What If It's Love?: A Contemporary Romance Set in Paris (Bistro La Bohème Book 1)

by Nichols, Alix

  Amanda clapped her hands. “How exciting!”

  “Jacques, why aren’t you telling them there’s also going to be madam the mayor making long speeches, Monsieur Pascal playing the accordion. and the Moreau children with their flutes?” Rob’s grandfather asked, looking innocent.

  Rob snorted, nearly spilling his lemonade.

  “Aren’t we supposed to buy tickets for the ball, Monsieur Dumont?” Amanda asked, skillfully diverting the conversation.

  He cocked his head. “Do I look like someone who lets his guests pay for anything? As far as I know you and Mat are currently unemployed. I am told Lena is a fresh graduate as well, so I guess she, too, lives on pasta and water.”

  Lena braced herself for a mean remark from Amanda, but the latter took a pass for some unfathomable reason.

  Monsieur Dumont turned to Rob. “And as for my son here, he’d rather depend on the crumbs those cheapskate Parisians leave him than return home, take his rightful place at the farm and have a future.”

  “Jacques, I think these young people are well aware of their financial situations and don’t need you to remind them,” Rose admonished her husband before turning to Amanda. “So, my dear, I hope you brought a cocktail dress for tomorrow night, so you don’t end up having to wear one of my ancient prepregnancy gowns like last year?”

  “And what a beautiful gown it was,” Amanda said, and then added with a mysterious smile, “But yes, Rose, this time round I’ve come well prepared.”

  * * *

  Madame the mayor’s speech was longish but inspired. The Moreau children, however, turned out to be far worse than Lena had imagined. It was an ordeal to listen to them massacre one tune after another, encouraged by the sympathetic applause of the villagers. Lena began plotting how she could sneak out for a while, when the children finally exhausted themselves and bowed to the audience. The villagers gave them a particularly enthusiastic round of applause—no doubt, out of immense gratitude for having ended their torture.

  Compared to the flute players, Monsieur Pascal’s accordion wasn’t half bad. As a matter of fact, Lena quite enjoyed the classic Piaf and Aznavour tunes Monsieur Pascal spiced up with a hint of rock ‘n’ roll.

  Before the second part of the program began, the fire brigade’s courtyard was rearranged for the rock band. The enthusiastic audience dimmed the lights, pushed chairs to the walls, and filled their stomachs with the requisite amount of beer.

  “Have you heard of this band before?” Amanda asked Rob.

  She wore a shimmering little black dress and strappy high heels. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders in artful coils. She was Parisian glamor personified.

  Rob shook his head. “Nope. But then again, I haven’t lived around here the past six years. My cousin tells me they’re big in Lyon and the entire southeast.”

  The band arrived appropriately late, set their equipment up, and began to play. Their music was rocky, sexy, and loud. The youth raved along in total abandon, while the older audience made a huge dent in the local alcohol reserves.

  The ball was undeniably a resounding success.

  Just before their well-deserved break, the musicians struck a few incongruously romantic chords. Their bare-chested lead singer shouted into the microphone, “This one is for Lucie who has finally accepted to be Antoine’s wife.”

  The announcement made, he launched into a cheesy slow song.

  Among the general cheering and hip, hip hurrahs for the couple, Rob offered a hand to Lena and pulled her into his embrace. As they moved to the rhythm of the song, his strong arms held her close, and Lena felt so happy she wanted to cry.

  When the song ended and the musicians retreated for a break, Lena and Rob joined Mat and Amanda who were standing in line for a drink. Amanda gave Lena a strange look, jealous and yet inexplicably triumphant, but Lena told herself not to read too much into it.

  “I wish Jeanne were invited, too,” Mat said wistfully as the four of them regrouped in a corner of the courtyard. “She would have loved these guys.”

  He made a sweeping gesture to point at the band and spilled his beer all around. Most of it landed on Lena.

  “Shit! I’m so sorry . . .” He put his now empty can on the ground. “Let me go find some tissues.”

  Lena assessed the state of her dress. “I’d rather change into another outfit. And maybe take a quick shower.” She smiled and patted Mat on the arm. “It’s OK. I’ll be back in twenty minutes or so.”

