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“I'm going to call him right now."
My feelings are mixed on this whole thing, but I can’t deny that is an excellent idea.
“Julien,” Natalie begins. “Don’t try to stop me, I’m handing the phone to Olivier because the two of you need each other.”
“Olivier Dubois?” Julien’s voice sounds both incredulous and concerned when I tell him who I am.
“That’s who I am.”
“I see.”
“And I understand that you do light shows.”
“I do.”
Now what? This man and I were most recently showing off our peacock feathers at each other, and now we have to collaborate? This feels ridiculous, but Natalie’s eyes beckon me to go on.
"Natalie suggests your service is what my restaurant needs.”
“I suggest you have everything you need.” His tone is clear. He didn’t win the girl, and I was only ever his competition.
I glance at Natalie, who can only hear my side of the conversation, thankfully. “If I were to tell you that I could offer you the chance to perform your art on the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, might that change your mind?” The line is silent. I would guess he hung up on me, but I can hear breath on the other side of the line. “Perhaps this was a mistake—”
Natalie’s jaw drops and she mouths, “No! Convince him!”
“Wait, wait,” Julien interjects. “I might have guessed this was a prank, but Natalie is too sincere for that.”
“This is true.” I’m staring into her sincere eyes right now.
“The Eiffel Tower. A light show.”
“And plenty of publicity in the lead up to the event.”
“On one condition.”
Here it comes. “What’s that?”
“Put me on speaker.”
I hope I don’t regret this. “You’re on speaker.”
“Natalie?”
She leans into the phone, her previous excitement replaced by nervousness. “Yes?”
“You still owe me a casserole.”
“You’ll do it?” she squeals. “For real?”
"For real." He laughs over the phone. "Let's all meet first thing tomorrow and discuss."
"For that," Natalie looks at me in a teasing way that we call coquinein French, "I'll leave you two boys to discuss. I have a couple of parents in town and I owe them the best croissants this city can buy."
She hangs up with Julien and Natalie squeals, jumping up from her chair."We've got it, we've got it.”
"We certainly do," I say, whisking her into my arms. "And it couldn’t have happened without you." The feeling of being back in the garden is alive in my veins. She looks deeply into my eyes and time slows, the excitement of the previous moment giving way to something more profound. The sensation of her against me takes over my every thought. I put her down but we stay close, her breath warm with wine in the late spring evening.
Her eyes plead with me, but I don't know what she wants.
