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Chapter Fifty
Juno
Paris in the Fall.Is there anything more magical? As I travel the familiar path to school, I let myself get lost in the beautiful scenery. I’m too busy watching the morning bustle of the city and not paying any attention to where I’m walking, and I trip over the step right at the entrance of the school. As I fling forward, I feel hands grab me – big ones.
“Woah, there.”
I look up to see Felix. He holds his hands up and steps back so the Secret Service team can make a fuss over me.
“I’m fine.” I hop up quickly and brush off the front of my shirt. “Thank you, Felix.”
He gives me a shy smile. “I wouldn’t want you injured.”
Felix has just the slightest hint of a German accent, and the cutest crooked smile.
He opens the door for me, and I walk into the building.
“So do you know what we’re doing today?” I ask.
“Pâte à choux.”
I groan. “I just can’t seem to get mine right.”
He pats me on the back and says, “Don’t worry. I’ll help you today. I’m excellent with choux pastry.”
I laugh. I’m sure he is. Felix is good at everything – a real wunderkind. He started working in restaurants when he was just thirteen. He doesn’t really need to be here, but I guess he has skills to polish and a resume to build just like the rest of us.
We get our stations set up and Madame Durand gives us instructions about our choux. We’ll be making gougères today – cheese puffs basically. I’ve never done it before, but my other attempts at a choux pastry have been lackluster.
Felix comes over to my station and says, “Madame Durand says I can work with you today.”
I don’t look up from organizing my station, but I give a little nod. He’s really handsome. It hasn’t escaped me. Everyone likes him. He’s kind and a gentle soul. Not boring like Seth. Not a dick like Justin.
We go to work measuring all the ingredients. Once they are in the pot, he leans over my shoulder. I can feel the heat from his body on my back. He says, “See how it is starting to pull away from the sides? That’s good. Almost there.”
I give it another stir, and he says, “Perfect. Look it has a film on the bottom.”
Sure enough, the dough has formed and left a little layer stuck to the pan. I pull it off the heat.
“Very nice,” he says, softly. He directs me through the rest of the recipe, taking great care with each step. I like how detail oriented he is and tidy. He’s quick to clean up as he goes, wiping away little spills and straightening the space. When the dough is finished, he helps me get it into a piping bag and then steps back. “I think it will be quite good, yes?”
I smile up at him. “Yes. I can’t wait to try it.”
Once I clean up my space, I can’t help but peek at my oven to see what’s happening. They are rising beautifully. So far this is miles better than any other choux pastry I’ve attempted.
When the timer dings, I pull them out. They smell heavenly. The outside is a perfect golden color, and I can see little bits of melted cheese throughout. I’m nearly drooling. Felix walks over with a big smile on his face. “Good job.”
I pick one up and blow on it. “Want to try one?”
He nods and grabs one.
I take a bite and groan.
He bites into his. “Just like magic.”
