“Of course,” Ade said, lifting her gaze again to meet Sylvie’s.
“They must like it,” Sylvie said, enjoying the eye contact a little too much.
Ade frowned. “Sorry, did you want me to confirm that they do like it?”
“I guess so.” Sylvie laughed at her own embarrassment.
“Some do. Some are more about the theory.” Ade traced the movement of an octopus with her finger, not quite touching the glaze separating them. Its tentacles reached out then shrank away, in a strange, slow-motion greeting. Ade took a long breath, as if embracing the welcome. “Some are just here for the European credits and to brush up on their French. It looks good on their resumé back home.”
Sylvie nodded. She had students of her own who were going through the motions and would graduate with just as much insight into social issues as they started with. “I need to go through a few things with you about the job,” Sylvie said, strangely reluctant to draw the conversation back to practical matters. “Can we sit and talk?”
Ade gestured toward a desk, and they took their places. Ade resumed her awkward pose in the chair, and Sylvie wished they’d kept moving around the tanks where she seemed so much more at home.
Eager to keep it brief, she stuck to the essentials and made it back to her car by lunchtime. She checked the weather forecast and her timetable. Two study periods gave her a perfect window to head to the beach for the afternoon and settle down with her latest edits. Her publisher’s schedule was taped to the fridge and scorched onto the back of her eyes.
From the marine center, the beach was a short drive, and after a prix fixe lunch, Sylvie slipped on a pair of sliders, wrapped a sarong around her waist, and removed her tailored chinos. She gathered her beach gear, which had been a permanent feature in the trunkthis summer, and headed for her favorite quiet spot beneath an umbrella.
She must’ve drifted, because she awoke to a breeze across her face and the tall, boyish frame of Ade casting a four o’clock shadow onto her towel.
“You almost lost your papers,” she said, holding a binder.
Sylvie stirred, gathering the folds of sheer fabric around her thighs. She didn’t miss Ade’s attention on her bare legs and folded them beneath her as she sat up. “I fell asleep.”
“You did look asleep, yes.” Ade pulled a can of Pepsi from her pocket. “I bought you one, in case you needed to cool off. Figured you might need the caffeine too.”
Sylvie smiled. She liked the rhythm of Ade’s explanations. So obvious, yet so charming. “Thank you. Would you like to sit with me for a while?”
“How long is a while, do you think?” Ade asked.
“Well, maybe ten or fifteen minutes. Or however long you’d like to.”
“I’m going swimming. That’s why I’m here.” Ade dropped her bag onto the sand next to Sylvie’s towel and sat cross-legged in the full glare of the afternoon sun. “Lectures are over, and the students are all heading home, so I wanted to come to the beach again.”
“I love it down here.” Sylvie leaned back onto her elbows. “It’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed.”
“Stayed?”
“I’m from Paris, originally. I arrived in Montpellier last year.”
“Do you like it?” Ade asked.
“I do like it, yes. It took me a while to get used to its pace and personality though. It’s very southern, andIam very Parisian.”
“What do you mean?” Ade tilted her head.
“Have you ever been to Paris?”
“We flew into Paris for a few days before coming here.” Ade ran her hand through the sand. “I hadn’t been overseas until that.”
“Pity you couldn’t have stayed longer in the capital. Paris haseverything: style, culture, cuisine. I miss its passion and conversation. But it’s not always that kind to its people. It can be fast and abrupt.”
“Yeah, I didn’t much enjoy the pace. It sure seemed like everyone had their shit together and not much patience to spare for…”
“For?”
“People like me,” Ade said.
“True.” Sylvie nodded. “The people are kinder here. The pace is slightly slower. The vowels are softer and rounder.” When Ade frowned, Sylvie recognized her confusion. “There’s an accent which you might not hear, because you’re American. But it’s similar in the States, no?”