  She winked at Rob, spun around, and hurried to the farm house.

  Fifteen minutes later, she strode back to the improvised concert hall, humming a tune under her breath. She felt extremely proud of the record speed at which she’d showered and changed. As she turned a corner, she noticed Rob leaning against a tree trunk, tapping something on his phone.

  Ha! Didn’t expect me to be back so soon, did you?

  She began to tiptoe preparing to startle him with a boo, when his phone rang.

  “I take it you received my text,” he said. “Yeah, this time I’m definitively calling it off . . . Absolutely not. It’s got nothing to do with her. I just found a good job, so I don’t need to moonlight anymore.”

  Rob said good-bye and jogged back toward the courtyard. Lena stood motionless for a good quarter of an hour, racking her brain for an explanation to what she’d heard. Other than the obvious one. Finally, she shook off her stupor and walked over to the gang.

  Rob grinned happily as she approached and took her hand. She looked away.

  “So, have you heard the great news?” Amanda turned to Lena.

  “No, she hasn’t heard it yet. I was just about to tell her,” Rob said.

  Lena lifted her eyes to him and held her breath. Please say something that would explain everything. That would mean I can still trust you.

  “Remember the follow-up interview I went to on Tuesday?” Rob asked. “They offered me a job. It’s in the energy sector and it pays decently.”

  “So, you’ll be able to get a loan and pay the school fees?” Mat asked with enthusiasm.

  Lena forced herself to say, “Congratulations.”

  She struggled to remain standing as her mind grappled with the truth about Rob. That truth was so heavy it overwhelmed her, crushed her to the ground. There was no alternative explanation—he had kept passing on intel on her dad in spite of his promise, and he quit only because he’d gotten a well-paid job. Not because of her.

  He pretended to like me so he could use me.

  “Well, would you believe it?” Amanda jumped in. “They hired me, too! We were both invited for follow-up interviews and both got picked over two hundred other candidates.”

  Mat gave Amanda a pat on the shoulder. “Well done! What’s the name of the company? Are their offices in Paris or in one of those horrible northern suburbs?”

  Rob shot a look at Amanda as though to warn her against answering and said, “The company is called Energie NordSud. The main office is in Paris, but they’re expanding very fast . . . Lena, the jobs Amanda and I were offered are in their newly opened office in Bangkok.”

  “Bangkok, Thailand.” Amanda expounded. “The hottest city in the world both literally and figuratively, if you ask those in the know.”

  “When are you supposed to begin?” Mat asked.

  Amanda could barely contain her excitement. “In a month. The company’s relocation agent has already found a few apartments not far from the office. All much nicer and bigger than what I could ever afford in Paris with the same salary! I can’t wait.”

  Amanda’s last words were drowned out by the town hall clock striking twelve. The loud chimes muffled every other sound and reverberated in Lena’s head. There it was, she thought, the proverbial stroke of midnight that turned her carriage into a pumpkin and her beautiful ball gown into rags. How symbolic.

  “Will you excuse us, guys?” Rob said and took her hand, pulling her away from the others.

  When they were a safe distance away, he curled
his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Lena, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. We received confirmation e-mails this morning, and I was planning on telling you tomorrow . . . I didn’t want to spoil the festive mood.”

  She looked past him. There was no point in telling him she’d overheard his phone conversation. What would it change?

  “We could have a long-distance relationship, like so many other couples our age . . . You could maybe even move to Bangkok. Why not spend your gap year in Thailand?” he asked excitedly.

  She forced herself to speak. “I can’t. The climate in Bangkok is bad for my heart condition.”

  He squeezed her hand. “I don’t want whatever it is we have to end here. I really like you, Lena.”

  She gave a ragged sigh. “But it does end here, I’m afraid.”

  “Don’t say that. We still have a month together in Paris, and after that we have the phone, e-mail and video chat. I’ll visit you. I’m not planning on staying in Thailand forever. I’ll return to France in a couple of years.”

  “I don’t believe in long-distance relationships,” she said.

