“Do you miss your cat yet?” I tease.
“You have no idea.”
When we finally get to our meeting spot; gate Saint Michel at the lovely Jardin du Luxembourg, the small crowd is readying to go — just four people and the most stunning silver-haired man I’ve ever seen.
He eyes us carefully. “Corrie?” he asks, in a very seductive accent, rolling the Rs. Damn, who knew Corrie’s name could sound so sexy.
She smiles and she even blushes a little. “Yes, that’s me,” she says and quickly makes the introductions. He introduces himself as Antoine. His gaze doesn’t waste too much time on Oscar or myself, but when it hits my mother, it lingers. He stares at her for a little longer than necessary. “Florence,” he says again, pronouncing it the French way. “Beautiful name.”
I can’t help but stare at Antoine as he goes over the tour’s schedule: the Sorbonne, a café, Notre Dame, blah blah blah. He’s dark skinned and has the most beautiful brown eyes I’ve seen since Oscar’s. And of course, being Parisien, he’s flashy, fashionably dressed… probably gay.
We stroll through the Luxembourg gardens. My mother, who loves flowers, is thrilled. Downright giddy is what she is. I wonder if it’s the flowers or her companion — he seems to have taken a shining to her. He must not see the huge engagement ring on her finger. Or maybe he does — he is a Frenchman, after all. A friend once told me the French don’t regard the vows of marriage the way we Americans do.
Corrie is busy tapping away on her phone, probably Instagramming. #iloveParis #luxembourgardens #blessed
Oscar snaps a few pictures, and then he takes my hand in his.
I smile up at him. “We’re friends again?”
“I guess.”
I snuggle close against him. “I quite enjoyed the make-up sex,” I say in hushed tones.
He smiles. “Yeah, I think that’s why you like to piss me off.”
“You know me too well.”
He nods again with a playful grin. “I think silver fox has a thing for your mom.”
I laugh.
“Well, she is a knockout,” he points out.
“Ewww, did you just call my mother a knockout? So over the line, Oscar,” I tease. “Yeah, she could definitely do worse. He’s so much hotter than Mark.”
He laughs. “Seriously, we should get those two together. That’s a good way to break off the wedding.”
I still haven’t told Oscar and Corrie about Matt’s devious plan — it’s time to do just that. I press a hand on his arm and still him. “Hey, Corrie,” I call out.
My mom and Antoine are way up ahead, in their own little world.
She glances up from her phone. “What’s up?”
“So I didn’t have a chance to tell you guys this,” I start. “But Matt has a plan to stop the wedding.”
They’re both slack-jawed, speechless and impatiently waiting for me to elaborate.
“He knows a girl, here in Paris, a temptress type, who he plans to arrange a ‘chance’ meeting with… with his dad.” I glance over at my mom to make sure she’s still occupied with Mr. Beautiful. “She’ll seduce Mark, and we’ll make sure my mother witnesses the whole thing.”
“That’s crazy,” Oscar points out, a fact I’m well aware of.
“That’s devious,” Corrie adds. “That’s the kind of thingIwould do. I like the way this Matt thinks. Why does he want to break them up? Why does he care?”
“He’s just getting tired of his dad fucking with women, I guess. And he says he likes my mom.”
“It seems mean,” Oscar chimes in. “Your mom will get hurt.”
“Well, what’s better, Oscar? Her finding out now that he’s a total slime ball, before she gets in too deep, or her finding out later when she’s already married to him, and having to go through the whole divorce thing?” Corrie asks, playing the devil’s advocate. “She’s going to get hurt either way.”
