“Oh, Mom, thank you.” Nina leaned over and gave her mother a big hug. “I wanted you to understand. I wanted you to know how important this was to me.”
“I do now,” her mother replied.
When the two of them pulled apart, Mrs. Shaw was smiling. “Now, Nina, does this mean I finally get to meet this young man of yours? The one you’ve been hiding from us?”
Nina laughed. “Yes, Mom. I’d love it if you and Dad met Pierre.”
“I’m sure he must be very special” Mrs. Shaw said. Thoughtfully, she added, “Just like his grandfather.”
Chapter 12
“There you are, you two! Thank goodness! I was afraid I’d missed the plane!”
Jennifer came running across Charles de Gaulle Airport, dragging along her two heavy suitcases. She was headed toward Gate 12, the departure point for Air France Flight 77, Paris to New York City, scheduled to leave in less than an hour.
Nina and Kristy, lingering in front of the duty-free gift shop, looked at each other and laughed.
“I guess some things never change, do they?” Kristy said, still chuckling.
Suddenly she grew serious. “But there is one thing that has changed. Jennifer and I may be going back home in an hour, but you won’t be coming with us.”
Nina’s smile faded. It was as if, all of a sudden, the magnitude of what she was doing hit her. Two fat tears drifted down her cheeks.
“Oh, Kristy, I’m so scared!” she cried, her voice barely a whisper.
“I know you are.” Kristy leaned over and threw her arms around her friend. “Anybody in your shoes would be scared to death.”
“Really?” As she hugged her back, burying her face in her shoulder, Nina sounded as if she didn’t quite believe her.
“Sure. You’re about to begin the biggest adventure of your life. A new city, a new job, a new apartment, a new boyfriend ...”
“There’s one old thing I’m going to miss very, very much.”
“What’s that?”
As Nina drew away, her expression was one of surprise. “Why, my old friends, of course!”
Neither of them spoke for the next few seconds. But the looks on both their faces said much more than mere words ever could.
“Are you guys still here?”
Jennifer was back, still clutching her suitcases— and looking very impatient.
“We were supposed to meet Ms. Darcy and the others at the gate about fifteen minutes ago,” she said. “She’s going to go ballistic if we don’t show up there soon.”
“Give me a break, Jen,” Kristy replied. “I’m not going to see Nina again for a long time.”
“Oh, Nina will be back, at least to visit, in no time. Right?” Jennifer added anxiously.
Nina couldn’t help laughing. “I guess I’ll have to come back, if I’m going to get to see you. I know I’d better not hold my breath until you hop on a plane and come over to Europe again!’’
“Oh, it’s not so bad here, once you get used to it,” Jennifer said loftily. “It’s even possible for a person to learn a thing or two—if she’s open to it, that is.”
“Well, Jen,” Kristy interjected, an impish look on her face, “there’s plenty of room in Nina’s apartment. With a little bit of reshuffling, I bet that one more person could fit in there without any problem. So it’s not too late for you to change your mind about getting on that plane and going back home—”
“Are you kidding?” Jennifer squealed. “I can’t wait!” Dreamily, she added, “Danny’s promised to be waiting for me at the airport with a dozen red roses.”
“Like I said before,” Kristy commented, grinning, “I guess some things never change.”
“There are some things I hope never change.”
All three girls turned at the unexpected sound of the male voice that had suddenly broken into their conversation. They saw that they had been joined by two of their favorite Parisians.
“Pierre!” Nina cried with delight. “You made it!”
“Of course! I wanted to be with you while you said good-bye to your two American friends.” Pierre slipped his hand in hers. “I thought you could probably use a Parisian friend right about now.”
Nina gave his hand a grateful squeeze. She was pleased that he understood.
“I just hope Nina doesn’t regret her decision,” said Alain, who had come over to Kristy and put his arm around her. “I can practically guarantee that working for my mother isn’t going to be any barbecue.”
“Barbecue?” The three girls looked at each other, puzzled. And then Kristy burst out laughing.
“I think you mean it won’t be any picnic!”
Alain just looked bewildered. “Ah, your language is so difficult.”
“Don’t worry, Alain,” Nina said reassuringly. “You’ll have plenty of time to learn it. In just a couple of weeks, you’ll be living in Boston.”
“I know. Not far from my favorite English teacher.” He was gazing fondly at Kristy. In a teasing voice, he added, “You know, the one who doesn’t own a single Rolls Royce but has still managed to drive away with my heart.”
“Well, I hate to be a wet blanket,” Jennifer cut in, “or as Alain would say, a damp comforter....”
“Or a moist afghan,” Kristy teased.
“Or a mildewed sleeping bag,” Nina added.
“Anyway, you guys, we’d better get a move on. I’m dying to get on that plane.”
“I guess it is almost time.” Kristy turned to face Alain. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you soon.”
Alain nodded. “We don’t even have to say goodbye.”
“We don’t, either,” Pierre whispered in Nina’s ear. Once again, she gave his hand a squeeze.
“So it looks like this is it.” Jennifer gave Nina a long look, then threw her arms around her. “Have a great time, kid!”
Next she faced Pierre. “And you make sure she’s okay, all right?”
“You’ve got my promise.”
“Okay, enough. Let’s get going before I burst into tears,” Kristy said. She blinked hard, took a few deep breaths, and then tossed her head. “Come on, Jen. Like you’ve been saying, we don’t want that plane to take off without us.”
She picked up her own suitcase, turned away, and then peeked over her shoulder at Nina.
“Catch you later,” she said lightly. And then she was off.
“Are you okay?” Jennifer asked in a soft voice, glancing over at Kristy as the two of them hurried toward the gate.
“I’m great,” Kristy replied. “Really. I’m happy for Nina. She got what she wanted.”
“You should be happy for yourself, too,” Jennifer pointed out. “Don’t forget, you also got what you wanted.”
Slowly a smile crept across Kristy’s face. “Yes, I guess you’re right,” she said. “I did get what I wanted.”
Nina, meanwhile, stayed behind with Pierre and Alain, watching her two best friends as they walked away. Instead of feeling sad or being on the verge of tears, the way she would have expected, she found she was actually smiling. She was experiencing a sense of warmth and security from just knowing she had such good friends—no matter how far away they might be.
“Do you want to stay?” Pierre asked gently. “We could watch the plane take off.”
“No, that’s all right.” Nina gave her friends one last look, then turned to him. “I’m ready to go.”
They began walking out of the airport, with Pierre at Nina’s side and Alain a few paces behind.
“Do you feel as if something in your life has just come to an end?” Pierre asked in a soft voice.
“In a way,” Nina replied.
She thought for a few moments before adding, “But do you know what? What I feel even more strongly is that something else is about to begin.”
Copyright © 1992 by Cynthia Blair
Originally published by Fawcett Juniper (0449703932)
Electronically published in 2013 by Belgrave House
ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED
No portion of this book may be reprinted in whole or in part, by printing, faxing, E-mail, copying electronically or by any other means without permission of the publisher. For more
information, contact Belgrave House, 190 Belgrave Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94117-4228
http://www.BelgraveHouse.com
Electronic sales: [email protected]
This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.
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