Let Them Have Cake (2 page)

As they exited, the devout dipped their fingers in holy water provided at the door and slowly crossed themselves. Anna looked to her left and caught Jeff as he crossed himself. His blue eyes smiled invitingly at her. She did not return the smile as she watched him approach her.

“I’m learning a lot about you,” Jeff said. “I knew you were a first class ICU nurse. You’re Catholic, I’m Catholic, we both have an interest in
France
. I’m anxious to find out what else we have in common.”

What was he doing? It was almost like he was flirting with her.
“
I’m afraid it will be awhile before you find out. Your traveling companions are looking for you.” Anna turned on her heel and walked out of the cathedral just as the brunettes reached Jeff, each taking one of his arms.

Upon leaving the church, the group walked a short distance to the
Tertre Square
, which was a hodgepodge of artist’s stands. The misty rain continued, but the artists were dry underneath canvas canopies. Each artist painted a different scene of Paris, many copied from postcards. Anna stopped to watch a man in a beret painting an image of the
Eiffel
Tower
from a postcard. Next to him, an artist was painting the Arc De Triomphe. She thought about how odd it was that they were copying instead of painting the actual object as they viewed it.

Anna strolled among the artists hoping to find a painting
that would look good in her apartment in
Long Beach
. She stopped to watch a female artist reproducing a post card portrait of a man and woman. The woman wore a beautiful emerald green gown and was seated on a velvet settee. Her curly brown hair had streaks of blonde running through it. She wore it up, and wayward curls had sprung loose and were framing her face. The man was very handsome and stood behind her with his hand on her shoulder. They looked familiar to Anna.

“Excusez-moi.” Anna tried out her high school French on the artist.

The woman turned and smiled at Anna. “Yes. May I help you?”

“Oh, you speak English. I was hoping to practice my French.”

“You can if you want to, but I don’t speak much French. I’m from
New York
.”

“I guess I’ll have plenty of time to practice while I’m here. What is this you’re painting? Is it a famous painting? It looks familiar to me.”

“No, it isn’t terribly famous, but it is in the Louvre. An artist named Jacques Rouleau painted it. He called it
The Engagement
.”

“Then I probably haven’t seen it?”

“Probably not. I like it; it speaks to me and the people strike me as being very much in love. Perhaps it looks familiar
because the woman looks a lot like you,” the artist suggested.

Anna was drawn to the painting. She had to have it to take home with her. She didn’t care how much it cost. 

“Yes, we do resemble each other. Will it take you long to finish?”

“Another week maybe. Are you interested in buying it? I’ll sell it for a hundred US dollars.”

“Yes, I would like to buy it.” Anna was relieved at hearing the price. It wouldn’t hurt her budget at all. “I’ll come back in a week. Please save it for me.”

“It’s yours for a small deposit.”

“Will twenty dollars hold it?” Anna took another look at the painting and felt a chill go up her spine. Something about the painting was making her feel uncomfortable. She walked away and looked over her shoulder. The people in the painting seemed to be looking right at her. It was eerie.

The artist smiled as she pocketed the twenty dollar bill.

Anna scanned the square for members of her group, and seeing them, hurried to catch up.

***

“The Arc De Triomphe was built between 1806 and 1836 to commemorate the victories of Napoleon. Beneath the vault of the arch is the Eternal Flame and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” Vicky volunteered.

“I’m impressed,” Anna retorted. “Lurline better watch out or you’ll be taking her job.”

The more entrepreneurial artists wandered around offering to do quick charcoal sketches of the tourists for a large fee. Only one in the group succumbed to a sales pitch. The rest found souvenirs to buy, and tender crepes or sandwiches on hard rolls to munch on. A few took seats at tables outside cafes and ordered thick, very black coffee in tiny cups, or red wine. Finally, they began the walk back. They were exhausted upon their arrival at Hotel Champlain.

“Okay, group,” said Lurline as she began a series of instructions. “Everyone meet back in the lobby at five-thirty p.m...That should give you enough time for a nap and to freshen up before dinner. I’ve reserved the banquet room of a little bistro. They’re preparing you an authentic French meal. We’ll try to get in at a reasonable hour tonight so we can get an early start tomorrow. Unless there are questions, I’ve got to run. I have to go back to the airport and meet six more people who are joining our group. They flew in from
Chicago
and are late because their plane was delayed due to a snowstorm.”

Anna watched Jeff and his traveling companions board the elevator first. The sight of the three together caused her to sigh deeply. She chose to take the stairs to her third floor room, partly in order to avoid having to talk with anyone. She
had a lot to think about, now that she was going to have to give up her dream of getting together with Jeff. A chill went through her again as she thought of the painting she’d seen and put a deposit on. A strange thought came to her. What if that painting somehow held the key to her future?

