One Summer in Paris(55)

“I’m fine.” She looked so anxious that Audrey felt bad for her.

“Hey, if you’re going to make me do new stuff that is scary, then you have to do it, too.”

“That’s different.”

“It’s not. I’m building a new life here, and you should be, too. Otherwise you’ll go back home to the same shit—sorry, I mean the same situation—you had before and nothing will have changed. This is your chance to do something for you.” She pushed her plate away. “I’m guessing you don’t like nightclubs, but there must be other ways to meet people. Museum evenings or something. Art appreciation.” What would someone like Grace like? “When you were in Paris the first time, did you meet any guys? Oh, wait—you met the older brother.” She couldn’t imagine Grace as a teenager. Had she ever worn short skirts and done the walk of shame? It was only because she happened to glance up at that moment that she saw Grace’s cheeks turn pink. “What was his name?”

“I don’t know what you—”

“Grace!”

Grace sighed. “His name was Philippe.”

For a moment, she caught a glimpse of another Grace. A less perfect, less tightly held together Grace. “What’s he doing now?”

“We haven’t been in touch since I was last in Paris, which was before you were even born.”

“You’ve never looked him up?”

“No. I tried to forget about him.”

“Mmm, well, we should check him out. He might be single.” Audrey pulled her phone out. “What’s his second name?”

“It doesn’t matter if he’s single. I’m married.”

Audrey wondered if she should point out the obvious. Grace might consider herself married, but David clearly didn’t.

Who the hell would leave someone as kind and loyal as Grace? If she ever met David, she might just punch the guy. She decided she had to be cruel to be kind. “No offense, Grace, but you’re not looking that married from where I’m sitting. It takes more than a ring and a piece of paper. It takes the man to be present. He isn’t present, and that is his biggest flaw.”

“Good point. Brutal, but good.” Grace sniffed. “You have a very clear way of seeing things.”

With everything she’d seen and heard in the salon, she probably had more experience than the average marriage counselor.

Also, she’d seen her mother work her way through a few different men. They all had one thing in common. They didn’t stick. Audrey felt a moment of panic. David and Grace had split up after twenty-five years, so obviously there was no safe point. Was she ever going to be able to relax? What if Ron didn’t stick? What if right now her mother was driving him crazy? Audrey still checked her phone for messages every hour and she couldn’t shake the nerves and unease that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in her stomach. And then there was the guilt, too. The feeling that she’d abandoned her mother.

Anxiety started to swirl inside her and she decided it was time to change the subject for both their sakes. “What’s his second name? Philippe? I’m going to find him on social media.”

“You are not.”

“Oh, come on. What’s the harm?”

Grace gestured for the bill, and Audrey wondered why she was so resistant. It was obvious her husband wasn’t coming back, so the sooner she moved on the better.

This Philippe guy sounded like a good place to start.

“Let’s see what he’s doing. You don’t have to get in touch.”

Grace paid the bill and stood up. “Let’s go.”

Audrey wondered what exactly had happened between Grace and Philippe. “Where are we going?”

“To the market. We’re going to learn vocabulary for fruit and vegetables.”

“Why? I hate fruit and vegetables,” Audrey grumbled. “Why can’t we learn the French for junk food? Hamburger, fries, extra deep-fried crap.”

“Don’t say crap.”

“Well, extra deep-fried darn doesn’t make any sense at all.” She was encouraged to see Grace smile. “Why won’t you teach me to ask for junk food? I thought you were my friend.”

“I am your friend, which is why I’m not going to give you the words that will help you abuse your body.”

“Does that mean you won’t teach me the word for condom?”

“No. I’m going to teach you that one. In fact, we’re going one better—we’re going to a pharmacy and you’re going to ask for them yourself.”

Audrey shrank. “Over my dead body.”

“If you carry on eating all that salt and junk food and no fruit and veg, it will be over your dead body.”

“Do you nag your own daughter this much?”

“Much more.”

“Well, shit—I mean darn, no wonder she went traveling.” But Audrey slid her arm into Grace’s. “Okay, we’ll go to the pharmacy but while we’re there we’re going to buy you condoms, too.”

Grace made a sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a laugh. “I have no need for condoms.”

“You will if I have anything to do with it.”

“You don’t have anything to do with it.”