  “Lena, please.” His voice cracked with emotion. “Will you please take some time to think about it? Yes, we haven’t been together long, and yes, I haven’t been on my best behavior. But I’m asking you to take a leap of faith now and trust me.”

  Suddenly it was too much.

  “Trust you?” she hissed and jerked her hand free. “I’ll never be able to trust you. I heard you talking to that guy earlier. I know you didn’t stop spying on me after we made up. You lied to me!”

  Rob swallowed hard. “I did. And I’m not proud of it. But I’m not lying to you now.”

  She gave him a hard look.

  “Lena, listen to me, please. Even though I officially ended it only today, I haven’t passed on any info since we made up. It’s the truth.”

  “Of course. If you say so.” Her voice was bitter, just like the taste in her mouth. “You also said you wouldn’t cause any harm to my family. Well, turns out you have. I didn’t want to tell you this, but I will now. Does the name Raduga sound familiar?” She narrowed her eyes at him.

  He nodded slowly.

  “They refused my dad’s offer two days after shaking hands on it, just before they were to sign the papers. Apparently, some guy who’d studied with Raduga’s founder turned up at the last minute and proposed a partnership on such great terms, the founder decided not to sell. My dad was livid.”

  “And what businessman wouldn’t be in his place? But, at the end of the day, it’s just a business transaction that didn’t happen. Nothing more.”

  Lena shook her head. “It meant a lot to him. But that’s not even the point. The point is, you have harmed us . . . God, I was such an idiot to think you were into me, to believe you were so keen for us to make up because you wanted to be with me. But you just wanted to get more intel.”

  He took a step toward her. “That’s not true! Lena, I’m begging you—”

  “Please. Enough.”

  She spun around and ran to the house where she locked herself up in her room and cried her heart out.

  * * *

  “Come on, Lena, pick up the phone,” Rob repeated his silent prayer for the third time.

  It wasn’t working. When he had entered Lena’s bedroom earlier in the morning, after having knocked and waited for what seemed like an eternity, all he found was a neatly made bed and a note on the bedside table.

  To Rose and Jacques:

  Thank you so much for your hospitality and your kindness! I am sorry I had to leave without having said good-bye.

  With warmest wishes,

  Lena.

  Rob’s first impulse was to jog to the train station, catch the first train to Paris, and go straight to Lena’s place. But he thought better of it. Lena was too upset with him right now to even accept to talk to him. He should give her a bit of time to cool down. Besides, he was to spend two more days with his family whom he hadn’t seen since Christmas. They would be terribly disappointed if he left now. He shoved his phone and Lena’s note into his pocket and went down for breakfast.

  Everyone was already at the table, including Grand-papa, Amanda, and Mat. Papa was making pancakes and Maman was pouring coffee. Amanda was laughing at someone’s joke.

  His sister Caro was the first to notice his arrival. “Rob’s here! Hello, sleepy head! If you hadn’t showed up in another five minutes, I was going to go to your room and tickle you out of bed.”

  “I’m glad you’ve assimilated my methods, little sis.”

  Rob sat down at the table. There was an empty seat next to his, with a plate, a mug, an embroidered napkin, and silverware. Rob braced himself for the inevitable question.

  “Is your friend Lena awake yet?” Papa asked. “I don’t want her pancakes to go cold.”

  “Lena had to leave earlier this morning. Something came up and she had to go. She left this for you.” He handed Lena’s note to his mother.

  “What a shame. We’ve planned a fun day. We’re going to hike to Besançon, have lunch there at Michel’s Diner, and visit the crafts market, then hike back. Grand-papa is coming, too. Oh well.” Suddenly, she frowned. “Amanda, Mat, you’re coming, aren’t you?”

  “Most definitely,” Amanda said.

  Mat, whose mouth was full, nodded.

  Rob could feel his mother’s expectant gaze on him, so he looked up from his plate and said reassuringly, “Yes, of course, M’man.”

  “Good.” Grand-papa looked relieved. “I still have lots of questions for you, boy. I don’t want to regret having accepted this crazy hiking trip idea.”

  “You won’t regret it, Grand-papa, I promise,” Rob said.

