Page 139 of Papa's Bébé


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Maya:What would you do if you were . . . intimidated by a guy?

Millie:Intimidated? You mean someone is threatening you?

Maya:No, no. I mean if you couldn’t talk to someone while looking at them because you found them so . . . gorgeous.

Maya wincedas she typed those words. What was she doing? Should she really tell them this? It was kind of embarrassing.

Livvy:Ahh, I get it.

Millie:Me too. You get flustered and tongue-tied.

Maya:Yes, that.

Livvy:Around Matthieu?

Yikes.Okay, she should have thought about them asking that question.

Millie:Of course it’s Matthieu. The guy is sex on two legs. Anyone can see that. Does he speak French to you? He never sounds French but he would sound so sexy speaking it.

He spoke French?She had guessed he had a French background given his name, but she hadn’t been sure of how far back that connection went.

She realized she’d asked him very little about his past.

Great.

Maya:Yes, it’s Matthieu. But that doesn’t mean anything. We’re not . . . I mean . . . he’s not into me. I’m a job to him. But it’s embarrassing that I can’t look at him and have my brain function.

Livvy:I get it

Millie:You have to take small bites. Don’t eat the elephant all at once. Snack away at it.

Um.She didn’t want to eat an elephant.

Livvy:What Millie means is that you have to make yourself look at him. But just for small bits. Train your brain to work while looking at him.

Right.That made sense. And in a way it’s what she had kind of been doing. But she could speed up the process.

Maya:Thanks guys. I’ll try it.

Millie:I gotta go. Spike is giving me the stink eye. Night!

30

Matthieu was frowning down at his phone when Maya walked into the kitchen the next morning.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Yes, fine. There’s some French toast for you on the counter. Should still be warm enough. And I poured you a coffee.”

Wow.

She felt so bad. He was always doing things like this to take care of her. And they were things he didn’t have to do. This wasn’t his job.

“I should cook tonight,” she blurted out.

He raised his head and stared straight at her. She held his gaze for as long as she could, aware that her face was probably growing red. Finally, she had to glance away.

But she was getting better. She was certain of it. She could do this.