Lucky Charm (23 page)

“Do not worry about it
,
Madam Roux! This is my friend Annabel and my boyfriend Simon.”

“Is he going to be staying here as well?” demanded Madam Roux. “Mademoiselle Jacqueline did not say anything about that,” she added suspiciously.

“No, no,” Simon interjected. “I’m simply dropping the girls off.”

“Ah, that’s better.” Madam Roux nodded in approval, while Simon shot Lilly a concerned look. “So, here are the keys
. Y
ou have the entire second floor at your disposal
. Y
our bedrooms are the first two rooms on the right side from the staircase. I will serve breakfast at eight a.m. sharp in the dining roo
m.
” Madam Roux added, “
Y
ou’re on your own for the rest of the meals.”

“That’s very sweet of you, but you needn’t bother with breakfast,” Lilly assured the concierge. “We can always grab something at a patisserie.”

“Very well. I will be downstairs if you need anything.” Madam Roux ambled toward the back staircase that led into her basement apartment.

“This way.” Lilly motioned to the main staircase
. S
he still remembered the room where she stayed during her study abroad in
Paris
.

As she followed Lilly upstairs, Annabel could not help noticing the peeling, faded wallpaper, cracked ceilings
,
and blind chandeliers, but at least everything was clean
. T
here was not a speck of dust in sight, and it was obvious that Madam Roux took pride in keeping the household in pristine order, at least to the extent that was possible
,
given the general disrepair. Yet, despite its decrepit appearance, Annabel was instantly fascinated by the house
. E
verything in it was redolent of the many lives the place had witnessed over the years
. I
t was like a book written in magic ink that could only be read if one knew the secret to unlock its spell.

“Ok
ay
, this is it.” Lilly opened the doors to their respective rooms. “I’ve got to say that the place looks a lot older than I remembered, but it’s clean, the location is great, and most importantly, it’s free.”

“I think it’s incredible! But I’ve got to say that the concierge gives me the heebie-jeebies,” Annabel whispered.

“I’d have to agree with that one,” Simon joined in
.
“
A
pparently
,
the old watch dog is also a self-proclaimed chaperone.”

“Madam Roux?” Lilly pursed her lips. “Don’t mind her
. S
he is the kindest thing
. S
he just likes to put on a tough front, that’s all. I’m surprised she’s still working here
. S
he looks like she’s ready to retire.”

“Yes, that would not be such a bad idea,” Simon chimed in, and Lilly mock
-
punched him in the arm.

“So
,
what’s the plan for tonight?” Lilly
looked at
Simon.

“I know just the perfect place for dinner.” Simon smiled. “I already made the reservations.”

“We have to shower first,” Lilly announced. “Just give us half an hour
,
and we’ll be ready to go.”

“Sounds good to me
.
I’ll wait downstairs. Hopefully, I won’t get ambushed.”

“See you soon, baby.” Lilly blew Simon a kiss.

“Are you sure you want me to come along?” Annabel asked after Simon went downstairs. “I’ll be perfectly fine on my own.”

“What kind of a friend do you think I am? I’m not leaving you on your own during your first night in
Paris
. But I’ll probably stay at Simon’s place tonight, though
.
I wouldn’t want to get Madam Roux all riled up.”

“Of course.” Annabel was secretly thankful to Madam Roux
. S
he liked Simon well enough, but she certainly would not want to hear him and Lilly having sex. “I’m telling you, I’ll be fine on my own
. Y
ou don’t need to babysit me.”

“Who said anything about babysitting? I’ve got the right to spend time with my best friend, haven’t I? Come on
. L
et’s get ourselves ready before Madam Roux kicks Simon out.”

Half an hour later
,
Annabel and Lilly joined Simon in the waiting room downstairs.

“Finally!” He stretched his arms, getting up. “I was beginning to think that jetlag got the better of you.”

Lilly glanced at her watch. “It’s only been thirty minutes
. T
hat’s the fastest I’ve ever gotten ready
.
I’ve just set a record for you, baby.”

Simon smiled, shaking his head in mock disapproval and immediately scooped Lilly into his arms to show his appreciation.

“It is a beautiful evening,” he announced, after he finally tore his lips away from Lilly’s, “and I suggest we start it by discovering Paris
. F
irst drinks, and then dinner.”

“Sounds perfect!” exclaimed Lilly.

Annabel nodded in agreement, doing her best to appear at ease
. S
he was thankful for Lilly’s and Simon’s efforts to make her feel included
. N
onetheless, she sensed that the two lovers yearned to be alone and resolved not to overstay her welcome.

Several minutes later
,
they were walking down Rue de Rivoli
. S
uddenly, Simon cut across the street, heading for the Louvre courtyard.

“Are we going into the Louvre?” Annabel exclaimed in disbelief
. T
he sun was beginning to set
,
and the world-famous palace looked majestic at dusk.

“We’re going somewhere much more entertaining.” Simon smiled mysteriously. He led them past the glass pyramid toward the edge of the courtyard. “I was thinking that this would be the perfect place to start the night.” Simon gestured at the café entrance located on the edge of the Louvre Richelieu wing
,
the name of which Annabel was able to identify from her extensive study of the
Paris
landmark, but somehow she had missed the tidbit about Café Marly, the entrance to which they were now facing.

