Page 51 of The Little Provence Book Shop
Adeline smiled back, raising her hand in a small wave.
‘Did I tell you that André almost hit my brother?’ she asked.
‘Non! Why was this?’
‘Apparently he thought he was my boyfriend, and that he was mistreating me!’ she said, looking askance at Michel.
Michel laughed, shook his head. ‘This is so typical of him.He grew up just with his mother and he is very protective of women.’
‘You’ve known him a long time then?’
‘Oui, since school.’
‘I was so surprised! He raced out of the cafe after us and practically put Kevin in a chokehold. Is he always like that?’
‘Like what?’
‘So… dramatic?’
Michel laughed again. ‘No, not quite so dramatic. But I think I know why.’
She felt suddenly nervous. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, this didn’t come from me. But I know for a fact that he has noticed you.’
‘He’s… what?’ She felt her cheeks get hot. André – St Vianne’s answer to Ryan Reynolds – had noticed her? Not that she was interested.
Michel nodded. ‘Yes, of course. He has seen that you are new here, and that you are alone.’
‘Oh.’ She couldn’t see herself, but she was pretty sure the tips of her ears had gone pink.
‘And I think you probably remind him of his mother.’
‘Oh. Right. His mother.’
Michel looked as if he were about to say something else, but then gave his head a tiny shake and stood up a little straighter. ‘Ah, and here we are!’ he said almost too enthusiastically as the shop came into view.
As she glanced at the shop window, she noticed movement in the flat above and saw a figure quickly retreat from the glass. Monique. Probably seeing whether her meddling had worked. Adeline didn’t know whether to be annoyed or amused.
24
The house was silent when she woke, suddenly, at half past five. Her heart was pounding and she could feel her chest and hair damp with sweat. Instinctively she clicked on her bedside light and let the comforting electric glow drive the shadows to the edges of the room. Then she shifted herself back until she was sitting up slightly against her pillow and tried to still her racing thoughts. Whatever it was, it had been in her imagination. There was no need to chase the dream through her subconscious and bring it up again.
She reached for her phone – something she’d vowed not to do on sleepless nights – in an attempt to find some sort of normality to help her fears subside. Perhaps reading the news or checking the weather would get her back into the moment. Her eyes and body felt tired, but she was too full of adrenaline to sleep, at least for now.
Unlocking her phone, she started by flicking through the headlines on her chosen news site, but they were all distressing and depressing; not the best thing for her to be looking at fordistraction. Instead, she brought up Facebook and was pleased to see that she had a message from Chris.
So, now you’re back online, are you going to update me on all the news? How’s France? How’s Lili? Any handsome Frenchmen on the horizon? Seriously, we need to catch up x
It was short, sure, but it was nice that someone was thinking of her. She wondered how to get even a fraction of what she was going through into a suitable message. It just wasn’t possible. Besides, she wasn’t sure her thumbs would survive if she truly updated her friend on everything going on. Perhaps she’d call her at the weekend. It seemed an odd thing to do, making an actual phone call. For a while, she’d barely had time to remember her friend, when Mum and her illness dominated her every waking thought and action. Short messages had been a way to jot down a couple of lines whenever she had the opportunity, their friendship reduced to brief soundbites.
She realised, suddenly, that the last proper phone call she’d made had probably been to Monique, when she’d rung about the job. Yes, she’d called booksellers and the odd customer since, but nothing personal, meaningful.
I’m good thanks. How are you…
She started to write. Then deleted and started again.
So much has happened recently. I can’t even begin to write it here! I’m good. But it would be lovely to chat properly. If you have a moment sometime soon?
