France, she felt free, and like herself again. It was amazing to her how just a simple change in location could change the way that she felt about her life, and her future.
Diamond found a charming park bench that looked out towards the creek that trickled down towards the sea. She sat upon it and opened the bag, finding a crispy, warm baguette that was neatly filled with meat, cheese, tomato, and greens. She took the sandwich in her hands and took a bite.
“Oh my God,” she said to herself with a mouthful of food. Everything about it was simple and perfect. The bread was flaky on the outside and soft on the inside, the ham and cheese were salty and fresh, the vegetables were flavorful, and the mustard had the right bit of sharpness to it. Now, that’s a lunch, Diamond thought to herself. Only days before, Diamond was subsisting on cottage cheese and melon for the afternoon meal, but things were about to change. Diamond was going to live life to the fullest, no matter the consequences.
“I hadn’t seen you like this since you was a girl,” Bernice said, suddenly sitting beside her.
“Damn, mama,” Diamond replied. “I just feel good. I can’t explain it.”
“You’s where you need to be,” Bernice said with a mouthful of food. Diamond turned to look at her mom and saw her with a mouthful of Croque Monsieur.
“Where you get that?” Diamond asked, impressed.
“Same damn shop you went to, where else I get it?” Bernice replied, teasing her daughter.
“Mama, you know all that cheese ain’t good for your heart.”
“Child, this cheese is damn good for my heart, and who cares anyhow? I dead!”
