A French Girl In New York

by Anna Adams

  Matt sang:

  Paris is the place to see

  New York is the place to be

  Paris versus New York City

  Maude sang:

  New York’s the place to see

  Paris is the place to be

  I’d choose Paris over New York any day

  So just give up and walk away

  Maude paused and sang slowly:

  Let’s agree to disagree

  My heart belongs to Paris

  You love New York City

  Come to Paris some time

  I’m sure I’ll change your mind

  Matt walked towards Maude and ended the song softly:

  Paris versus New York City

  Where you are is where I’ll be

  Forget Paris versus New York City

  You’re all that matters to me

  Then they sang together softly:

  Forget Paris versus New York City

  You’re all that matters to me”

  Matt and Maude stopped singing, their eyes locked, as if nothing else in the world mattered. Maude’s heart was racing as the sound of the drums slowly died down, her eyes searched his as his last words echoed in her ear. You’re all that matters to me.

  Suddenly a loud cheer erupted from the crowd, who started singing the chorus of the song. Feet thumped, hands clapped. Soon, Maude and Matt were ushered off the stage to loud applause.

  “I guess that wasn’t too bad for a first time,” Matt yelled over the noise.

  “It was better than not too bad. Don’t you hear the crowd?” Maude yelled back.

  “One thing is for sure,” Matt said “We’ve finished your song about Paris. We’ll rework on the instruments, but this song is as good as done Maude.”

  “You mean to tell me that we will present this song to James?” Her very first single! They had finally finished writing her song about Paris, and it was a hundred times better than she had anticipated.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. There’s a good rhythm, a playful banter between the female and the male character. This will be a hit.”

  “Playful banter, characters,” Maude repeated, feeling a lot less elated. “Right, it was just playful banter.”

  Matt was about to say something, but was interrupted by the Delgado family.

  Anita jumped into Matt’s arms.

  “You two were great,” she said throwing him a loud kiss.

  “Next time you two come I hope I won’t have to drag you on stage,” Rosa said, shaking her finger at Matt.

  “I promise, Rosa,” he said kissing her cheek. “We have to go now. I still have to show Maude what she’s been missing in France all these years.”

  “All right, Mateo. Take good care of Maude, she’s a keeper,” she said, turning to Maude. She wrapped her arms around the young girl and held her tight and whispered, “He needs someone like you in his life.”

  Maude nodded, unsure of how to respond.

  “Let’s go, Maude,” Matt called her back to reality.

  She followed him out if the restaurant reluctantly.

  “Do we have to go? This place is great!”

  “I know! What did Rosa tell you back there?”

  “Nothing. Just to find the best revenge for the trick you played me with the spicy Machaca.”

  “No way! I hope you won’t follow her advice.”

  “I think I will, Rosa Delgado is full of wisdom.”

  “Central Park?” Maude asked dubiously. “In winter? Are you sure this is a good idea? Jaz said it was better to go in the summer.”

  “That’s because Jaz refuses to walk anywhere that might endanger her Prada boots.”

  They were trudging in the snow through the park, and although surrounded by beautiful scenery, Maude was worried her feet would turn into two blocks of ice if they continued to wherever Matt was taking her. Carvin winters were rough, but this was something else entirely. However, Carvin held no similar display of natural, picturesque beauty as Central Park offered.

  “This alley is breathtaking,” Maude admired a shiver of delight running down her spine.

  “It’s called the Mall,” Matt informed simply. Practical as he was, Matt had walked in this alley countless times and wasn’t the kind of person to feel the slightest hint of admiration for what he perceived as nothing but a trail.

  “What a horrid name for such a beautiful place!” Maude remarked, shaking her head in disapproval.

  Matt’s laugh echoed in the pathway. He might not be awed, but Maude’s candor was definitely touching.

