Page 4 of Oops, My Professor Got Me Pregnant!

“If you aren’t in a rush, I happen to know a lovely little café near here. It seems like you could use a nice afternoon after your difficult, cockroach-nightclub morning.”

Lauren tilted her head to the side, then a smile lifted the corners of her pink lips. “I think I have a little time.”

The wave of happiness Nico felt was probably too much for the situation. He was having coffee with a pretty woman, after all, not winning the lottery. But he couldn’t deny that it felt nice to have Lauren accept his offer of an afternoon together. You need to get out more, Nico, he chastised himself.

“Wonderful. Follow me.”

They walked a few more blocks to the café Nico had in mind. All the while, they traded funny apartment anecdotes back and forth. Nico shared the story of his first apartment, which he’d rented with two other college students and which had ended up being a breeding ground for black mold. Lauren told him about an apartment she’d lived in back in Nebraska, where she was from, that had been a converted barn.

Nico had to laugh at that story. “You’re really validating my American stereotypes right now,” he told her.

Lauren shrugged. “It was a nice barn. And I only lived there for a year or so when I was maybe four or five.”

They arrived at the café a few moments later and, after checking with Lauren, Nico asked for a table outside since the spring weather was so gorgeous. They sat kitty-corner to each other and, after a bit of discussion, ordered two coffees and a pastry each.

“If you’re looking for apartments, it sounds like you’re planning to stay in Paris for a while,” Nico said as the waiter walked away with their order.

“I hope so, but I’m not really sure yet.” Lauren shrugged. “I’ve always wanted to live here again, but I’ll have to see how things go.”

“Won’t you miss your family back home?” Nico asked.

A shadow crossed Lauren’s face, but then she shrugged. “I’ll definitely miss my friends. They’re already asking for pictures of Paris landmarks, and I keep having to tell them that the whole city isn’t Eiffel Towers and the Seine.”

Nico chuckled. “When I visited the United States, my friends kept asking me for pictures of the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge. No one seemed to notice that I was in Chicago the whole time.”

Lauren laughed. “How long ago did you go to the States?”

“Hmm, it must have been about… five years now. I haven’t had as much time for travel recently.”

“Why not?”

“You know, work and life become busier as you get older.” Nico answered so instinctively that he barely noticed that he was lying through his teeth. It was true that work and life were both busy, but the real reason Nico hadn’t traveled much was Louis. Being a single father to a rambunctious young boy didn’t leave much time for jaunts to the US. Back when Louis’s mother had been alive and Louis had spent half his time with her, the story had been different.

Nico wasn’t sure why he’d lied now. He should have just told Lauren that he had a son. But something held him back. Perhaps it was the fact that this was the first time Nico had felt even a spark of romance in many years. Perhaps he was worried that Lauren wouldn’t take the news well and that their nice afternoon would end in awkwardness or, worse, judgment.

He felt a wave of guilt at not mentioning his beloved son, but he pushed it away. He was spending the afternoon with Lauren, not arranging a marriage. There was no need to be completely honest with her about every part of his life. And technically, it was true that his work and life were both busy.

“Sure, I get that.” Lauren smiled. “Work and life can be quite a lot to deal with indeed.” The waiter returned with their order, and both were distracted for a few moments by the hot beverages and pastries.

“So,” Nico said after they’d both enjoyed a few sips, “do you have time for sightseeing this afternoon as well, or do you have more appointments planned with terrible apartments?”

“I have some time. But when I was here before, I saw all the major touristy sights and I don’t really feel like I need to see them again. I might just wander a little.”

“If you’d like, I could show you a few of my favorite spots,” Nico suggested. “No tourist traps, I promise.”

“We’ll see.” Lauren winked. “If I see even one souvenir Eiffel Tower keychain, I’ll be out of there.”

“It’s a deal.”

“Also, this pain au chocolat is to die for.” Lauren pointed to her pastry and gave an approving nod. “I’ve been wanting one all day, but the woman at the bakery couldn’t seem to understand me.”

“Well, that’s silly. I completely understood what you were saying.”

“Am I pronouncing it wrong or something?”

“Not really. You might just want to pronounce pain with a slightly more nasal ‘n.’ Pain.”

“Pain,” Lauren repeated.

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