“Wow, this is amazing!” exclaimed Lilly
. S
he had been to Café Marly before, but that did not mean that she could not let Simon think that he had introduced her to the place.

A gallant hostess approached them and exchanged a friendly greeting with Simon, after which she escorted them past the numerous tables that lined the veranda of the wing until they reached the perfectly situated table that had the prime view of the Louvre.

“There you are,
Monsieur Barnette
. T
he waiter will be right with you.”

“That’s some great service!” Lilly remarked. “You must be a regular here.”

“I come here with clients a lot
. T
here’s nothing like the right ambiance to help seal the deal.”

“Clients, huh? And here I was, thinking that we were special.” Lilly pouted.

Simon blushed at his faux pas. “Clients or not, this is still my favorite place in Paris
. N
ot for food of course, although it is not bad here, but for the view
. A
nd it’s even more special to me now that I’m sharing it with you, Lilly
.
”
H
e halted
.
“
A
nd your friend Annabel
,
of course,” he added hurriedly.

Annabel smiled at Simon’s gallantry, thinking that Simon’s sense of tact was beyond commendable.

“Oh, baby! I was only teasing
. Y
ou are the sweetest!” Lilly cooed.

They ordered a bottle of wine and some appetizers to take the edge off before dinner. A few moments later
,
the wine was poured into their glasses
,
and the conversation began to flow freely
. T
hey talked about Simon’s relocation back to
Paris
. A
pparently
,
after living in New York for three years, he was experiencing a reverse cultural shock, having to get used to do
ing
without things that used to at first annoy him in New York, and vice versa. They spoke about Lilly’s participation in the upcoming fashion competition, the hopes she harbored for win
n
ing, and how she could not wait for the whole thing to be over with so that she could enjoy the rest of her stay in
Paris
. Then the conversation turned to the jam-packed itinerary of sites that Annabel had prepared, with which Simon was more than impressed and even a bit intimidated, as he admitted that despite having lived his entire life in Paris, he had not done even half of the activities on Annabel’s list (such as going to the top of the Eiffel Tower
,
for instance).

Taking the last sip of her wine, Annabel looked at the magnificent view before her
. I
t was now fully dark
,
and the street lamps shed just the right amount of light to showcase the Louvre’s magnificence. There were still tourists strolling along the courtyard, but it looked almost empty in comparison to the crowds just an hour earlier. The place was filled with magical charm
,
and Annabel could not thank Simon enough for taking them there, but she could also guess that he would much rather enjoy the rest of the beautiful night alone with Lilly
. I
t was getting late, and just as the waiter brought the bill to their table, she reached for her purse to pay her part of the bill and announced that she would be calling it a night.

“But, Ann, you can’t leave yet
. W
hat about dinner?” Lilly exclaimed.

“I’m kind of full
,
actually
.
I’m more sleepy than hungry. You two go on without me
. J
etlag ha
s
finally caught up with me
,
and I want to start the day early tomorrow.”

“Well at least let us walk you back
. W
e don’t want you to get lost on your first night in
Paris
,” Simon insisted, taking charge of the check before Annabel could offer her part of the bill.

“I’m fine, really
.
I remember the directions perfectly.” Annabel rose from her chair to end any further protests
. I
t was only a short walk back
,
and she had intentionally paid attention to directions so that she could find her way back.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.” Lilly hugged her goodnight.

“No worries
.
I have an entire day of sightseeing planned.”

“Annabel!” Simon called out as she was about to walk away. “When you go sightseeing tomorrow, let
Paris
show itself to you.” Noticing the dubious expression on Annabel’s face, Simon smiled. “You’ll know what I mean.”

“O
kay
.” She nodded in agreement
. She had
no idea what Simon was trying to say
.
S
he dismissed his remark as some French idiosyncrasy. “Thanks again for a great night.”

When Annabel woke up the next day, she took her time to enjoy a few leisurely moments in bed, but was shocked into a fully awoken state when she lazily glanced at the clock.

“Half past twelve!” she exclaimed, her voice full of shock
. S
he had an entire itinerary of landmarks to visit
,
and at this rate she would not get to see any of them.

Twenty minutes later, freshly showered and dressed in practical attire of flat-soled shoes, jeans
,
and a T-shirt, she made her way downstairs. Armed with a map and
a
Paris tour guide
book
, Annabel considered her options for the day
. S
he would start with the Louvre
. O
f course
,
she knew that one day would scarcely be enough to see the world’s most famous museum, which was why she wanted to start early on during her stay
. S
he
wanted to
return to the famous palace at least two more times,
or
maybe more. Afterwards, perhaps she would go on to see the
Eiffel
Tower
and maybe even manage to squeeze in the Napoleon tomb
. I
t was an ambitious plan, but she thought that if she hurried, she might just make it
. I
t was not like she had anything else to fill her day with
.
Lilly was staying at Simon’s
,
and Annabel was not about to impose on the two lovers.