  For sure, the name was a savorless, stale name in comparison to the content it stood for. The bare elms, dressed in a white robe of ice crystals, showed the way in an enchanting alley resembling a pathway to an elfin world. Whispering secrets, the snow-draped branches entwined amorously in a wide, cathedral-like canopy. The coarse, dark barks wrinkled with centuries-old wisdom, eyeing the pedestrians in solemn silence.

  “I’ll just give this pathway another name,” Maude decided. “Whispering Walkway will be its new name because if you listen closely enough, the trees’ rustling sound like a melodious murmur.”

  “I now baptize this path the Whispering Walkway!” Matt declared in a serious tone.

  Maude glanced at Matt expecting to find an amused glint in his eye, but was surprised when she found none. And with that they continued trudging in silence until they reached their destination.

  “You have got to be kidding me!” Maude exclaimed, when they reached their destination.

  Before her eyes was the biggest ice-skating rink she had ever seen. The Wollman Rink wasn’t very crowded that day, nevertheless, Maude eyed it suspiciously.

  “We should go back to Soulville. We’ve had enough fun for a day, I think.”

  “No way! Don’t tell me you’re scared,” he taunted.

  Maude remained resolutely silent, a worried look on her face.

  “You’ve never been ice-skating, have you?” he asked with a look of genuine concern.

  Maude shook her head.

  “Well, today is a day full of firsts for you!” he exclaimed. “You’re in luck. Not only are you with the coolest guide in the city, but you’re also with an excellent ice-skating instructor. I never fall. Come on!”

  Maude reluctantly followed him to get their skates, wondering uncomfortably how she would ever manage to stay on her feet without looking like a complete fool. No one can pull off a first ice-skating experience without falling flat on their face at least a dozen times and Maude, although willfully compelling herself to remain in vertical position, was no exception. She was always somewhat surprised when she returned to a horizontal position of failure. And it didn’t help to see Matt irritatingly at ease, skating as if he were the sole contestant of his very own Winter Olympic Games. And it certainly didn’t help to hear his hearty laughter every time she fell flat on her butt.

  “Laugh all you want,” Maude said hotly rubbing her knees after her hundredth fall. And she hadn’t even left the edge yet!

  “I can’t help it! I find it hilarious to witness someone fall that many times. I’ve truly forgotten how it feels to fall,” he boasted playfully.

  Maude rolled her eyes. He really was full of it.

  “Come on, Maude,” Matt coaxed trying to put on a grim face but failing. “Just take my hand and slide away from the edge.”

  “I’m fine here, thanks,” Maude replied clinging to the edge for dear life.

  Matt looked at her, shivering from head to toe and thought she looked anything but fine. And he wanted her to have fun. So he went at it the only way he knew how.

  “I thought you said you never walked away from a challenge,” he declared.

  He hadn’t explicitly used the word “chicken,” but he might as well have. Maude’s eyes flashed as she straightened immediately, raising her head with all the dignity she could muster as she peered at his outstretched hand.

  “If you let me fall . . . ” Maude warned.


  “I won’t,” he promised.

  Their hands locked, as did their eyes for a brief moment.

  Fear and doubt in her eyes.

  Gentleness and mild amusement in his.

  Maude’s heart thumped loudly in her chest as Matt pulled her slowly away from the edge. It actually wasn’t too disagreeable. It even was kind of fun. Before she knew it, she was circling the rink again and again, remaining steady with Matt’s firm grasp.

  “Okay, good,” he said after some time. “You’re steady now. I’m going to let go of your hand, but you have to stand straight and fearless, okay? Just follow my lead.”

  Maude nodded and followed his instructions. Steady and fearless, she repeated to herself. In no time she was an independent skater, advancing not without a certain grace and succeeding at remaining on her feet. He wasn’t a bad instructor, she thought happily. Excellent was perhaps a tad hyperbolic, but he was okay.

  An excellent show-off though, he was.

  While she circled the rink, he demonstrated his skills, skating forwards and backwards at a rapid pace even going as far as punctuating his race with a few jumps.