Chapter Two

Anna unlocked the door to her room and stepped inside. It was warm and inviting. The heating register on one side of the room sputtered and hissed as water flowed through it. She was so exhausted that she ignored the advice about how to avoid jet lag and flopped down on the bed. She set her alarm and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

The alarm rang all too soon. She showered and made a mental note to try to find a washcloth to purchase when she went shopping. She wondered if the French used them, since all the maid had left were terry bath towels. She brushed her long hair back and secured it with a clip so it cascaded down her back in a tail. Selecting a black skirt, she chose an oversized red sweater to wear over it. Deciding it looked too sloppy hanging loose; she belted it with a low-slung hip belt. Large dangly earrings were put on next, followed by knee-high black leather boots bought especially for the trip. She was pleased with her reflection in the mirror. She looked French and not at all like
a tourist. She grabbed her heavy raincoat and was in the lobby by five-twenty p.m..

The bus arrived promptly at five-thirty with Lurline and the six new group members already on board.

“I’d like you all to meet the Stewart family,” Lurline said as the bus began moving. “They’re from
St. Louis
,
Missouri
. This is Carl and Judy, their son, Mark and their daughter Diana, and Judy’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hastings. I don’t think I’ll try to introduce each one of you right now, so I’ll leave it up to you to do so on your own.”

“Anna, in case you hadn’t noticed, that young man that just arrived, Mark Stewart, is incredibly handsome. If I’m not mistaken, he seems to be just the right age for you,” said Mary.

She shook her head. “I’m not in the market for any men. I’ve been burned one too many times by incredibly handsome men who were less than loyal. I don’t have time in my life right now to complicate it further.”

“Come on, honey. There are lots of wonderful men in the world. Give love a chance. He’s a real hottie.”

“A hottie? Where did you hear that?” Anna asked.

“I may look old, but I’m young in here.” Mary placed her hand over her heart. “Take another look at him. I say you should go for it.”

Anna ventured a glance over her shoulder at Mark and
decided Mary was right. He had wavy black hair and dark brown eyes. He was tall and
well-built
and resembled an actor whose name she couldn’t think of. He felt Anna looking at him, turned and flashed her a big smile. She flushed and quickly turned away.

***

The bus pulled up in front of the St. Lazare restaurant and stopped at the curb. The group exited and Lurline guided them up a narrow flight of stairs to the banquet room above. Long tables were set with open bottles of wine, mineral water, and vases of fresh tulips and irises.

Anna was amazed that it was the dead of winter and she’d already seen more flower stands, people carrying bouquets home, and flowers displayed on tables than she ever saw in
California
. The French must really love flowers.

“Is this seat taken?”

Anna turned to find Jeff standing beside the empty chair next to her. He looked wonderful dressed in a black turtleneck sweater and a leather jacket. His hair was still damp from a shower.

“No, it isn’t. Where are your traveling companions?” Anna asked.

“The girls were too tired to go out again. They never eat, anyway, so this would be wasted on them. They’re probably
sleeping by now.”

Anna glanced
self-consciously
at her abdomen. It was the one area of her body she wasn’t pleased with. Despite all her hard work, she still didn’t have washboard abs. Maybe she should have stayed in the hotel and skipped dinner.

Jeff sat down and poured two glasses of red wine. He raised his glass in a toast. “Here’s to our first night in
Paris
. I’m so glad someone is here that I know from the hospital. This is going to be a memorable trip.”

Anna touched her glass to his. She imagined it was going to be more than memorable for him, with those two waiting for him back at the hotel.

“Cheers, Jeff. I’ve been looking forward to this trip for a very long time.”

They clinked their glasses together and took a long drink.

“What do you want to see while you’re here?” Anna asked.

“Everything I possibly can. I especially want to see the
Eiffel
Tower
and the Louvre. I don’t want to miss the
Mona Lisa
and
Wingless Victory, either
.” Jeff paused, then asked, “What about you?”

             
“
Versailles
. That’s number one on my list,” Anna replied.

             
“Why
Versailles
, especially?”

             
“I became interested in Marie Antoinette when I was studying French in school. I read a lot about her and felt sorry
for her. I think she was misunderstood.”

             
Jeff looked amused. “Misunderstood? That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that.”

             
Anna flushed and looked uncomfortable.

Jeff reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m just teasing you. All of those places are on our tour, aren’t they?”

Anna smiled and relaxed. She knew Jeff hadn’t meant the comment the way it sounded. She was being too sensitive, probably because she was tired.

Dinner was served. It was ‘Blanquett de Porc’, a roast pork dish in a creamy white sauce, accompanied by rice and overcooked vegetables. The usual salad served in American restaurants before the main course was absent. The pork was tender and the sauce tasted richly of butter. The rice and vegetables were passable, but the traditional French bread was not what they expected, being too hard and greasy for their tastes. The French wines were wonderful and the éclairs and tarts served after dinner were exquisite. They were beautiful with their pastel colors, and the sweetness melted in their mouths. After dinner coffee was extremely strong and would take some adjusting to.

Anna poured cream into the cup until the coffee was diluted to pale beige.

             
“You like your milk with a little coffee in it I see,” remarked Jeff. “I’ll have to file that away for future
reference.”

             
Anna was feeling warm and relaxed from the wine. She was also feeling brave. “I’ve worked with you a lot in the ICU when you would come up to help us out. I really admire you. I didn’t think you’d even noticed me, though.”

Jeff looked sheepish and raked his fingers through his reddish brown hair. “I’m sorry if I’ve given you that impression. I’ve noticed you, but I try to maintain a professional distance at work. I guess that might have been a mistake.”