  The rest of the weekend was a haze of long conversations with his grandfather, pillow fights with Caro, and beers with his cousins and classmates. Mat had left after the Besançon hike, but Amanda stayed on. She took part in most of his activities, and more than one of his buddies told him with glee she was one gorgeous chick—and he, one lucky bastard—in spite of his assurances that they were just friends.

  On the train ride back to Paris, Rob wished they still had exams so he could spend the whole trip revising and avoid Amanda’s questions. As it was, all he could do was to try and look totally consumed by the book he was reading. Which, of course, didn’t deter Amanda from asking questions.

  “Is Lena upset about you going to Thailand?”

  Rob pretended not to have heard her, but she pressed on. “Why did she leave so suddenly? Did she really have an emergency to attend to or was it about Thailand?”

  He continued ignoring her.

  She jabbed him with her elbow. “Rob, talk to me.”

  “It’s not about Thailand,” he barked. “If you really want to know, I’ve been an ass. And now she won’t pick up the phone.”

  “Well, I’m sure you couldn’t have done something so bad. She’s overreacting.” Amanda shrugged. “She should grow up.”

  Amanda means well, he told himself. He had no right to be angry with her. The only person he should be mad with was himself. He remembered how he had asked Lena to trust him. And how she’d replied she couldn’t. If only he could make her see into his soul! If only she could read his mind, then she’d know he would never betray her again.

  But that neat solution was beyond his reach.

  “Poor Rob,” Amanda said, bringing him back to the here and now. She patted his arm comfortingly. “She’ll come around, like she did last time. Come on, stop looking like a beaten dog, and let’s discuss our exciting first job! I’m so happy about it I feel like doing a jig every now and then.”

  Rob’s anger subsided. Amanda was so enthusiastic, it was unfair of him to bring her down with his issues. He shut his book and asked, “So, what do we know about our soon-to-be home base from an economic and geopolitical point of view?”

  Amanda blinked, unsure if he was being serious.

  He smiled. “By wh
ich I mean its public transportation, rent levels, Internet speed, restaurants, and music scene.”

  When they got off the train in Paris, Rob didn’t go to Lena’s immediately. He needed to collect himself and prepare for the conversation. He had to bring her around, convince her he wasn’t an unscrupulous liar. He had to impress upon her that he truly cared for her and was committed to make the long-distance relationship work.

  A tall order for someone who’d never before begged a woman to be with him. Or begged anyone for anything, for that matter.

  So he went to his place, unpacked, showered, and did some thinking. When he felt he was ready, he grabbed the neatly wrapped piece of Comté his mom had sent with him for Lena and walked out the door. On the métro, he recapped his arguments and rehearsed his speech. His spirits higher, he keyed in her intercom code and ran up the stairs. He knocked on her door. Then he knocked again, and again, and again, until his knuckles hurt.

  * * *

  The cabbie was a frail little woman who looked to be in her seventies. She was elegant, in an inimitable French way, and eccentric. She jumped out of the car and rushed to Lena as if she meant to pick up her huge suitcase. But halfway through, she slowed down giving Lena ample time to realize what was going on—and refuse to let an old lady carry her stuff.

  Throughout the trip, she talked and gesticulated with both hands, leaving the steering wheel unattended in a cheerfully cavalier fashion. Her driving was jerky and way too fast. When she finally ran out of conversation (it was a long trip to the Charles de Gaulle Airport), she rummaged through her bottomless tote bag and retrieved a newspaper. She held it in front of her and began to read, first to herself then out loud for Lena’s benefit. When the cab finally pulled up at Terminal 2E, Lena experienced the biggest moment of deliverance in her whole life.

  After she boarded the plane and buckled her seatbelt, she felt grateful for that mad ride. Besides giving her the fright of her life, it shot her with enough adrenalin to take her mind off the subject of Rob and stall her budding depression.

  She would get over him, she told herself for the hundredth time, just as she got over Gerhard. And Paris . . . well, Paris was the price to pay. Her favorite city was now tainted, its beauty no longer serene. It triggered memories that had become painful. She couldn’t stay there anymore.