  It was her turn to give him a lesson, she decided.

  Matt was skating backwards, his back turned to her, unable to see her waiting for him at the other end of the rink. His speed was increasing gradually, but his position remained steady. He was humming a soft tune over and over again. He extended his arms in front of him and then let them limply drop on his sides as he drew closer to Maude.

  That’s when Maude sprang behind him screaming, “AARRGHHH,” at the top of her lungs.

  Matt jumped in surprise, tangled his feet, and fell helplessly to the ground like a toddler learning to walk and did so just in time for Maude to snap a shot with her cellphone.

  Maude roared with hearty amusement at Matt’s plight while he tried, still dazed by his fall to straighten his shoulders as well as the remains of his wounded pride. He couldn’t help but smile, pleased to hear her resounding laughter when she viewed the perfectly timed picture. On it, Matt, with a look of complete surprise, was comically grasping thin air with one arm while trying to slow his inevitable downfall with the other, his legs flailing wildly in the air.

  “I think,” she started, trying to catch her breath. “I think this is a cautionary tale, a perfect illustration of the universal truth that pride indeed comes before the fall.”

  “I guess we’re even then,” Matt acknowledged, rubbing his elbows.

  “Not even close,” Maude replied mischievously. “If I were you, I’d watch my back from now on.”

  “I believe I will,” he said, getting back on his feet.

  “Before you fell, I heard you humming a melody,” Maude pointed out. “Is it a new song?”

  “I’ve been working on this song for a couple of days. It’s called ‘Falling For You.’ But I can’t seem to finish it.”

  “Why don’t you sing it to me. Maybe I can help?”

  He seemed to hesitate and started skating away from Maude.

  “No way, you’re not getting rid of me that easily!” Maude insisted, skating behind him.

  He sped up, but she followed him incessantly, increasing her pace to match his. Finally, he stopped and relented with a sigh.

  “Okay, you win. It’s a song about a person who’s falling in love, but is afraid to admit it. The chorus goes like this—”

  I look at you, could it be true

  I must be falling for you

  Can’t push this feeling away

  “And I can’t find the last sentence,” Matt confessed, a little frustrated.

  Maude looked at Matt, started skating again and sang softly almost wistfully, “It grows and grows stronger each day?”

  “That’s great!” he said, following her. “I knew you’d find something.”

  Matt paused and looking sideways at Maude continued:

  Should I tell you how I feel?

  Would it scare you if I made a confession

  Love is a crazy commotion

  Maude giggled.

  “Love is a crazy commotion? Come on, Matt, you can do better than that.”

  “Well, it’s true. Love is full of commotion, and confusion. How about that Love is a crazy confusion?”

  “Yeah, and let’s call the Love Doctor so he can make sense of this crazy commotion,” Maude said.

  “I wish you’d never heard ‘The Love Doctor.’ You’ll never let me live this down, right? To think this song usually drives every girl crazy.”

  Maude shook her head, her eyes dancing with mirth.

  “Okay, what about—”

  Should I tell you how I feel

  Would it scare you if I confess?

  Nothing has ever felt so real

  Never knew love could make such a mess

  “Not bad at all, Miss Laurent.”

  Miss Laurent paused and feeling a bit more adventurous than when she’d first entered the rink tried to lift her left leg. She only succeeded in swaying dangerously before Matt caught up with her.

  “Here, hold my arm and then lift your leg,” he instructed.

  She did so and extended her leg gracefully behind her body.

  “That’s fine. Now do that while moving, and I’ll truly be impressed,” Matt said.

  “That’s not going to happen any time soon,” she replied playfully, letting go of his arm. He watched her from afar as she started circling the rink, again mulling over the song.

  “Shouldn’t he admit his feelings?” Maude called out to him.

  “What?” Matt asked.

  “The song,” she reminded him. “If he’s feeling so confused, I guess the best thing to do is admit them to the object of his affection,” Maude suggested innocently.

