Page 7 of Oops, My Professor Got Me Pregnant!

“I swear,” Lauren said, still giggling, “this kind of thing doesn’t usually happen to me. First, I smear ice cream all over my face and then I drop it. You must think I’m a total klutz.”

“I don’t.” Nico was chuckling too. “But you have to admit, that was pretty funny.”

“Except now I don’t have any ice cream.” Lauren made an exaggerated sad face.

“You can have some of mine,” Nico offered. He held out his cup, but Lauren shook her head. Sharing a cup of ice cream felt a little too intimate, despite the moment they’d almost shared.

“I’m okay. It was really delicious, though.”

Lauren threw away the empty cone — it wasn’t particularly tasty without anything in it — and they continued their stroll.

“So, tell me more about Paris.” Lauren flashed a grin at Nico. “For instance, where might I look for an apartment?”

“Right!” Nico finished the last bite of his ice cream, crumpled the cup, and tossed it smoothly into a trash can. Then he led the way to a small tabac, a mini stand of the sort that Lauren remembered sold mostly gum and cigarettes late at night. Nico bought a newspaper, then led her to a bench by the river.

“This is a strange way to answer my question,” Lauren pointed out as she took a seat next to him.

“Sorry.” Nico grinned at her. “I just realized that I wanted to help you.” He opened the newspaper and spread it across his knees. Then he pulled a red pen from somewhere in his messenger bag and removed the cap with his teeth.

“This are the ‘for rent’ pages,” he told her. After a scan of the page, he circled a listing and tilted the paper so Lauren could see it. “Here’s a one-bedroom in a nice neighborhood for a fairly reasonable rate. It seems a little high, but that’s because it’s furnished and the gas and water are included.”

“That looks great,” Lauren admitted. “Although without seeing it, we don’t know how many cockroaches they’re hosting.”

“True. But it’s worth a shot.” Nico continued scanning the page and Lauren sat back thoughtfully.

“I have to ask. Most people find apartments online now, right? What are you doing with a newspaper?”

“Maybe I’m just an old-fashioned guy,” Nico suggested. “Or maybe I’ve noticed that elderly people tend to put listings in newspapers still. They’re nice as landlords, plus they don’t get as many hopeful renters since, as you said, most people find their apartments online.”

“Genius.”

“Thank you.”

They smiled at each other, then Lauren let Nico focus on his circling for a few minutes. As he pored over the paper, Lauren watched the river slide by in front of them. The bright scents of cherry blossoms and fresh-cut grass were strong in the air. They reminded Lauren of that hopeful feeling she always used to get before summer started, of anything being possible and her life being wide open.

After the disaster of this morning’s apartment visits and cultural misunderstandings, Lauren’s move to Paris was starting to feel like a good idea again. Once more, almost out of habit at this point, she lifted her hand to her grandfather’s ring and clasped it in her palm.

“All right.” Nico tore out the page he’d been working with, folded it neatly, and handed it to Lauren. “This should give you a good place to start your apartment hunt.”

“Thank you. Really.” Lauren smiled at him. “First you save me from being lost, and then you help me with my apartment search. You’re really my guardian angel today.”

“It’s been a pleasure.”

The past tense sent a sudden wave of worry through Lauren. Maybe Nico felt that, since he’d spent a little time with her, given her directions, and now circled apartments for her, their time together was coming to an end. Lauren didn’t want that.

If she were braver, she might have leaned over and put a hand on his arm or flipped her hair over her shoulder like her friends did when they wanted to catch a man’s attention. But Lauren was out of practice at flirting and she felt shy. Still, she didn’t want Nico to leave just yet.

“Let me invite you to dinner,” she blurted. She felt her cheeks heat, but pushed forward. “If you’re not busy, that is. I want to thank you for all your help this afternoon.”

There was a beat in which Nico was silent, and Lauren feared the worst. Then he grinned.

“It would be my honor. And I have a perfect place in mind.”

Relief and excitement flooded Lauren in equal measure. Nico did want to spend more time with her.

“Great.” She smiled, and he held out a hand to help her to her feet. A tingling sensation ran up Lauren’s arm from the place where their hands met.

“It’s a little too early to eat, though. Shall we walk a bit more first?”

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