‘I know.’
The waiter frowns. I’m sure this will make a great story for the kitchen staff later. Two eggheads get spoiled with a bottle of fancy French champagne and a degustation experience and can’t stand the sight of each other.
‘Then what’s stopping you from leaving? I can manage sixteen courses. It won’t go to waste.’ I’ll eat his and mine and drink every last drop of wine if that’s what it takes.
‘It would be rude when Geneviève had gone to all of this effort.’
The waiter sighs. ‘Your first course will be out shortly.’
‘Fine,’ we say in unison. Pascale glares at me and I glare right back. If he wants frosty, I’ll give him frosty.
The degustation is finally over and I’m a little tipsy from the wine. I leave a huge tip for the waiter precisely because he couldn’t hide his haughtiness and disdain as lunch bore on. I wrap my summery scarf around my neck and fumble for my phone. As I trek to the Metro, I call Geneviève.
‘How did it go?’ she asks, excitement in her voice.
‘You sneak, you…’
‘Did sparks fly? Birds sing? Angels trumpet?’
‘They did no such thing! The man is impossible. What were youthinking?’
‘D’amour!’
‘Of love! Pascale left as soon as he ate his last forkful, grumbling about his day being taken up and lamenting the fact he didn’t sell an antique typewriter for all his troubles. Doesn’t sound like love to me.’
She giggles, she actually giggles. ‘What’s amusing about this? You just spent a fortune on lunch for two people who can’t stand each other. Even the waiter told us to stop glaring because we were frightening other customers.’
‘What fun!’
‘What?’
‘Enemies to lovers,ma Cherie. You might not recognise these intense feelings because you’ve only ever dated those safe types who are always so accommodating and, let’s be frank, boring. This is fireworks. Explosions! The clanging of bells.’
‘Clanging of…?’ My mind is muddled from the wine, the words. I’m having trouble understanding how she can possibly consider that man is the one for me. ‘He’s a belligerent fool.’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘Seriously?’
‘You can thank me later.’
‘Sure. You should have saved your money! Eight courses! You did that on purpose.’
‘It’s a good, solid investment into your future. Three courses wouldn’t have been long enough.’
I sigh. I’m not going to convince her. ‘I’m nearly at the Metro.’
‘Alone, I take it?’
‘Alone with only my frustration for company.’
‘See? Already the love bug is working its way around your blood stream.’
‘Then I should see a doctor about that. The only thing working its way around my blood stream is too many wine varietals.’
‘No such thing!’
‘Au revoir, Geneviève. Thank you for the meal.’ After all, the food was spectacular.