  “What if he’s afraid of rejection?” Matt asked gazing fondly at Maude who was presently making a brave attempt at skating backwards.

  He was surprised to feel the smallest hint of self-doubt. Maude was nothing like the other girls he’d dated, and she seemed completely immune to his charm. It probably didn’t help that he preferred teasing her than actually admitting his feelings for her.

  “I can’t take this any longer/I’ll admit my love to no other,” she sang.

  “Maybe you’re right, maybe knowing is better,” he mused. “The answer may be yes or no/At least I’ll finally know,” he completed.

  “I guess we are more prolific outside of the Creation Room,” Maude teased. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult Violetta.”

  “I don’t know if you should be allowed back into the Creation Room,” he declared, although he found himself wondering how he’d ever composed music in that room before knowing her.

  “Catch me if you can!” yelled Matt, and he started to skate as fast as he could.

  Maude, who never resisted a challenge, hurried after him, and for the rest of the afternoon, they were kids again, skating madly in the Wollman Rink.

  “Ms. Tragent is going to kill me if I arrive late,” Maude said as she and Matt hurried towards Morningside Theater. Time had flown on its light wings, and Maude was frantically trying to reach the theater on time.

  “Of course she won’t. It’s only 5:45, and we’re almost there. Besides, you’re with me.”

  “With Ms. Tragent, being early is being on time and being on time is being late. And unless she’s a fan of your songs I don’t see how your being here will help when she decides to scalp me. Honestly, I doubt ‘The Love Doctor’ is the kind of music she listens to.”

  “You’d be surprised. Which scene are you rehearsing today?” asked Matt.

  “It’s a beautiful scene,” Maude smiled. “It’s when the Prince and Cinderella meet for the first time in her home. He’s disguised as a valet. While the real valet is disguised as the Prince and is wooed by the two evil stepsisters, Cinderella falls in love with the Prince disguised as a valet, and he is enchanted by her beauty although she is dressed in rags.”

  “I see, it’s the fourt
h scene. Is the Prince a good singer? Maybe I could stay for your rehearsal.”

  Matt had thought this through. After the day they’d spent together, he felt he stood a fighting chance. He would tell Maude how he felt after her rehearsal.

  “He’s great. He has a lot more experience than me. But I don’t know if Ms. Tragent will let you watch rehearsal.”

  “I’m sure I can convince her,” Matt said easily as they entered the theater.

  Ms. Tragent was talking angrily to the costume designer who looked like she’d rather be a thousand miles away than under Ms. Tragent’s irate glare.

  The teacher saw Maude arrive breathlessly and turned towards her.

  “Where have you been, Ms. Laurent? It’s almost six!”

  “She was with me, Aunt Cordelia,” Matt said stepping from behind Maude.

  Maude looked confusedly at Matt. Aunt Cordelia?

  Maude was even more surprised when Ms. Tragent’s face broke into something resembling a smile although rusty after having gone a long amount of time unused.

  Nevertheless, Ms. Tragent appeared more than delighted to see her nephew as she hugged and kissed him warmly.

  “Maude was with me. We were working on songs for her debut album,” Matt explained.

  “In that case, she’s excused. You are, after all, my one and only extremely talented nephew. Don’t let that happen again, Mathieu Beauchamp.”

  “Mathieu Beauchamp?” Maude laughed.

  Mathieu Beauchamp and Cordelia Tragent. What a family, Maude thought amused.

  “Of course, Ms. Laurent. Matt is his stage name and I refuse to call him anything else but Mathieu Beauchamp.”

  “I think you’re the only person who still calls me that way,” Matt said a little embarrassed.

  “You’ll have to excuse me, Mathieu. The costume designer isn’t doing a single thing right. I must keep a hawk’s eye on her, or she will mess everything up. You should stay for rehearsal,” she said distractedly as she walked away.

  “I guess I’m staying for rehearsal, then,” he said, turning to Maude.